If you're a competitive gamer, getting a monitor with a high refresh rate can help you compete against lesser-equipped opponents. The faster refresh rates lead to a smoother gaming experience with the potential for lower input lag for a more responsive feel. However, it's not always the case, so it's still important to consider the monitor's input lag if you play reaction-based games. You also want to make sure the monitor has a quick response time for minimal motion blur. VRR support is also important for a responsive experience with reduced screen tearing, but almost every modern gaming monitor works with common VRR formats.
While responsiveness helps for competitive gaming, monitors with good picture quality can also provide an immersive gaming experience. Luckily, OLED monitors have the best motion handling and best picture quality with deep blacks and bright highlights, so they provide the best of both worlds. It's important to consider that high-refresh-rate displays with good picture quality tend to cost a lot, but there are some cheaper entry-level models with high refresh rates that have limited picture quality, so you should consider these if picture quality isn't as important to you.
2026 is an exciting year for high-refresh-rate displays, with monitors coming out with refresh rates as high as 1,040Hz. You can follow along with which monitors we buy and test, and if there's a specific model you want to see tested, you can vote for it.
We've bought and tested more than 375 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 G-SYNC monitors, and the best 1440p 144Hz monitors.
Quick Look
We buy and test more than 30 monitors each year, with units that we buy completely on our own, without any cherry-picked units or samples. We put a lot into each unbiased, straight-to-the-point review, and there's a whole process from purchasing to publishing, involving multiple teams and people. We do more than just use the monitor for a week; we use specialized and custom tools to measure various aspects with objective data-based results. We also consider multiple factors before making any recommendations, including the monitor's cost, its performance against the competition, and whether or not it's easy to find.
-
Best High Refresh Rate Monitor
Max Refresh Rate480 HzPC Gaming9.2Response Time9.8Refresh Rate Compliance9.6Input Lag9.0HDR Picture8.9SDR Picture9.9Size32"Panel TypeOLEDSee all our test resultsNative Resolution3840 x 2160The best high refresh rate monitor we've tested so far is the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG32UCWMG. It's a premium OLED that offers versatility for different types of gamers. This is because it has a dual-mode that switches its native 4k resolution and 240Hz refresh rate to 1080p @ 480Hz, allowing you to play detailed games in one mode and action games that need high frame rates in another. It supports all common VRR formats to reduce screen tearing, and it has a near-instantaneous response time at any refresh rate, leading to sharp motion. Plus, it has low input lag across both modes, so gaming feels responsive.
Besides its remarkable gaming performance, it also delivers outstanding picture quality. This is thanks to its OLED panel with deep, inky blacks next to bright highlights, and no blooming around bright objects. It also has a glossy coating that makes images and in-game text look clear. The downside of that coating is that light reflects straight back like a mirror, so you may want to consider the matte LG 32GS95UE-B if you have a bright gaming room. It has the same dual-mode feature, but it costs more than the ASUS.
-
Best Upper Mid-Range High Refresh Rate Monitor
Max Refresh Rate480 HzPC Gaming9.2Response Time9.9Refresh Rate Compliance9.8Input Lag9.3HDR Picture8.9SDR Picture9.9Size27"Panel TypeOLEDSee all our test resultsNative Resolution2560 x 1440If you don't need the versatility of the dual mode of the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG32UCWMG and you want to save some money, the LG 27GX790A-B is a good alternative. While it has a lower native resolution than the ASUS, it has the same max 480Hz refresh rate, which you can reach with a 1440p signal, and not 1080p like on the ASUS. This means images are more detailed when gaming at its max refresh rate. It performs similarly to the ASUS otherwise, as it supports the same VRR formats, has low input lag for a responsive feel, and motion looks sharp thanks to its quick response time. It even supports higher-bandwidth DisplayPort 2.1, which is helpful if you have a DisplayPort 2.1-compatible graphics card.
It also has similar picture quality to the ASUS because it's another OLED with the same deep blacks, impactful HDR highlights, and no haloing around bright objects. One difference versus the ASUS, though, is that it has a matte coating that results in more haze. This is still helpful if you have a bright room, as it reduces glare well, and it has fewer mirror-like reflections.
-
Best Mid-Range High Refresh Rate Monitor
Max Refresh Rate360 HzPC Gaming9.2Response Time9.9Refresh Rate Compliance9.8Input Lag9.1HDR Picture9.4SDR Picture10Size27"Panel TypeQD-OLEDSee all our test resultsNative Resolution2560 x 1440If you don't need such a high refresh rate, there are plenty of options you can get in the mid-range price category. If that interests you, check out the Dell Alienware AW2725DF. With a lower 360Hz refresh rate than the LG 27GX790A-B, it's still fast enough to provide a smooth and responsive gaming experience. Like the LG, it's another OLED with the same near-instantaneous response time, resulting in sharp motion and low input lag for a responsive feel. Its HDMI and DisplayPort inputs support less bandwidth, though, and you can only reach its max refresh rate with a DisplayPort connection.
This monitor actually has an advantage over the LG when it comes to picture quality. This is because it uses a QD-OLED panel with brighter and more vivid colors for improved overall picture quality, especially in HDR games. One downside to this panel is that blacks look purple in bright rooms, so you need to use it in a dark room to get the best performance. If you can't find this monitor available in your region, there are other 360Hz QD-OLEDs you can consider that perform similarly, like the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27ACDNG and the MSI MPG 271QRX QD-OLED. You can't go wrong with any of these, but the Dell is usually the cheapest in North America.
