The 6 Best 1440p Gaming Monitors - Winter 2025

The best 1440p gaming monitor we've tested is the MSI MPG 271QRX QD-OLED. It combines exceptional gaming performance with outstanding picture quality. This makes it an ideal display for gamers who crave graphically intense games at high frame rates. In terms of gaming, its 360Hz refresh rate provides a smooth and responsive gaming feel, and you can reach that refresh rate with both DisplayPort and HDMI connections thanks to its HDMI 2.1 bandwidth. It also has a near-instantaneous response time, so fast-moving objects are crisp.

It features a QD-OLED panel that provides a near-infinite contrast ratio, and it displays deep blacks in dark rooms and no blooming around bright objects. Colors are also bright and vivid, resulting in realistic images for outstanding picture quality. It even has a few useful features like a KVM switch, making it easy to switch between different sources. That said, if you don't need the extra perks, the Dell Alienware AW2725DF is another great choice that performs similarly. It's worth considering if you can find it for less than the MSI, but it's more expensive most of the time.

If the MSI MPG 271QRX QD-OLED is out of your price range, check out the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDMG, which tends to be cheaper than the MSI. It has a lower 240Hz refresh rate, so it's not quite as smooth and responsive as the MSI, but the refresh rate is still high enough even for competitive PC gamers. Besides that, it offers the same near-instantaneous response time, so motion is sharp, but unlike the MSI, it lacks HDMI 2.1 bandwidth to take advantage of modern graphics cards and consoles.

That said, one difference with the MSI is that because it's not a QD-OLED, colors aren't as vivid, but that's the trade-off for getting something cheaper. It still displays perfect blacks thanks to its WOLED panel and gets brighter than most OLEDs, so it's great to use in well-lit rooms, and highlights pop in HDR. Unlike other WOLEDs, it also has a glossy screen coating that makes the image clearer than on competing monitors with a matte coating, and the reflection handling is fantastic as long as you don't have it opposite a sunny window.

If you don't need high-end monitors, then an option in the mid-range price category can be a good alternative, like the ASUS ROG Swift PG279QM. It's a 1440p, 240Hz monitor like the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDMG, but the main differences have to do with their panel types. As the PG279QM doesn't have an OLED panel, the picture quality is much worse, and it doesn't have the same near-instant response time for incredibly sharp motion.

That said, it still offers sharp motion handling thanks to its fast response time at any refresh rate. One of the main advantages of using this monitor for gaming is that it has native G-SYNC VRR support, which is ideal if you have an NVIDIA graphics card. This provides features that you can only get with NVIDIA graphics cards, like variable overdrive to improve motion handling, and Reflex Latency Analyzer, which measures the latency of your entire setup so you can see which sources cause the most delay. Besides that, its picture quality is still good enough, as it gets bright enough to fight glare and has accurate colors.

Should you still feel that the ASUS ROG Swift PG279QM is out of your price range, then check out the cheaper LG 27GR83Q-B. Like the ASUS, it has a 1440p, 240Hz display, but the main difference is that it doesn't have native G-SYNC support, so it doesn't have features like Reflex Latency Analyzer, which is a trade-off for getting something cheaper. It also has worse motion handling than the ASUS, but it's still good enough for most gamers as motion looks sharp. Plus, it has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth to take full advantage of modern graphics cards and consoles.

Although it's limited in picture quality, which is what you have to expect for a low-cost monitor, it still gets bright enough to fight glare. Its limited in extra features, but if you want something similar with added perks like a KVM switch, consider the Gigabyte M27Q X. It's another 240Hz monitor, but it can be harder to find than the LG.

If you're on a budget, there are some good 1440p options you can get for less than the LG 27GR83Q-B, like the AOC Q27G3XMN. It has a lower refresh rate than the LG and lacks HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, but unlike many budget-friendly monitors, it delivers great picture quality as it uses Mini LED backlighting. Combined with its excellent native contrast and good local dimming feature, it displays deep blacks in dark rooms. It also makes highlights pop in HDR, and there isn't much blooming around bright objects either.

Gaming feels responsive thanks to its 180Hz refresh rate and low input lag. It also has a fast response time at any refresh rate, so motion looks sharp, but it has smearing with fast-moving objects. One thing to know is that it sometimes goes out of stock, so if you can't find it available, check out the Acer Nitro XV275U P3biipx. It's similar to the AOC as it also uses Mini LED backlighting, but it has worse motion handling.

If you want something cheap and simple, look into the Dell G2724D, which you can get for cheap directly from Dell's website. It's a considerable step down from the AOC Q27G3XMN, as it has far worse picture quality because it lacks Mini LED backlighting, and its local dimming feature is terrible. This means highlights don't pop, and deep blacks appear gray in a dark room. Additionally, HDR colors don't appear as vibrant and life-like as on the AOC. However, this is normal for cheap displays, and it's what you need to expect for an entry-level monitor.

That said, the Dell is still a great gaming monitor, as it has a max 165Hz refresh rate. It also has a fast response time without much smearing. It even has a few advantages for console gaming over the AOC, as it supports VRR with the PS5, which the AOC doesn't, so it helps reduce screen tearing on that console.