The Best Cheap Gaming Monitors
Above-average ratings, below-average prices, no fake reviews.
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The best gaming monitor for a budget PC build is rarely the best gaming monitor overall. For many gamers, 4K displays aren’t worth it (yet). These ultra-high definition displays exceed the graphical capabilities of most gaming PCs. On the other hand, a high-end GPU that’s paired with an ultra-cheap gaming monitor is an equally bad combination.
High-end graphics cards are capable of drawing complex animations at more than 100 times per second, but if a monitor doesn’t have enough pixels to show those details, or, if it can’t refresh itself as quickly as the game’s animation, the end result is blurry motion, jittery images and lost details.
This article is focused on inexpensive gaming monitors that can refresh themselves at least 144 times per second (written as 144Hz) and have at least 1,080 pixels, top to bottom, stretched across a screen that measures 24-inches diagonally or larger. This combination of refresh rate, resolution and screen-size is the sweet spot for many gamers (as well as cash-strapped artists).
How Much Does a Good 144Hz Gaming Monitor Cost?
A budget 144Hz gaming monitor (with verified, above-average reviews) costs approximately $194, according to a 12-month analysis of price trends. Those same displays cost around $153 while on sale: an average discount of 21%. This data also suggests that Best Buy is the best place to buy a gaming monitor online. Here are the best affordable 144Hz gaming monitors for the money:
Methodology for Selecting Products
I use data science to discover above-average products that are selling for below-average prices. To find 144Hz gaming monitors with below-average prices, I first assemble a list of candidates, then organize those products by their 12-month average sale price, determine the median value and then exclude any monitor with a price above the mid-point.
To find gaming monitors with above-average reviews, I measure the relationship between 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 star ratings and flag outliers that fall outside of a normal statistical distribution. I also discount paid, sponsored and unverified reviews as well as unhelpful review behaviors from verified customers. Displays with an average adjusted rating of less than 3.9 out of 5 are excluded; in the end, fewer than 20% of the analyzed products remain.
BenQ MOBIUZ EX2510 24.5 Inch IPS Gaming Monitor
Good Value: $230 | Great Deal: $200
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Panel Type: IPS
Response Time: 1 ms
Adaptive Sync: AMD FreeSync
Inputs: HDMI, DisplayPort
BenQ’s budget 144Hz IPS monitor has incredible color, depth and detail, surprisingly good internal speakers and a blazing fast response time, according to several online customers, many of whom describe this as the best gaming monitor under $250. Reviewers have mixed feelings about the intelligent HDR (HDRi) feature.
Acer Nitro XFA240Q Sbiipr 23.6” FHD Gaming Monitor
Good Value: $200 | Great Deal: $175
Panel Type: TN
Response Time: 1 ms
Adaptive Sync: AMD FreeSync
Inputs: HDMI, DisplayPort
Acer’s XF series gaming monitor is amazingly smooth (and ideal for eSports), according to several online customers. Some reviewers say that the color settings need tweaking; others wish the bezel was smaller.
Lenovo G25–10 24.5" LED 1080p Gaming Monitor
Good Value: $200 | Great Deal: $150
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Panel Type: TN
Response Time: 1 ms
Adaptive Sync: AMD FreeSync
Inputs: HDMI, DisplayPort
This affordable gaming monitor is vivid, responsive and extremely bright for a TN panel, according to several online customers. Reviewers caution that this monitor isn’t G-Sync compatible and that it has no speakers.
LG 24'’ UltraGear 1080p Gaming Monitor (24GL600F-B)
Good Value: $180 | Great Deal: $130
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Panel Type: TN
Response Time: 1 ms
Adaptive Sync: AMD FreeSync
Inputs: HDMI, DisplayPort
LG’s entry-level gaming monitor is VESA mountable, G-Sync compatible and is an ideal display for console gaming, according to several online customers. Some reviewers say this monitor has good picture quality, but it falls short of being great; others wish the monitor came with a DisplayPort cable instead of HDMI.
