The 3 Best Gaming Monitors Under $300 - Black Friday 2024

The best gaming monitor you can get under $300 is the AOC Q27G3XMN. It's a unique, low-cost monitor with more features than similarly-priced displays. It has Mini LED backlighting, which is something mainly more expensive monitors have. It helps the monitor improve its already excellent contrast ratio by further deepening blacks, which is great for gaming in dark rooms. It also displays bright highlights to pop in HDR, and colors are vivid. While its local dimming feature isn't perfect, as there's blooming around bright objects, it's a nice touch for a low-cost monitor.

In terms of gaming, it has a high 180Hz refresh rate and supports FreeSync VRR and G-SYNC compatibility to reduce screen tearing. It also has a fast response time, but there's smearing with fast-moving objects. One thing to know is that this monitor sometimes goes out of stock, so if you can't find it available, consider the Acer Nitro XV275U P3biipx. It's a similar low-cost monitor with Mini LED backlighting but has worse motion handling than the AOC.

If you don't need the extra features of the AOC Q27G3XMN and prefer a simple and cheap entry-level gaming monitor, then check out the Dell G2724D. You can often find it for a low cost directly from Dell's website. It has similar specs to the AOC as it also has a 27-inch, 1440p screen with a 165Hz refresh rate, but the main difference is that it doesn't have Mini LED backlighting and has a lower native contrast ratio, so it doesn't display the same deep blacks in dark scenes. It's also much worse for HDR, but this is what you have to expect for an entry-level monitor.

Besides that, it has much better motion handling than the AOC, so fast-moving objects look sharp. It also has a few extra features like HDMI Forum VRR, which means it supports VRR with the PS5, a nice addition to an entry-level monitor. While it isn't good to use in a dark room, it's still a good choice if you want to game with it in a well-lit room, as it gets bright enough to fight glare.

If you find the 27-inch screens of the Dell G2724D and the AOC Q27G3XMN too big and prefer something smaller, the market for 24-inch and 25-inch monitors tends to be different than that for bigger displays. These usually have higher refresh rates and lower resolutions, which make them ideal for competitive esports gaming. If you're interested in that, check out the Dell Alienware AW2523HF, a good gaming monitor with a 1080p resolution and 360Hz refresh rate. You don't get the same detailed images as you do with the G2724D or AOC, but it still has a fast response time for crisp motion handling.

It has typical features you'd expect to find in a gaming monitor, like FreeSync VRR and G-SYNC compatibility, but you can only reach the max refresh rate with a DisplayPort connection. However, if you don't need such a high refresh rate, the ViewSonic XG2431 is another great option that has a 240Hz refresh rate and tends to cost less, so choosing one over the other really depends on your setup.