The 20 Best Gaming Monitors of 2020

IPS panels provide bolder colors, a wider viewing angle, and overall more beautiful images. However, that technology comes at the cost of refresh rate and response time, which is why they are usually not a big hit for professional gamers. That is what makes this beauty so unique; it can max out at a whopping 165Hz refresh rate, which is almost unheard of among IPS panels, giving you the best of both worlds quite literally. It also has a response time of 4ms, which compared to tournament monitors isn’t awe-inspiring but still more than enough for most gamers. It is probably not ideal for first-person shooters like CS:GO, but 4ms response time is still fast enough for most competitive games and won’t leave you at a disadvantage.

It is not only in performance but also in features that the PG279Q tries to have it all. It has certified flicker-free tech, Asus eye care for reduced eye-strain, and Nvidia G-Sync. It even has some additional gamer-centric features such as the Asus GamePlus, which enhances the imagery for gaming and a unique crosshair overlay. The crosshair overlay gives you four different Asus-exclusive crosshair options for shooters, although I will say that competitively these crosshairs are not that great but a fun feature nonetheless.

In terms of design, this is textbook Asus ROG quality with a slim-edged screen and a durable and robust feel. It comes with full tilt, pivot, swivel, and height adjustment, which is always great. It also has two back-end speakers that are surprisingly good and will let you enjoy gaming without a headset strapped on at all times.

The Asus ROG PG279Q is for those gamers that cannot decide between immersive singleplayer gaming and competitive games. Although the response time is worse than most tournament monitors, it is still great. And combined with the insane 165Hz refresh rate, and you have a monitor that will help you win and provide you with top-tier colors and image quality.

At first glance, it is evident that this screen was developed to be used at professional gaming tournaments. It has a convenient S-switch that allows you to quickly adjust basic settings without having to use any software or on-screen buttons. It also has two blinders on each side that help you focus on the screen and block all outside distractions.

The Zowie XL27 has very sharp resolution and incredibly vibrant colors, as well as a black equalizer mode and an array of different game modes. The game modes change the color pallets and performance, to better fit a specific genre, such as RTS, FPS, MOBA, etc.

There is no doubt in my mind that the XL27 is one of the best and most potent monitors for high-end gamers. If not the best. I would highly recommend it if you want the best of the best and don’t mind paying a bit extra for the privilege.

The AOC Agon is very similar to the Asus Strix and which you prefer will ultimately come down to personal preferences as their performance is almost identical. It has a refresh rate of 144Hz, a response time of a single millisecond, and adaptive sync to bind it all together. If you are used to a regular PC screen or perhaps even a laptop, then the AOC Agon will blow you away. You don’t know what smooth gameplay is before you play on a true tournament monitor like this one.

In terms of design, there is not much to say. It is simplistic, yet very classy but without anything overly impressive. It is fully adjustable and feels both sturdy and durable.

It comes in four different sizes, but we will be focusing on the 27-inch model as that is the most powerful in terms of specifications and also the one used at professional tournaments.

When considering the price tag, I was honestly a bit shocked at how powerful the Asus Strix 1800R is. It has a curved screen that delivers a stunning refresh rate of 144Hz, which is very impressive for a curved option. Combined with the adaptive Free-sync technology, it provides an incredibly smooth gameplay experience that very few monitors in this price range can match.

The design is stunning and even comes with customizable backlighting with five custom light patterns. This looks incredible when playing in a dark room, and while not performance-enhancing, it is still a nice touch.

The screen has multiple gaming-specific features that you can adjust and customize as you see fit through the DisplayWidget software. Here you can improve the lighting, control the performance, colors, and play around with the game modes.

When testing it out, it is not hard to see why Blizzard chose this monitor for their most significant Esports events. It is an absolute beast that will, without a doubt, provide you with a competitive edge and overall improve your gaming experience.

This gaming display has everything that you could want with its full QHD resolution, astonishing performance, and flicker-free tech. It provides you with incredibly sharp graphics and a lot of quality-of-life features like the Asus Ultra-Low Blue Light filter and six different game visual modes. The game modes ensure that the monitor focuses on the critical aspects of the game you are playing and either enhancing the visual look or performance depending on the which you choose.

