While searching for a new Gaming Monitor, you’ve probably come across an unfamiliar brand that offers a display with the same specs as the one by a more popular manufacturer, but at a lower cost.

Then, you’ve most likely wondered whether the less-known alternative is worth the risk, and what exactly will you lose by taking the cheaper route.

In this guide, you will find the answers to your questions. We’ve compiled a list of all the cheapest gaming monitors that are actually good and have exemplary performance.

In the reviews below, we’ll compare these cheap gaming monitors to their counterparts by famous brands, so you’ll know precisely what the advantages and disadvantages are there.

If there isn’t a worthy off-brand monitor available for a specific category, we’ve included the most cost-efficient model by a popular brand instead.

In case you want to view our changelogs for this particular buying guide, you can do so at the end of this guide.

Best Budget 1080p Gaming Monitor

Are you in search of the best budget 1080p monitor? In this category, you will find budget-friendly monitors for gaming that offer exceptional value for the money, as well as reliable performance and decent picture quality.

About The Monitor

The Acer SH242Y Ebmihx is our top-recommended 24″ 1080p IPS budget monitor because of its slim VESA-mount compatible design and AMD FreeSync support up to 100Hz.

Image Quality

Based on an IPS panel, the Acer SH242Y Ebmihx delivers rich colors with 8-bit color depth (16.7 million colors), wide 178-degree viewing angles and a quick 4ms response time speed.

So, you get significantly better colors than that of more expensive TN-panel displays as well as wider viewing angles, which ensures perfect image quality no matter the angle you’re looking at the screen.

While the response time speed isn’t as fast as that of some TN panels (1ms), there isn’t any trailing of fast-moving objects noticeable on the Acer SH242Y Ebmihx.

1080p (Full HD, 1920×1080 resolution) is the most widespread resolution and is still considered as the standard, and thanks to the pixel-per-inch ratio of ~92.56 PPI (pixels per inch) it offers on a 23.8″ screen, the Acer SH242Y Ebmihx provides vivid details and a decent amount of screen real estate.

Features

If you have a compatible AMD graphics card, FreeSync will allow the monitor to change its refresh rate dynamically (according to GPU’s frame rate), which in turn eliminates screen tearing and stuttering within the 48-100FPS range.

Other features of the monitor include crosshair overlays and various picture presets.

Design & Connectivity

The Acer SH242YE boasts a slim design with ultra-thin bezels making it an ideal choice for multi-monitor setups as well.

It also has good ergonomic support with up to 80mm height adjustment, +/- 360° swivel, -5°/15° tilt and 75x75mm VESA mount compatibility (only two holes).

Connectivity includes one HDMI 1.4 input and one VGA port; for FreeSync, you will need to use the HDMI port. There’s also a headphone jack and two basic 1W integrated speakers.

Note that there are two Acer models with very similar names: Acer SH242Y Ebmihx and Acer SH242Y Ebmihux, the latter offers a USB-C port with DP Alt Mode and 65W Power Delivery for ~$45 more.

Best 1080p 144Hz Gaming Monitors

Competitive FPS gamers out there should definitely invest in a 144Hz gaming monitor. In fact, any video game that you can run at high frame rates will be a lot more enjoyable to play thanks to 144Hz.

Luckily, the prices of these type of displays keep getting lower and lower!

About The Monitor

The AOC C24G1A is one of the most affordable gaming monitors with a 144Hz refresh rate. What’s more, it has a curved screen with a high contrast ratio and support for AMD FreeSync.

Image Quality

This cheap gaming monitor uses a VA panel with a superior contrast ratio of 3,000:1.

Now, the colors won’t be as accurate as they are on IPS panels, but the higher contrast provides deeper and more vivid black shades.

Further, VA panels offer a lot better color quality and viewing angles than TN panels.

While AOC specifies a 1ms response time speed for the AOC C24G1A 144Hz gaming monitor, the pixel transition in real use is noticeably worse than the 1ms (GtG) response time of TN and IPS panels.

The specified 1ms response time here refers to the MPRT measure, which you get by enabling ‘MBR’ in the OSD menu of the monitor.

Features

MBR (Motion Blur Reduction) uses backlight strobing to decrease perceived motion blur, but it also reduces the screen’s maximum brightness, introduces screen flicker, and cannot work at the same time as FreeSync.

Overall, there’s some visible trailing and motion blur in fast-paced games, especially in dark scenes, but at this price range – it’s acceptable.

MBR can help clear up some of that smearing, but if you’re a really competitive gamer, you should look for a 144Hz monitor with a faster IPS or TN panel.

