The 7 Best Monitors - Winter 2023 Reviews

The best monitor we've tested is the Dell Alienware AW3423DW. It's an excellent monitor that's versatile for a wide range of uses, and its ultrawide format is great for multitasking or an immersive gaming experience. It uses panel technology known as QD-OLED, which delivers incredibly deep blacks with no distracting blooming around bright objects, making it an excellent choice for dark room viewing. It also has much brighter colors than most comparable displays, so game and video content look incredibly vivid and realistic. There's a similar variant, the Dell Alienware AW3423DWF, that costs less, but it doesn't get as bright in HDR.

The AW3423DW has a near-instantaneous response time, so motion is incredibly clear, with no noticeable blur behind fast-moving objects. It makes it an excellent choice for gamers, watching videos, or even scrolling through the web and long documents. Unfortunately, like all monitors, it isn't without its flaws. There are text clarity and color fringing issues, but there are workarounds. Also, the black levels raise when there's ambient light, meaning it doesn't deliver the same perfect blacks in bright rooms, but at least there isn't any distracting glare from strong reflections.

If you don't want to spend tons of money on a high-end monitor, check out the Gigabyte M32U. It's a different type of monitor than the Dell Alienware AW3423DW, so while it doesn't deliver the same perfect black levels, it still offers sharp images thanks to its 4k resolution, and its 32-inch screen is big enough for multitasking. It has an impressive combination of features for both gamers and office users. It has a USB hub that features three USB-A ports and a USB-C port, and it has a KVM switch that lets you control two devices with the same keyboard and mouse, which is great for productivity.

It has amazing accuracy before calibration, meaning you won't have to get it calibrated if your work requires accurate colors. It displays a wide range of colors in SDR, including decent coverage of the Adobe RGB color space used by some editors. It also gets bright enough to fight glare in a well-lit room, and the reflection handling is good. If you prefer something smaller, check out the Gigabyte M28U, which is similar but has a few differences and doesn't get as bright.

If you're on a budget and need something simple, look into the Dell S2721QS. While it has the same 4k resolution and a smaller screen than the Gigabyte M32U, it's more of a basic monitor meant for people who want a high-resolution display without many extra perks. It looks great in a bright room thanks to its high peak brightness and very good reflection handling, so you don't have to worry about glare if your workspace has a ton of lights. It also has great ergonomics and wide viewing angles, so you can easily place it in an ideal viewing position or share your screen with someone else.

It has decent accuracy before calibration and a fantastic SDR color gamut, meaning it's also a good choice for content creators working on a budget. However, as it's a budget-friendly display, it's limited in features because it doesn't have a USB hub, so if you want that, you'll have to spend a bit more on the Dell S2722QC, or you'll have to sacrifice on resolution with a 1440p monitor like the Gigabyte M27Q. Still, if you don't need those extra features, you'll be happy with the sharp text that this monitor delivers.

If you just want a simple and cheap monitor, the ASUS VG246H is a good alternative to the Dell S2721QS. As you go down in price categories, you'll have to sacrifice the size and resolution, which is the case with the ASUS. It has a smaller 24-inch screen and 1080p resolution compared to the 4k screen of the Dell, but it still offers good office performance at a low cost. It has decent text clarity, so you won't have issues reading text, and despite its low cost, it also has amazing accuracy before calibration, so images look life-like without any calibration.

Another advantage this monitor has over other cheap models is that the ergonomics are simply remarkable, and you can adjust the screen in a variety of ways, including rotating it into portrait mode to use it vertically. It also has wide viewing angles that make the image remain consistent from the sides, which is important if you need to share your screen with someone else. While it's limited in gaming features as it has a 75Hz refresh rate, you'll have to spend more on cheap gaming monitors like the HP X24ih, so the ASUS still offers the best value as a cheap overall option.

If you're a dedicated gamer looking for the best PC monitor for your gaming setup, check out the Samsung LS32BG852NNXGO. It's a fantastic high-end gaming monitor thanks to its fast 240Hz refresh rate, delivering crystal-clear motion with almost no noticeable blur behind fast-moving objects. It also has incredibly low input lag, meaning your actions appear on-screen instantly. It has a great selection of gaming features, including FreeSync and G-SYNC variable refresh rate (VRR) technology, ensuring a smooth, nearly tear-free gaming experience from almost any source.

While the Dell Alienware AW3423DW is also a fantastic gaming monitor, this one is more versatile for different types of gamers as it has a 4k screen with HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, allowing you to play 4k @ 120Hz games from the Xbox Series X and PS5. It doesn't deliver the same perfect black levels as the Dell either, but at least the Mini LED local dimming feature helps it display deep blacks, and highlights pop in HDR. If you don't think you're going to take advantage of the 240Hz refresh rate, the Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 S32BG75 is a very similar model with a lower 165Hz refresh rate instead, so choose whichever your graphics card can take advantage of.

If you want a cheaper gaming monitor that still delivers excellent performance, consider the Gigabyte M27Q X. It has the same 240Hz refresh rate as the Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32B85, but instead of a 4k resolution, it has a 1440p resolution. It means that images don't look as sharp, but it's also easier for your graphics card to reach its max 240Hz refresh rate. It has native FreeSync VRR and G-SYNC compatibility to reduce screen tearing, and it supports Low Framerate Compensation for the VRR to continue working with low frame rates. It also has a fast response time, especially with high-frame-rate signals.

While it doesn't support HDMI 2.1 bandwidth like the Samsung, and you can't use it for 4k @ 120Hz gaming from the PS5 and Xbox Series X, it still downscales 4k @ 60Hz signals from the consoles. It results in a sharper image than a native 1440p signal. While its max 240Hz refresh rate is great for gaming, if you want to save money on a 1440p gaming monitor with a 180Hz refresh rate instead, the LG 27GP850-B is another great choice. However, it doesn't have as many extra features as the Gigabyte.

If you're getting into PC gaming and prefer something in the budget category, check out the ViewSonic XG2431. It's different from the Gigabyte M27Q X because it has a smaller screen and lower resolution, which is what you have to expect for a budget-friendly display. However, this is good if you have limited desk space, and it even has the same 240Hz refresh rate as the Gigabyte, which is great for even competitive gamers as you can play games at a high frame rate.

What makes this monitor better than other budget-friendly displays is that it has remarkable motion handling across its entire refresh rate range. It also has a customizable backlight strobing feature where you can adjust the flicker to your liking, which is a neat feature that even more expensive options don't have, and this helps further improve motion clarity. It also has low input lag for a responsive feel, and like most other gaming monitors, it has native FreeSync support and G-SYNC compatibility to reduce screen tearing. Lastly, it has a few extra features like two USB ports to charge your devices and an ergonomic stand that makes it easy to adjust.