The 4 Best 120Hz Monitors - Spring 2025

The best 120Hz monitor we've tested is the MSI MPG 321URX QD-OLED. It's an outstanding gaming monitor with premium picture quality and performance. While it has a maximum refresh rate of 240Hz, it's still fantastic to use at 120Hz thanks to its near-instantaneous response time at any refresh rate, which results in almost no motion blur with fast-moving objects. It also has a 4k resolution and HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, so you can play 4k games with the PS5, PS5 Pro, and Xbox Series X|S up to 120Hz.

Its QD-OLED panel even offers outstanding picture quality. This means it displays deep and inky blacks in dark rooms against bright highlights without any blooming, and it gets bright enough for highlights to pop. Additionally, it displays a wide range of colors in HDR that look extremely vivid and life-like. While its 32-inch screen offers an immersive gaming feel, you can also consider the 27-inch ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM if you want a smaller screen. However, it costs more than the MSI, and otherwise performs similarly, so choosing between the two depends on the size that you prefer.

If you find the MSI MPG 321URX QD-OLED too much out of your price range but still want a premium display, look into the lower-end MSI MPG 271QRX QD-OLED. It's fairly similar in features and even performance to the higher-end 321URX, with the main difference being that it has a lower 1440p resolution, so images aren't as sharp and are less detailed. That's the main trade-off for getting something cheaper, but it still displays the same deep and inky blacks in dark rooms with bright highlights for incredible picture quality.

On top of that, it also has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth to take advantage of gaming consoles, as it supports downscaled 4k at 120Hz signals, which are more detailed than native 1440p signals. Although it has a max 360Hz refresh rate, it still performs very well at 120Hz, as it has a near-instantaneous response time for sharp motion. If you don't think you need something with such a high refresh rate and prefer a cheaper monitor, the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDMG is a fantastic OLED gaming monitor, but it lacks HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, and colors aren't as vivid as on this MSI.

If you prefer a lower-cost mid-range monitor, the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx is a good choice when you can find it on sale, and it's worth getting when it is. It's different from the MSI MPG 271QRX QD-OLED because it doesn't have an OLED panel, so it doesn't display the same deep blacks and vivid colors. However, this is the trade-off you must make to get a cheaper monitor. It still delivers good picture quality, as it has Mini LED local dimming that helps improve its contrast ratio, and there isn't much blooming around bright objects either. It also gets very bright, which is ideal for use in bright rooms.

Regarding gaming performance, it doesn't have the same near-instantaneous response time as the MSI, but fast-moving objects still look sharp at 120Hz. It also has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth to take full advantage of gaming consoles, and its 4k resolution helps deliver a detailed image. While it has low input lag at 120Hz, it's higher at 60Hz, so you have to play games at 120Hz to get the best performance out of this monitor.

If you want a monitor on a budget, check out the AOC Q27G3XMN, which offers great value as a low-cost display. It uses Mini LED backlighting like the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx, so it also looks great in dark rooms as it has a high contrast ratio and good local dimming feature, and highlights pop in HDR. However, it has a lower 1440p resolution, so it doesn't display the same detailed images, and without HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, it can't take full advantage of modern gaming consoles. This also means it doesn't support VRR with the PS5, but it does with an Xbox.

Luckily, the AOC has a really quick response time at 120Hz, and while there's black smearing with fast-moving objects, motion still looks sharp. One downside is that it has noticeable VRR flicker with changing frame rates, particularly in dark scenes, but this isn't so much of an issue if you set a frame rate cap to 120 fps. You can also check out the ASUS ROG Strix XG27ACS if you want to avoid that issue, and it has less smearing than the AOC, but it has worse picture quality, too.