Today I’m rounding out our recommendation with a revisit of the best monitors you can get at each price point. I ran this guide in April 2022, before I had tested many of the new HDR Monitor releases this year, so it’s a long overdue update for people interested in buying something this holiday.
In contrast to the overall best monitors reviews, the idea with this guide is that I go through price points ranging from $100 through to over $1000 in a hundred dollar increments recommending the Monitor I choose at that price. Typically my best article guide for Monitor provides multiple options for people in whatever category will be different in this article.
So if you want all the decision-making taken out of your hands, you want to know what Monitor to get with the amount of cash you have to spend, this is the article for you. Like always, the recommendation in this guide is based on my testing of a large variety of gaming monitors.
I usually recommend products I’ve tested and know to be good, although there are some exceptions. Also, monitor pricing changes regularly, so if you’re reading this article weeks or months after it went live, I’d recommend checking out the latest pricing via our links for each Monitor.
Best Monitor for $100
Let’s start with a hundred dollars monitor, and if you buy a $100 display for gaming, you’re probably going to get a little. There are few $100 displays available, and most are extremely basic office monitors, often with outdated specs and hardware.
The minimum you can expect to spend to get an entry-level display is around $80. Otherwise, we’re talking about sub-1080P displays, which aren’t worth buying in 2023. At that $80 price, you can get Acer SB 220 Q, which I’ve looked at in the past as a super basic 22-inch, 1080p, and 75 hertz IPS panel.
But for most gamers, 75 hertz is slow these days. If you have around a hundred dollars to spend, I’d prefer bumping up the budget to $120, which allows you to get the LG 27GL600F. The monitor is also a basic gaming display, but it offers a 24-inch, 1080p, 144-hertz panel, so a bump up in both size and refresh rate compared to the $80 Acer option.
Yes, it’s $40 more expensive, which in this price range is quite a hefty price jump, but that’s worth it for the additional motion, clarity, and performance. The LG 24GL600F won’t blow your way by any means. It’s an entry-level monitor, but at this price, it makes sense and only infringes a little on our following recommendation.
The main issue with the LG 24GL600F is its use of a TN panel, which means poor viewing angles and relatively mediocre color quality, including only average brightness. In contrast, it’s okay in these areas, but the viewing angle limitations can be. With that said, the $120 price tag is low, and that’s what you want when grabbing something in the entry-level category.
Best Monitor for $200
At $200, the best option is to get a 1080p, 144 hertz IPS display, which dominates this price point and the excellent entry-level gaming choices compared to the $100 category. The increase in image quality is substantial, even if the basic specifications of most offerings are the same. And often, you don’t even have to spend $200 to grab something with quality.
I recommend grabbing the AOC 24 G2SP, which retails for only $160. So that’s a $40 saving compared to your budgeted $200. This AOC monitor brings a 24-inch 1080p, 165 Hertz IPS panel with the TN to IPS upgrade bringing quite a few benefits in terms of color quality, and viewing angles are significantly better than the LG 24 GL600F, which allows for a much more pleasant experience. At the same time, it also gets brighter and has a higher contrast ratio.
Motion performance is good, too, as this newer IPS panel has decent response times that aren’t too far off the older LG 24 GL600F. I recommend the AOC 24 G2SP in the $150 to $200 price range because it offers an outstanding balance between motion performance and color quality. It is a reasonably versatile display despite its low price tag.
It also includes an ergonomic stand, including height adjustability, which is only sometimes available on sub $200 monitors. Usually, I jumped straight from $200 to $300. However, due to vast competition around these price points, it’s also important to discuss what is on offer for $250 US these days.
Best Monitor for $250
$250 is the sweet spot in the entire monitor market. For value, it offers the best bang for your buck at around this price; you can upgrade from a 24-inch 1080p display to a 27-inch 1440p display while improving many performance areas. At $250, I’m recommending the Gigabyte M27QP, sometimes called the M27Q Pro.
