8 Best Budget 1440p 144hz Monitors For Gamers in 2024

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By the time you’ve finished building your PC, you might not have as much money as you’d like leftover for your monitor, quite literally doubly so if you’re going for a dual-monitor setup.

But having a limited budget still isn’t a reason to compromise on the quality of your gaming experience.

To help you get the most out of your budget, we’ve put together the 8 best budget 1440p 144hz gaming monitors in 2024. These will be perfect for fast-paced QHD gaming while not burning a hole in your wallet.

Best Budget 1440p 144hz Monitors in 2024 Round-Up

The table below will give you a quick look at our selections for the 8 best budget 1440p 144hz monitors currently available on the market. To read a full review, simply click on ‘review>>’ in the respective row.

Product	Image	Rating
1. Acer Nitro XV272U ''Best budget 1440p 144hz monitor overall''		9.8	Check Price review>>
2. AOC CQ27G2 ''Best overall runner-up''		9.7	Check Price review>>
3. SAMSUNG Odyssey G5 ''Best budget 32'' option''		9.6	Check Price review>>
4. Deco Gear DGVM27AB ''Cheapest 1440p 144hz gaming monitor''		9.5	Check Price review>>
5. VIOTEK GFV27DAB ''Great all-around choice''		9.4	Check Price review>>
6. Monoprice Zero-G ''Honorable mention''		9.3	Check Price review>>
7. MSI Optix G27CQ4 ''Honorable mention #2''		9.2	Check Price review>>
8. Acer XF270HU Cbmiiprx ''Honorable mention #3''		9.1	Check Price review>>

1. Acer Nitro XV272U

REASONS TO BUY

Quality construction
Plenty of connectivity
Great performance for gaming
Wide viewing angles
Good brightness
Thin bezels
Included speakers
Very budget-friendly

REASONS TO AVOID

Strict warranty
Weak aesthetics
Limited adjustability

Our Rating: 9.8/10

Acer’s Nitro gaming series was designed to fill the exact space we’re looking at here: budget-friendly gear that still delivers a solid baseline of performance.

The Nitro XV272U is a relatively simple monitor but has an excellent price-to-performance ratio and does exactly what it says on the box, which can be a bit of a gamble with some other monitor brands.

True to the parameters of our list, this is a 27-inch, 144hz monitor with a 1440p display. It uses an IPS panel, which is most notable for its wide viewing angles and vibrant colors, with this particular model being able to replicate up to 1.07 billion unique colors.

In addition to the resolution and refresh rate, one of the most important measures of gaming performance is the response time, or the time it takes an individual pixel to change or reset the color it’s displaying.

The default measurement for this, often referred to as the native response time, is the number of milliseconds it takes for the pixels to switch between levels of grey or ms gtg. This monitor has a gtg of 4ms, which is around average for gaming monitors in this price range.

However, a lot of less expensive gaming monitors also try to boost the response time in other ways to prevent ghosting or provide more precise moving images. In the case of the Nitro XV272U, that’s a 1ms VRB (visual response boost), which provides some contextual boosts to help eliminate ghosting.

Any good gaming monitor is also going to have some version of adaptive sync, which is a feature that allows your monitor to synchronize with your GPU to prevent tearing and other, more subtle issues that can result from your screen being out of sync with your GPU. This monitor uses Nvidia’s version of that technology, G-Sync.

This monitor is also well constructed despite the cheaper price tag. A lot of budget options have bulky frames with lots of bezel, which usually means that it’s mostly slapdash construction that’s driving the price down, but that’s not the case here. The stand mount isn’t as stylish as some other gaming options but still allows the screen to be raised, lowered, and tilted.

Additionally, the monitor features speakers, which a lot of cheap monitors will leave out entirely in the interest of saving money. They’re not great but can be useful for app notifications or watching a quick video without having to set up your other audio options.

The Nitro XV272U also has a ton of connectivity options, with 2 HMDI ports, a display port, 4 USB ports, and an audio-out jack.

Unfortunately, Acer’s warranty, even on their gaming products, isn’t great. They cover dead or bright pixels, but with the specification that it noticeably affects the function of the device, so it will require several dead or bright, centrally located pixels to kick in.