The design is relatively standard for Asus gaming monitors. It has a clean, simplistic look and can be tilted and twirled in whichever direction you wish.

People often underestimated how much of a difference a proper report and response time can do for your in-game performance. If you seek to climb the ladder in games like Overwatch or Dota 2, then a display like this one is an excellent pick.

If all you care about is straight-up performance, then you will probably be better off investing in a BenQ or Asus monitor. However, if you value quality and design equally high as specifications, then the Dell S2716DGR is a perfect choice.

It’s simple, yet stylish design not only looks great but also feels like it could survive a thousand winters. You pay for luxury, and that is precisely what you get. The display is also very adjustable and will allow you to set it up to fit your personal preference.

It has everything you need to compete at the highest level with a fantastic refresh rate and response time, as well as G-Sync, to give you a responsive and smooth experience.

If you feel like you need to treat yourself with a piece of premium gaming equipment that will last for years to come, then this 27-inch VA display by Dell is among your best options.

Both graphically and competitively, it has close to peak performance, and it is even the official training monitor for the League of Legends Esports team, Immortals. It’s 1ms response time, and 165Hz refresh rate ensures that you gain a competitive edge over your opponents, and the QHD resolution provides you with fantastic graphical prowess.

It comes in four different sizes. 24”, 27” 32”, and 34-inches. The widescreen has slightly less performance when it comes to the refresh rate, but overall the four different versions have essentially the same specifications. I would recommend the 27-inch version for competitive gaming and the 32” or 34-inch for the most immersive gameplay.

Whether you enjoy fast-paced shooters or immersive singleplayer games, I would highly recommend this excellent gaming display. It has top-tier performance, the essential features, and stellar graphics.

IPS panels are usually known for their vibrant colors and beautiful image quality, not in-game performance. However, the 24G2 manages to keep most of the benefits of an IPS panel while still providing a lightning-fast response time and 144Hz refresh rate, which is no small feat. But what is even more impressive is that it does all of this for less than 200 bucks. Making it by far one of the highest value-for-money purchases on the market.

While performance is the number one feature of this gaming screen, I cannot talk about it without mentioning its gorgeous design. It uses a clean frameless design that gives it a quality feel far beyond what I have come to expect from monitors in this price range. Don’t get me wrong; you can feel the difference between the AOC 24G2 and a 500 dollar Asus screen, but the quality is by no means bad or questionable.

The only thing I was not thrilled about is the resolution. I would like to have seen full UHD instead of the standard HD, but the 24G2 still creates clear and clean imagery.

This Asus display brings incredibly lifelike graphics, with its full HD 2560 x 1440 and its RGB coloring. The result is quite stunning.

We tested the monitor in its WQHD version, and there is, however, also a 4k UHD upgrade. But since that requires a very powerful desktop, which a lot of people do not have, we decided to focus on the version which fitted most people.

The sound quality was the only real disappointment we found when testing this monitor. An optimized sound system would put this display up there with the best of them. But most people, including myself, use either a separate sound system or a headset. So this can be a non-issue.

Where to begin with this feature-filled gaming monitor? As mentioned earlier, it has a full 2560×1440 full HD display, which is backed up with sRGB coloring. For those who don’t know, RGB coloring is a color optimizer, which requires a separate cable, but in return, bring more advanced colors, which results in superior graphics.

Asus once again bring their eye care technology, which reduces flickering, causing less eye strain than regular screens.

This monitor also has a 178° wide-viewing angle, which is rarely used in gaming. But makes it an ideal secondary monitor and great for watching movies/series. It means that there is no reduction in visuals, no matter which angle you view the monitor from.

It also comes with a fully adjustable mount. This makes sure you can create precisely the gaming setup you want.

The quality is exactly what we expected from Asus. Everything is of admirable quality, everything from the mount to the screen build itself.

The mount has very thick vessels, which give a nice qualitative feeling, but can be quite annoying when trying to use it as a secondary monitor.