-
Best Lower Mid-Range High Refresh Rate Monitor
Max Refresh Rate240 HzPC Gaming7.2Response Time7.6Refresh Rate Compliance7.4Input Lag9.0HDR Picture5.0SDR Picture6.5Size27"Panel TypeIPSSee all our test resultsNative Resolution2560 x 1440If an OLED like the Dell Alienware AW2725DF is still too expensive for you, you can look into some non-OLED monitors with lower refresh rates. If that interests you, look into the LG 27GR83Q-B. It's a 27-inch, 1440p monitor like the Dell, but it has some notable differences. It has a lower 240Hz refresh rate, so it doesn't offer the same premium and smooth gaming experience as the LG, but this is what you have to expect at this price point. It doesn't have the same near-instantaneous response time either, so there's more motion blur. Regardless, it offers good value as its response time is consistently fast at any refresh rate, and its low input lag helps if you play reaction-based games.
The biggest trade-off with this monitor, though, is with its picture quality. It fails to deliver an impactful HDR gaming experience as blacks look gray, highlights don't pop, and it lacks a local dimming feature to improve the picture quality in dark scenes. This means you shouldn't get this monitor if you care about picture quality; otherwise, you'd have to spend more on one of the higher-end displays. Regardless, it's still a good choice for gaming in well-lit rooms as it gets brighter than the Dell.
-
Best Budget High Refresh Rate Monitor
Max Refresh Rate240 HzPC Gaming7.2Response Time8.1Refresh Rate Compliance8.0Input Lag9.2HDR Picture4.6SDR Picture6.2Size24"Pixel TypeIPSSee all our test resultsNative Resolution1920 x 1080Should you be on a tight budget and still want a high-refresh-rate display, the ViewSonic XG2431 is a solid choice as an entry-level option. The main trade-off of getting this instead of the LG 27GR83Q-B is that it has a lower 1080p resolution and a smaller screen, so it offers a less immersive gaming experience. It's not as bright as the LG either, which is something to consider if your gaming space is well-lit.
Regardless, it's a solid option as a basic gaming monitor because it has the same 240Hz refresh rate as the LG. It even has improved motion handling than the LG, with quicker response times. An advantage of getting this monitor is that it has a customizable backlight strobing feature that helps reduce persistence blur at low refresh rates. You can adjust the pulse width and phase as you wish, letting you fine-tune the appearance of motion. However, you can't use this feature at the same time as VRR. If you prefer gaming with VRR, you should know that it supports FreeSync VRR and G-SYNC compatibility, so it works with most sources.
Notable Mentions
-
ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM:
The ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM is a premium 240Hz QD-OLED with better picture quality in dark rooms than the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG32UCWMG, thanks to its more vivid colors. However, it doesn't have the same versatility because it lacks a dual-mode feature to boost the refresh rate.
See our review -
Sony INZONE M10S:
The Sony INZONE M10S is a 1440p, 480Hz OLED that competes with the LG 27GX790A-B. It has a few more gaming-oriented features than the LG, like a mode that outlines targets in games, but it also tends to cost more.
See our review -
ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDMG:
The ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDMG is a mid-range 240Hz gaming monitor that's an alternative to the Dell Alienware AW2725DF if you don't need a 360Hz refresh rate. It's another OLED that performs similarly for the most part, but its colors aren't as vivid as on the Dell.
See our review -
LG 27G850A-B:
The LG 27G850A-B is a mid-range gaming monitor that's usually in the same price range as the Dell Alienware AW2725DF. It's a bit more versatile because it has a native 4k resolution and 240Hz refresh rate with a dual-mode 1080p @ 480Hz feature. However, it has worse picture quality than the Dell.
See our review -
Dell G2524H:
The Dell G2524H is a 500Hz gaming monitor that sometimes costs a bit more than the LG 27GR83Q-B. The Dell is something to consider if you want such a high refresh rate, but with a lower resolution than the LG, images are less detailed.
See our review
Recent Updates
Jan 23, 2026:
We overhauled the structure of this article to make it more similar to other recommendations. We added the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG32UCWMG as the top pick, and the Dell Alienware AW2725DF and the LG 27GR83Q-B in their respective categories. We also renamed the LG 27GX790A-B to the 'Best Upper Mid-Range High Refresh Rate Monitor.' We removed the BenQ ZOWIE XL2586X, the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27ACDNG, and the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM as main picks. Lastly, we made several changes to the Notable Mentions to reflect the new recommendations, including adding the PG27UCDM, Sony INZONE M10S, LG 27G850A-B, and Dell G2524H.
Nov 07, 2025:
We replaced the Sony INZONE M10S with the LG 27GX790A-B and the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDMG with the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM for consistency with other recommendations. In the Notable Mentions, we removed the Dell Alienware AW2523HF and the Dell Alienware AW2725DF, and added the Dell Alienware AW2725Q and the XG27AQDMG.
Jun 26, 2025:
Replaced the MSI MPG 271QRX QD-OLED with the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27ACDNG, as the MSI is hard to find.
May 21, 2025:
We replaced the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM with the Dell Alienware AW2725DF in the Notable Mentions, as the ASUS is now mentioned elsewhere in the article.
Apr 14, 2025:
We replaced the BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K with the BenQ ZOWIE XL2586X and renamed it the 'Best 540Hz Monitor' to give another high-refresh-rate option. We also replaced the Dell G2524H with the ViewSonic XG2431 and renamed it to the 'Best Budget Monitor' for consistency with other recommendations. Lastly, we replaced the Samsung Odyssey OLED G60SD S27DG602S and the Dell Alienware AW2725DF with the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM and the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDP in the Notable Mentions to reflect changes to the recommendation and the current market.
All Reviews
Our recommendations are based on what we think are the best high refresh rate displays currently available. They are adapted to be valid for most people in each market segment. The 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.