There are plenty of good monitors you can get for under $500. A few even have useful features, like Mini LED backlighting or fast refresh rates. However, compared to the rest of the market, most monitors in this price range are considered mid-range and budget options, so they don't have the latest high-end panels, like OLEDs. Luckily, there are options for various usages in this price range with different resolutions and sizes, so there's no perfect solution for everyone.
When looking for a monitor, it's important to consider what you'll use it for. You would need a different type of monitor for work than you would for gaming. For example, sharp text clarity is important for work, while a fast response time is beneficial for gaming. In terms of picture quality, it's important for a monitor to have a high contrast ratio and display a wide range of colors for a realistic image.
We've bought and tested more than 375 monitors, and below are our recommendations for the best monitors for under $500. Also, see our recommendations for the best budget and cheap monitors, the best monitors, and if you're looking for a specific size, the best 32-inch monitors.
We buy and test more than 30 monitors each year, all of which we purchase ourselves, without cherry-picked units or samples. We put a lot into each unbiased, straight-to-the-point review, and there's a whole process from purchasing to publishing, involving multiple teams and people. We do more than just use the monitor for a week; we use specialized, custom tools to measure various aspects and deliver objective, data-driven results. We also consider multiple factors before making any recommendations, including the monitor's cost, its performance compared to the competition, and whether it's easy to find.
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Best Monitor Under $500
PC GamingOfficeEditingHDR PictureSDR PictureConsole GamingBrightnessColor AccuracyResponse TimeSize27"Panel TypeLCDMax Refresh Rate320 HzSee all our test resultsNative Resolution3840 x 2160The best monitor under $500 that we've tested is the Acer Nitro XV275K P5biipruzx. It's a versatile 4k, 27-inch display that features Mini LED backlighting. While it's not the best monitor for one specific usage, it's a jack-of-all-trades type of display that offers good value for whatever you need. The 4k resolution results in sharp text, which helps if you want to use it for work. It has a few productivity features, like a KVM switch and a USB-C port with 90W of power delivery. You can connect various devices to it, including a laptop over USB-C.
In addition to these features, it also offers some gaming perks. You can boost its 160Hz refresh rate to 320Hz with a lower 1080p resolution, so it's versatile for playing different types of games. Gaming feels responsive thanks to its low input lag, and it has a consistently fast response time, but there's some blur behind fast-moving objects. It also delivers good picture quality thanks to its local dimming feature that improves the black levels and makes highlights pop. However, this local dimming feature results in haloing, and it only turns on in HDR, so the picture quality is worse in SDR.
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Best Gaming Monitor Under $500
PC GamingOfficeEditingHDR PictureSDR PictureConsole GamingBrightnessColor AccuracyResponse TimeSize27"Panel TypeLCDMax Refresh Rate480 HzSee all our test resultsNative Resolution3840 x 2160If you're a dedicated PC gamer looking for something more well-rounded for gaming, consider the LG 27G850A-B. Like the Acer Nitro XV275K P5biipruzx, it has a native 4k resolution. However, the main advantage of getting this is its higher 240Hz native refresh rate and 4k resolution. It also has a dual-mode feature to boost its refresh rate to 480Hz with a lower 1080p resolution, so it's the better choice for playing games at high frame rates than the Acer. Plus, fast-moving content looks sharp with fairly consistent motion handling across its VRR range.
However, this monitor isn't as versatile as the Acer, which is why it's recommended for gamers. It doesn't have a KVM switch like the Acer, and it doesn't have a USB-C port to connect a laptop, either. It also has worse picture quality in HDR because it has a terrible edge-lit local dimming feature that causes haloing and fails to improve black levels and make highlights pop. If you can't find this monitor for under $500, the Dell Alienware AW2725QF is another option that tends to cost less. It also has a dual-mode feature, but it has a lower 360Hz max refresh rate.
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Best HDR Gaming Monitor Under $500
PC GamingOfficeEditingHDR PictureSDR PictureConsole GamingBrightnessColor AccuracyResponse TimeSize27"Panel TypeLCDMax Refresh Rate180 HzSee all our test resultsNative Resolution2560 x 1440While the LG 27G850A-B is a great gaming monitor, if you want the best gaming monitor under $500 with fantastic HDR picture quality, look into the AOC Q27G3XMN. It's a great gaming display that excels in HDR. It uses Mini LED backlighting and has a higher native contrast ratio than both the LG and the Acer Nitro XV275K P5biipruzx. Combined with its good local dimming, it delivers deep, inky blacks alongside bright highlights with minimal haloing. It also displays a wide range of colors in HDR and makes them look vivid, so HDR games are punchy. This is the main advantage of getting this monitor over the LG or even the Acer for playing modern games in HDR.
There are some other differences from the LG, though. While it has a 180Hz refresh rate, it doesn't have a dual-mode feature to boost it further. It also has a lower 1440p resolution, which means it requires less bandwidth from your graphics card, but images aren't as detailed. It also has black smearing behind fast-moving objects, so this is a trade-off of getting it over the LG.
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Best Ultrawide Monitor Under $500
PC GamingOfficeEditingHDR PictureSDR PictureConsole GamingBrightnessColor AccuracyResponse TimeSize34"Panel TypeLCDMax Refresh Rate180 HzSee all our test resultsNative Resolution3440 x 1440Although all the monitors recommended so far have the common 16:9 aspect ratio, there's a class of monitors with a wider 21:9 ultrawide aspect ratio and 34-inch size. These offer more horizontal screen space for a more immersive gaming experience. The best option in this size range under $500 is the Dell Alienware AW3425DWM. It's versatile, but it isn't the best option for any specific use. Its wide screen helps with productivity, but it has a lower resolution than the Acer Nitro XV275K P5biipruzx, so text isn't as sharp.