All in all, the Acer Nitro XV272U is a monitor that performs well, even without the caveat “for the price.” It features great picture quality, a sharp 1440p display, and excellent performance for fast-paced, competitive gaming. The best budget option is going to be one that you don’t need to keep reminding yourself was cheap to excuse low performance, and this monitor is exactly that.

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2. AOC CQ27G2

REASONS TO BUY

Excellent performance for the money
Highly responsive panel
Excellent contrast
Very stylish construction
Plenty of connectivity
Excellent warranty
Curved panel for extra immersion
Wide viewing angles

REASONS TO AVOID

No speakers
Some ghosting
Low brightness

Our Rating: 9.7/10

AOC monitors tend to offer the best price for their level of performance. This is especially true for the monitors in their small but nevertheless powerful gaming lineup. The AOC CQ27G2 is a fantastic example of that dynamic and offers an immersive gaming experience.

This monitor boasts a 1440p resolution with a 144hz refresh rate on a 27” curved display, which can help with immersiveness and your ability to notice peripheral details but might take a little getting used to. If you’re dead set against a curved screen, there is a 1080p flat version that’s even cheaper.

In addition, the screen uses a VA panel, which is more common in curved screens and can produce deeper blacks but may make colors look a bit washed out. The CQ27G2 covers 120% of the sRGB gamut, which attempts to compensate for the washed-out look.

Further, the response time is a native 4ms GTG, which is tolerable for gaming but might still cause some issues. Because of that, it’s been boosted with a 1ms MPRT, which will make objects in motion appear smoother but may not address ghosting to a level that some gamers are comfortable with.

If you’ve got an AMD graphics card, you’ll be getting a bit more support in the form of AMD’s Freesync, which can make for a smoother, more immersive gaming experience by adjusting your refresh rate to match your GPU.

The stand for this monitor is both functional and stylish, with a wide stylized X providing extra stability. You’re able to adjust both the height and the tilt, which is useful if your desk height isn’t exactly what the designers had in mind or you’re the sort of person who tends to shift a lot. It advertises itself as a frameless monitor, but it does have noticeably more bezel than most of AOC’s other frameless offerings.

There are no speakers, which might be a point against it for some users, but if you care about sound quality, then you probably have your own speakers or headset and will probably appreciate the fact that you saved some money by getting a monitor that doesn’t include them.

If you’re getting this as part of a multi-monitor setup, the connectivity is going to be a plus, with 2 HDMI ports and a single Displayport. There are also audio jacks for either speakers or a headset.

What makes AOC, and especially their gaming monitors, a real standout on most lists is their Re-spawned warranty, which covers single-pixel defects, either bright or dead, for three years and accidental damage for up to one year. That’s going to give you a level of security that you rarely get from a budget monitor or even some premium options.

If you have any trepidation about getting a budget monitor, go with this one from AOC. Their warranty outweighs any concerns you might have about poor construction of low-quality components. More importantly, the picture quality and overall performance for gaming are outstanding for the price.

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3. SAMSUNG Odyssey G5

REASONS TO BUY

Large, curved 32” display
Attractive aesthetics
Accurate color reproduction
Sharp QHD display
Excellent for MMOs and MOBA games
Highly immersive
Great contrast

REASONS TO AVOID

No speakers
Not as bright as other options
Bulky construction with a poor stand

Our Rating: 9.6/10

The Samsung Odyssey G5 just plain looks like a gaming monitor. A lot of budget monitors don’t have the flair that you sometimes want in a gaming monitor, but the Odyssey G5 changes that.

Of course, this monitor has the 2560×1440 144hz display that is offered by all the monitors on this list, but it is also one of the few monitors larger than 27 inches on our list. It’s a 32-inch curved display, which makes a bit more use of the 1440p resolution. It’s also worth noting that this is the cheapest 32” monitor with 1440p resolution and 144hz refresh rate currently available on the market.

Now, like a lot of less expensive curved monitors, you’re getting a VA panel with this one, with 99% sRGB coverage. Simply put, that means dark blacks and closer color accuracy for the 16.7 million colors it can display.

