The 6 Best 4k Gaming Monitors - Fall 2020
Reviews

The best 4k gaming monitor we've tested is the LG 27UK650-W. It's a 27 inch model that delivers fantastic picture quality, providing an immersive experience in RPGs or atmospheric games. It has an elegant and modern design that fits easily into most settings, with thin bezels that aren't distracting. It has an IPS panel with wide viewing angles and decent reflection handling, and it gets bright enough to fight glare. It isn't as well-suited for dark rooms, though, as its low contrast ratio and mediocre black uniformity make blacks look grayish.

If you're more into fast-action games, it can handle them with ease. It has a fast response time that results in minimal motion blur and FreeSync support to reduce screen tearing. It's G-SYNC compatible and works with GTX 10- series NVIDIA graphics cards or newer. The refresh rate is limited to 60Hz, but given the difficulty in driving a 4k resolution at a high refresh rate, it shouldn't be an issue for most people.

Since it's primarily designed for office use, there aren't any additional features that are gamer-oriented. It has HDR support, but the experience isn't that great due to its low HDR peak brightness and lack of a wide color gamut. The backlight is flicker-free, which helps reduce eye strain on those long gaming sessions. If you're looking for a versatile and all-around good 4k monitor, check this one out.

The best 4k monitor for gaming in dark rooms is the BenQ EW3270U. It's a well-rounded model with a VA panel that displays deep blacks thanks to its good contrast ratio and okay black uniformity. It's well-built, but it doesn't offer much in terms of ergonomics as the stand only has a limited tilt range.

It has what most gamers should be looking for in a 4k gaming monitor. The response time at its max refresh rate of 60Hz is very good, resulting in minimal motion blur. It has native FreeSync support, and it's G-SYNC compatible over a DisplayPort with a really low input lag. The 32 inch screen helps deliver an immersive gaming experience, and it has good out-of-the-box color accuracy, so you won't have to get it calibrated unless you really want to. If you occasionally play in bright rooms, it gets decently bright, and it has good reflection handling. Unfortunately, it does lack a Black Frame Insertion feature to improve the appearance of motion.

Unfortunately, even though it supports HDR10 and displays a good wide color gamut for HDR content, it doesn't get bright enough to truly bring out highlights. Although its viewing angles are fairly good for a VA panel, they're still not as wide as a monitor with an IPS panel, so it's not the most ideal for co-op gaming. On the upside, it has a few extra features, like built-in speakers, if you don't want to buy an external setup. All in all, this is the best 4k gaming monitor for dark rooms that we've tested.

The best 4k G-SYNC gaming monitor that we've tested is the Acer Predator X27. Although pricey, it's a great choice for anyone who wants a high refresh rate of 144Hz and native G-SYNC support without compromising on resolution. It's well-built, and the stand provides sturdy support, but its ergonomics are rather mediocre, as it can't rotate into portrait mode.

As expected of most gaming monitors, it has a fast response time and low input lag, although latency does increase if you play at 60Hz. It uses an IPS panel that provides good viewing angles, so images remain accurate even if you're not seated directly in front of the screen. There are built-in speakers if you need them, and the backlight is flicker-free, which can help reduce eye strain for those long gaming sessions. There are also four USB 3.0 ports to charge your mobile devices, with two of them conveniently placed on the side.

Sadly, it has a sub-par contrast ratio and poor black uniformity, making it less ideal for dark rooms, which is typical of most IPS panels. On the upside, it has an impressive wide color gamut and excellent peak brightness to provide a great HDR experience. Overall, this is a no-compromise model, making it the best 4k gaming monitor with native G-SYNC support that we've tested.

The best 4k gaming monitor in the budget category that we've seen is the BenQ EL2870U. It's a decent overall model that won't cost you much. It's well-built and even has built-in speakers, which is ideal if you don't want to spend extra on buying an external speaker setup.

It has a TN panel, resulting in good response time and minimal motion blur with fast-moving objects. It has native FreeSync VRR support, and it's G-SYNC compatible too. The input lag is really low, and it stays low with VRR enabled. It has great out-of-the-box color accuracy and performs well in most bright rooms thanks to its good reflection handling.

Unfortunately, the TN panel results in narrow viewing angles and a low contrast ratio, so the overall image quality isn't good. Even though it supports HDR10, it displays a narrow color gamut for HDR content and doesn't get very bright in that mode. This means that HDR content doesn't look all that different from SDR content. Regardless, for what you're paying, you're getting decent performance, making this the best budget 4k gaming monitor available that we've seen.