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The 5 Best 1080p Monitors - Winter 2024 Reviews

Updated
Best 1080p Monitors

You don't need a high-resolution monitor for the best gaming experience, as 1080p gaming monitors often perform very well. They're typically designed for competitive gaming because they include high refresh rates, even upwards of 500Hz, so they're the right choice if you crave gaming performance over graphically detailed games. Most 1080p monitors are available in 24 or 25-inch screen sizes and are available at different price points.

When looking for a gaming monitor, it's important to consider which type of variable refresh rate (VRR) format it supports so that it's compatible with your graphics card. Its response time is also important if you want smooth motion. As they tend to focus on gaming, they aren't very versatile for other uses, like productivity. This is because they don't deliver the same sharp text clarity as 1440p or 4k monitors, but some are still decent enough if you need something basic for work.

We've bought and tested over 300 monitors, and below are our recommendations for the best monitors to buy with a 1080p resolution. See our recommendations for the best budget and cheap gaming monitors, the best 24-25 inch monitors, and the best gaming monitors under $300.


  1. Best 1080p Monitor

    The best 1080p gaming monitor we've tested is the Dell Alienware AW2523HF. It has a 25-inch screen and a fast 360Hz refresh rate, which is great even for competitive gaming. It has FreeSync VRR support to reduce screen tearing with AMD graphics cards and is also G-SYNC compatible with NVIDIA graphics cards. It has a few other gaming features like a dark stabilizer to see your opponents better in dark areas and different crosshairs to give you a competitive advantage in FPS games.

    It has an incredible response time for a smooth gaming experience, meaning fast-moving objects look great, even at lower refresh rates. While it doesn't have a backlight strobing feature to reduce persistence blur, motion looks smooth even without it. Besides its impressive gaming performance, it also delivers good picture quality with accurate colors, wide viewing angles, and great peak brightness, meaning it looks good in well-lit rooms. This monitor often goes on sale, but if you have trouble finding it available, consider the Sony INZONE M3, as it's another great gaming monitor. However, it has a lower 240Hz refresh rate.

    See our review

  2. Best 1080p G-SYNC Monitor

    If you have an NVIDIA graphics card and want to take full advantage of it, it's better to get a native G-SYNC monitor like the Dell Alienware AW2524H. It's higher-end than the Dell Alienware AW2523HF with a faster 500Hz refresh rate, but the main benefit of getting the AW2524H is that it has features you can only use with an NVIDIA graphics card. Those include variable overdrive to improve motion handling based on the refresh rate and NVIDIA Reflex Latency Analyzer to measure the latency of each source in your setup, helping identify which causes the most delay.

    Besides those extra features, this monitor offers impressive gaming performance with a fast response time at any refresh rate, especially at its max refresh rate, so there's minimal motion blur. Unlike the AW2523HF, it has a backlight strobing feature to reduce persistence blur, but it doesn't work at the same time as VRR.

    See our review

  3. Best Budget 1080p Monitor

    If you want to save money or don't mind getting something with a lower refresh rate, check out a budget model like the ViewSonic XG2431. There are trade-offs for getting something cheaper, and in this case, the ViewSonic has a lower 240Hz refresh rate than the Dell Alienware AW2524H. It doesn't have native G-SYNC support like the Dell, but it's still G-SYNC compatible and has FreeSync support, so its VRR support works with any type of graphics card.

    It's impressive for gaming, as motion looks extremely smooth, especially at high refresh rates. This monitor is better than other budget-friendly monitors because of its versatile backlight strobing feature to reduce persistence blur. You can adjust the flicker to your liking, which isn't something all monitors can do, and this lets you customize it until you're happy with it. However, like many monitors, this feature doesn't work simultaneously with VRR. Besides that, it has other useful gaming features, like black stabilization, so it's easier to see your opponents in dark scenes.

    See our review

  4. Best Cheap 1080p Monitor

    If you're looking for a cheap, entry-level 1080p monitor with few features, like if you need something for work, check out the ASUS VG246H. It has a much lower refresh rate than the ViewSonic XG2431, which is why it isn't ideal for gaming, but it's a good choice for productivity, especially for something at this price point. It comes with an extremely ergonomic stand, meaning you can easily adjust it to an ideal viewing position, which isn't something most low-cost monitors have.

    It also has wide viewing angles that keep the image consistent from the sides, which is ideal if you need to share your screen with someone else. Unlike other entry-level displays, it has a dedicated sRGB mode, so colors are accurate, and images are life-like without calibration. However, you'll still need to calibrate it for extremely accurate colors. It also has good enough reflection handling if you want to use it in a room with a few lights, but it doesn't get bright enough to fight intense glare.

    See our review

  5. Best 1080p 144Hz Monitor

    If you want a cheap and basic monitor like the ASUS VG246H but instead want something that's at least good enough for gaming, look for a 1080p monitor with a 144Hz native refresh rate, like the ASUS TUF Gaming VG249Q1A. The reason it's better for gaming than the VG246H is because of its higher refresh rate, which you can overclock to 165Hz. While this isn't as good for competitive gaming as the ViewSonic XG2431, it's still very good for PC gaming, especially if you're on a limited budget and building your first gaming setup. It has incredible motion handling, and the response time remains quick even at lower refresh rates. Like the ViewSonic, it also includes a backlight strobing feature to reduce persistence blur, but it isn't as customizable.

    It has FreeSync VRR support to reduce screen tearing, and it's also G-SYNC compatible to work with NVIDIA graphics cards. It's rather basic regarding features, which is expected for a cheap gaming monitor. However, you can still add virtual crosshairs to give you a competitive advantage, as your game's anti-cheat tool won't detect it.

    See our review

Notable Mentions

  • Acer Nitro XF243Y Pbmiiprx: The Acer Nitro XF243Y Pbmiiprx is an entry-level gaming monitor that's a good alternative to the ASUS TUF Gaming VG249Q1A and has better ergonomics. However, it's harder to find at times. See our review

Recent Updates

  1. Jan 31, 2024: Added the ASUS VG246H as 'Best Cheap' for consistency with other articles; removed the ASUS ROG Swift 360Hz PG259QN from the Notable Mentions because it's hard to find.

  2. Nov 23, 2023: Replaced the Acer Predator X25 bmiiprzx with the Dell Alienware AW2524H for consistency with other articles; replaced the Acer Nitro XF243Y Pbmiiprx with the ASUS TUF Gaming VG249Q1A because the Acer is hard to find.

  3. Sep 29, 2023: Made sure that the monitors are still available to purchase and updated text for clarity.

  4. Aug 02, 2023: Verified that the monitors are still available to purchase and updated text for clarity; added the ASUS ROG Swift 360Hz PG259QN to Notable Mentions.

  5. Jun 09, 2023: Renamed the Acer Predator X25 to the 'Best G-SYNC 1080p Monitor' and the Acer Nitro XF243Y to the 'Best 1080p 144Hz Monitor' to better help people looking for 1080p monitors; added the ASUS VG279QM to Notable Mentions.

All Reviews

Our recommendations are based on what we think are the best monitors with a native resolution of 1080p that are currently available. They are adapted to be valid for most people in each price range. Rating is based on our review, factoring in price and feedback from our visitors.

If you would prefer to make your own decision, here is the list of all of our 1080p monitor reviews. 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.