The gaming monitor market is growing and it's becoming easier to find the ideal monitor for your needs. Depending on the games you play and the equipment you use, you'll need a different monitor compared to someone else. Most high-end gaming monitors have a fast response time with very little motion blur, and they have extremely low input lag. There are extra technologies that further improve the gaming experience, like variable refresh rate (VRR) technology and HDMI 2.1 bandwidth. There are high-resolution monitors if you want an immersive gaming experience, and there are others with a higher refresh rate and lower resolution.
We've bought and tested over 240 monitors, and below you'll find our recommendations for the best gaming monitors to buy. Also, see our picks for the best 4k gaming monitors, the best 240Hz monitors, and the best curved gaming monitors.
The Samsung LC32G75TQSNXZA is our recommendation for the best all-around gaming monitor for most gamers. It has excellent gaming performance with native FreeSync support to reduce screen tearing, and if you have an NVIDIA graphics card, it's G-SYNC compatible. The variable refresh rate (VRR) support goes along with its 240Hz refresh rate, and you can achieve its full refresh rate range over a DisplayPort connection. Gaming feels smooth and responsive thanks to the quick response time and low input lag. However, it has a slow response time in dark transitions, meaning you'll see some black smearing, which is typical of VA panels. This monitor displays deep blacks in a dark room, so it's a good choice for dark room gaming.
If you have an NVIDIA graphics card and want to take full advantage of it, the ASUS ROG Swift PG279QM is a great option with native G-SYNC support. It costs more but offers an impressive gaming experience with excellent motion handling across its entire refresh rate range up to its max of 240Hz, and it has low input lag. However, it doesn't look as good in dark rooms, so stick with the G7 if you game in a dark environment.
If you want to spend less money than the Samsung Odyssey G7 LC32G75T and want similar features, then the LG 27GP850-B is the best mid-range gaming monitor we've tested. Getting a mid-range option is good if you're a seasoned gamer, but not if you're at a competitive level and need the best of the best. It's also a 1440p monitor with a 27-inch display, and it has a 165Hz refresh rate that you can overclock to 180Hz. Motion handling is remarkable as it has a fantastic response time at higher refresh rates, so there's minimal motion blur, and it also has a great response time at 60 fps.
Gaming feels responsive thanks to the low input lag, and it has a few extra features to improve the gaming experience, like a backlight strobing feature to reduce persistence blur. Although it isn't a good choice for dark room gaming due to its low contrast, it has wide viewing angles if you want a mid-range gaming monitor for co-op gaming.
The Acer Nitro XF243Y Pbmiiprx is the best monitor if you want a budget option for gaming. At 24 inches in size, it's a bit smaller than other gaming monitors in this recommendation and doesn't have a 1440p resolution like the LG 27GP850-B, but it offers great gaming performance at a low cost. It has a 144Hz refresh rate that you can overclock to 165Hz. It has an incredible response time when you're gaming at its max refresh rate, so motion looks smooth, and you won't notice any delay while gaming, thanks to its low input lag.
It has wide viewing angles if you want to use it for co-op gaming, and the round stand on the base allows you to turn the screen a full 360 degrees, providing remarkable ergonomics. While it's a budget monitor that doesn't have tons of features, it still has a backlight strobing feature to reduce persistence blur and a virtual crosshair that your system won't detect. Considering its performance, it's a great budget monitor for gaming.
The best monitor for PS5 and Xbox Series X owners that we've tested is the Gigabyte M32U. Getting a 4k monitor like this one is ideal if you like playing high-resolution games on the newest consoles. The high resolution delivers an incredibly sharp and detailed gaming experience. Motion looks exceptionally smooth thanks to the quick response time, and it has low input lag for a responsive gaming experience. It supports HDMI 2.1 bandwidth that lets you play 4k games up to 120 fps from the PS5 or Xbox Series X.
However, it doesn't support the full bandwidth of HDMI 2.1, meaning if you want to use it with a PC, your graphics card needs to use compression to achieve high-frame-rate signals. That said, it doesn't make much difference for console gaming as you can play 4k @ 120Hz games. It also has a max refresh rate of 144Hz if you want to use it for PC gaming and includes VRR support to reduce screen tearing.
If you're an esports gamer who plays games competitively and need the highest refresh rate possible, we recommend the Dell Alienware AW2521H. It's a 25-inch gaming monitor with an extremely fast 360Hz refresh rate, resulting in crystal-clear motion with almost no noticeable ghosting and almost no persistent blur. It has exceptionally low input lag, ensuring your actions are always in-sync with what you see on screen.
It natively supports NVIDIA G-SYNC variable refresh rate technology, ensuring a nearly tear-free gaming experience with NVIDIA graphics cards, but it doesn't work with AMD graphics cards. If you have an NVIDIA graphics card, you can use the NVIDIA Reflex Latency Analyzer feature, which can help you identify sources of latency in your gaming setup and improve your overall performance. It also has great ergonomics that make it easy to adjust the screen, and the stand has RGB lighting to complement the lighting in your setup.
If you aren't a fan of standard 16:9 displays and prefer gaming on an ultrawide screen, then the Dell Alienware AW3423DW is the best ultrawide gaming monitor we've tested. It's the first monitor to use QD-OLED technology, which helps it deliver remarkable picture quality with perfect blacks when gaming in a dark room, and it makes small highlights pop in HDR. If you're going to use it in a bright room, it doesn't get bright enough to fight a ton of glare. If you game in a well-lit environment, you may want to check out the Gigabyte M34WQ. It's a cheaper LED monitor that performs better in bright rooms thanks to its higher peak brightness. However, it has worse overall performance and picture quality.
The Dell is an excellent gaming monitor with native G-SYNC support to reduce screen tearing. It has exceptional motion handling with a near-instantaneous response time at any refresh rate and has low input lag for a responsive gaming experience. Even though it's a native G-SYNC monitor, it still has AMD FreeSync support, making it a great choice regardless of which graphics card you have.
Jul 04, 2022: Added the LG 27GP850-B as the 'Best Mid-Range' and replaced the Gigabyte M34WQ with the Dell Alienware AW3423DW because it's better overall; updated Notable Mentions based on changes.
May 27, 2022: Restructured article to reflect user needs; moved the ASUS ROG Swift PG279QM to an alternative to the Samsung Odyssey G7, moved the LG 279G950-B to Notable Mentions, and updated Notable Mentions based on changes.
Apr 14, 2022: Completely restructured, adding the Dell Alienware AW2521H as the 'Best Esports Gaming Monitor' and the LG 27GP950-B as the 'Best Console Gaming Monitor'. Removed a few out-of-date Notable Mentions, and refreshed the text throughout.
Mar 17, 2022: Replaced the Dell Alienware AW2521H with the Dell Alienware AW2721D and renamed it to 'Cheaper Alternative' to reflect user needs; updated Notable Mentions based on changes.
Feb 16, 2022: Replaced the ViewSonic Elite XG270QG with the ASUS ROG Swift PG279QM for consistency and moved the ViewSonic to Notable Mentions.
Our recommendations are based on what we think are the best PC gaming monitors 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 gaming 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.