The 4 Best Monitors Under $500 - Spring 2024 Reviews

The best monitor we've tested that you can get for around $500 is the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx. Although it tends to cost a bit more than $500, it's worth stretching your budget for as it offers many more features and better performance than other monitors in this price range. The main advantage is that it has Mini LED backlighting, which helps provide a decent local dimming feature that makes blacks look deep in dark rooms. This is great if you want to sit back and watch videos with good picture quality, and it also delivers a ton of details thanks to its 4k resolution.

It has features for various uses, which is great if you want something for work during the day and gaming at night. One of those perks is its USB-C port that supports 90W of power delivery and DisplayPort Alt Mode, so you can easily connect a laptop and charge it at the same time. It's also good for gaming as it has a fast response time and HDMI 2.1 bandwidth to take full advantage of gaming consoles, but it has increased input lag at 60Hz, which is disappointing for playing reaction-based games. The LG 27GR93U-B is a good alternative if you want something with lower input lag, but it has worse picture quality than the Acer.

While the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx is good for gaming, if you're a dedicated PC gamer and want the best gaming monitor that you can get for under $500, then check out the LG 27GR83Q-B. It's different from the Acer because it has a lower 1440p resolution, so images are less detailed, and it doesn't have Mini LED backlighting, so it has worse picture quality with blacks that look gray in dark rooms. However, the main advantage of getting this monitor for gaming is that it has a higher 240Hz refresh rate, giving you a smooth gaming feel. This is ideal for even competitive gamers, and it has a very fast response time that makes motion look sharp.

Unlike many other 1440p gaming monitors, it even has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, which lets you take full advantage of gaming consoles and modern HDMI 2.1 graphics cards. It has a handful of features like crosshairs and a black stabilizer to help see your opponents better, too, and it also supports all common VRR formats to reduce screen tearing.

If you don't need a gaming monitor and prefer something for work and productivity, the Dell U2723QE is a good choice, as it often goes on sale for less than $500. With the same 4k resolution as the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx, it delivers sharp text and is the best 4k monitor under $500 for work. However, it has a few differences with the Acer as it doesn't have Mini LED backlighting, so you don't get the same premium picture quality.

On the plus side, it has a massive USB hub with five USB-A ports and three USB-C ports, so it's very easy to connect different devices. It has a KVM switch that lets you use the same keyboard and mouse with two computers. It even has a dedicated sRGB picture mode that results in excellent accuracy, so you'll only need to calibrate it if you need the most accurate colors, which is ideal for content creation. Lastly, while it gets bright enough to fight glare in most well-lit rooms, its disappointing reflection handling makes it less ideal if you work in a sunny room. If that's the case, the Dell S2722QC is a good alternative with better reflection handling but has fewer features than the U2723QE.

If you don't need something for one specific use and find the 27-inch screen on the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx too small, look into an ultrawide monitor. It provides extra horizontal screen space, which is ideal for multitasking or even if you want to see more of your game at once. In that case, the Gigabyte M34WQ is a great choice as it's versatile for different uses. It's great for gaming thanks to its 144Hz refresh rate, FreeSync VRR and G-SYNC compatibility to reduce screen tearing, and excellent motion handling at higher refresh rates.

It has several productivity features, including two USB-A ports and one USB-C port, which supports DisplayPort Alt Mode. It's also great for office or content creation in bright environments, as it gets bright enough to fight glare and has great reflection handling, but it has worse text clarity than the Dell U2723QE. Another downside is that it has limited picture quality, especially in dark rooms, as deep blacks appear gray. If that's important for you, consider the Dell S3422DWG, which has a high native contrast ratio. However, the Dell isn't as good for office work, and motion is also blurrier.