It’s important to note that this is the budget entry in Samsung’s Odyssey G series, so this does not include the native 1ms GTG response time advertised by the more premium entries in that series (and sometimes incorrectly attributed to this one).

You get a 1ms MBR response, meant to combat ghosting in monitors with higher response times, but the actual response time without those boosts is closer to 5ms. Keep in mind that if you’re relying on the MBR boosts too heavily, they can trick your eyes in ways that can cause queasiness or headaches.

The monitor also includes AMD Free-Sync, which gives you some extra gaming performance if you have an AMD GPU but doesn’t drive the price up if you don’t.

When it comes to construction, you do start to notice that this is the budget entry in the G-Series. The included stand is short and can only be tilted. Besides that, they’ve left the stand mount on the back empty, which makes a constant reminder of what you’re missing from the higher-tier options.

On the other hand, if you were planning on VESA mounting this anyway, it’s no great loss. There are also blank spots on the front and back that would be holding RGB elements on the G7 but are conspicuously empty here. It’s also one of the bulkier monitors on our list and isn’t at all subtle about the space it takes up.

There are no built-in speakers, which would have at least justified the extra space it takes up. Additionally, your connectivity options are a bit limited but still functional, with one HDMI port, one Displayport, and one audio jack.

On a final note, the Odyssey G5 includes a two-year replacement warranty, which is smack in the middle of what most monitor brands offer.

Overall, the Samsung Odyssey G5 is a budget gaming monitor that will keep reminding you of it. It’s, however, the cheapest 32” 1440p 144hz monitor you can get, and it’s well worth the money just because of that. If you’re specifically looking for a 32” monitor and want to spend the least amount of money, this is the monitor for you. We just wish it didn’t seem so dead set on reminding you what you’re missing.

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4. Deco Gear DGVM27AB

REASONS TO BUY

Great performance for gaming
Bright, sharp display
Very cheap 1440p 144hz screen
Slim design
Very thin bezels
Plenty of connectivity
Excellent contrast

REASONS TO AVOID

Higher response time
No speakers
Short warranty period

Our Rating: 9.5/10

Deco Gear is a relative newcomer, at least when it comes to making monitors, but in the few years they’ve been around, they’ve made quite a splash with their affordable gaming-quality products. The Deco Gear DGVM27AB is a gorgeous curved monitor that looks anything but cheap.

This is also a 27-inch curved monitor with a 2560×1440 resolution and a 144hz refresh rate. You’re not going to see a lot of options bigger than that for prices that stay under $300, so it really becomes a question of performance, which this monitor delivers for the most part.

It uses VA panels, so you’re going to see deeper blacks, which is useful for games that rely on high contrast. Additionally, it covers 99% of the sRGB gamut, which means accurate colors across the board–You can comfortably use this monitor for sae creative ventures besides just gaming.

Unlike a lot of budget options, the DGVM27AB doesn’t use any artificial boosts to compensate for the relatively low response time. A native 4ms GTG is still acceptable for a gaming monitor, but there are going to be more significant issues with fast-moving games than on a monitor that has VRB or MPRT boosts.

You also get some performance boosts from the included AMD FreeSync, which is the more common option with cheaper monitors. It’ll still work with Nvidia GPUs, you just might experience issues with tearing.

The monitor itself is slender and well-constructed, especially considering the price. It’s also a lot closer to being truly frameless than we expected for a monitor this cheap. That’s a plus in itself but really comes in handy if the reason you want a budget monitor is for a dual or triple display.

Additionally, the stand definitely chooses function over form. It’s pretty basic-looking but has the ability to raise, lower, and tilt the monitor.

Unfortunately, there are no speakers, which is hard to get mad about considering the default quality of internal speakers, especially on cheaper monitors. On the other hand, if you were counting on not having to buy a speaker system, it’s kind of a letdown.

In terms of connectivity, there are a total of three HDMI ports, one Displayport, and one audio jack. That’s going to give you plenty of options if you need to switch between devices or daisy chain your monitors.

