PC gamers can enjoy today's competitive pricing in CPUs, graphics cards and memory, and build a highly capable gaming machine without having to overpay or spend a ton of money (unless you want to). We're glad to report this PC builder's friendly environment extends to gaming monitors as well, with dozens of great options at record-low prices for the kind of technology that you get.
TechSpot's Best Monitors guide covers key categories: 4K displays at a wide range of price points, the best all-rounders that mix great price and performance, enthusiast monitors for pros, the best options for gaming, and some excellent budget models that come with what were once flagship-only features.
We were excited about testing today's monitor because the product falls into one of our favorite categories: affordable but decent gaming monitors. Lots of companies try and target this market segment but it's difficult to come away with a winner, but we think LG might have just managed it with the 32GK650F.
The Acer Nitro XV273K is the first monitor to bring a 4K resolution and 144 Hz refresh rate to gamers at a more affordable price point. At about $900, we wouldn't call this a value offering, but given what's on offer and at half the cost of competing high-refresh 4K monitors, it is no doubt a tempting proposition for those buying a premium display.
Following up to our best value FreeSync monitors feature, we though this review would be ideal. Today we're looking at the Viotek GFT27DB which is a brand new display release, sporting a new TN panel (ideal for gamers) that promises a lot on paper. Having reviewed several Viotek displays in the last year, we've been consistently impressed with the value proposition, so we are hoping nothing changes here in that respect.
MSI's Optix MAG27CQ and MPG27CQ monitors check a lot of boxes on the feature list: 27" curved monitors with 1440p resolutions, FreeSync support, 144Hz refresh rates, and 1ms response times. Let's see how they perform and whether one of them may be a good choice for your next gaming display upgrade.
After another year's worth of testing and plenty of new product launches, it's about time we give our recommendations for the best gaming monitors you can buy right now. This time we're also throwing in several great value picks after spending a lot of time testing lesser known brands, with a few surprisingly good options for less.
The Acer Predator X27 is an impressive 4K 144 Hz gaming monitor with DisplayHDR 1000 and, of course, G-Sync HDR. It's a direct competitor to Asus top-of-the-line ROG monitor, but Acer's is better looking and better built for the same monstrous price tag.
In the realm of gaming monitors, the long awaited Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ is something truly special. This is the first G-Sync HDR monitor on the market, sporting top-of-the-line specs like a 4K, 144Hz IPS panel with 1000 nits of peak brightness and 384-zone backlighting.
Today we're looking at a monitor from a brand we've never used before. Viotek is popular on Amazon as they make some of the cheapest gaming monitors you can get, but how do they stack up over a better known brand option?
It doesn't matter how much expensive hardware you pack into your PC, it all goes to waste without a great monitor to match. As 4K monitors become a popular choice among pros and productivity fans, it's the resolution of choice for our Best Overall pick. But with more high-end features appearing in affordable models, we've broken things down so choosing the best display for your needs is narrowed down to just a few great choices.
FreeSync 2 was announced over a year ago but it's only recently that we're starting to see the its ecosystem expand with new display options. As HDR and wide-gamut monitors become more of a reality over the next year, there's no better time to discuss FreeSync 2 than now, when you can actually buy it.
The Asus ROG Strix XG35VQ monitor comes packed with features bringing a ton of value if you're after a killer ultrawide gaming experience: 35" 3440 x 1440 VA with a 1800R curve, 100Hz refresh rate, and FreeSync support.
There is one type of monitor that ticks nearly every box for high quality PC gaming. One that provides a good mix of resolution and high refresh rate, while still being realistically usable on today's most popular gaming hardware. I'm talking about the latest 27-inch 1440p IPS monitors that hit a whopping 165 Hz with support for adaptive sync.
Like the Asus ROG Swift PG258Q we reviewed recently, the AOC Agon AG251FZ is aimed a gamers with a maximum refresh rate of 240 Hz from an essentially identical 24-inch panel. It swaps out G-Sync for FreeSync, however, and offers a few extras at a lower price point which is currently hovering around the $500 mark.
With today's cutting-edge PC hardware, a top quality monitor has never been more important. As features such as high refresh rates, 4K displays, ultrawide screens, and syncing technologies become more common, users need to choose wisely. To make picking the right monitor easier, here are our favorites in a handful of distinct categories.