In case you prefer having better visuals over topping the scoreboards, the AOC C24G1A will provide you with both a responsive and immersive gaming experience for a ridiculously low price.

It’s actually quite fast for a VA panel monitor, just make sure to set the overdrive setting to ‘Strong.’

The monitor supports AMD FreeSync with a 48-165Hz variable refresh rate (VRR) range with LFC (Low Framerate Compensation) support.

FreeSync also works with NVIDIA cards over DisplayPort. Sadly, some units of the AOC C24G1A (and most other monitors based on Samsung’s VA panels) are affected by the brightness flickering issue when FreeSync is enabled.

This brightness flickering is mostly visible when your FPS fluctuates a lot or when it gets below 48FPS and triggers LFC. It doesn’t affect all units of the monitor, and it’s not visible in all video games.

There are also FPS, RTS, and Racing pre-calibrated picture presets, Shadow Control, Game Color, Low Input Lag Mode, and four response time overdrive modes available.

Design & Connectivity

The stand is made of metal, and it’s quite steady. It also offers height adjustment up to 130mm, +/- 30° swivel, -5°/20° tilt, and 100x100mm VESA pattern.

Connectivity options include two HDMI 1.4 ports, DisplayPort 1.2, VGA, and a headphone jack.

144Hz is supported over both DisplayPort (165Hz overclock) and HDMI, so the AOC C24G1A is also the best cheap gaming monitor if you want to get 144Hz on your laptop that only has an HDMI port or if you have an Xbox One S/X console and want to game at 1080p/120Hz.

About The Monitor

If you’re looking for a 24″ 1080p 144Hz gaming monitor with an IPS panel, the BenQ EX240 offers exceptional value for money!

Image Quality

Thanks to its IPS panel, the BenQ EX240 offers the best color quality and the widest viewing angles. However, its contrast ratio is not as high as that of the AOC C24G1A, so blacks won’t be as deep.

More importantly for all the competitive gamers out there, you won’t get any black smearing in darker scenes like it’s the case with the VA panels.

Moving on, the BenQ EX240 has a wide color gamut backlight, so the colors can be even more saturated and lifelike if you prefer – or you can limit the color reproduction to the standard sRGB color space via the provided sRGB mode in case you want more accurate colors.

So, you can even do some basic content creation with this display too!

Features

Gaming features include AMD FreeSync with a 48-165Hz VRR range over both HDMI and DisplayPort as well as stable G-SYNC performance.

Just like with the C24G1A, you get the MBR technology for clearer fast-paced motion as well as the standard features, including Black eQualizer and Color Vibrance.

For more information, visit our detailed BenQ EX240 review.

Design & Connectivity

The monitor also has a sturdy and ergonomic stand with up to 100mm height adjustment, +/- 15° swivel, -5°/15° tilt and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility.

Connectivity options include two HDMI 2.0 ports, DisplayPort 1.2, a headphone jack, dual 2.5W integrated speakers and a dual-USB 3.0 hub. The 1080p 120Hz mode is supported for the PS5 and Xbox consoles.

About The Monitor

The ViewSonic XG2431 is one of the most affordable 1080p 240Hz IPS gaming monitors yet it offers an exceptional Blur Busters Approved 2.0 MBR implementation!

Image Quality

The ViewSonic XG2431 is often the cheapest 1080p 240Hz IPS gaming monitor you can buy, but it features the same IPS panel as the other more expensive models, so the image quality and performance will be basically identical.

Panel-related specifications include a 350-nit peak brightness, a 1,000:1 contrast ratio, true 8-bit color depth support, 99% sRGB color gamut coverage, and 178° wide viewing angles.

Features

The jump to 240Hz from 144Hz is not as noticeable as going to 144Hz from 60Hz, but the difference can definitely be felt.

However, to take advantage of the 240Hz refresh rate, make sure you can run video games at such a high frame rate, or at least close to it.

Despite its low price, the ViewSonic XG2431 has smooth VRR performance up to 240FPS and Blur Busters Approved 2.0 backlight strobing implementation for CRT-like motion clarity!

Other features include Dark Stabilization (improves visibility in darker scenes) and various picture presets. Be sure to check out our full XG2431 review for more info.

Design & Connectivity

The screen of the monitor can be adjusted vertically by 120mm, horizontally by +/- 90°, pivoted by 90°, tilted by -5°/15° or VESA mounted via the 100x100mm pattern.

