Top 5 BEST Budget Gaming Monitors in 2024

If you’re on a tight budget, there are many gaming monitors available. More gaming capabilities are being added to these models, and even if the majority lack high-end features like 4K resolution or HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, you may still enjoy the performance of the majority of inexpensive gaming monitors. Size is a matter of taste, however they come in a variety of resolutions and sizes.

One of the most crucial considerations when searching for a gaming monitor is a quick response time to ensure that motion appears crisp. Although most monitors feature low input latency for a responsive experience, low input lag is also essential. Playing competitive games benefits from a high refresh rate, and some low-cost models also offer high refresh rates. Furthermore, the image quality is important for creating an immersive gaming experience, so you’ll want to look for monitors with bright highlights and vivid colors, but that’s less common on budget monitors, and most of them have limited picture quality.

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Last update on 2024-11-27 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

Top 5 BEST Budget Gaming Monitors in 2024

1.AOC Q27G3XMN

Last update on 2024-11-27 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

The best budget gaming monitor we’ve tested is the AOC Q27G3XMN. It’s a 27-inch, 1440p monitor that has better picture quality than most other low-cost displays. It uses Mini LED backlighting, which is something mainly more expensive displays have, so it’s a nice touch for an entry-level monitor. It displays deep blacks next to bright highlights, and it gets bright enough to fight glare in well-lit rooms and makes highlights pop. It even displays a wide range of vivid colors in HDR, which is useful for HDR gaming.

In terms of its pure gaming performance, it has features you’d expect to find in a gaming monitor, like a 180Hz max refresh rate and FreeSync VRR and G-SYNC compatibility. It even has a fast response time so that there isn’t much blur behind fast-moving objects, but there’s still smearing. One thing to know is that this monitor sometimes goes out of stock, so if you can’t find it available, look into the Acer Nitro XV275U P3biipx instead. It’s similar as it also has Mini LED backlighting, but it has worse motion handling than the AOC.

For PC gaming, the AOC Q27G3XMN is a remarkable device. With a maximum refresh rate of 180 Hz and a fast response time, it produces very little motion blur, while there is some smearing when things move quickly. Fortunately, it seems responsive due to its negligible input lag at any refresh rate. To lessen screen tearing, it also has G-SYNC compatibility and FreeSync VRR. Additionally, because to its high native contrast ratio and effective local dimming capability, it displays deep blacks, making it ideal for dark room gaming. Regretfully, if your PC is unable to keep a steady frame rate, it has annoying VRR flicker with fluctuating frame rates.

When it comes to console gaming, the AOC Q27G3XMN is good. It offers a fantastic gaming experience even if its 1440p resolution and limitations of HDMI 2.1 bandwidth prevent it from fully utilizing the Xbox Series X|S or the PS5. It offers a smooth feel because to its quick response time and little input lag at 120Hz and 60Hz. Because of its strong contrast for deep blacks, it also provides good picture quality whether you’re gaming in HDR or SDR. In well-lit areas, it gets bright enough to reduce glare.

The response time of the AOC Q27G3XMN is outstanding. Even motion at low refresh rates appears nice because it retains a quick response time throughout its VRR range. Unfortunately, there is noticeable black smearing even though there isn’t much inverse ghosting or blur. It also has horrible VRR flicker when the frame rate changes, although if your PC can keep the frame rate constant, this won’t be a problem.

When it comes to creating content, the AOC Q27G3XMN is excellent. Prior to calibration, it boasts outstanding accuracy in the sRGB mode; nevertheless, certain other picture modes have a warm color temperature, which causes a red tinge. With its excellent ergonomics and large enough 27-inch screen for multitasking, it makes it easy to share the screen with someone else, but it has narrow viewing angles that make the image look washed out from the sides. On the plus side, it’s great if you need to edit content in bright or dark rooms, as it gets bright and displays deep blacks with minimal blooming.

2.Dell G2724D

Last update on 2024-11-27 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

If you’re on a limited budget and looking for the best inexpensive gaming monitor, there are some solid options to consider. One of these is the Dell G2724D, which can be purchased for a low price directly from Dell’s website. It has a 27-inch, 1440p screen like the AOC Q27G3XMN, but it differs in a few aspects. It lacks Mini LED illumination and its local dimming capability performs poorly, resulting in gray blacks in dark settings and highlights that do not pop, giving it limited HDR picture quality. However, this is the price to pay for cheap goods.

