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The 5 Best Monitors - Winter 2024 Reviews

Updated
Best Monitors

When looking for a new PC monitor, deciding exactly where to start searching can be difficult. Many different types of monitors are available with various sizes, resolutions, panel types, and refresh rates, so buying a new monitor isn't a straightforward process, and there's no perfect solution for everyone. While most people would be happy with basic monitors that don't provide many features and are good enough for everyday use, there are plenty of options that offer extra perks for different uses.

The best PC monitors are versatile, so most people can get them for whatever they need. The best models usually have good picture quality and a high enough resolution for detailed images. However, some monitors are designed for specific uses, like those for gaming, office work, or content creation, so it's important to think about how you'll use it. If you aren't sure what to look for in a monitor, or if the marketing terms confuse you, check out our monitor guides.

We've bought and tested over 300 monitors, and below, you'll find our picks for the best computer monitors available to buy. If you have a more specific usage in mind, check out our recommendations for the best photo editing monitors, the best 4k HDR monitors, and the best portable monitors. You can also see all our monitor recommendations.


  1. Best Monitor

    The best monitor we've tested is the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx. It's an excellent monitor that isn't the absolute best at one specific usage, but rather, it's versatile and great for many different usages, making it a jack-of-all-trades monitor. It has features for gaming and productivity, meaning you can easily use it for your at-home work setup and then game with it once you're done working. Its outstanding ergonomics make placing it in your favorite position very easy, and its wide viewing angles keep the image consistent from the sides. It also has a 4k, 27-inch screen with sharp text clarity, and there's enough space for you to open two windows side-by-side. If you want something bigger, consider the 32-inch Gigabyte M32U, but it costs more and has worse picture quality.

    The Acer delivers excellent picture quality thanks to its Mini LED backlighting and decent local dimming feature that helps it display deep blacks in dark rooms. It also gets bright enough to make highlights pop in HDR, which is ideal for watching content or gaming. It has a max refresh rate of 160Hz and a fantastic response time, leading to crisp motion handling.

    See our review

  2. Best Budget Monitor

    If you don't need a high-end monitor for everyday use, there are some good budget monitors you can also get, like the Dell G2724D. There are some clear trade-offs for getting something cheaper, like how the Dell has a lower 1440p resolution, so images aren't as sharp and detailed. However, it still has great overall performance and is a good choice for most uses.

    It has fantastic ergonomics, so you can easily adjust it to your preferred position, and its great wide viewing angles make it easy to share your screen with others. Its impressive brightness and good reflection handling ensure images are visible even in a bright room. It's also great for gaming, as it has a superb response time, and fast-moving objects look sharp. However, it lacks some added productivity features, like USB connectivity, and has unremarkable HDR performance. If you want a monitor with better HDR performance, consider the AOC Q27G3XMN. It has excellent HDR performance, though it has terrible viewing angles.

    See our recommendations for the best budget and cheap monitors.

    See our review

  3. Best Office Monitor

    If you want the best computer monitor for office work and don't need gaming features like you'll find the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx or the Dell G2724D, check out the Dell U2723QE. It has a 4k, 27-inch screen like the Acer, and while it has worse picture quality, which doesn't make a big difference for office work anyway, it has a bunch of productivity features. It has a massive USB hub with five USB-A ports and three USB-C ports, making it very easy to connect different devices. One of the USB-C ports supports DisplayPort Alt Mode with 90W of power delivery, so you can connect a laptop and charge it with a single cable.

    Another advantage is that it has a KVM switch, which is ideal for connecting two computers to the monitor. It's even a great choice if your work requires accurate colors, like if you're a content creator, thanks to its accurate sRGB mode and its wide color gamut. However, if you find this monitor too expensive, there are other lower-cost 4k displays you can get with fewer features, like the Dell S2722QC, which doesn't have an sRGB mode, or the Dell S2721QS, which doesn't even have a USB hub.

    See our recommendations for the best office monitors.

    See our review

  4. Best Gaming Monitor

    If you're a dedicated PC gamer, the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx and the Dell G2724D are great choices, but the Dell Alienware AW3225QF is even better. It's a unique monitor with premium specs, and you can get it directly through Dell's website. It's the first 4k, 240Hz QD-OLED monitor available in North America, and it combines its outstanding gaming performance with exceptional picture quality. Its high 240Hz refresh rate is ideal for competitive gaming, and it can also take full advantage of modern graphics cards and consoles thanks to its HDMI 2.1 bandwidth. On top of that, it has a near-instantaneous response time at any refresh rate, leading to sharp motion.