This is a 27-inch 1440 IPS display with a maximum refresh of 170 hertz, and it offers the best performance in this price range of any monitor I’ve tested. It’s a fast monitor offering excellent response time performance in the budget class. It’s not the fastest IPS I’ve tested, but it is decent and delivers low overshoot. Gigabyte also offers a great color experience making the M27QP a well-balanced product.
It’s got 98% DCI P3 coverage, great viewing angles, and a well-tuned SRGB mode, plus handy features like a KVM switch and low input lag. The main weakness here is the c contrast ratio, which is nothing special as is typical of an IPS monitor, but for $250, it’s tough to beat and is what I’d go for here.
Best Monitor for $300
For those with $300 to spend, you’re looking at an upgrade pick on the M27QP. And while the gigabyte model will typically be a better value, if you want to save $50, it is possible to get something better if your budget allows it; just expect everything to be the same. At $300 exactly, I’d go with the LG 27GP850, though it is an in-demand product right now, so it could be a little tricky to find.
The LG 27GP850 is a 27-inch, 1440p, 180 Hertz IPS monitor that uses a variant of the M27QPS panel, both from LG display. This means that many areas of color performance are similar, including their 98% DCI P3 coverage, mediocre contrast ratios, and decent viewing angles.
Both even have similar levels of factory calibration, including good SRGB modes. You’d grab the 27GP850 over the M27QP because it has better overdrive tuning and, therefore, better motion performance enhanced slightly by its better refresh rate. The Gigabyte option does not have a single overdrive mode experience.
Meaning for the best experience, you have to change overdrive settings. The LG option gets much closer to an optimal single overdrive mode experience, depending on whether you are gaming at high or low refresh rates. It has better-balanced settings, which lead to superior response time averages. It’s more of a set-and-forget monitor, which you’d hope for at a more premium price point. But it’s less strong a value than the gigabytes, so I could understand saving some cash.
Best Monitor for $400
At $400 these days, you can upgrade from a 1440p medium refresh monitor to something with a higher 240-hertz refresh rate, which is very impressive. Given this wasn’t the case earlier in 2022, getting a 1440p two 40 hertz monitor at $400 was unthinkable, but the pace of improvement and intense competition in the market has given buyers a treat this year.
The clear standout option at this price point is the Gigabyte M27QX, a 27-inch, 1440 P, and 240 Hertz IPS gaming monitor. Other similar products will typically set you back at least $500. In comparison, the M27QX is priced at just $400, which is exceptionally competitive for specifications, though it can be challenging to acquire these days as it’s an in-demand product.
The M27QX is no standout in any area of performance. It delivers a well-balanced experience at an unbeatable price point, including an excellent SRGB mode. It’s wonderful and fast at 240 hertz and lower refresh rates, and you get typical benefits of IPS, like-wide viewing angles. It’s surprisingly well-rounded with no apparent significant flaws despite its class-leading price, and it’s clear why you’d spend the extra money on a $400 monitor versus the M27QP at $250.
The higher refresh rate is better for competitive gaming. It’s better for motion and more futureproof as you upgrade to faster GPU hardware.
Best Monitor for $500
The $500 price category took a lot of work to decide this year at this price. Do you go for a versatile 4K 1 44 hertz monitor in the Gigabyte M28U, or grab a high quality 1440 p, 240-hertz display like the Samsung Odyssey G7, which is fallen in price to sit in this price zone?
Very much a puzzle, and unlike some previous categories, there needs to be a clear winner here. I recommend one monitor in each category. I’m not going to sit on the fence, and ultimately I’d choose the Gigabyte M28U. There are a few reasons for this. Firstly, it’s a 28-inch 4k, 144 hertz IPS monitor with a price tag of just $450.
