Gaming monitors have evolved over recent years. The advent of variable refresh rate technologies has drastically improved the gaming experience. There are two main competing VRR technologies: AMD's FreeSync and NVIDIA's G-SYNC technology. For the best VRR experience, your monitor should match the capabilities of your graphics card. Even though NVIDIA now supports Adaptive Sync with FreeSync monitors, they don't perform as well as native G-SYNC monitors. Learn more about NVIDIA's new G-SYNC compatible monitors here.
We've tested over 155 monitors, and below are our recommendations for the best G-SYNC monitors to buy. Check out our recommendations for the best monitors, the best gaming monitors, and the best curved gaming monitors.
The best G-SYNC monitor that we've tested is the ViewSonic Elite XG270QG. This is a well-built model with a style that fits into any office or gaming setup. The stand offers good ergonomics, and you shouldn't have any issues placing it in an optimal viewing position. The 1440p resolution delivers clear and crisp images, and the IPS panel has wide viewing angles, making it an ideal choice for co-op gaming.
It offers excellent gaming performance. Its native 144Hz refresh rate can easily be overclocked to 165Hz, and G-SYNC works over a wide refresh rate range. Its response time is outstanding, and it has a Black Frame Insertion feature to help clear up motion blur, although it can't be used with G-SYNC enabled. Input lag is incredibly low, and even though it increases at 60Hz, it shouldn't be noticeable to most people.
Unfortunately, it doesn't support HDR, and our unit has bad out-of-the-box color accuracy, but this may vary between units. It also has a low contrast ratio, which is expected from an IPS panel. It has great extra features like a USB hub, built-in speakers, and RGB lighting on the back to set the mood in your gaming setup. There isn't much to complain about, making it the best G-SYNC monitor we've tested.
If you want something bigger than a 27 inch screen, the LG 32GK850G-B is a good alternative. It has the same 1440p resolution as the ViewSonic Elite XG270QG, so that means it has a lower pixel density, and images aren't as crisp. It also doesn't have wide viewing angles, but instead, its VA panel provides a much better contrast ratio that delivers deep blacks. It's great for gaming because of its outstanding response time, extremely low input lag, and like the ViewSonic, its 144Hz refresh rate can also be overclocked to 165Hz. Even when gaming at 60Hz, the response time is very quick, and the input lag remains low, but there's no Black Frame Insertion feature. Unfortunately, it doesn't support HDR, and it has limited ergonomics, so it may be difficult finding an ideal position for the screen. It doesn't have many extra features, but it does have a USB hub with two ports that support quick charging.
If you're looking for the best G-SYNC monitor, you should be satisfied with the ViewSonic, but if you prefer a bigger screen, then look into the LG.
The best G-SYNC monitor with a 360Hz refresh rate that we've tested is the ASUS ROG Swift 360Hz PG259QN. It's a compact 24 inch IPS monitor that delivers an incredibly responsive gaming experience. It's impressively well-built, has good ergonomics, and gets more than bright enough to overcome glare easily. Its 1080p resolution might be a bit too low for some, especially for productivity and media consumption; however, it does put a lighter load on the graphics card, allowing for higher frame rates.
Response time is outstanding at its maximum refresh rate of 360Hz, which results in amazingly smooth motion handling. It has a Black Frame Insertion feature, but unlike other ASUS monitors, it isn't usable simultaneously with VRR. While it is a native G-SYNC monitor, it supports FreeSync as well, so it'll still work even if you upgrade to a FreeSync graphics card in the future. It supports HDR, but the overall experience is just okay, and enabling HDR limits the refresh rate to 300Hz over a DisplayPort connection.
The many additional features can enhance your gaming experience. You can add a virtual crosshair, timer, and frame rate counter to the screen, and there's a dark boost feature that makes your opponents more visible in the shadows. There's even some RGB bias lighting on the back of the monitor, which you can customize through software. Overall, it's an excellent monitor that should meet the needs of casual and serious gamers alike.
The best G-SYNC monitor with an ultrawide screen is the LG 38GL950G-B. It's a 38 inch, 21:9 monitor that provides more horizontal screen space to deliver greater immersion in games. It has a 3840x1600 resolution, which comes out to the same pixel density as a 27 inch 1440p monitor, resulting in sharp images and text. It has good viewing angles, high peak brightness, and impressive color accuracy out of the box. The stand only offers tilt and height adjustments, so it's best to VESA-mount it if you want more adjustability.
It has exceptional response time to deliver clear images in fast-moving scenes. It has low input lag, and you can overclock its 144Hz refresh rate up to 175Hz for even more responsiveness. It supports G-SYNC natively to reduce screen tearing and is compatible with FreeSync as well. It gets decently bright in HDR, enough to bring out some highlights in games, but not for a true cinematic HDR experience. Unfortunately, it's not the best option for dark room gaming due to its low contrast ratio.
While gaming on an ultrawide monitor is incredibly immersive, do note that not all games support this format, so you might see black bars at the sides, or the image might be stretched to fill the screen. To take advantage of the extra screen space, there's a Picture-in-Picture/Picture-by-Picture mode that lets you display two input signals simultaneously, which can be useful for multitasking or streamers running on two computers. All in all, it's an impressive gaming monitor that most people should be happy with.
If you find the LG 38GL950G-B too expensive, then consider the Dell Alienware AW3420DW. It has the same 21:9 aspect ratio, but the screen is smaller at 34 inches. It has excellent response time, a 120Hz refresh rate, and native G-SYNC support. It doesn't get very bright and might not be able to fight intense glare, so it's best suited for a moderately-lit room. Its ergonomics are better because it offers swivel adjustments, but it has narrower viewing angles, which means that images can look slightly inaccurate when viewed from the side. Unfortunately, it doesn't have HDR support or a Picture-in-Picture/Picture-by-Picture mode.
Overall, the LG is a better choice because it has a higher refresh rate, better response time, and more features. However, if you're shopping on a smaller budget and don't mind compromising a bit, the Dell is a good alternative.
Feb 18, 2021: Minor text and structure changes. Removed Acer Predator Z35 because it's discontinued and hard to find. Moved Dell Alienware AW2521H to Notable Mentions because it's hard to find at major retailers. Added ASUS PG259QN and LG 38GL950G-B.
Dec 21, 2020: Removed Dell S2417DG, added Dell Alienware AW2521H.
Oct 27, 2020: Removed the Dell S2716DG.
Aug 28, 2020: Replaced the ASUS VG27AQ with the LG 32GK850-B and renamed it to 'Larger Alternative'; replaced the Dell AW3418DW with the Dell AW3420DW.
Jun 30, 2020: Replaced the ASUS PG279QZ with the ViewSonic Elite XG270QG and ASUS PG348Q with the Acer Predator Z35P.
May 01, 2020: Replaced Gigabyte Aorus AD27QD with ASUS TUF VG27AQ.
Our recommendations are based on what we think are the best G-SYNC 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 our reviews of monitors with native G-SYNC support. 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.