The 7 Best Monitors - Black Friday 2024

The best computer monitor we've tested is the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8/G80SD S32DG80. It's a premium 32-inch, 4k monitor that has a QD-OLED panel. Although it's designed with gaming in mind, it offers fantastic picture quality and is great for a variety of uses. It delivers outstanding picture quality with realistic images, as it displays deep and inky blacks in dark rooms and makes highlights pop, and colors look vivid. It has a few features for versatility, like its built-in Tizen OS smart platform that makes it easy to stream your favorite content.

It's also one of the best options for gaming because of its 240Hz refresh rate and near-instantaneous response time. It even has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth to take full advantage of gaming consoles and modern graphics cards. While OLEDs like this risk permanent burn-in with constant exposure to the same static elements over time, it isn't so much of a risk if you vary your usage. If you do want to use it for some productivity, it performs well in a bright room as its matte coating diffuses glare well. But if you don't like the haziness that the matte coating has, the MSI MPG 321URX QD-OLED is another fantastic choice with a clearer glossy screen, but it's not always easy to find.

See our recommendations for the best OLED monitors.

If your budget doesn't allow for a premium monitor like the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8/G80SD S32DG80, you can save money while still getting fantastic performance with the Gigabyte AORUS FO27Q3. Although it's focused on gaming with a 360Hz refresh rate, this is representative of the current monitor market where the best displays are gaming monitors. This one also has a QD-OLED panel, so you get all the benefits like deep blacks, bright highlights, and vivid colors. But the main difference versus the Samsung is that it has a lower 1440p resolution, so images aren't as detailed, text isn't as sharp, and it doesn't have a built-in smart system to stream content.

It still has a few useful features like a USB hub that includes a KVM switch, so it's easy to switch between sources connected to the monitor and use the same keyboard and mouse. It also has a USB-C port with DisplayPort Alt Mode to connect a laptop, but with only 18W of power delivery, you still need a separate charging cable for your laptop. If you don't need such features and prefer saving money, you can also check out the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDMG, which costs less. However, because it doesn't have a QD-OLED panel, colors aren't as vivid as on the Gigabyte.

See our recommendations for the best 1440p gaming monitors.

While the best models are currently OLED displays, they tend to be costly, so you can save a lot of money by getting an LED-backlit LCD display, like the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx, which tends to go on sale. It's different from both the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8/G80SD S32DG80 and the Gigabyte AORUS FO27Q3 because, with an OLED panel, it doesn't display the same deep and inky blacks with vivid colors. It also has a lower refresh rate than either monitor, but this only makes a difference if you need something for competitive PC gaming. However, there are a few benefits to getting this, as it gets much brighter, so it easily fights glare in well-lit rooms, and highlights pop. Plus, its local dimming feature performs well, so there's minimal blooming around bright objects.

It even has a higher 4k resolution than the Gigabyte, so it delivers more detailed images and sharper text. It doesn't risk burn-in like OLEDs either, so it's a great choice if you need something to work with for many hours at a time then game on. It even comes with a useful USB hub that features a USB-C port with 90W of power delivery, which is enough power to charge your laptop while you're using it.

See our recommendations for the best Mini LED monitors.

If you're looking for a multi-use monitor like the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx but are on a budget, take a look at the AOC Q27G3XMN. It has a lower resolution than the Acer, so text and images don't look as sharp and detailed. Another trade-off for getting something cheaper is that the AOC has fewer features than the Acer, as it doesn't have a USB hub to connect your devices, but that's normal for an entry-level monitor.

The biggest advantage of the AOC, especially against other low-cost monitors, is that it uses Mini LED backlighting, similar to the Acer. This means it displays deep blacks in dark rooms, and highlights get bright, which is great for watching content in HDR. It even gets bright enough to fight glare in a well-lit room. Lastly, it has gaming features like a 180Hz refresh rate, and motion looks sharp, but there's smearing behind 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 performs similarly, but it has worse motion handling than the AOC.

See our recommendations for the best budget and cheap monitors.

If you don't want to spend a lot of money on a monitor, you can still get some versatile options for a cheap price. A great example of this is the Dell G2724D, which you can buy for cheap directly through Dell's website. However, it has a lot worse image quality than the AOC Q27G3XMN, as it lacks Mini LED backlighting and doesn't get bright enough for highlights to pop in HDR, and blacks look gray in a dark room. However, this is what you have to expect, especially given how much less it costs.

The Dell is still a great monitor with a 27-inch, 1440p screen like the AOC. It has similar gaming features to the AOC as it has a fast response time, and there's less smearing with fast-moving objects. Besides that, it gets bright enough to easily overcome glare in a bright room and also comes with a very ergonomic stand, so it's easy to adjust. But as expected for an entry-level monitor, it lacks a USB hub to connect devices, so you need to make sure your computer has enough ports for what you need.

See our recommendations for the best monitors under $200.

While most of the gaming monitors mentioned above are good enough to use for work purposes, there are other great options if you want a dedicated office monitor, like the Dell U2723QE. It has features meant for productivity, like a KVM switch that makes it easier to multitask with different devices. The main advantage of getting the Dell is that you can use it to work for long hours with the same content on the screen and not worry about damaging the panel over time, unlike on the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8/G80SD S32DG80 or the Gigabyte AORUS FO27Q3.

Besides that, it has a high 4k resolution that helps produce sharp text, and the 27-inch screen is big enough to open two windows side by side. It also has wide viewing angles and fantastic ergonomics, so it's easy to share your screen with someone else or adjust it to a preferred position. Lastly, it's easy to connect different devices to the monitor thanks to the large USB hub that includes five USB-A ports and three USB-C ports. However, if you don't need these extra features, you can also check out the lower-end Dell S2722QC, which tends to cost less.

See our recommendations for the best work monitors.

Should you need a monitor for productivity like the Dell U2723QE, but with a focus on content creation, like photo or video editing, then check out the ASUS ProArt Display PA279CRV. It's similar to the Dell as it also has a 27-inch, 4k screen, but the main advantage of using it for editing is that it has picture modes for various color spaces that you may need, from sRGB to Rec. 2020. It's also very accurate before calibration, so you only need to calibrate it if you need perfectly accurate colors. The main downside is that it has limited picture quality in HDR as it has a terrible local dimming feature, so if you often edit content in HDR, then a more expensive monitor like the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx would be better to get for your needs.

In terms of features, the ASUS is similar to the Dell as it has a USB hub with two USB-C ports, one of which supports DisplayPort Alt Mode with 90W of power delivery, so you can charge your laptop while using it. It doesn't have a KVM switch like the Dell, but it still has Picture-in-Picture/Picture-by-Picture modes that makes it easy to multitask with different sources.

See our recommendations for the best photo editing monitors and the best video editing monitors.