Samsung CRG5 Series 24” Curved 1080p Gaming Monitor
Good Value: $198 | Great Deal: $170
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Panel Type: VA
Response Time: 4 ms
Adaptive Sync: AMD FreeSync
Inputs: HDMI, DisplayPort
Samsung’s curved gaming monitor is bright, crisp and clear, according to several online customers. Many reviewers wish that this monitor either came with a better-quality stand or support for a wall mount.
ViewSonic VX2758-P-MHD 27" FHD 1080p Gaming Monitor
Good Value: $220 | Great Deal: $196
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Panel Type: TN
Response Time: 1ms
Adaptive Sync: AMD FreeSync
Inputs: HDMI, DisplayPort
ViewSonic’s budget gaming monitor is clear, crisp and smooth, according to several online customers. Some reviewers say they received a monitor with dead pixels; others say the side buttons are hard to adjust.
Acer 24.5" 1080p Gaming Monitor (KG251Q FBMIDPX)
Good Value: $200 | Great Deal: $170
Panel Type: TN
Response Time: 1 ms
Adaptive Sync: AMD FreeSync
Inputs: HDMI, DisplayPort, DVI
Acer’s inexpensive gaming monitor is handsome, near bezel-less and smooth as butter, according to several online customers. Reviewers agree that the built-in speakers are terrible; a few complained of dead pixels.
AOC 25" Frameless 1080p Gaming Monitor (G2590FX)
Good Value: $196 | Great Deal: $150
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Panel Type: TN
Response Time: 1 ms
Adaptive Sync: AMD FreeSync, G-Sync
Inputs: HDMI 1.4, DisplayPort 1.2, VGA
This 144Hz gaming monitor is fast, affordable and compatible with both G-Sync and FreeSync, according to several online customers. Many reviewers (even happy ones) say this monitor is poorly-calibrated out of the box. Others complained that the included stand is wobbly and the built-in speakers aren’t very good.
Sceptre 24" Curved LED 1080p Gaming Monitor (C248B-144R)
Good Value: $171 | Great Deal: $140
Panel Type: VA
Response Time: 3 ms
Adaptive Sync: AMD FreeSync
Inputs: HDMI, DVI, DisplayPort
Sceptre’s curved 24-inch monitor is crisp, clear and looks amazing at 144 frames per second, according to several online customers. Some reviewers wish the monitor had a faster response time; others complained of occasional flickering or dead pixels. Most agree that the built-in speakers are terrible.
ViewSonic 24-Inch 1080p Gaming Monitor (XG2402)
Good Value: $228 | Great Deal: $156
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Panel Type: TN
Response Time: 1 ms
Adaptive Sync: AMD FreeSync
Inputs: HDMI, DisplayPort
ViewSonic’s XG2402 monitor looks amazing at 144Hz, has no input lag and the colors are better than a typical TN panel, according to several online customers. A few reviewers complained about dead pixels.
Sceptre 24" Curved 1080p Gaming Monitor (C248B-144RN)
Good Value: $154 | Great Deal: $138
Panel Type: VA
Response Time: 3 ms
Adaptive Sync: AMD FreeSync
Inputs: HDMI, DisplayPort
This Sceptre monitor is good-but-not-great, according to several online customers. Many reviewers say the colors are bright and accurate after calibration, but some complain of screen flickering. Others say the monitor isn’t truly “edgeless” because it has hidden bezels beneath the screen.
AOC 24” 1080p Gaming Monitor (G2460PF)
Good Value: $193 | Great Deal: $127
Panel Type: TN
Response Time: 1 ms
Adaptive Sync: AMD FreeSync
Inputs: HDMI, DVI
Many online customers didn’t like the color and brightness on AOC’s 24" monitor when they first used it, but several reviewers were able to adjust it to their liking, ultimately calling it a great budget gaming monitor.
About the Author: John DeFeo was formerly the head of editorial insights for brands such as Tom’s Guide, Tom’s Hardware and Anandtech. He also spent three years working as a designer in collaboration with Take-Two Interactive.