Finally, the warranty is only for one year but covers any material defects, which would include dead or bright pixels.

There’s not a lot of surprises about the Deco Gear DGVM27AB, but sometimes that’s a good thing. It’s built and performs to a standard that is perfectly functional for gaming, especially considering the high resolution and refresh rate that we’ve set as the standard for this list.

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5. VIOTEK GFV27DAB

REASONS TO BUY

Highly ergonomic stand
1440p 144hz performance
Sharp, bright display
RGB lighting on the back panel
Clean, frameless design
Support for both AMD and Nvidia GPUs
Extremely budget friendly

REASONS TO AVOID

No speakers
Warranty more restrictive of bright pixels
Ghosting

Our Rating: 9.4/10

If you’re not a fan of curved monitors, you haven’t seen a lot of options on our list so far. The VIOTEK GFV27DAB changes that and also earns a spot as the first monitor on our list with included RGB elements, definitely a rarity for budget monitors.

The GFV27DAB is a 27” monitor that offers a full 2560×1440 resolution and a 144hz refresh rate, which is going to give you a sharp and smooth image for gaming.

Furthermore, the monitor uses VA panel technology, which is more common in curved monitors but provides the same level of performance as a flat monitor. Viotek has opted for a 99% sRGB coverage, which is going to deliver greater accuracy for the colors it can portray. Like all VA panels, this is going to offer deeper, richer blacks but might look washed out in brighter shades.

The response rate is within acceptable limits for a gaming monitor at 4ms, but the lack of any boosts is going to drop it slightly below the other options on our list. If you’re in the segment of the population that can experience nausea or headaches from some of the programmed boosts, this won’t be a deal-breaker.

In addition, the monitor includes AMD FreeSync for adaptive sync but also has a degree of compatibility with Nvidia’s G-Sync. Because of that, it is a solid choice for both AMD and Nvidia users who are looking to prevent synchronization issues during high-intensity gaming.

In terms of construction, this is a well-put-together monitor and one that includes several features that monitors at this price point often don’t. Starting with the fully ergonomic stand that can be raised and lowered, tilted both up/down and left to right, and rotated on a central axis for a vertical display.

Besides that, there is an RGB ring on the back of the frame, which can be programmed to add some cool lighting effects. It’s also a frameless monitor and even has minimal bezel around the bottom, which makes this a perfect option if you’re trying to save money to be able to afford a multi-display setup.

The RGB lighting and fully adjustable stand seem to have come at the cost of speakers, seeing how this monitor doesn’t have any, so you’ll be relying on headphones or an external sound system for any audio requirements.

You’re also a bit limited on connectivity, with just one HDMI port, one DisplayPort, and one audio-out jack.

Lastly, Viotek’s gaming monitors have one of the better warranties, at least when it comes to dead pixels, with coverage for even a single pixel over a 3-year period. Their bright pixel warranty is a bit more restrictive, requiring at least 4 bright pixels before they’ll replace the monitor.

At a glance, the flat, as opposed to curved, panel display makes this a bit of a simpler monitor. However, the level of adjustability, along with the RGB display, makes this one of our more versatile monitors. More importantly, this is another monitor that offers excellent performance for the money, with a perfectly sharp display, smooth 144hz visuals, and high contrast ratio.

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6. Monoprice Zero-G

REASONS TO BUY

Solid monitor for the money
Surprisingly bright
The warranty covers single-pixel defects
Plenty of connectivity
Included speakers
Very affordable

REASONS TO AVOID

High response time
Short warranty period
Thicker bezel
Limited adjustability

Our Rating: 9.3/10

What can you say about the Monoprice Zero-G that the name hasn’t already? You’d expect it to be a minimalist gaming monitor with an affordable price tag, and as luck would have it, that’s exactly what it is.

The Zero-G is a curved 27-inch monitor with a sharp 1440p resolution and a gamer-friendly 144hz refresh rate. It uses a VA panel, which is basically the only way to get this level of performance, especially in a larger curved monitor. VA panels deliver good response times and good contrasts but often don’t have the level of color accuracy and richness in certain areas of the color spectrum.

