A 4k monitor is a great choice for an immersive gaming experience with detailed and sharp images. There are plenty of options to choose from, including at different price points. However, while there are some cheap, entry-level 4k models available, those usually have limited gaming performance. It's better to spend more on a dedicated 4k gaming monitor for the best performance.
There are a few factors to think about when looking for a 4k gaming monitor. It's important to consider its response time for crisp motion and low input lag for a responsive feel, which most have anyway. For the best gaming experience, you'll want something with HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 2.1 bandwidth to take full advantage of the latest graphics cards or gaming consoles. Although it's hard for computers to maintain high frame rates with a 4k resolution, there are models available with high refresh rates, like up to 240Hz. Lastly, displays with high contrast and bright highlights also help improve your gaming experience with good HDR picture quality.
We've bought and tested more than 385 monitors, and below are our picks for the best 4k gaming monitors. Also, see our recommendations for the best monitors for Xbox Series X, the best monitors for PS5/PS5 Pro, the best monitors for the Nintendo Switch 2, and the best 4k 144Hz monitors.
We buy and test more than 30 monitors each year, all of which we purchase ourselves, without cherry-picked units or samples. We put a lot into each unbiased, straight-to-the-point review, and there's a whole process from purchasing to publishing, involving multiple teams and people. We do more than just use the monitor for a week; we use specialized, custom tools to measure various aspects and deliver objective, data-driven results. We also consider multiple factors before making any recommendations, including the monitor's cost, its performance compared to the competition, and whether it's easy to find.
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Best 4k Gaming Monitor
PC GamingConsole GamingResponse TimeHDR PictureSDR PictureBrightnessSize27"Panel TypeOLEDSub-TypeQD-OLEDMax Refresh Rate240 HzSee all our test resultsNative Resolution3840 x 2160The best 4k gaming monitor we've tested is the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM. It's exceptional for gaming while offering incredible picture quality. With a QD-OLED panel, it has a near-instantaneous response time for sharp motion, and its 240Hz refresh rate is high enough for most gamers. Plus, it supports both HDMI and DisplayPort 2.1 bandwidth, which is useful if you have a graphics card that can take full advantage of either port. This means it can make full use of the PS5, PS5 Pro, and Xbox Series X|S. It also supports Dolby Vision with an Xbox. It even has a few extra features that make it well-rounded, like a USB hub and a KVM switch.
Besides that, it makes your favorite games look detailed thanks to its high 4k resolution. Plus, it displays deep and inky blacks in dark rooms, makes small highlights pop, and has vivid colors, so it's a fantastic choice for HDR gaming. However, the black levels rise in bright rooms, making them look purple. You can consider the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG32UCWMG if you want a 4k, 240Hz OLED with better black levels in well-lit rooms. It also has a dual-mode feature to boost it to 1080p, 480Hz. However, colors aren't as vivid as on the PG27UCDM, and it lacks DisplayPort 2.1 bandwidth.
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Best Upper Mid-Range 4k Gaming Monitor
PC GamingConsole GamingResponse TimeHDR PictureSDR PictureBrightnessSize27"Panel TypeOLEDSub-TypeQD-OLEDMax Refresh Rate240 HzSee all our test resultsNative Resolution3840 x 2160If the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM is still too much out of your price range, the Dell Alienware AW2725Q is a good alternative that you can get for less, especially when it's on sale. It's another 4k, 240Hz QD-OLED that performs similarly for the most part, but it has fewer features. For example, it lacks DisplayPort 2.1 bandwidth to take advantage of the latest graphics cards. It doesn't have a KVM switch like the ASUS, either, which is something to consider if you want to connect a second device alongside your gaming PC.
Besides that, it offers the same sharp motion, low input lag, and VRR support as the ASUS. Plus, it supports all signals with gaming consoles, including Dolby Vision with an Xbox. It also displays the same deep blacks in dark rooms with bright and vivid colors. However, it overbrightens some content in HDR, depending on the settings used. Plus, it's less accurate before any sort of calibration, which is something to consider if you like accurate images in your games.
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Best Mid-Range 4k Gaming Monitor
PC GamingConsole GamingResponse TimeHDR PictureSDR PictureBrightnessSize27"Panel TypeLCDSub-TypeIPSMax Refresh Rate320 HzSee all our test resultsNative Resolution3840 x 2160If you don't have the budget for an OLED, there are some options with great value in the mid-range price category, like the MSI MPG 274URDFW E16M. It's different from the Dell Alienware AW2725Q because it doesn't have an OLED panel with the same deep blacks and no haloing around bright objects. However, this is what you have to expect from something cheaper, and it instead has Mini LED backlighting that allows the monitor to get much brighter. It also has a local dimming feature to improve black levels, but it has black crush and haloing. However, its local dimming feature performs worse in SDR, as it overbrightens content, and you may prefer not using it in SDR at all.
While it has a lower 160Hz native refresh rate than the Dell, it has a dual-mode feature to boost the refresh rate to 320Hz with a lower 1080p resolution. This gives it versatility for playing different types of games. It has good motion handling in either of the modes, but there's more blur than on the Dell. On the plus side, it supports HDMI 2.1 bandwidth to take advantage of gaming consoles, but it doesn't support Dolby Vision.
