The 3 Best Gaming Monitors Under $300 - Fall 2024

The best gaming monitor you can get under $300 is the AOC Q27G3XMN. It's a unique, low-cost monitor with more features than similarly priced displays. It has Mini LED backlighting, which is something mainly more expensive monitors have. This helps the monitor improve its already excellent contrast ratio by further deepening blacks, which is great for gaming in dark rooms. It also displays bright highlights that pop in HDR, and colors are vivid.

In terms of gaming, it has a high 180Hz refresh rate and supports FreeSync VRR and G-SYNC compatibility to reduce screen tearing. It also has a fast response time, but there's smearing with fast-moving objects. One thing to know is that this monitor sometimes goes out of stock, so if you can't find it available, consider the Acer Nitro XV275U P3biipx. It's a similar low-cost monitor with Mini LED backlighting but has worse motion handling than the AOC.

If you don't need the superior picture quality of the AOC Q27G3XMN and prefer a simple and cheap entry-level gaming monitor, then check out the Dell G2724D. You can often find it for a low cost directly from Dell's website. It has similar specs to the AOC as it also has a 27-inch, 1440p screen with a 165Hz refresh rate, but the main difference is that it doesn't have Mini LED backlighting and has a lower native contrast ratio, so it doesn't display the same deep blacks. It's also much worse for HDR, but this is what you have to expect for an entry-level monitor.

However, its motion handling is almost as good as the AOC's, so fast-moving objects look fairly sharp, and unlike the AOC, it doesn't have smearing. It also has a few extra features like HDMI Forum VRR, which means it supports VRR with the PS5, a nice addition to an entry-level monitor. While it isn't good to use in a dark room, it's still a good choice if you want to game with it in a well-lit room, as it gets bright enough to fight glare.

If you find the 27-inch screens of the Dell G2724D and the AOC Q27G3XMN too big and prefer something smaller, the market for 24-inch and 25-inch monitors tends to be different than that for bigger displays. These usually have higher refresh rates and lower resolutions, which make them ideal for competitive esports gaming. If you're interested in that, check out the ViewSonic XG2431, a good gaming monitor with a 1080p resolution and 240Hz refresh rate. You don't get the same detailed images as you do with the G2724D or AOC, but it still has a fast response time for fairly crisp motion handling.

It has typical features you'd expect to find in a gaming monitor, like FreeSync VRR and G-SYNC compatibility, and it even has backlight strobing to reduce persistence blur. If you want an even higher refresh rate the 360Hz Dell Alienware AW2523HF is another great option. However, it costs more and has slightly worse motion handling, so choosing one over the other really depends on your setup.