During the latest discounts, though, typically, it’s priced slightly above $500. With the current best discount and pricing, it ends up around $50 cheaper than the Odyssey G7, which does play into the decision, but the main reason I’d get the M28U is its versatility. It’s a flat IPS panel with great viewing angles and excellent suitability for gaming and productivity work.
As someone who uses most monitors for all gaming, web browsing, and productivity, having something that works well in all three categories is precious to me, and that’s where the M28U gets the edge. It still has excellent motion performance and response times for gaming and good color gamut coverage.
It’s a flat panel, which I much prefer over the curve of the Odyssey G7, and the 4K resolution is very sharp. It doesn’t have the pure speed and high refresh of the Samsung option, but the versatility and bounce of the M28U get it over the line.
Best Monitor for $600
At $600, it’s a repeat of the $500 category, except we swap out the 27-inch versions of the Gigabyte and Samsung monitors and replace them with the 32-inch equivalence.
In this case, that’s the Gigabyte M32U and the Samsung Odyssey G7. In a 32-inch size, the M32U is typically available for around $570 us. While the larger G7 has dropped to $550, it is even harder to decide if the Gigabyte has no price advantage. But ultimately, if I chose a monitor for my uses, I would still choose the M32U due to its versatility and flat 4K IPS panel.
Best Monitor for $700
At $700, I also found it challenging to decide what monitor to recommend, but for different reasons, there’s no standout option, rather than multiple great choices. If you have around this amount in the bank, I would either save a bit of money and grab any of my $400, $500, or $600 choices or continue to save up a bit until you have at least $800 to spend, in which case you can grab something with true HDR capability.
However, if you want to spend around $700, I recommend the Asus ROG Swift PG279QM, which is available for under $750 these days. This is the best 1440p, 240-hertz monitor you can get. It has a 27-inch IPS panel, great response time tuning, including variable overdrive, and excellent factory calibration, and it’s just a joy to use. It’s a great monitor, though quite expensive, given it costs $350 more than the M27QX, so generally, I recommend it as something other than a value option.
Best Monitor for $800
At $800, we get into the actual HDR category, so there are plenty of reasons to spend this much on a monitor. True HDR monitors improve upon SDR products in three key ways, additional bright, extremely high contrast ratios, and wider color gamuts. The difference between a fake HDR product, like those in the display HDR $400 tier, and a real HDR monitor is immense.
So if you want stunning visuals while gaming, real HDR hardware is what you’re after. There is a clear standout in the $800 tier right now: the Samsung Odyssey Neo G7. I’m stunned that this monitor is available at just $800, given it debuted over a thousand dollars earlier this year. Still, it’s an excellent buy offering, a 32-inch, 4k, 165 hertz curved VA LCD with 1,196-ohm full array local dimming.
I was impressed with the Neo G7 S HDR performance when I tested it earlier this year, and you won’t find better HDR capabilities at this price point. In addition to excellent HDR, the Neo G7 has well-tuned gaming specifications, including swift VA response times, a decent refresh rate for a 4K display, an excellent native contrast ratio, and a variable overdrive experience that pairs well with adaptive sync.
Neo G7 is a truly high-end monitor, and while the curve won’t be for everyone limiting its versatility as a pure gaming display, it’s hard to look past.
Best Monitor for $900
At $900, this is where all LED displays come into the picture. While the Neo G seven is a great HDR monitor, all LEDs take things to the next level with per-pixel local dimming and pure zero black levels.
Unfortunately, only a few OLED gaming monitor options are available right now. We’re expecting more in early 2023, but at $900, you can grab the excellent LG C2 OLED in a 42-inch size. This monitor features per-pixel dimming, an infinite contrast ratio, solid peak brightness, a massive 42-inch screen size, and a glossy display finish.
This monitor is the ultimate HDR content consumption monitor. It’s also extremely fast in response times, though limited to a degree due to its one 20 hertz refresh rate. Nevertheless, you can expect no visual artifacts while gaming, plus elite console compatibility through HDMI 2.1 and Dolby Vision support.