Now, the one major downside of the Zero-G is response time, coming in at a fairly sluggish 6ms, which means that this probably shouldn’t be your first choice if you play a lot of fast-paced games, as ghosting is going to be a very noticeable issue in those situations.

If you’re more of a fan of strategy games, building sims, and other slow-paced genres, this won’t be an issue for you.

The Zero-G uses AMD FreeSync, which will adjust the refresh rate depending on the needs of your AMD GPU. If you’re using an Nvidia card, you may notice occasional tearing and some minor issues with picture smoothness resulting from your monitor framerate falling out of sync with your GPU.

Construction-wise, the Zero-G is well put together but pretty simplistic in its construction. The stand only allows the display to be tilted, not lowered or raised, which can put some limits on how you position it.

Further, there’s a bit more bezel than some other options, but nothing that interferes with performance in any major way. The control buttons are visible at the bottom of the frame, which makes them more accessible, but makes the monitor look not quite as clean.

On the brighter side, the monitor includes speakers, which is surprisingly uncommon among cheaper monitors. They’re decently loud, but the sound quality is about what you’d expect from the internal speakers on a budget monitor, which is to say, not great.

If you’re going to set this up as part of a series or possibly connect multiple devices to it, the three HDMI ports and one DisplayPort are a major plus. There’s also an audio-out jack for external devices.

The warranty only covers a single year but has coverage for even single-pixel defects, making it more comprehensive but over a shorter period than a lot of other warranties.

All things considered, the Monoprice Zero-G is one of the more limited options on our list. It’s certainly inexpensive, but you also make some sacrifices that you could absolutely notice in day-to-day use. If you plan on playing a lot of fast-paced competitive games, this probably isn’t the monitor for you.

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7. MSI Optix G27CQ4

REASONS TO BUY

Richer colors than most VA panels
Excellent gaming performance
Higher refresh rate than others
Quality construction
Thin bezels

REASONS TO AVOID

Limited adjustability
Restrictive warranty
No speakers
Dimmer display

Our Rating: 9.2/10

Taiwanese manufacturer MSI is better established in Asian markets than it is in North America and Europe, but their products are still available here. They’ve managed to carve out a reputation as a fairly serious gaming brand, with some major sponsorships and tournaments under their belts. The MSI Optix G27CQ4 is a gaming monitor with enough chops to show how MSI got that reputation.

The Optix G27CQ4 is another curved 27-inch monitor. While it has the QHD (2560×1440) resolution, it’s actually pushing the envelope a little on refresh rate, with an available maximum of 165hz.

Similarly to other monitors on this list, it uses a VA panel for high contrast and decent performance and compensates for the typical washed-out color effects with an sRGB 115% gamut. That means certain ranges of color are slightly oversaturated to provide richer colors at the cost of some color accuracy.

Furthermore, the native GTG response time for this monitor is around 4.5ms and is further improved with an MPRT boost of 1ms, which supports smoother, sharper moving images. This might not be as universally sharp as monitors that have a native 1ms GTG, but it still provides a noticeable boost in performance.

This monitor, like virtually all the options on our list, uses AMD Freesync for enhanced visual performance, so tearing and stuttering won’t be an issue for gamers using AMD graphics cards.

Now, the stand for this monitor is a bit of a drawback as it can only be tilted. That’s typically going to be enough to address most issues, but you’d still get a lot more use out of a stand that can be raised or lowered. It is VESA compatible if that’s an issue you feel like correcting with a third-party stand.

If you’re looking for a multi-monitor or multi-device setup, the connection options for the Optix G27CQ4 will help you out, with two HDMI ports, a display port, and a headphone-out audio jack.

This is another option without speakers, which helps keep the price of the monitor itself low, but it will require an external audio device to get any sound, which can be more expensive or kind of inconvenient. On the other hand, making a higher-quality external device, your default audio output can make for a better sound experience.

Another downside is MSI’s complicated and fairly restrictive warranty. It covers both bright and dead pixels but under different terms. You’ll need at least four bright pixels or at least six dead pixels for the warranty to kick in. Depending on where you buy it, the length of that warranty can vary substantially as well.