However, the Dell does have a few gaming advantages over the AOC. Fast-moving objects cause less smearing, and it even supports HDMI Forum VRR.This means that the VRR support works with the PS5, which is a neat feature that helps reduce screen tearing. Besides that, it’s a good monitor if you want something for gaming in bright rooms, as it gets bright enough to fight glare and has good reflection handling.

The Dell G2724D is an entry-level gaming monitor with a 27-inch screen and a 1440p resolution. It boasts a refresh rate of 165Hz and is intended for gamers seeking a low-cost but dependable gaming monitor. However, it is difficult to find at most retailers, however it is frequently available for purchase directly from Dell’s website. It is newer than the popular Dell S2721DGF and falls below Dell’s Alienware range, which includes similar 1440p alternatives with greater capabilities, such as the Dell Alienware AW2724DM. It’s relatively barebones in terms of capabilities, with no USB hub or even an audio port, but you can still access some of Dell’s gaming features, such as various virtual crosshairs. It also supports FreeSync’s variable refresh rate (VRR).

The Dell G2724D is suitable for PC gaming. It supports all common VRR formats to avoid screen tearing, and the 165Hz refresh rate is adequate for most gamers. It boasts little input latency for a responsive feel and a consistently rapid response time over its whole refresh rate range, however fast-moving objects cause minor blur. While it gives a seamless gaming experience, the picture quality is limited due to low contrast, which causes blacks to seem gray, and the local dimming feature, which is only enabled in HDR, performs poorly.

The Dell G2724D is ideal for workplace use. It has an excellent ergonomic stand that is simple to adjust, and its wide viewing angles make it ideal for sharing your screen with others because the image remains consistent from all sides. It also has a large enough screen to accommodate two windows side by side, and the font quality is good. Finally, it has exceptional reflection handling and can get bright enough to reduce glare, making it an excellent choice for usage in well-lit office environments.

The Dell G2724D is ideal for content creation. Its specialized sRGB picture mode is extremely accurate, even without calibration, and it displays a wide spectrum of colors. It boasts wide viewing angles and great ergonomics, making it a perfect choice if you frequently need to share your screen with a coworker or customer, as they will see a consistent image from all sides. Its 27-inch screen can accommodate two windows side by side, and its 1440p resolution ensures good text clarity. However, the low contrast ratio and poor local dimming feature in HDR limit the picture quality.

3.ViewSonic XG2431

Last update on 2024-11-27 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

While the AOC Q27G3XMN and Dell G2724D are both good 27-inch gaming monitors, the ViewSonic XG2431 is a good option if you have a tiny desk space. It differs from the AOC and Dell in that it has a lower 1080p resolution, resulting in less detailed visuals, but a higher 240Hz refresh rate. This is useful for competitive gaming, especially if your PC can run at a high frame rate.

One of the monitor’s notable features is its programmable backlight strobing, which allows you to tailor the flicker to eliminate persistence blur. Many displays cannot accomplish this, so it’s a wonderful addition to a budget-friendly display, although it doesn’t operate simultaneously.

The ViewSonic XG2431 is a 24-inch 1080p gaming monitor with a refresh rate of 240Hz. It’s part of ViewSonic’s OMNI series and is more expensive than the ViewSonic VX2428. It also supports FreeSync VRR and G-SYNC to eliminate screen tearing. It enables Low Framerate Compensation, which ensures that VRR continues to work even when your game’s frame rate goes too low. Furthermore, it has Blur Busters Approved Certification 2.0 because to its PureXP motion blur reduction feature, which also functions as backlight strobing. This feature is quite configurable, so you can change the flicker to your desire, but if you don’t use it, the backlight will remain flicker-free.

The ViewSonic XG2431 is suitable for PC gaming. It features a consistently rapid response time over its whole refresh rate range, and it even includes an adjustable backlight strobing feature to eliminate persistent blur. Furthermore, it boasts a 240Hz refresh rate with VRR compatibility and low input lag for a responsive experience. The main disadvantage is that it has restricted picture quality due to low contrast, absence of local dimming, and low resolution, resulting in images that do not appear lifelike.

The ViewSonic OMNI XG2431 is a disappointment for console gamers. It can’t take full use of the Xbox Series X|S and PS5 since it lacks HDMI 2.1 bandwidth and has a poor 1080p resolution, which means it can’t provide detailed visuals. It also has limited HDR performance due to its low contrast ratio and lack of local dimming. On the plus side, gaming feels responsive thanks to its low input lag, and it has a consistently fast response time for sharp motion.