And there’s a full suite of Smart TV functionality if you want to watch content through various streaming services. The main downsides to going OLED are the same as they’ve always been. There’s a risk of permanent burning, so that’s not ideal for productivity work or using static desktop apps for long periods.
I’d only buy this if gaming and content consumption were the primary use case. There’s also an expansive display that will only fit on some desks. It has a non-standard subpixel layout that could be better for text rendering, and the full-screen brightness could be higher. Despite these drawbacks are highly recommend it, and a price tag of just $900 is well below its launch price, so it’s great.
Best Monitor for $1000
If you have a thousand dollars to spend, there are a few ways to go, especially if you’re interested in an HDR gaming monitor. Instead of spending about a thousand dollars, I recommend saving some cash and grabbing my recommendations in the 800 or $900 tiers. Ultimately, save up a bit more money and go for the next tier at $1,100, where you’ll be treated to a cutie OLED ultra-wide.
For most people, that is what I’d recommend if you had a grand to drop on a new high-end. However, if I had to spend around a thousand dollars with no room for negotiation, I would grab the excellent Asus ROG Swift PG 27AQN, which will set you back around $1,049. This is the ultimate 1440p monitor with the fastest response times I’ve recorded for an IPS LCD and an elite 360 Hertz.
It’s a 27-inch LCD with a full G-sync module and includes features typical of an ASUS plus Nvidia collaboration, such as outstanding factory calibration and easy wide-gamut mode usage. While naturally a costly monitor and without true HDR hardware, it’s hard to justify for all buyers.
There’s no doubt the PG 27 AQN is an excellent choice if you like to play competitive titles but are sick of a low 1080 p resolution. The 360-hertz refresh rate combined with elite response behavior delivers incredible motion clarity and low input lag. The image quality here is also excellent, giving this display the versatility for single-player games and productivity work. It’s a beast that I recommend.
Best Monitor for $1100
At the $1,100 tier, I recommend the Alienware AW3423DWF. I reviewed the variant of this monitor, the AW 3423DW, at $1,300. While I still need to test the new DWF variant, I don’t see any reason to grab the more expensive unit, given they’re almost identical from a hardware perspective and use the same 34-inch.
This monitor features a 3440x1440 OLED panel just at 165 hertz for the DWF model instead of 175 Hertz. This Alienware ultra-wide brings the same great OLED qualities I talked about earlier but in a more standard form factor with a higher refresh rate and more desktop-suitable features. The HDR experience here is excellent, with per-pixel local dimming, decent brightness, an effective infinite contrast ratio, and a glossy display.
It pairs that with elite response times and genuinely excellent motion clarity that is only rivaled by the fastest LCDs, such as the PG 27AQN. The negatives here are similar to the C2 risk of permanent burning, relatively low fullscreen brightness, though it’s okay for most desktop users and a non-standard sub-pix layout.
The AW3423DWF also has a few issues with reflections in certain viewing conditions due to how the display is manufactured. Still, it’s an excellent gaming and content consumption monitor that I’d highly recommend for those. With more than $1,100 to spend, there aren’t any products I would be considering that I have yet to mention.
Unless you want a full-size TV, spending more than $1,100 only gets you a little more. There are certainly no standout p products. That’s good news because you’ll have some cash left over for other upgrades to your gaming setup. And that wraps up this guide article. As I said, this is not a fully comprehensive monitor buying guide.
But if you’re considering getting into PC gaming or need a new display for your existing setup, the options I’ve listed today are a great starting point for people with various budgets. Most of the monitors I’ve talked about today have dedicated reviews, which are also worth a look for more in-depth thoughts.
Also, you’ll find updated pricing via the links above for every monitor I recommend. So if you’re reading this several months after this article, you can find all the updated pricing information via those links. Anyway, that’s it for this one. Thanks, everyone, for reading this article for the Best Monitors For Your Budget: $100 to $1000+.