It is an excellent bang for your buck but not exactly ”budget” either. However, we feel that the endless amount of features and high-end specifications do justify its semi-high pricing.

It can be a bad purchase if you do not intend to use its array of features.

We didn’t notice any screen tearing issues during our tests on more moderate environments, but when you begin to see what the monitor can do, there is some very slight decrease in quality.

Its performance opens up good possibilities as it is balanced enough to be ideal for everyday gamers & the casual user. The 144 Hz refresh & the curved display comes into its own, especially if you are playing FPS games.

The monitor has a respectable response rate in game mode. The eye saver mode, which reduces the amount of blue lighting to reduce eye strain, is a must for late-night gamers. This is a feature we quite liked, especially on the 27” variant since fatigue can come about really quickly.

Specs-wise it’s quite comparable to many other monitors in the market with the full 1080 HD display & a refresh rate of 144 Hz.
It comes equipped with free sync, which is a boon for AMD users. Considering the market is flooded with Nvidia, this could be looked at as a downside depending on what hardware you are running. The 178 degrees wide viewing angle is also good if you tend to have your mates over.

The color quality is something that can divide opinion based on expectations. Looking at it from the perspective of an entry-level non-4K screen, this monitor is a good buy. There are 24” & 32” variants as well, but since they are all 1080 and not 4K, we would not recommend going over 27” for the best experience. The overall build quality was top notch with bare instances of clouding or dead pixels being reported by users.

While the MSI is not in the budget monitor range, it’s one of the more affordable curved monitor options in the market. Its primary competitor on our list is probably the Viotek, which falls into a similar price category.

The picture is clear and concise, and the WQHD VA display grants excellent immersion.

The VA display is slightly inferior in terms of image and color quality compared to IPS options but creates sharp, beautiful imagery nonetheless.

A let down was the sound quality. The audio system with this monitor is one of the features that Viotek chose not to focus too much on, which is a shame but also not a surprise, since this monitor seems too good to be true on paper, for its low cost. We highly recommend you use a separate sound system if you are demanding when it comes to sound quality. That being said, the sound system is not unusable, and a nice feature for those who are not too perfectionistic about audio.

We kept looking for issues with its performance since we expected there to be quite a lot. But in the end, we did not find any real major problems, apart from the sound system.

The monitor has a game mode, although it is a bit lackluster compared to some of the other screens on this list. But still, a great feature, which adds a little extra depth to the gaming graphics.

Viotek also found time to add a movie mode to this screen. It is rarely seen, and personally, I do not watch movies/series on my gaming monitor since I prefer using my 4k TV. But when testing it out, it added a nice amount of quality to the picture and did a great job at eliminating backlighting, which can be a concern when watching movies on a gaming monitor.

The monitor has a 60hz refresh rate, which is not outstanding, but just fine for almost any gamer, and is more than most non-gaming PC screens offer.

We cannot say a bad thing about the overall design, as this monitor is quite stunning. However, even though this screen is excellent for its price class, it does not have the qualitative feel that some of the more high-end monitors do. This is to be expected, but there is a noticeable difference between this and the more expensive picks.

Outstanding value for money and is, without a doubt, one of the best deals you can find on a 27-inch curved WQHD display.

The second I hooked this up and went into my first game of Counter-Strike, I felt the raw power this screen has, and it is amazing for fast-paced FPS gaming!

The combination of 144hz refresh rate, motion blur reduction, and 1ms response time makes this screen the best competitive gaming monitor on the market. And these are not just specifications. You can honestly feel how insanely well this screen performs in action.

It’s clear that it is targeted at fast-paced gaming such as FPS and Mobas, and it does that perfectly. But it is also an ideal choice for ordinary gaming.

An excellent addition is the flicker-free and enhanced blue light. This means you can play for endless hours without much eyestrain, which any hardcore gamer will appreciate.

The only sad thing about the BenQ Zowie monitor series is that they have yet to make a real high-end expensive gaming monitor. Which is a real shame, since we are sure they would be capable of making the best one to date.