The ViewSonic XG2431 is suitable for workplace use. It features wide viewing angles and excellent ergonomics, making it simple to adjust the screen when sharing it with a coworker or customer. It also offers exceptional brightness and reflection management, making it suitable for well-lit environments. Unfortunately, its quality is limited to 1080p, and the 24-inch screen is insufficient for multitasking. It also lacks office-specific capabilities, such as a KVM switch and USB-C connections.

4.AOC 24G15N

Last update on 2024-11-27 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

If you’re on a tight budget and need a cheap 24-inch monitor, look into the AOC 24G15N. It’s a basic gaming monitor with a slower 180Hz refresh rate than the ViewSonic XG2431, but it has the same 1080p resolution. Aside from the refresh rate, the key difference with the ViewSonic is the panel type, which displays deeper blacks; nevertheless, the primary trade-off is poorer motion handling. There is some smearing from fast-moving objects, but that is to be expected for such a low-cost gaming monitor.

Fortunately, it is still suitable for gaming, as it offers reduced input lag for a responsive feel, a 180Hz refresh rate, and VRR compatibility to reduce screen tearing. It even has a few game features, like as Shadow Control, which makes it easier to see opponents in dark scenes. It also has an optional backlight strobing feature, but it creates image duplication.

The AOC 24G15N is a 24-inch 1080p gaming monitor that supports FreeSync and G-SYNC VRR. It has a maximum refresh rate of 180Hz. It is one of several monitors in AOC’s lineup, along with the popular AOC Q27G3XMN. The 24G15N competes against other 24-inch entry-level gaming monitors, such the ASUS TUF Gaming VG249Q1A and the more expensive Dell G2724D. Though it lacks many more functions, gamers will like the frame counter and shadow control.

The AOC 24G15N is suitable for PC gaming. It supports FreeSync and G-SYNC, and the 180Hz refresh rate is fast enough to provide a smooth gaming experience. However, fast-moving objects are fuzzy, making it unsuitable for fast-paced games. It also has a 1080p resolution, which means the details are not as sharp. Even though it has excellent SDR picture quality and contrast, colors do not appear bright in HDR, and highlights do not stand out against the rest of the image.

The AOC 24G15N is unsuitable for console gaming. Its lower-resolution 1080p display renders text and graphics less clear than most other gaming screens. It also has a sluggish response time, making fast-moving objects appear fuzzy. While it supports HDR, the brightness is insufficient for highlights to stand out, and the colors are not vibrant or lifelike.

The AOC 24G15N is poor for office use. While it isn’t particularly bright, it’s adequate for use with a few lights, and it handles reflections well. However, it has a low pixel density, so word clarity is just adequate, and the image degrades when viewed at an angle, so anyone gazing at your screen next to you would see a poorer image. It also has terrible ergonomics, with no height or swivel adjustments, so it’s difficult to adjust.

5.LG 32GN650-B/32GN63T-B

Last update on 2024-11-27 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

Monitors larger than 27 inches in the budget price range typically do not deliver the optimum performance. However, if you want the largest size available within your budget and are willing to accept lower picture quality than the AOC Q27G3XMN, consider the LG 32GN650-B, also known as the 32GN63T-B at various stores. Both variations deliver the same performance. It has the same 1440p resolution as the AOC and provides the same degree of detail, but because to its greater size, the pixel density is lower, thus games and text are not as sharp.

It has comparable motion handling to the AOC 24G15N, so there is some blurring with fast-moving objects, but it is still adequate for casual gaming. While the VA panel exhibits deep blacks,which is good for gaming in dark rooms, it still doesn’t deliver great HDR performance like the Q27G3XMN, as it lacks a local dimming feature. You’d need to spend more to get a 32-inch monitor with better HDR performance.

The LG 32GN650-B/32GN63T-B is a 32-inch 1440p affordable gaming monitor from LG’s UltraGear series. It is offered in two varieties at various stores, with the only difference being that the 32GN650-B model features an additional HDMI port over the 32GN63T-B. They both offer a maximum refresh rate of 165Hz and VRR functionality to help eliminate screen tearing. While neither variation has many productivity features nor USB connectivity, they do include some extra gaming features such as crosshair compatibility, black stabilizer, dynamic contrast ratio, and a 3.5 mm audio jack for connecting headphones or speakers.

The LG 32GN650-B is suitable for PC gaming. Its 165Hz refresh rate is adequate for most casual gamers, and it includes VRR functionality to eliminate screen tearing. It also has little input lag, which provides a responsive sensation, however there are certain drawbacks for gaming. Because of its sluggish response time, motion is fuzzy, and there is significant VRR flicker when the frame rate changes. It also has limited picture quality because highlights do not flash in HDR and lacks a local dimming option, yet it has a high native contrast ratio.