The 5 Best Gaming Monitors Under $300 - Black Friday 2020 Reviews

The best gaming monitor under $300 we've tested is the ViewSonic XG2402. It's a compact 24 inch model that delivers an exceptionally smooth gaming experience with its 144Hz refresh rate and superb response time. It has a good build quality despite its budget price, but it isn't the most stylish due to its thick bezels. The stand provides a good amount of ergonomic adjustments, making it easy to place it in your optimal viewing position. Unfortunately, its TN panel has mediocre viewing angles, which isn't ideal for playing co-op games or sharing content. It has great reflection handling and gets bright enough to combat glare.

As mentioned, it has superb motion handling. There's almost no blur trail behind fast-moving objects thanks to its incredibly fast response time, and it has a 144Hz refresh rate that makes motion look fluid. It supports FreeSync variable refresh rate (VRR) technology to help reduce screen tearing and is compatible with NVIDIA's G-SYNC. Using VRR does add a bit of input lag, but it shouldn't be noticeable for most people.

It comes with a surprising number of additional features. It has two USB 3.0 ports, a pair of integrated speakers, and even some LED lighting on the back. There's no HDR support, although it's somewhat expected of something in this price range. The backlight is completely flicker-free at all brightness levels, which helps reduce eye strain during long gaming sessions. Overall, while its smaller screen size isn't the best for immersion, its superb motion handling should satisfy most gamers, especially for fast-paced games.

The best 27 inch gaming monitor under $300 we've tested is the ASUS VG279Q. Even though it has a humble 1080p resolution, it delivers an amazing gaming experience with its 27 inch screen and superb motion handling. It's well-built, has outstanding ergonomics, and gets bright enough for use in bright lighting conditions. Unfortunately, it doesn't perform all that well in dark rooms, as it has a low contrast ratio that makes blacks look grayish. On the upside, it has an IPS panel with excellent viewing angles, making it a good choice for co-op gaming.

As mentioned, it has excellent motion handling. Its fast response time results in very little blur trails behind fast-moving objects, and it has an optional Black Frame Insertion feature that can further improve motion clarity. It has a 144Hz refresh rate and supports FreeSync variable refresh rate to help minimize screen tearing. It also works with recent 10- or 20- series NVIDIA graphics cards thanks to its G-SYNC compatibility.

There's no HDR support, and there aren't any USB ports for charging either. You do get a pair of integrated speakers and a few gaming features, such as the ability to add a crosshair, an FPS counter, and a timer. The backlight is flicker-free, and it's well-calibrated out-of-the-box. Black uniformity is a bit disappointing on our unit; however, your experience may vary. All in all, this is a great gaming monitor that most people should be happy with.

The best 1440p gaming monitor under $300 we've tested is the AOC CQ27G1. It's a large 27 inch screen that delivers a great dark room gaming experience, as its VA panel is able to produce deep and inky blacks. Images and text look sharp with its 1440p resolution, and there's enough screen space to make it a decent option for work. Viewing angles are a bit narrow, but the screen's curvature helps with visibility, and the stand has a wide swivel range. It also has good height and tilt adjustments, but unfortunately, it can't rotate to portrait mode.

For its budget price, it has great gaming performance. It has fast response time, an optional Black Frame Insertion feature, and a 144Hz refresh rate, making fast motion look smooth and clear. It supports FreeSync to help reduce screen tearing, but sadly, it isn't G-SYNC compatible. Input lag is extremely low and only rises slightly with VRR enabled, and there's no HDR support, which is somewhat expected of a monitor in this price range.

There aren't a whole lot of extra features. You have an option to add a virtual crosshair to shooter games and a shadow boost feature to make objects more visible in dark scenes. The one big downside is that it has a fairly low peak brightness, so it's better suited for a dark to moderately-lit room. It isn't the most feature-packed monitor out there, but for its wallet-friendly price, it punches way above its weight.