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Best Lower Mid-Range 4k Gaming Monitor
PC GamingConsole GamingResponse TimeHDR PictureSDR PictureBrightnessSize27"Panel TypeLCDSub-TypeIPSMax Refresh Rate320 HzSee all our test resultsNative Resolution3840 x 2160Should you be looking for something a bit cheaper than the MSI MPG 274URDFW E16M without giving up too much on features and performance, look into the Acer Nitro XV275K P5biipruzx instead. It's similar for the most part to the MSI as it's another 4k, 160Hz model with a dual-mode feature to boost it to 320Hz for a smoother feel. It also has Mini LED backlighting with 1,152 dimming zones, but its local dimming performs slightly differently than the MSI. You can't enable it at all in SDR, and it doesn't have any customization options when it turns on in HDR. That said, it performs similarly in HDR, as it also has deep blacks with some haloing, but it doesn't get as bright as the MSI.
It's similar in terms of gaming performance to the MSI as well. It has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth to make full use of gaming consoles and modern graphics cards. It also has low input lag for a responsive feel. While it has good motion handling for the most part, it has more blur with VRR enabled because you can't adjust its overdrive settings at the same time as VRR.
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Best Budget 4k Gaming Monitor
PC GamingConsole GamingResponse TimeHDR PictureSDR PictureBrightnessSize27"Panel TypeOLEDSub-TypeIPSMax Refresh Rate120 HzSee all our test resultsNative Resolution3840 x 2160If you want the best budget 4k gaming monitor, check out the Dell S2725QS. It's an entry-level 4k monitor that's mainly designed for productivity, but it also has gaming features. It differs from the Acer Nitro XV275K P5biipruzx in a few ways, as it doesn't feature Mini LED backlighting. Without local dimming and combined with its lower overall contrast ratio, blacks look gray in dark rooms, and highlights don't pop in HDR. It also has a lower 120Hz refresh rate without a dual-mode feature. It has much worse motion handling than the Acer, so there's blur behind fast-moving objects, which you may notice when playing fast-paced games.
Despite this, it's one of the better entry-level 4k options for gaming because its HDMI 2.1 bandwidth and 120Hz refresh rate make it well-suited to modern gaming consoles. It also supports all common VRR formats and has low input lag for a responsive feel. However, it's otherwise limited in perks, as it doesn't even have an audio jack or a USB hub. You need to make sure your computer has those ports available if you want to connect devices.
Notable Mentions
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ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM:
The ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM is a premium 32-inch, 240Hz, QD-OLED monitor that's a larger alternative to the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM. It performs similarly for the most part, but it lacks DisplayPort 2.1 bandwidth and costs more.
See our review -
Dell S3225QC:
The Dell S3225QC is a 32-inch QD-OLED that costs less than the Dell Alienware AW2725Q. The S3225QC has a lower 120Hz refresh rate, though. That said, it's something to consider if you aren't going to take advantage of the higher refresh rate of the AW2725Q.
See our review -
LG 27G850A-B:
The LG 27850A-B is a mid-range gaming monitor that's close in cost to the MSI MPG 274URDFW E16M. It has a higher 240Hz refresh rate with a 1080p, 480Hz dual-mode feature, offering a smoother feel than the MSI. However, it has worse picture quality than the MSI because it lacks Mini LED backlighting.
See our review -
Dell S2725QC:
The Dell S2725QC is an entry-level 4k monitor that has the same gaming features as the Dell S2725QS. It also has some extra perks, like a USB hub, but it usually costs more.
See our review
Recent Updates
Mar 20, 2026:
We added the MSI MPG 274URDFW E16M as the 'Best Mid-Range 4k Gaming Monitor' to give another option and renamed the Acer Nitro XV275K P5biipruzx to the 'Best Lower Mid-Range 4k Gaming Monitor.'
Feb 25, 2026:
We verified that the monitors are still available to purchase and updated the text for clarity.
Feb 02, 2026:
We replaced the BenQ MOBIUZ EX321UX with the Dell Alienware AW2725Q because the BenQ is hard to find. We also replaced the LG 27G850A-B with the Acer Nitro XV275K P5biipruzx, which has better picture quality. We removed the LG 27GR93U-B, which is hard to find, and renamed the Dell S2725QS to the 'Best Budget 4k Gaming Monitor.' In the Notable Mentions, we replaced the LG 32GS95UE-B and the MSI MPG 272QRX QD-OLED with the 27G850A-B and the Dell S3225QC.
Oct 23, 2025:
We removed the Gigabyte AORUS FO32U2P because it's hard to find. We also replaced the Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85 with the BenQ MOBIUZ EX321UX for consistency with other recommendations. We replaced the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx, which is hard to find, with the LG 27G850A-B, and added the Dell S2725QS as the 'Best Cheap 4k Gaming Monitor' to give another option. In the Notable Mentions, we replaced the Dell Alienware AW3225QF and the LG 32GR93U-B with the MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED and the Dell S2725QC.
Jul 14, 2025:
We replaced the MSI MPG 321URX QD-OLED with the Gigabyte AORUS FO32U2P because the MSI is harder to find, and for consistency with other recommendations.
All Reviews
Our recommendations are based on what we think are the best 4k gaming monitors currently available. They're adapted to be valid for most people in each price range. The rating is based on our review, factoring in price and feedback from our visitors.
If you'd prefer to make your own decision, here's the list of all of our 4k 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.