This screen has been developed in cooperation with professional FPS gamers. And this is something you can feel when gaming on this thing. This is my go-to screen for almost any game type, exceptionally competitive. And I will recommend it to anyone who takes gaming seriously and seeks to perform at their highest level. If you’re a casual gamer, I would still recommend it, but not as firmly, because it’s harder to appreciate what this screen does if you’re not playing to perform. But even if you aren’t always looking to play competitively, this screen makes the gameplay so unbelievably smooth.

Despite being quite cheap, it has top-tier performance that can compete with options twice or three times as expensive.

The <1ms response time is the most effective Hz rate out of any monitor in this price range.

The monitor has been developed solely for eSports, but it is also optimized for console gaming. And we would recommend this as a console monitor if you can replace your current TV setup since it will outperform your tv in most aspects.

It has a full HD 1080p display, and while BenQ has not focused on the graphics much. It still does a marvelous job compared to an ordinary PC screen. But if you mostly play grand, beautiful games such as The Witcher 3, we would recommend you look into other options.

It has built-in speakers, but we are not sure why. Almost all competitive gamers use a headset or maybe a surround sound system when gaming since built-in audio speakers cannot grant the information needed in fps gaming in particular.

The Zowie screen naturally has a reduction in blue light. This is to ensure less eye-strain during more extended gaming sessions.

Quality/Price

We cannot think of a better value for money bargain than this PC screen. Its performance is on par with even the most high-end of gaming monitors. The price is close to a budget display.

While it does not have the image quality of the Asus PB27, it does have above average graphics, and for the price range, it has extraordinarily powerful specifications for competitive gaming.

What we need to focus on with this screen is not the graphics, however, but the performance. It is optimized for gaming, which is done brilliantly. The 144hz refresh rate grants a delay-free gaming experience and some of the smoothest gameplay imaginable. It is one of the best screens on the market for 60fps gaming. This is all backed up by the AMD free sync technology, which also increases its capabilities in fast-paced gaming

In other words, this is a gamer’s dream at a highly reasonable price.

The prominent feature is the aforementioned 1ms response time, paired with the AMD free sync. Which are both features that are incredibly handy in a competitive gaming environment?

It comes with a stand that can be rotated and mounted, whichever you prefer.

The quality is, for the most part, high. The monitor build frame looks and feels rock solid. However, the stand does feel a bit cheap, but it is not something we ever noticed or had any issues with.

In general, the quality is more than you would usually get for this amount of money.

This monitor is a real bargain, and it is an opportunity for gamers on a budget to get a hold of a real high performing competitive monitor.

The reasonable price and it’s fully adjustable stand also makes for a great secondary monitor.

It has incredible blacks/whites, which create a beautiful contrast in the gameplay.

The free sync feature, combined with the high refresh rate, creates a seamless and smooth gaming experience. It also makes it a decently potent option for competitive games as well.

The curved design, combined with the IPS panel, creates stunning images and enhances the immersive feel you want from an ultrawide display.

There is a little backlight bleeding present, but that is mostly an issue if you watch movies/series on your PC monitor. We also feel that even then, it is not a deal-breaker. It is very standard with IPS panels and just a small sacrifice you have to make for the improved image quality.

The monitor is 21:9 regarding measures, which is perfect for an ultrawide monitor.

A decent game mode option is also available, which adjusts the colors to be more fitting for a gaming environment. While it is not the best game mode we have seen, it does make a difference in making your graphics look better and more fluent. It also offers a unique crosshair feature as well as a black stabilizer mode, which makes it easier to see your enemies in the dark. All of these features can be activated through easy-to-use on-screen controls.

The design is sleek and beautiful, honestly, everything you want from an ultrawide gaming monitor. Quality-wise, I would be hard-pressed to find a more qualitative option in this price range.

Compared to the more high-end ultrawide options, the LG 34UC79G has an extraordinary amount of value for your buck. Although it isn’t exactly cheap, it is a great deal nonetheless.

Both the design and the graphical capabilities of the Asus Rog Swift are pure eye candy and playing something like Assassin’s Creed: Oddysey or the Witcher 3: Wild Hunt on it is a spectacular experience.

