The 5 Best Gaming Monitors Under $300 - Fall 2021 Reviews

The best gaming monitor under $300 with a 1080p screen that we've tested is the Acer Nitro XF243Y Pbmiiprx. It's an excellent gaming model that rivals some more expensive options. It's decently well-built and has excellent ergonomics, allowing you to place the screen how you like. It has wide viewing angles, and it provides good visibility in well-lit environments. While its small screen size isn't the most immersive, it does make the pixel density higher, which results in sharper images and text.

It's packed with features that most people expect to find in a gaming monitor. Its native 144Hz refresh rate can be overclocked to 165Hz, and it has native FreeSync variable refresh rate (VRR) support and G-SYNC compatibility. The response time is simply incredible, whether you're gaming at its max refresh rate or 60Hz, resulting in minimal motion blur. It has a black frame insertion feature, but it flickers within a narrow frequency range and can't be used when VRR is enabled.

Unfortunately, it isn't a good choice for dark room gaming because it has a low contrast ratio that makes blacks appear gray. Also, even though it supports HDR, it can't display a wide color gamut and lacks local dimming. Nonetheless, this is one of the best gaming monitors under $300 that we've tested.

The best gaming monitor under $300 that we've tested with a 1440p resolution is the Gigabyte M27Q. It's a 27 inch monitor that delivers an amazingly smooth gaming experience. It has a 170Hz refresh rate and an exceptional response time, which results in a clear image with almost no blur trail behind fast-moving objects. Its response time at 60Hz is also outstanding, making it a good choice for 60fps console gaming. It supports FreeSync natively and is compatible with G-SYNC to reduce screen tearing.

It has many features in addition to its excellent gaming performance. It has an IPS panel with wide viewing angles that make sharing content or playing co-op games easier, and it gets bright enough to fight glare. It has a very wide color gamut, with near-full Adobe RGB coverage, making it suitable for content creation. It supports HDR, but like most IPS monitors, its low contrast makes blacks appear gray in the dark, and its HDR brightness is only decent, not enough for a true HDR experience.

There are two USB 3.0 ports, as well as a USB-C that supports DisplayPort Alt Mode, which lets you display an image from a compatible device and charge it simultaneously. However, the power delivery is quite low and is only enough to charge small devices like smartphones. It has a Picture-in-Picture mode, a built-in KVM switch, and a blue light filter to help reduce eye strain. Overall, this is a great choice for anyone shopping on a tight budget.

The best 4k gaming monitor under $300 that we've tested is the Dell S2721QS. Although it's mainly designed for productivity, it performs well enough for some casual gaming on the side. Plus, its large 27 inch screen and 4k resolution are amazing for atmospheric games like RPGs. The stand allows for a good amount of adjustability, making it easy to place the screen at a comfortable position or share it with others. It has wide viewing angles and gets bright enough to provide good visibility in well-lit settings.

The refresh rate is limited to 60Hz, but it shouldn't be an issue for most people as 4k gaming is still very demanding, even for current hardware. It has a good response time and supports VRR to reduce screen tearing. Input lag is very low, as expected for a 60Hz monitor, and it remains low even with VRR or HDR enabled. As for the HDR gaming experience, it's alright. It supports a wide color gamut, but it has a low contrast ratio with no local dimming to improve the black level, and it doesn't get bright enough to make highlights pop.

Unfortunately, there are no USB ports, but you do get built-in speakers and a Picture-in-Picture/Picture-by-Picture mode. The backlight is flicker-free to help with eye strain. Color accuracy is just okay out of the box, so you might need to calibrate it if you plan on using it for content creation. Overall, while it isn't the most feature-rich and is slightly above $300, it's still one of the best 4k monitors we've tested and worth spending a little more on.