The 5 Best 1440p Monitors - Winter 2023 Reviews

The best 1440p monitor we've tested is the Dell Alienware AW3423DW. It's an excellent monitor that delivers stunning picture quality and offers premium features. Although it has a 3440x1440 resolution, it's still considered a 1440p monitor and is wider than 27-inch monitors because it provides more screen space horizontally and has the same screen height. It's good if you want the extra screen space for a more immersive gaming experience or to open multiple windows next to each other. With a 34-inch screen size, it also has a 1800R curve that brings the edges of the screen within your field of vision.

It uses new QD-OLED panel technology that results in a near-infinite contrast ratio for perfect black levels in dark rooms, and there isn't any blooming around bright objects either. Thanks to its quantum dot technology, it also displays a wide range of colors in HDR and gets bright enough to make small highlights stand out. It also offers excellent gaming performance thanks to its fantastic motion handling and native G-SYNC variable refresh rate (VRR) support, which is great if you have an NVIDIA graphics card and want to take full advantage of it. If you have an AMD graphics card instead, there's a cheaper version, the Dell Alienware AW3423DWF, that has native FreeSync support and a slightly lower 165Hz refresh rate.

If you find the Dell Alienware AW3423DW too expensive or you aren't a fan of the ultrawide format, then consider the ASUS ROG Swift PG279QM. It has a smaller 27-inch screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio, and it doesn't have a QD-OLED panel like the Dell, meaning it can't deliver the same dark room performance, but that's the trade-off of getting something cheaper. However, it still offers very good overall performance and is impressive for gaming as it has a 240Hz refresh rate with native G-SYNC VRR support, and it has a few extra features that you can use with your NVIDIA graphics card. It supports the NVIDIA Reflex Latency Analyzer, which helps measure the delay of your gaming setup.

While you aren't gaming and just browsing through the web, the text clarity is good and it delivers life-like images thanks to its excellent accuracy before calibration. Although it doesn't perform as well as the Dell for use in dark rooms, it's a good choice for well-lit rooms as it gets bright enough to fight glare and the reflection handling is good. It also has wide viewing angles if you want to use it for co-op gaming as the image remains consistent from the sides.

Should you want something in the mid-range price category for cheaper, consider the Dell Alienware AW2723DF. Like the ASUS ROG Swift PG279QM, it has a fast 240Hz native refresh rate that can actually be overclocked to 280Hz, but the main difference between these monitors is that the Dell has native FreeSync VRR support instead of native G-SYNC support. This means it's the better choice if you have an AMD graphics card, but if you have an NVIDIA graphics card you can't take full advantage of it like on the ASUS. Still, the Dell offers excellent gaming performance with a very quick response time across its entire refresh rate range for smooth motion.

It also has low input lag for a responsive feel and while you can't make the backlight flicker to reduce any persistence blur, the flicker-free backlight helps reduce eye strain during long gaming sessions. It has a few extra features that are useful while gaming like the ability to add a virtual crosshair or use different vision modes that make it easier to see your opponents in games, giving you a competitive advantage. It also has four USB-A ports, making it easier to connect your peripherals or charge devices.

If you prefer something cheaper, the LG 32GP850-B is a good alternative to the Dell Alienware AW2723DF. As you go down in price categories, there are a few trade-offs you have to make, and in this case, the LG has a lower 180Hz refresh rate, so you can't use it to play high-frame-rate games like on the Dell. Regardless, it offers an excellent gaming performance with incredible motion handling and a backlight strobing feature to reduce persistence blur, but it only works within a narrow refresh rate range. It also has a larger screen than the Dell, but that means it has lower pixel density and slightly worse image clarity.

The picture quality is good, especially if you use it in a well-lit room, because it has great SDR peak brightness and reflection handling, meaning you won't have issues using it even with a few lights around. It also has wide viewing angles that make the image remain consistent from the sides, which is great if you need to share your screen with someone else, but its stand doesn't offer swivel adjustments. Still, you can adjust the height, tilt it, or rotate it into portrait mode if you need.

Should you be looking for something on a budget, there are a few good 1440p monitors you can choose from. The Gigabyte M27Q is a great gaming monitor that's similar to the LG 32GP850-B because it has a max 170Hz refresh rate and offers impressive gaming performance, but its motion handling isn't as good as on the LG. It still has low input lag for a responsive feel, and it has native FreeSync VRR support with G-SYNC compatibility to reduce screen tearing. Although it has a higher pixel density than the LG, the image clarity is still just decent because it has a BGR subpixel layout, which negatively impacts the text clarity with some programs, but doesn't affect the overall picture quality or performance with games.

While the M27Q is designed for gaming, it has a few extra features that make it versatile for other uses, like if you want to use it for productivity. It has a KVM switch that makes it easy to switch between devices, like a gaming PC and a work laptop, and use the same keyboard and mouse connected to the monitor. It also has a USB hub that lets you charge your devices while gaming.