    The QD-OLED panel is ideal for dark room gaming, especially if you play HDR games. It displays deep and inky blacks without any blooming and gets bright enough for highlights to pop. It isn't the only QD-OLED gaming monitor you can get, as the Dell Alienware AW3423DW is an ultrawide option, but it has a lower resolution and refresh rate, so the AW3225QF is still the better all-around gaming display.

    Unfortunately, there are a few drawbacks because OLEDs risk permanent burn-in with constant exposure to the same static elements over time. If that's a concern, the Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85 is a good alternative. It also has a 4k, 32-inch screen with a 240Hz refresh rate, so the specs are similar. Even though it has Mini LED backlighting and gets bright, its picture quality just isn't as good as the Dell.

    See our recommendations for the best gaming monitors.

    See our review

  5. Best Budget Gaming Monitor

    Although premium monitors offer the best gaming performance, you can get plenty of models for less. You can either go for mid-range options like the LG 27GR83Q-B, which has a 240Hz refresh rate and 1440p resolution, or something with a lower refresh rate, like the Dell Alienware AW2724DM. But if you want a gaming option at a budget-friendly price, check out the ViewSonic XG2431. It's much different from the premium Dell Alienware AW3225QF because it has a smaller 24-inch screen and worse picture quality as it doesn't have a QD-OLED panel. Regardless, a budget-friendly monitor won't give you the best picture quality.

    Its remarkable motion handling makes this monitor better than other budget-friendly displays. It has a customizable backlight strobing feature where you can adjust the flicker to your liking, which is a neat feature and helps improve the appearance of motion. Like most gaming monitors, it has native FreeSync support and G-SYNC compatibility to reduce screen tearing, and it has a high 240Hz refresh rate.

    See our recommendations for the best budget and cheap gaming monitors.

    See our review

Notable Mentions

  • Gigabyte M27U: The Gigabyte M27U is a cheaper alternative to the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx if you don't need as many high-end features, but it can be harder to find. See our review
  • ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDM: The ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDM is an OLED gaming monitor with a 240Hz refresh rate, but it has a lower resolution than the Dell Alienware AW3225QF. That said, it's still a good choice if you prefer something a bit cheaper. See our review
  • LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B: The LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B is an excellent gaming monitor with a higher 1440p resolution than the ViewSonic XG2431, and you can find it for around the same price when it goes on sale. It has a lower refresh rate, so it isn't as ideal for competitive gaming. See our review
  • ASUS ProArt Display PA278CV: The ASUS ProArt Display PA278CV is a budget-friendly office monitor with productivity features. However, it has a lower 1440p resolution than the Dell U2723QE, so it has worse text clarity. See our review
  • Gigabyte GS27QC: The Gigabyte GS27QC is a great cheap gaming monitor that's an alternative to the ViewSonic XG2431 if you're on a tight budget. That said, it has a lower refresh rate and worse motion handling. See our review

Recent Updates

  1. Mar 07, 2024: Replaced the Gigabyte M27Q P with the Dell G2724D as 'Best Budget,' as the Gigabyte is harder to find now.

  2. Feb 14, 2024: Replaced the Gigabyte M27U and the AOC Q27G3XMN with the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx and the Gigabyte M27Q P because of availability. Replaced the Dell Alienware AW3423DW with the Dell Alienware AW3225QF for consistency with other articles. Renamed the Dell U2723QE from 'Best For Media Creation' to 'Best Office' for consistency and removed the Dell S2722QC. Updated Notable Mentions based on changes.

  3. Jan 15, 2024: Replaced the Gigabyte M32U with the Gigabyte M27U for consistency with other articles; replaced the Gigabyte M27Q P with the AOC Q27G3XMN because of availability issues with the Gigabyte; added the Gigabyte GS27QC to Notable Mentions.

  4. Dec 05, 2023: Verified that the monitors are still available to purchase; added the LG 27GR83Q-B and Gigabyte M27U to Notable Mentions.

  5. Nov 08, 2023: Restructured the article to focus on usage-based categories instead of price-based ones. Removed the ASUS VG246H as the 'Best Cheap' and the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDM and LG 27GP850-B/27GP83B-B in the gaming categories; added the Dell U2723QE and Dell S2722QC as the 'Best For Office' and 'Best For Photo And Video Editing'; updated Notable Mentions based on changes.

All Reviews

Our recommendations are based on what we think are the best displays for computers currently available. They are adapted to be valid for most people in each price range. Rating is based on our review, factoring in price and feedback from our visitors.

If you would prefer to make your own decision, here is the list of all of our monitor reviews. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. Most of the best PC 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.