With a gaming monitor of this caliber, we feel it is essential to mention the requirements. You cannot hope to use this screen correctly with a standard desktop since the UWQHD will not function with a low-end PC; it may even crash it. You will need a high-end gaming PC for this to work correctly. But if you have the setup to back this monitor up, it provides the best gaming experience imaginable. You will need at least a GeForce GTX 980Ti graphics card or better for it to overclock the refresh rate to 100Hz.

The monitor is pretty expensive and certainly isn’t aimed at casual gamers. However, with its excellent design and high-end performance, I do feel that you get a decent amount of value for your buck. What is the point of having an extremely high-end gaming PC if you can’t max out its performance with a 34-inch beauty like this?

The design of the Asus ROG Swift is perhaps its best feature. It is fully adjustable, has intuitive on-screen controls, and looks absolutely stunning. It also comes with two built-in speakers that provide decent enough sound quality but nothing beyond that. If you already have a high-end PC and are willing to throw a thousand bucks at this screen, then you might as well get a tremendous stand-alone PC audio system, in my opinion. The built-in speakers aren’t up to the same quality as the rest of the screen, which is usually the problem with monitor sound systems.

The NVIDIA G-SYNC Technology and 100Hz Refresh Rate make for an incredibly smooth and beautiful gaming experience.

The monitor has a curved design with a 21:9 aspect ratio, and the slim-edged design really enhances that immersion.

Like any gaming monitor from Asus, it has eye-care technology. The size and power of the screen make this a must-have, so we were pleased to see Asus implement it for this monitor. It basically just limits the amount of damaging blue-light that the display puts out, and if you play for hours at a time, then you really can’t live without this feature.

Not quite as powerful as the Acer Predator but miles better in terms of design and feel. If what you care most about are the additional refresh rate and slightly better response time, then I would recommend the Predator. If you want superior quality, then the Asus ROG Swift is uncontested.

As you might expect in this price range, it has some seriously powerful specifications that will turn your regular gameplay into a truly immersive adventure. It’s 3440 x 1440p resolution, and breakthrough display technology creates a buttery smooth and beautiful gaming experience. If you have a PC powerful enough to tame this beast, then it has the potential to create some of the most stunning graphics on the market. It also has a compelling refresh rate of 120Hz and a mere 4 ms response time. Although this a lower response rate is to be expected from a 34-inch widescreen it just doesn’t compete with actual competitive monitors, most competitive displays on the market are down to 1ms, so if you purely play competitive games, then I would recommend another product. However, if you mainly play atmospheric singleplayer games like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt or Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, then this is one of the absolute best ones out there.

Its stellar performance is only outdone by its incredibly pleasing design that not only looks good but also feels very qualitative. I would be hard-pressed to think of a more beautifully designed monitor, and it will take your gaming setup to the next level aesthetically. It is also highly adjustable with full tilt-and-swivel functionality.

The Alienware AW3418DW comes with full NVIDIA G-Sync, custom lighting effects, and six preset gaming modes. Each gaming mode is explicitly made for different gaming genres. It has gaming modes for first-person shooters, role-playing games, real-time strategy, and so on, with each mode enhancing the essential factors of each genre. So as an example, the RPG mode will focus mostly on the visual part of the game while the FPS mode will max out its performance.

Although it has a lot of cutting-edge features, it is entirely plug-and-play, which is always nice to see. The second you plug it in, it is good to go without the need for setting it up.

The Alienware AW3418DW is not cheap by any stretch of the imagination, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth every penny. So if you are not pressed for money and want to take your gaming experience to the next level, then this is one of the best 34-inch curved widescreens out there.

The 34-inch curved design grants a fantastic feeling of immersion and realism. While the 120Hz overclockable refresh rate and Nvidia G-sync keeps the image smooth as butter. 120Hz and 4ms response time might not sound like much compared to some of the 27-inch screens on this list, but for a 34-inch curved display, it is top-tier.

I usually play on a 27-inch Asus monitor, and the difference was breathtaking. The ‘Acer Predator gaming monitor‘ turned my entire gaming experience into a cinematic universe.