The biggest selling point for the MSI Optix G27CQ4 is the higher refresh rate. Unfortunately, the jump from 144hz to 165hz isn’t a change a lot of users are going to notice. If you know you’re not going to notice the difference, then you’ll probably get better performance and a better price from one of the other 1440p 144hz monitors on our list.

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8. Acer XF270HU Cbmiiprx

REASONS TO BUY

Blazing fast response time
Great for fast-paced FPS games
Ergonomic monitor
Included speakers
Quality construction

REASONS TO AVOID

Limited color fidelity and contrast
Poor color reproduction
Somewhat restrictive warranty
Narrow viewing angles

Our Rating: 9.1/10

The Acer XF270HU Cbmiiprx is not technically part of Acer’s gaming lineup (the Predator and Nitro series) but has all of the basic performance metrics we look for in a gaming monitor. The lack of an official “gaming” brand means that you’ll usually be spending a bit less on construction and design, theoretically freeing up space in the budget for core performance elements.

The XF270HU is a 27-inch flat panel monitor with the 1440p resolution and 144hz display required for this list. The biggest drawback of this monitor is the fact that it uses a TN panel, which is an older panel technology compared to the IPS or even VA panels offered by other monitors on this list.

TN panels most notably have very strict viewing angles. If you remember seeing color inversion or almost completely obscured images when looking at a screen from an angle, especially above or below, that was probably a TN panel. TN panels also tend to have less color fidelity and poorer contrasts. They remain in use for their low response times and high refresh rates, which are good for competitive gamers.

Fortunately, this monitor, in particular, has a 1ms native GTG response time, which is extremely good not just for a cheap monitor but for just about any monitor currently on the market. Most monitors that have a response time this low are several hundred dollars more expensive.

In addition, the monitor advertises a zero-frame construction, and while it does have less frame than some other options, it’s a bit more noticeable than what we would call “zero-frame”. And as a whole, it’s on the blocky side.

The stand is highly ergonomic, which is a definite plus, but also kind of a necessity for a TN panel monitor. It can be raised or lowered up to five inches but also tilted and swiveled, and the monitor itself can be rotated for a vertical display.

This is another of the few monitors with speakers. They’re not great, but they give you a bit more flexibility about what you use for your audio output, which is all you can ask for sometimes.

There’s also a decent number of options for connectivity, with two HDMI ports and one DisplayPort.

While the warranty does cover bright and dead pixels over a four-year period, you’ll need to make sure there’s enough of them or that they’re in the correct regions to significantly impede the function of the device before Acer will cover the monitor. Usually, that means 4-5 pixels, with at least one or two of them being in the center of the screen.

If you have a wide range of casual uses planned for your monitor, this might not be the best choice for you. It’s not the cheapest monitor on our list, and the color and contrast are going to be a downside for most users. However, this monitor is going to be the best choice for competitive gamers on a budget because of its highly responsive nature.

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Final Words

When it comes to getting gaming performance on a budget, you often have to make compromises. The monitors we’ve selected for this list make the fewest compromises, a couple of them making almost none at all compared to their more expensive cousins.

Once you’ve settled on a budget 1440p, 144hz gaming monitor, the question becomes what areas you might be able to compromise in. Usually, giving up speakers saves some money and can help drive the price down.

A low response time is usually a plus but isn’t as big of a deal if you’re not playing competitive FPS games. If you have your desk and chair set up at exactly the right level or have a desk stand you plan on mounting the monitor to, some construction issues become less pressing.

If you know what you want, it’s easy to get a cheap but powerful monitor that will meet all of the gaming needs you have.

8 Best Budget 1440p 144hz Monitors For Gamers in 2024

Best Budget 1440p 144hz Monitors in 2024 Round-Up

1. Acer Nitro XV272U

2. AOC CQ27G2

3. SAMSUNG Odyssey G5

4. Deco Gear DGVM27AB

5. VIOTEK GFV27DAB

6. Monoprice Zero-G

7. MSI Optix G27CQ4

8. Acer XF270HU Cbmiiprx

Final Words

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