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The 5 Best Budget And Cheap Gaming Monitors - Fall 2024

Updated Sep 27, 2024 at 01:42 pm
Best Budget Gaming Monitors

There are plenty of gaming monitors you can choose from if you're on a budget. These models are getting equipped with more gaming features, and while most don't have premium perks like HDMI 2.1 bandwidth or a 4k resolution, you'll still be happy with the performance of most low-cost gaming monitors. They're available in different resolutions and sizes, but size is a personal preference.

When looking for a gaming monitor, one of the most important factors is a fast response time so that motion looks sharp. Low input lag is also crucial, though most monitors have low input lag for a responsive feel. A high refresh rate is beneficial if you play competitive games, and some budget models have high refresh rates, too. Additionally, picture 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.

We've bought and tested over 330 monitors, and below, you'll find our recommendations for the best budget and cheap gaming monitors. Also, see our recommendations for the best gaming monitors under $300, the best monitors under $200, and the best budget and cheap monitors.


  1. Best Budget Gaming Monitor

    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.

    See our review

  2. Best Cheap Gaming Monitor

    If you're on a tight budget and are looking for the best cheap gaming monitor, there are some good options you can get. One of those is the Dell G2724D, which you can find for a low cost directly from Dell's website. While it has a 27-inch, 1440p screen like the AOC Q27G3XMN, it's different in a few ways. It doesn't have Mini LED backlighting, and its local dimming feature performs terribly, so blacks look gray in dark scenes, and highlights don't pop either, so it has limited picture quality in HDR. However, that's the trade-off for getting something cheap.

    The Dell has a few advantages for gaming over the AOC, though. There's less smearing with fast-moving objects, 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.

    See our review

  3. Best 24-Inch Budget Gaming Monitor

    While the AOC Q27G3XMN and the Dell G2724D are both good 27-inch gaming monitors, if you want something smaller, like if you have limited desk space, then check out the ViewSonic XG2431. It's different from both the AOC and the Dell because it has a lower 1080p resolution, so images aren't as detailed, but it has a higher 240Hz refresh rate. This is useful for competitive gaming, especially if your PC can maintain a high frame rate.

    One of the monitor's standout features is its customizable backlight strobing feature, which allows you to adjust the flicker to your liking to reduce persistence blur. Many monitors can't do this, so it's a nice addition to a budget-friendly display, but it doesn't work at the same time as VRR. Another advantage is that fast-moving objects also look crisp thanks to the quick response time across its entire refresh rate range.

    See our review

  4. Best 24-Inch Cheap Gaming Monitor

    If you're on a really limited budget and need a cheap 24-inch monitor, check out the AOC 24G15N. It's a very basic gaming monitor with a lower 180Hz refresh rate than the ViewSonic XG2431, but it has the same 1080p resolution. Besides the refresh rate, the main difference with the ViewSonic is its panel type, as it displays deeper blacks, but the principle trade-off is that it has worse motion handling. There's smearing with fast-moving objects, but this is what you have to expect for such a cheap gaming monitor.

    Luckily, it's still useful for gaming, as it has low input lag for a responsive feel, a 180Hz refresh rate, and VRR support to reduce screen tearing. It even has a few gaming perks, like 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.

    See our review

  5. Best 32-Inch Budget Gaming Monitor

    Monitors bigger than 27 inches in the budget price range generally don't offer the best performance. However, if you want the biggest possible size within your budget and you're okay with getting something with worse picture quality than the AOC Q27G3XMN, check out the LG 32GN650-B, which you can also buy as the 32GN63T-B at different retailers. Both variants offer the same performance. It has the same 1440p resolution as the AOC, delivering the same amount of details, but because of its larger size, the pixel density is lower, so games and text aren't as sharp.

    It has similar motion handling to the AOC 24G15N, so there's smearing with fast-moving objects, but it's still fine for casual gaming. While its VA panel displays 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.

    See our review

Notable Mentions

  • Dell S3422DWG: The Dell S3422DWG is an ultrawide monitor that's a good choice for an immersive gaming experience. However, it costs more than other budget monitors, like the LG 32GN650-B/32GN63T-B, so only go for it if you want the ultrawide screen. See our review
  • Dell Alienware AW2523HF: The Dell Alienware AW2523HF has a higher 360Hz refresh rate than the ViewSonic XG2431, which is great for competitive gaming. Although the Dell usually costs more than the ViewSonic, it's still worth getting when it's on sale if you want such a high refresh rate. See our review
  • LG 32GP850-B/32GP83B-B: The LG 32GP850-B/32GP83B-B is a 32-inch monitor with better motion handling than the LG 32GN650-B/32GN63T-B, so it's a good choice for gaming. That said, only consider it when it goes on sale, as the 32GN650-B/32GN63T-B is usually cheaper. See our review
  • Dell Alienware AW2724DM: The Dell Alienware AW2724DM is a higher-end model than the Dell G2724D, as it has a few extra features, like an overclockable 180Hz refresh rate and a USB hub. However, it costs more, and the extra features aren't worth the cost upgrade for most people. See our review

Recent Updates

  1. Sep 27, 2024: We replaced the Acer Nitro XV275U P3biipx with the AOC Q27G3XMN for consistency with other recommendations. We also renamed the ViewSonic XG2431 to 'Best 24-Inch Budget Gaming Monitor' to better fit the scope of the recommendation and added the AOC 24G15N as the 'Best 24-Inch Cheap Gaming Monitor.'

  2. Jul 04, 2024: Replaced the AOC Q27G3XMN with the Acer Nitro XV275U P3biipx as 'Best Budget,' as the AOC is harder to find at the moment. Added the Dell Alienware AW2724DM as a Notable Mention.

  3. Jun 17, 2024: Replaced the Dell Alienware AW2724DM with the LG 32GP850-B/32GP83B-B in the Notable Mentions because the Dell became more expensive, while the LG dropped in price.

  4. May 22, 2024: Replaced the Dell G2724D with the AOC Q27G3XMN as 'Best Budget Gaming Monitor' as the AOC monitor has better performance. Replaced the Gigabyte GS27QC with the Dell G2724D as 'Best Cheap Gaming Monitor,' consistent with recent updates.

  5. Apr 26, 2024: Moved the ViewSonic XG2431 to a new 'Best 240Hz Budget Gaming Monitor' category and renamed the Dell G2724D to 'Best Budget Gaming Monitor' from 'Best 27-inch Budget Gaming Monitor'. Replaced the ASUS TUF Gaming VG249Q1A with the Gigabyte GS27QC as 'Best Cheap Gaming Monitor,' as the Gigabyte has HDR and displays a more detailed image.

All Reviews

Our recommendations are based on what we think are the best budget monitors for gaming currently available. They're adapted to be valid for most people in each price range. Our rating is based on our review, factoring in price and feedback from our visitors.

If you would prefer to make your own decision, here is the list of our budget and cheap monitor reviews. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. Most monitors are good enough to please most people, and the things we fault monitors on are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.