Monitor shopping can sometimes feel like committing to a go-kart race through a minefield while wearing a blindfold. For those not used to reading esoteric monitor model numbers, the decision process on any new monitor feels like scrolling through an acronym-obsessed engineer’s personal purgatory. Spec sheets for monitors and TVs often mislead customers, and companies are quick to claim high refresh rates for cheap, even when the actual picture quality can’t compete.
So we’re here to hopefully make that decision a little easier to stop for some of the best monitors available today, especially if you’re looking to pair with a new PC. For instance, the Alienware AW3225QF might be one of the best monitors that does both 4K and 240 Hz refresh rates, but unless you have deep pockets, you’ll probably want something that costs significantly less and will take up less precious desktop space.
At this point, OLED reigns supreme regarding vibrancy and deep blacks, but that’s not to knock the rest of the cheaper displays out there. You can get as much mileage from mini-LED or even more traditional LCDs if you get the best display, refresh rate, PPI, and pixel response time for your budget and size requirements.
That being said, many of the options on this list aren’t cheap. The bigger they are, the better the screen, the more expensive they’ll be. Keep that in mind; perhaps you could use this list as a springboard for shopping around.
Best Big Monitor
Philips Evnia 42M2N8900
Let’s say you have the space. Hell, maybe you have too much space, and dammit, if you’re going to fill that void with anything, why not a giant OLED monitor? For that, you really can’t go wrong with the Philips Evnia 4K OLED. It’s 42 inches and supports a 138 Hz refresh rate, so yes, it could double as your main TV, especially because it lacks many tell-tale signs that it is born from the Philips gamer-focused Evnia line.
But the real purpose of a massive monitor is for gaming without compromise, and given that, there are a few caveats. It has a large stand that will eat up most of your desk space or require a nice television cabinet to let it stretch its legs, allowing you to tilt and swivel the monitor to the right angle. For $1,100, you can go for a cheaper OLED option, but the 42-inch Philips Evnia is one of the best ways to get 4K and OLED in one beastly package.
Best 4K Monitor
AOC U27G3X
If all you want is 4K gaming at respectable refresh rates and nothing else, then the 27-inch AOC U27G3X has you covered. Simply put, it does what it says on the tin, with 4K 3840 x 2,160 resolution with HDR. It’s an IPS-LED, so while it won’t be the most brilliant display you can get, it’s also a fair price, starting at $500 MSRP. It goes up to 400 nits of brightness and a 1 ms pixel response rate. Gaming on it, the matte screen helps reduce outside glare and keeps you focused on all the pixels your PC is pushing.
It’s light enough to use as your standard daily monitor. Sure, its red-on-black shell denotes it as a gaming-forward display rather than a slate gray productivity model, but there are no flashing RGB lights to make a rainbow of your office wall. It swivels a full 60 degrees and also has a fair degree of tilt. While there are two HDMI 2.1 and one DisplayPort 1.4 connection, there’s also no built-in sound. Just make sure you have your audio set up and ready to go, as you won’t be able to hear from any of your Steam library out of the box.
For the same price, you might also want to check out the Gigabyte M27U, which has similar specs, though it comes with more USB ports and two 3W speakers for audio if all your other speakers fail.
Best 240+ Hz Refresh Rate Monitor
Agon Pro AG276QZD
Similarly to the AOC 27-inch 4K, sometimes you need a reasonably-sized gaming monitor that can push to esports-level refresh rates. In that case, the Agon Pro 240Hz OLED monitor gives you that and a bit more besides. It’s a QHD, 2560 x 1440 resolution with a 0.03 ms response time typical of OLED screens. It supports HDR 10 and is Adaptive-Sync or G-sync compatible, but you’re really here for the 240 Hz max refresh rate to complement the nice contrast of the OLED screen.
The price is also a big plus in the Agon Pro’s favor. At $699 MSRP, it beats similar monitors by a fair deal, and you’re still ending up with thin bezels and anti-glare screens to get the most out of those deep blacks and nice contrast typical of these displays. We haven’t noticed any real input lag playing multiple titles that support high refresh rates. It costs less than similar models you can buy today, a huge plus in AOC’s favor.
Best Budget Monitor
Pixio PX248 Prime S
Sometimes, you don’t need more than 24 inches or 4K resolutions. Sometimes, you need a workhorse monitor that supports a nice high refresh rate without pushing prices to the obscene. The Pixio brand is one of the better budget monitors, and the PX248 Prime S is one of the best IPS LCD monitors you can get with 165 Hz for under $140 MSRP.
It’s an FHD, 1920 by 1080p display with a max brightness of 400 nits. With 1ms pixel response times, it might not seem like much at first, but for those who need a quality gaming monitor that won’t stretch the wallet too hard, you won’t find much better at full price for under $200.
It has a small stand that won’t take up much or any desk space, plus with its relatively small bezels; you get to maximize the 23.8 inches of screen real estate.
If you’re looking for a low-budget curved screen, we might also suggest the Pixio PXC277 Advanced. It’s a 1440p, 1500R curved panel that also goes up to a 165 Hz refresh rate. It’s 27 inches and will also take $220 out of your wallet, but it’s another option for those who want to feel more capital “G” gamer without emptying their bank accounts.
Best Curved Monitor
Alienware AW3225QF
We’ve been absolutely obsessed with Alienware’s latest 32-inch QD-OLED monitor since we saw it before CES last year. At $1,200, it’s not cheap by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s also a stunning display that can do 4K and 240 Hz. It’s at 140 PPI and has a stated pixel response time of 0.03ms. In every way, it’s a high-fidelity gaming monitor that puts pretty much all you would ever want from this kind of display in one.
Curved monitors are meant to center your attention on what’s happening on screen, but excessively curved screens can become a little invasive. Alienware’s QD-OLED is 1700R curved, which is just enough to draw you into the action without invading the rest of your personal space.
The base stand is rather heavy and bulky, and you can’t ignore that price tag, but if you’re willing to spare no expense on your gaming setup and want an extra-large curved screen, the AW3225QF does the trick.
Best Monitor for Mac Users
Apple Studio Display 27
First, most monitors on this list will work fine with your average MacBook Pro, iPad, or other Apple products. Still, if all you want is something that will plug in and play with your MacBook Pro, Mac Mini, or Mac Studio, then hell, the Apple Studio Display is big and beautiful enough to justify its rather hefty price tag. At 27 inches and 5K resolution, it’s big without being overwhelming, and it will fit on your desktop with relative ease thanks to its low profile stand. That being said, you can’t swivel the monitor on its stand, which still feels like a large oversight even though it’s not a dealbreaker. It’s also limited to 60 Hz without HDR, so this probably shouldn’t be your first choice as a main gaming monitor.
Ignoring those restrictions and its steep $1,599 starting price tag, the Studio Display works very well as a main daily driver. The XDR Pro Display—which when translated from Apple lingo is a mini-LED type monitor—is bright and colorful even though the blacks are not quite as good as OLED. Apple also lets you pick from several display types, though the base “Apple Display” setting with 600 nits of brightness should be good for anybody using it in an office setting.
However, the main benefit of the Studio Display is that it’s easy to use. It comes out of the box with the power cord neatly bundled and ready to be plugged in. There’s no need to handle HDMI, as the USB-C cable will handle everything nicely and tidyly. It’s the best monitor for Apple users who do not understand the difference between IPS LCD, mini-LED, or OLED.
