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The 5 Best High Refresh Rate Monitors - Fall 2024

Updated Nov 27, 2024 at 02:13 pm
Best High Refresh Rate Monitors

If you're a competitive or esports gamer, even a small edge can help you win. You want the signal from your device to be displayed on the screen as quickly as possible. As a result, having a monitor with a high refresh rate is critical, as these monitors allow for extremely low input lag and significantly reduce persistence blur. However, a monitor with a high refresh rate can still have noticeable input lag, so it's important to look at its input lag measurements rather than just its refresh rate.

As an esports or competitive gamer, you'll also want to look at response time, as the lower it is, the sooner you'll have a usable image and the less blur you'll see. We call the combination of input lag and first response time the "signal-to-response latency," which is the total delay from when the monitor receives a signal to the result appearing on the screen. The combination of input lag and first response time is a better indicator of responsiveness than a monitor's refresh rate, as you'll see below. VRR support is also important for a responsive experience with reduced tearing, but almost every modern gaming monitor works with FreeSync and G-SYNC.

While it's not essential to competitive performance, monitors with bright highlights and vivid colors are more engaging and immersive. Conveniently, the most responsive monitors also have the best picture quality.

We've bought and tested more than 335 monitors, and below are our recommendations for the best monitors with a high refresh rate. Also, check out our recommendations for the best 240Hz monitors, the best gaming monitors, and the best 1440p gaming monitors.


  1. Best High Refresh Rate Monitor

    The best high refresh rate monitor is the LG 32GS95UE-B. While it normally operates at 4k @ 240Hz, it also has a 1080p @ 480Hz Dual-Mode ideal for competitive and esports gamers. It has exceptionally low input lag of 1.8 ms in 480Hz Dual-Mode, so it's remarkably responsive. Additionally, if you prefer a smaller screen size, it has 27-inch and 24-inch virtual screen modes, adding only 0.1 ms of lag. It also has an exceptionally low response time, with an average transition time of 0.3 ms in Dual-Mode. This means that scenes with lots of motion are extremely sharp, and the screen rapidly transitions to a new scene. In total, the monitor's signal-to-response latency is 2.1 ms, so it has remarkable responsiveness overall.

    Additionally, it has outstanding picture quality, so you'll enjoy vivid colors and bright highlights during long gaming sessions. However, it has distracting VRR flicker with changing frame rates. If you're looking for a monitor with an option to reduce VRR flicker, check out the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDP. However, its flicker control setting causes stuttering, and this monitor has considerably higher input lag in its 24.5" and 27" modes.

    See our review

  2. Best 500Hz+ Refresh Rate Monitor

    If you want an even higher refresh rate, look at the ASUS ROG Swift Pro PG248QP. However, despite its higher refresh rate, it's significantly less responsive than the LG 32GS95UE-B. It has the same 1080p input lag as the LG 32GS95UE-B, but its signal-to-display latency is much higher at 3.5 ms, as it has a slower response time. Additionally, because of its TN panel, it has worse picture quality, as deep blacks look gray, highlights don't pop in HDR, and colors aren't vivid, so it's not as engaging for long gaming sessions.

    However, despite this, it has a few features that the LG doesn't. It has backlight strobing with NVIDIA's ULMB 2, which helps reduce persistence blur without image duplication. Unlike the LG, it also has no visible VRR flicker, which is great if you experience rapidly changing frame rates and find VRR flicker distracting.

    See our review

  3. Best 360Hz Refresh Rate Monitor

    If you don't need such a high refresh rate like the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG248QP, there are some great 360Hz options available. The MSI MPG 271QRX QD-OLED is an OLED similar to the LG 32GS95UE-B for gaming. It's nearly as responsive as the LG, as its signal-to-response latency is 2.2 ms, which is only 0.1 ms slower. As an OLED, it has the same ultra-fast response time as well, so fast-moving scenes are extremely crisp.

    Some gamers may even prefer the Gigabyte over the LG, as it has a more detailed 1440p image than the LG's 1080p @ 480Hz mode. It also has better picture quality, with more vivid colors and bright highlights, creating an engaging and immersive experience. However, it does have noticeable VRR flicker with changing frame rates.

    See our review

  4. Best 240Hz Refresh Rate Monitor

    If you only need a 240Hz display, look at the 27-inch 1440p ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDMG. It has a slightly higher input lag than the MPG 271QRX QD-OLED but is still very responsive. As an OLED, it still has the same fast response times as the MSI. This means its signal-to-response latency is 2.9 ms, only 0.7 ms more than the Gigabyte, so it still feels extremely responsive.

    Like other OLEDs, it has fantastic picture quality, with vivid colors and highlights that pop for an engaging experience during long sessions. Additionally, it has a flicker reduction feature, though it adds a bit of stuttering. However, if you want a larger 240Hz monitor with a 4k resolution, check out the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8/G80SD S32DG80. It has more vivid colors than the ASUS, but it requires a powerful graphics card to maintain the high resolution and costs more.

    See our review

  5. Best Budget High Refresh Rate Monitor

    If you're on a budget but still want a monitor with a high refresh rate, check out the ViewSonic XG2431. It has a 240Hz refresh rate and extremely low input lag. However, unlike the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDMG, it has an IPS panel with a comparatively high response time. This means fast-moving scenes are less crisp, and resolving an image takes longer. Its signal-to-response latency is 9.2 ms, which is far higher than the other monitors here, so it doesn't feel as responsive. It also has a lower 1080p resolution and a less detailed image. However, you have to expect this with a much less expensive monitor.

    As an IPS model, it also doesn't have the same picture quality. Deep blacks appear gray in a dark room, highlights don't pop, and colors aren't vivid, so it's not as engaging or immersive. However, it doesn't have noticeable VRR flicker, which is great if you're sensitive to it.

    See our review

Notable Mentions

  • ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDP:

    The ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDP is a 480Hz 1440p monitor that competes with the LG 32GS95UE-B. It has a higher resolution at 480Hz, is slightly more responsive, and costs less, but it currently has several bugs. If these bugs don't bother you, or you're just looking for the most responsive monitor we've tested, the ASUS is an excellent option.

    See our review
  • Dell Alienware AW2523HF:

    The Dell Alienware AW2523HF is a budget monitor with a higher 360Hz refresh rate than the ViewSonic XG2431. However, it usually costs more than the ViewSonic, and its signal-to-response latency is slightly higher.

    See our review
  • Samsung Odyssey OLED G6/G60SD S27DG60:

    The Samsung Odyssey OLED G6/G60SD S27DG60 is a 360Hz monitor with VRR flicker control, unlike the MSI MPG 271QRX QD-OLED. However, it has a slower response time.

    See our review
  • Gigabyte AORUS FO27Q3:

    The Gigabyte AORUS FO27Q3 has a 360Hz QD-OLED display, and unlike the MSI MPG 271QRX QD-OLED, it has integrated speakers. However, it usually costs more and has slightly more input lag.

    See our review
  • Dell Alienware AW2725DF:

    The Dell Alienware AW2725DF is a 360Hz QD-OLED monitor like the MSI MPG 271QRX QD-OLED. It has more USB-A ports but a slightly higher input lag.

    See our review

All Reviews

Our recommendations are based on what we think are the best currently available high refresh rate monitors. They are adapted to be valid for most people, in each market segment. Our rating is based on our review, factoring in price and feedback from our visitors.

If you would prefer to make your own decision, here's the list of our monitors. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. Most monitors are good enough to please most people, and the things we fault monitors on are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.