The 4 Best 4k Gaming Monitors - Fall 2024

The best 4k gaming monitor we've tested is the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8/G80SD S32DG80. It's a class-leading QD-OLED monitor with a 4k, 240Hz display. Gaming feels incredible, as it has an outstanding response time for incredibly sharp motion. The monitor also supports all common VRR formats to reduce screen tearing and has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, so it can take full advantage of modern gaming consoles and graphics cards. While you need a very high-end graphics card to reach the max refresh rate at 4k, the monitor performs extremely well even at lower refresh rates.

On top of that, its picture quality is outstanding as colors are vivid alongside deep and inky blacks without any blooming, and HDR highlights get bright enough to truly pop. This is the main advantage of getting a high-end QD-OLED display, and it's also good if you want to use it in a bright room, thanks to its matte screen coating that diffuses light well. However, if you aren't a fan of the haziness of the matte coating, the MSI MPG 321URX QD-OLED is a similar QD-OLED with a glossy coating instead, but it can be harder to find at times.

If you find the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8/G80SD S32DG80 too much out of your price range, the Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85 is a great alternative that you can get for less. It has a 240Hz refresh rate like the G80SD, but the main trade-off is that it doesn't have a QD-OLED panel. This means it doesn't display the same deep blacks without any blooming as on the higher-end Samsung, and the colors are less vivid, too. That said, it still has good picture quality in HDR with decent Mini LED local dimming, making small highlights stand out.

Although this monitor doesn't deliver the same near-instantaneous response time as the G80SD either, motion still looks sharp thanks to its fast response time across its VRR range. It also has features you'd expect to find in a gaming monitor, like VRR support and HDMI 2.1 bandwidth. Its high refresh rate is ideal even for competitive gaming, but if you don't need such a high refresh rate, the Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 S32BG75 is a good alternative that you can find for a bit less with a lower 165Hz refresh rate.

If you're looking for a cheaper 4k gaming monitor in the mid-range price category, check out the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx instead. It has a lower refresh rate than the Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85, which is the trade-off as you drop down price categories. However, it has similar picture quality to the Samsung because it also has Mini LED backlighting, but it has a lower native contrast ratio, so blacks look gray against bright highlights if you don't use local dimming.

That said, it's still a good gaming monitor that has a fast response time, so motion looks consistently sharp at any refresh rate. It also supports any type of VRR format, and with HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, there aren't any compatibility issues with gaming consoles and modern graphics cards. The main downside is that it has increased input lag at 60Hz, which is disappointing for console gaming. However, that isn't an issue if you start gaming at higher refresh rates and use VRR to go down to 60Hz.

There are a few options you can choose from if you're looking for the best budget 4k gaming monitors. Although entry-level 4k gaming monitors tend to cost more than other simple 4k monitors, like those meant for office use, they're getting cheaper and are worth getting for gaming. If that's what you're interested in, the Gigabyte M27U is a good choice, but there are a few trade-offs versus the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx. The main difference is that it doesn't have Mini LED backlighting or a local dimming feature, so the picture quality is a lot worse, but that's what you have to expect for a budget-friendly monitor.

Despite the difference in picture quality, it's still good enough for gaming, with a fast response time at most refresh rates. It has the same 160Hz refresh rate as the Acer, so it's still good enough for most gamers and supports HDMI 2.1 bandwidth. Its input lag at 60Hz is also lower than the Acer, which is great for playing reaction-based games, like on consoles.