Connectivity options include two HDMI 2.0 ports, DisplayPort 1.4, a headphone jack, a dual-USB 3.0 hub and two 3W integrated speakers.

Alternatives

If you’re looking for something a bit cheaper, check out the Acer XV252QZ or the ASUS XG249CM (sometimes $200 on sale), though these models don’t have as good backlight strobing implementation.

In case you want a budget 360Hz display, check out the Acer Aopen 25XV2QF (Micro Center exclusive) and the Pixio PX259 Prime S.

Best 1440p 144Hz Gaming Monitors

Want a gaming monitor that offers both 1440p and 144Hz, but don’t want to spend a fortune on it? Don’t worry, the following displays offer an amazing gaming experience at a reasonable price.

About The Monitor

If you want a 27″ 1440p 144Hz+ gaming monitor with a fast response time speed and smooth VRR performance, the Sceptre E275B-QPD168 is one of the cheapest IPS models available.

Image Quality

The Sceptre E275B-QPD168 has a 100% sRGB color space coverage for accurate colors without over-saturation.

Additionally, thanks to the wide viewing angles of the IPS technology, the image won’t degrade at an angle, and there’ll be no gamma or saturation shifts from the normal viewing position.

On top of that, you don’t get any smearing behind fast-moving objects nor FreeSync brightness flickering associated with the VA models.

AMD FreeSync is supported with a 48-165Hz VRR range, and it works well with NVIDIA cards.

Design & Connectivity

The Sceptre E275B-QPD168 has a tilt-only stand, but the screen is VESA mount compatible via the 100x100mm VESA pattern.

Connectivity options include two DisplayPort 1.2 inputs, two HDMI 2.0 ports, a headphone jack and dual 2W integrated speakers.

Alternatives

The Acer XV271U M3 with a fully ergonomic stand and a wide color gamut can sometimes be found on sale for under $200.

About The Monitor

If you want a larger monitor, the Sceptre E325B-QPN168 offers exceptional value for the price!

Image Quality

The Sceptre E325B-QPN168 is basically the 27″ sized version of the Sceptre E275B-QPD168. However, since the screen is larger, the 1440p resolution will result in a lower pixel density, so details and text won’t be quite as sharp.

Still, the larger screen size makes for a more immersive viewing experience. On top of that, the 32″ model also has a wide 92% DCI-P3 gamut coverage for more vibrant colors.

VRR is supported up to 144Hz and you also get MBR and PiP/PbP support.

Design & Connectivity

The stand of the monitor offers up to 95mm height adjustment, +/- 15° swivel, -5°/15° tilt, 90° pivot and 75x75mm VESA mount compatibility.

Connectivity options include two HDMI 1.4 ports, HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.2, a headphone jack, and dual 2W integrated speakers.

Best UltraWide Gaming Monitors

Ultrawide monitors have an aspect ratio of 21:9 as opposed to the standard 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio.

This provides extra horizontal screen real estate for work, but also extends your field of view in games that support the ultrawide format for a more immersive gaming experience.

Check out our dedicated best ultrawide monitors buyer’s guide for more information.

About The Monitor

The Sceptre C345B-QUT168 is the most affordable 34″ 3440×1440 curved ultrawide gaming monitor!

Image Quality

Even though it’s one of the cheapest 34″ 3440×1440 curved displays, the Sceptre C345B-QUT168 features a VA panel with a high contrast ratio for deep blacks and a wide 85% DCI-P3 gamut coverage for vibrant colors.

Moreover, it has a high 165Hz refresh rate, as well as MBR and VRR support.

However, as is the case with most high refresh rate VA displays, VRR can cause brightness flickering in certain games (mostly in in-game menus, loading screens and scenes with fluctuating frame rates), so it’s not ideal if you’re sensitive to screen tearing.

Note that screen tearing is not nearly as noticeable at 165Hz as it is at 60-75Hz, so a lot of users will be perfectly fine with just gaming without VRR enabled. You also get PiP/PbP support.

Design & Connectivity

The stand of the monitor is tilt-only, but the screen is 75x75mm VESA mount compatible. The screen has a moderate 1500R curvature for added immersion.

Connectivity options include 2x HDMI 2.0 ports, 2x DisplayPort 1.4 ports, a headphone jack and dual 3W integrated speakers.

Alternatives

You can also find similar 34″ 3440×1440 high refresh rate curved VA models without wide color gamut at a lower price ($250 – $300):

• Aopen 34HC5CURP
• LG 34GP63A
• LG 34WP60C – tilt-only version of the 34GP63A