The 5 Best 1080p Monitors - Fall 2021 Reviews

The best 1080p gaming monitor we've tested is the ASUS VG279QM. Despite the low native resolution, it's actually one of the best gaming monitors we've tested overall. It has a very fast 240Hz refresh rate that can be overclocked up to 280Hz, resulting in much better motion handling. It also has outstanding low input lag, ensuring your actions are in sync with the action on-screen.

It has an extremely quick response time at its max refresh rate, resulting in almost no motion blur. Even at 60Hz, the response time is outstanding, and even though there's a backlight strobing feature to improve the appearance of motion, you likely won't need it. The monitor has native FreeSync support, and it's certified by NVIDIA to be G-SYNC compatible. The picture quality is great; it has great out-of-the-box color accuracy, it gets bright enough to combat glare, reflection handling is decent, and it has really wide viewing angles.

It has an extremely low input lag when playing at 280Hz, but sadly, it increases quite a bit at 60Hz. Like most IPS panels, it has a low contrast ratio, so blacks appear closer to gray when viewed in the dark. On the upside, it has outstanding ergonomics, and it's well-built, so you shouldn't have to worry about any build quality issues for a while. All in all, most people should be pleased with it, making it the best 1080p gaming monitor we've tested.

The best 1080p gaming monitor with a 360Hz refresh rate that we've tested is the Dell Alienware AW2521H. Its relatively small size doesn't deliver the most immersive gaming experience, but it more than makes up for it with its impressive motion handling. The standout feature is, of course, its 360Hz refresh rate. It feels incredibly responsive, and fast motion looks clear with almost no ghosting thanks to its exceptional response time.

There are quite a few extra features available. NVIDIA's Reflex Latency Analyzer lets you measure the input lag and find ways to improve it, and like most gaming monitors, you can add a virtual crosshair, timer, or frame rate indicator on the screen. There are four USB 3.0 ports so that you can plug your peripherals or dongles into the monitor for a cleaner setup. It also supports NVIDIA G-SYNC variable refresh rate technology, but it doesn't work with FreeSync, so you need a recent NVIDIA graphics card to take full advantage of this monitor.

It also supports HDR, but it has low contrast, poor black uniformity, just decent peak brightness in HDR and no wide color gamut, so there's little benefit to using HDR. Although it has a few limitations, overall, it's an excellent gaming monitor for casual and esports gamers.

The Acer Nitro XF243Y Pbmiiprx is the best 1080p gaming monitor that we've tested in the budget category. It's an excellent gaming monitor that, despite its low price, offers performance that rivals more expensive, featured-packed options. It has excellent ergonomics because you can rotate it 360 degrees on its round base, making it easy to place the screen in an ideal viewing position.

It has an IPS panel with wide viewing angles, so it's a great choice for co-op gaming. What makes this monitor stand out versus the competition is how quick its response times are. It's fantastic whether you're gaming at 60Hz or its max refresh rate 165Hz, so motion looks crispy smooth. Input lag is extremely low, and it has VRR support in terms of native FreeSync and G-SYNC compatibility. Even if you need to use it for office work, it has excellent out-of-the-box accuracy and an excellent SDR color gamut, making it a great choice for content creators.

Unfortunately, it's not a good choice for dark room gaming because it has a low contrast ratio that results in grayish-looking blacks. However, it's good for use in well-lit rooms as it has great peak brightness, enough to combat glare, and has good reflection handling. Also, it has a few extra features, like built-in speakers, so you don't have to worry about getting a dedicated setup if you don't want to. Overall, it's the best 1080p budget monitor we've tested.