The 4 Best 144Hz Monitors - Fall 2024

The best 144Hz monitor we've tested is the Dell Alienware AW3423DWF. It delivers both high-end picture quality and a smooth gaming feel. You can sometimes find it for a low cost directly from Dell's website. It has a 165Hz refresh rate, which is a slight advantage over a native 144Hz monitor, but it still offers the same outstanding performance at 144Hz. This is because it has a near-instantaneous response time at any refresh rate, including at 144Hz, so fast-moving objects are crisp without any noticeable blur. It also supports all common VRR formats to reduce screen tearing.

What makes this such a fantastic monitor is that it delivers outstanding picture quality thanks to its QD-OLED panel. It displays deep and inky blacks in dark rooms, and there isn't any blooming around bright objects either. You'll also be happy to know that it displays bright highlights and vivid colors in HDR, which is ideal if you like playing HDR games. Lastly, its 34-inch, ultrawide screen is great for playing immersive games as you can see more of your game at once.

If you don't need a high-end premium monitor like the Dell Alienware AW3423DWF, the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx is an excellent mid-range option. It's different from the Dell because it has a smaller 27-inch screen and doesn't have a QD-OLED panel, so it doesn't display the same deep and inky blacks without any blooming. That said, it has a higher 4k resolution to help deliver a more detailed image, and it still uses Mini LED backlighting with a decent local dimming feature that helps improve the contrast ratio, which is great for gaming in dark rooms. It's also a great choice if you want to use it in a bright room, as it easily gets bright enough to fight glare.

Like the Dell, it has a native refresh rate slightly above 144Hz, as it goes up to 160Hz. While motion isn't as sharp as on the Dell, it still has a fast enough response time, so it doesn't have much blur behind fast-moving objects, including when gaming at 144Hz.

If you're looking for the best budget 144Hz monitor, the AOC Q27G3XMN is a great lower-cost alternative to the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx. It also uses Mini LED backlighting, so it displays deep blacks without much blooming and makes highlights pop in HDR, but the main difference with the Acer is that it has a lower 1440p resolution. This means it doesn't display the same detailed images, but this is what you have to expect for a low-cost model.

It has a native 165Hz refresh rate that you can overclock to 180Hz with a Displayport connection, but the max refresh rate over HDMI is 144Hz. It has an even faster response time than the Acer, but there's black smearing with fast-moving objects. One downside is that it has noticeable VRR flicker with changing frame rates in dark scenes, but you can just disable VRR if that bothers you. This monitor sometimes goes out of stock, so if you can't find it available, the Acer Nitro XV275U P3biipx is a similar monitor you can get for a low cost, but it has worse motion handling.

If you want a simple and cheap monitor, look into the Dell G2724D, which you can often find for a low cost directly from Dell's website. It has a 27-inch, 1440p screen like the AOC Q27G3XMN, but it's different in a few ways because it doesn't have Mini LED backlighting, so it doesn't display the same deep blacks and has worse overall picture quality. However, that's what you have to expect from an entry-level monitor.

It's still good for gaming as it has a 165Hz max refresh rate, but like the AOC, the max refresh rate over HDMI is 144Hz. While its response time isn't as quick as on the AOC, it has less black smearing with fast-moving objects. It also supports all common VRR formats, which is rare for an entry-level monitor, meaning its VRR support even works with NVIDIA graphics cards over HDMI, which the AOC can't do.