I imagine this is the closest you can get to virtual reality without losing the feeling of REAL PC-Gaming. After a few hours of play, I thought this screen was out of surprises. But I forgot about the ”Gaming Mode” which is easily toggled on and off. With the press of a button, it was like every pixel, and every color sharpened, and the graphics almost doubled. I realize this sounds exaggerated, and it probably is, but that is only because it feels that good to play on this monitor.

Now that so much positive has been said, it’s time for the negatives. This is an extremely high-end gaming monitor, and the price tag shows that. Secondly, a monitor is only as good as your computer, and if you have a very cheap/old computer, this monitor is NOT for you. This screen will more likely than not diminish your experience without a high-end desktop. This is for people who already have a good gaming setup and seeks to perfect it.

Personally, I don’t perform very well competitively on a colossal widescreen, BUT that is just me. If you are acquainted with large widescreen monitors and find them to your liking, this is one of the best there is. And if you enjoy playing games for immersion and beauty, then getting a curved ultrawide monitor is one of the best investments you will ever make.

The game mode was surprisingly efficient, which is more than just a gimmick, as it is on most monitors. But this one enhances the gaming experience a lot.

Its refresh rate can be overclocked up to 120Hz, which is as good as you can expect from a large screen display like this.

The quality is pretty much as good as it gets, but we still feel that the monitor is a little overpriced. This is, however, a typical issue with gaming gear of this caliber. You do not get the same value for money with high-tier equipment as you do with mid/low-tier.

It is full of QHD and has a curved design that delivers lovely graphics and helps you immerse yourself in your games. This is further enhanced by the fact that it covers over 99% of the color spectrum, which helps create some rich and beautiful pictures.

The design is fairly standard but still looks great due to the curved shape. It can be adjusted both in height and tilt to suit your personal preference.

It has a couple of wonderful features that further increase our affection. It has the split-screen feature that allows you to divide the 34-inch display into two separate entities that give roughly the same advantages as having a due-monitor setup.

All and all, it is an excellent affordable alternative to monitors like the Asus ROG Swift 34 and Alienware 1900R. It is not as powerful, but it gets pretty close and costs half as much. I would, however, recommend the LG 34UC79G-B if all you care about is gaming.

Sceptre is an up-and-coming brand that currently offers a much higher value for money on its products than the more established brands like Asus and Acer. This is a great way to penetrate the market for new brands and a great time for costumers to buy their products.

This Sceptre monitor is stocked full of features that you rarely see in this price range, and if you want an ultrawide monitor with a wide range of capabilities, then this is a great option. Its imagery is incredibly smooth due to the high refresh rate and quick response time, all the while keeping the resolution decently high.

On top of the important stuff like refresh rate and response time, it also has built-in speakers, a blue light filter, illuminated backlights, Freesync, and an array of game modes.

Lastly, it also has a beautiful frameless curved design that will fit nicely into most gaming setups.

If you want a curved ultrawide monitor on a tight budget, there are few better options than this bargain from Sceptre.

The imagery is great, especially if you love very vibrant colors. It is hard to imagine a better performance from a screen of this price class, at least when it comes to the image alone.

The integrated speakers do have issues, however. On rare occasions, they stop working for a couple of seconds, and they also don’t work correctly when the screen is paired with a laptop.

It’s image quality, and performance overall is great for a casual gamer but won’t be enough for the serious, competitive player.

1800R Curvature grants a gentle curve that helps improve immersion when gaming.

Although it is not a gaming monitor, it does have a few additional features that focus on pc gaming. This includes dedicated game modes and flicker-free tech.

Lastly, the eye-saver mode is a real lifesaver, no pun intended. During more extended gaming sessions, it can help your eyes feel less strained. It reduces the use of blue lights in the colors and also removes some flicker. This is also much healthier for your eyes compared to regular lighting. We found this feature was crucial for this monitor in particular since it naturally uses more blue light than most PC screens.

In terms of quality, it feels okay. I would still put it in the ”budget” class, and there is a noticeable difference between this screen and the other ultrawide displays on this list.

While it is more of a business screen than anything else, it is still perfect for the casual gamer and definitely worth its price. And then some.