The 7 Best Gaming Monitors - Summer 2021 Reviews

The Samsung LC32G75TQSNXZA is the best gaming monitor we've tested with native FreeSync support. This excellent gaming model is available in 27 inch and 32 inch sizes. We tested the larger model, which feels more immersive than a standard 27 inch monitor. The stand offers a reasonable amount of ergonomic adjustments, including rotation to portrait mode, which is rare for a curved monitor.

It stands out for its amazing motion handling. It has a 240Hz refresh rate and exceptional response times, making fast-moving scenes look incredibly clear and smooth. Input lag is extremely low, and it has both FreeSync support and G-SYNC compatibility to reduce screen tearing. It's well-suited for gaming in the dark because it has a great contrast ratio to produce deep blacks, but unfortunately, it doesn't have the best viewing angles, so it isn't ideal for co-op gaming.

It supports HDR10 and delivers a pretty good experience at that. It can display a wide color gamut and gets reasonably bright, enough to make some highlights pop. One thing to note is that you need a graphics card with DisplayPort output and Display Stream Compression support to get the maximum 240Hz refresh rate. The backlight is entirely flicker-free, which is great for reducing eye strain on those long gaming sessions. If you're looking for a feature-rich monitor with amazing gaming performance, this is the one to get.

The best gaming monitor with native G-SYNC support that we've tested is the ViewSonic Elite XG270QG. It's an excellent gaming monitor with a 27 inch screen and a 1440p resolution. It's well-built, and it has good ergonomics so that you can place the screen in an ideal viewing position. It has wide viewing angles, making it great for co-op gaming, and it provides good visibility in well-lit rooms thanks to its great reflection handling and high peak brightness.

It has a native 144Hz refresh rate you can overclock up to 165Hz for a smoother gaming experience. Input lag is exceptionally low, and enabling VRR doesn't increase it all that much. The response time at max refresh rate is fantastic, and it remains excellent even when gaming at 60Hz. It has a black frame insertion feature to improve motion clarity, but you can't use it with VRR enabled, and the flickering might be bothersome to some people.

Sadly, it doesn't support HDR, but it has a few extra features, like built-in speakers, RGB illumination, and a USB hub so that you can charge your devices while gaming. Our unit has terrible out-of-the-box color accuracy, so you may need to get it calibrated to enjoy it to the fullest. That said, this can also vary between units. Overall, if having native G-SYNC support is important to you, this is one of the best gaming monitors we've tested.

The best gaming monitor for esports is the Dell Alienware AW2521H. This is an excellent compact gaming model that delivers a remarkably responsive gaming experience for esports players. It's well-built, and it has a clean and modern design that fits easily into most setups. The stand allows for a good amount of ergonomic adjustments, and its IPS panel has wide viewing angles, making it great for playing co-op games.

It has an incredibly fast response time and a 360Hz refresh rate, resulting in almost no blur trail behind fast-moving objects. It has a black frame insertion feature; however, it only works within a narrow refresh rate range, and you can't use it while variable refresh rate is active. Regarding its VRR, it supports G-SYNC natively, but it isn't FreeSync compatible. One thing to note is that you can only get the full 360Hz over a DisplayPort connection, so it's important to make sure your graphics card has the same port.

It supports HDR, but it can't display a wide color gamut and doesn't get bright enough to make highlights stand out. It has four USB 3.0 ports to charge your mobile devices, and you can add a virtual crosshair or timer on the screen. The backlight is entirely flicker-free, which helps reduce eye strain. All in all, it's an excellent choice for both casual gamers and professional esports players.

The best gaming monitor with a 4k resolution that we've tested is the Acer Nitro XV282K KVbmiipruzx. It has a 28 inch screen that delivers an incredibly sharp image to provide an immersive gaming experience. It feels decently well-built, and it includes a stand with outstanding ergonomics, making it easier to place the screen at a comfortable viewing position or share it with others. It has wide viewing angles and gets bright enough to combat glare in most settings.

It has a 144Hz refresh rate and HDMI 2.1 support, which means you can reach its full refresh rate over an HDMI connection without chroma subsampling to reduce bandwidth. The response time is outstanding, and it supports variable refresh rate to reduce screen tearing. HDR support is present, but like most monitors, it just doesn't get bright enough for true HDR, and its edge-lit local dimming performs terribly.

There are plenty of ports, including four USB 3.0s and a USB-C that supports DisplayPort Alt Mode and 65W charging. You also get built-in speakers, a blue light filter to help with eye strain, and software to control the monitor's settings with your mouse and keyboard. Overall, it's an excellent and feature-rich monitor worth checking out.

The LG 34GP83A-B is the best gaming monitor available in an ultrawide format that we've tested. It's very similar to the LG 34GN850-B, which may be harder to find, so it's worth getting this one instead. It offers impressive gaming performance and performs well for other uses as well. The 34 inch screen and 21:9 aspect ratio help deliver an immersive gaming experience.

This monitor has a native 144Hz refresh rate that you can overclock to 160Hz over a DisplayPort connection. It has native FreeSync support with G-SYNC compatibility to reduce screen tearing, and it has a fantastic response time whether you're gaming at its max refresh rate or 60Hz. It doesn't have a black frame insertion feature, but it's unlikely you'll need it as motion already looks so smooth, and input is really low. It has a few gamer-oriented features, like the ability to add a virtual crosshair on the screen.

Unfortunately, ergonomics aren't the best as the stand doesn't allow for any swivel adjustments, and as expected from most ultrawide options, you can't rotate it into portrait mode. It has a slightly curved screen that makes it a bit easier to see the edges of the screen, and it has wide viewing angles in case you need to share the screen with someone else. Overall, it's one of the best gaming monitors we've tested.

The Acer Nitro XF243Y Pbmiiprx is the best gaming monitor that you can get in the budget category that we've tested. It's a well-rounded monitor with amazing gaming performance that competes with higher-end models. It has excellent ergonomics with a unique stand that rotates freely, allowing you to turn the screen a full 360 degrees. As is expected of most IPS panels, it has excellent viewing angles, so images remain accurate when viewed from the side.

Its 24 inch screen isn't the most immersive, but it does increase pixel density; this results in sharper images. Also, the lower resolution puts a lighter load on the graphics card, allowing it to push out higher frame rates. It has a 165Hz refresh rate and exceptional response times to deliver smooth motion with fast-moving content. The backlight is flicker-free, which is great for reducing eye strain on those long gaming sessions.

It supports HDR10, but like most budget monitors, it doesn't deliver a true HDR experience because it can't display a wide color gamut, and its HDR peak brightness is just okay. Additionally, its low contrast ratio makes blacks appear gray when viewed in the dark. It has built-in speakers, but sadly, no USB ports. Nonetheless, this is one of the best gaming monitors we've tested, and best of all, it's easy on the wallet.