Like the AOC Q27G3XMN, it has gaming features, including a 180Hz refresh rate and HDMI 2.1 bandwidth to take advantage of modern graphics cards and gaming consoles. However, it has black smearing with fast-moving objects. It also has an ineffective local dimming feature that worsens picture quality in HDR, leading to haloing around bright objects. That said, it has a high native contrast ratio in SDR, so it displays deep enough blacks for decent overall picture quality.
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Best Work Monitor Under $500
PC GamingOfficeEditingHDR PictureSDR PictureConsole GamingBrightnessColor AccuracyResponse TimeSize27"Panel TypeLCDMax Refresh Rate60 HzSee all our test resultsNative Resolution3840 x 2160If you don't need any of the gaming features of the monitors mentioned above, there are a few work-focused monitors you can get for under $500, including high-resolution models. If that's what you're interested in, the best 4k monitor under $500 for work is the ASUS ProArt Display PA279CRV. While it has the same resolution as the Acer Nitro XV275K P5biipruzx, the ASUS has a few extra productivity perks. Firstly, it has a larger USB hub with three USB-A ports and two USB-C ports, making it easy to connect a variety of devices. Like the Acer, one of the USB-C ports supports DisplayPort Alt Mode with 90W of power delivery. It even supports daisy chaining to a second monitor.
This monitor is even a great choice for content creators, as it offers multiple picture modes for various color spaces, from the basic sRGB color space to the wider Rec. 2020 space. It's also very accurate in sRGB, so you won't need to calibrate it unless you need perfectly accurate colors. However, it has worse HDR picture quality than the AOC Q27G3XMN because its contrast ratio is low, so blacks appear gray.
Notable Mentions
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Dell S3225QC:
The Dell S3225QC is a 4k monitor with a QD-OLED panel, delivering better picture quality than the Acer Nitro XV275K P5biipruzx. The Dell is worth considering if you can find it for around $500, but it costs more than that most of the time.
See our review -
LG 27GX700A-B:
The LG 27GX700A-B is an OLED gaming monitor that has better picture quality and motion handling than the LG 27G850A-B. It's worth considering if you can find it on sale for close to $500, but it usually costs more than the 27G850A-B.
See our review -
AOC Q27G40XMN:
The AOC Q27G40XMN is a budget model with many of the same specs as the AOC Q27G3XMN. The Q27G40XMN even offers improved picture quality thanks to its better local dimming feature. However, it's harder to find because it's only available in the US. That said, you should get whichever model you can find for the lowest price.
See our review -
Dell Alienware AW3225DM:
The Dell Alienware AW3225DM is a budget-friendly 32-inch gaming monitor that performs similarly to the Dell Alienware AW3425DWM. It's something to consider if you want a bigger screen instead of an ultrawide, but it has lower pixel density than the AW3425DWM.
See our review -
Dell S2725QC:
The Dell S2725QC is a good-value work monitor that's cheaper than the ASUS ProArt Display PA279CRV. It's worth getting the Dell if you want to save money, but it has a smaller USB hub than the ASUS.
See our review
Recent Updates
Feb 13, 2026:
We replaced the Dell Alienware AW2725QF with the LG 27G850A-B, which has a higher refresh rate. In the Notable Mentions, we replaced the LG 27GR93U-B and the Dell U2723QE with the Dell S3225QC and the Dell S2725QC, respectively.
Nov 28, 2025:
We added the Acer Nitro XV275K P5biipruzx as the best overall monitor because it's versatile. Because of this, we renamed the Dell Alienware AW2725QF to the 'Best Gaming Monitor Under $500' and the AOC Q27G3XMN to the 'Best HDR Gaming Monitor Under $500.' In the Notable Mentions, we removed the MSI G274QPF-QD and added the LG 27GX700A-B.
Oct 02, 2025:
We replaced the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx, which is hard to find, with the Dell Alienware AW2725QF. We removed the ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS as it doesn't fit into the scope of the article, and renamed the ASUS ProArt Display PA279CRV to the 'Best Work Monitor Under $500.' We also added the Dell Alienware AW3425DWM as the 'Best Ultrawide Monitor Under $500' to give another option. In the Notable Mentions, we removed the ASUS ROG Swift PG279QM and added the Dell Alienware AW3225DM and the MSI G274QPF-QD.
Jun 12, 2025:
We replaced the Dell Alienware AW2724DM with the ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS because the Dell is hard to find. In the Notable Mentions, we removed the Acer Predator X27U bmiipruzx, Acer Nitro XV275U P3biipx, and the LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B because they're harder to find, and added the LG 27GR93U-B and the ASUS ROG Swift PG279QM.
Mar 17, 2025:
We replaced the LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B with the cheaper Dell Alienware AW2724DM for consistency with other recommendations, and moved the LG to the Notable Mentions. We also replaced the Dell Alienware AW2523HF with the Acer Predator X27U bmiipruzx in the Notable Mentions.
All Reviews
Our recommendations are based on what we think are the best monitors for less than $500 currently available. They're adapted to be valid for most people. The rating is based on our review, factoring in price and visitor feedback.
If you'd prefer to make your own decision, here's the list of all our monitor reviews for products priced at $500 or less. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. Most monitors are good enough to please most people, and the things we fault monitors on are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.