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It’s the eternal dilemma of PC gaming: no matter how much power you build into your PC the whole experience can be ruined, or at least severely bottlenecked by a subpar monitor.
The problem is even more complicated than that because the difference between a good monitor and a terrible one can be as little as 25-50 dollars in some cases.
With so many different gaming brands and monitors on the market these days, it can be easy to be confused by all the options. For that reason, we researched the best gaming monitor brands and put together a list of the 5 best manufacturers, with the top three monitors from their current lineups.
Does Brand Matter For Gaming Monitors?
The short answer: yes. The quality and reliability of brands can vary substantially, so getting a good monitor from a reliable brand is crucial.
Not only that, but different brands have different priorities. Some may focus more heavily on resolution and precise color representation, but not have as much focus on things that are going to matter to gamers, like refresh rate, or pixel response time.
This doesn’t mean that you have to buy exclusively from companies that style themselves as “gaming brands.” There are plenty of mainstream brands that offer reliable, high-quality monitors, many of which even perform beautifully for gaming.
In fact, there are very few brands on the market that don’t offer at least one high-end monitor that will work for gaming. The question is which brands do this consistently, across multiple price points, especially lower ones.
The most meaningful difference between the brands is quality control, performance, and warranty. For some less reliable brands, purchasing and unboxing is casually referred to as “the panel lottery.”
In other words, the probability that your new monitor will come out of the box with or without defects, most notably dead pixels. Or, if pixels burn out or go hot down the line, is there a warranty that covers that? Most worthwhile brands have one.
What Makes a Gaming Monitor Good?
A good gaming monitor isn’t always the same thing as a good monitor. The things that a lot of manufacturers are going to say make a monitor the best can often be secondary considerations to gaming performance. Let’s take a look at what the most important factors are for gaming.
Refresh rate. This is the most basic element of what makes a good monitor, and fortunately, most manufacturers universally agree on that point.
The refresh rate is the number of times per second, measured in Hz, that your monitor can display a new image. The lower it is, especially as you get close to or drop below 60hz, the more likely you are to notice things like your image flickering or stuttering.
A good gaming monitor will typically have a minimum of 120hz or 144hz refresh rate. Some newer models can go as high as 240hz or even 360hz, but the improvement is going to be barely perceptible in most cases.
Adaptive Synchronization. Depending on the brand of your GPU, you’re looking for either Nvidia’s G-sync or AMD’s Freesync. In either case, they serve pretty much the same function: making adjustments to your monitor’s refresh rate.
This will most notably prevent screen tearing, but can also help synchronize your monitor’s refresh rate with the framerate of whatever games you’re playing.
Pixel Response Time. Response time is the amount of time each individual pixel takes to change its displayed color or brightness. It will typically work in harmony with your refresh rate, with both a high refresh rate and a low response time required for smooth, clean images.
If your monitor has a high response time, it can lead to issues like ghosting, where an afterimage of quickly moving objects remains on your screen.
Things like resolution are also important, but anything FHD (1920×1080) or above will deliver excellent image quality for gaming, and that is the de facto minimum resolution for most manufacturers at this point.
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The Best Gaming Monitor Brands in 2022
With all this in mind, what we’re looking for is brands that produce quality monitors that deliver a level of performance sufficient for gaming, across multiple price points. We’ve selected five of the best brands, as well as the three best gaming monitors each of them currently has to offer.
1. Acer
Acer is a Taiwanese company established in 1976, which makes it one of the oldest brands producing gaming monitors. What makes Acer stand out among the competition is its unbelievable consistency when it comes to producing both budget and premium gaming gear.
It is a brand that operates in a similar space to AOC (2nd on the list), offering a wide range of monitors for multiple uses, but focusing specifically on gaming for some key items in their lineup.
If you’re not familiar with Acer, they currently offer two lines of gaming monitors, the Predator and the Nitro series. The predator series is the more premium line that aims mainly at serious gamers, enthusiasts, professionals, and streamers. It offers more extreme performance, more aggressive aesthetics, and in most cases, premium price–though, you can find some reasonably priced Predator monitors.
The Nitro series, on the other hand, offers quality gaming monitors (and other products) to the more casual gamers, people who like to elevate their gaming experience to the next level, but aren’t comfortable spending thousands of dollars on their rig.
Several of Acer’s higher-end options outperform AOC, plus and their warranty is also pretty good, which is why they hold the #1 spot on our list.
Acer Predator X34
”Best Premium Gaming Monitor From Acer”
One of the best gaming monitors in 2022, the Acer Predator X34 offers top-of-the-line performance which will take your gaming experience and immersion to new heights no matter the monitor you have right now. After all, that’s what you would hope for when paying top dollar for it.
It’s got everything you need for the best gaming experience possible, literally–Up to 180hz refresh rate and 0.5 response time for extremely smooth gaming scenes, 4k resolution on a 38” screen ensuring incredibly sharp display even on a monitor this big, gorgeous design, and much more.
As we already indicated, it is not the cheapest monitor out there, but to be honest, it doesn’t feel overpriced for the level of performance and quality you’re getting. If you’ve got the hardware and the money for it, the Predator X34 will not let you down in the slightest.
Acer Predator XB271HU
”Best Mid-tier Gaming Monitor From Acer”
As we’ve seen already, Acer’s predator series contains their top-of-the-line monitors, with some weighing in at $1000 or more. These higher-end options are definitely attractive, but for gamers who don’t have an unlimited budget, we selected the XB271HU as our mid-tier choice. Mainly because it’s the most universally useful monitor in the Predator series.
This 27” monitor boasts a QHD (2560×1440) resolution which translates into a really sharp display. The IPS panel display is responsive, color-rich, and offers wide viewing angles (up to 178 degrees). Besides that, the monitor uses Nvidia G-Sync, which means that you’ll get a smoother experience on Nvidia cards.
If you’re a competitive gamer, you’ll appreciate the 144hz refresh rate (overclockable to 165hz) and the response time of 4ms GTG.
Overall, this is an incredible monitor and represents a great value for the money, despite being a part of the premium Predator lineup. Whether you’re a competitive gamer, part-time content creator, or just a casual gamer who seeks a better gaming experience, this is an outstanding monitor with a fair price tag.
Acer Nitro XV272U
”Best Budget Gaming Monitor From Acer”
Nitro is Acer’s gaming brand that aims at more budget-conscious gamers. For the most part, you’ll get better performance out of a Nitro monitor than you would out of what you might call their “general audience” products. The XV272U is one of the more budget-friendly ways to get a 27” monitor at this resolution, and it still performs beautifully.
It’s a QHD (2560×1440) display with a 144Hz refresh rate, which means you’ll get a sharp, stutter-free image in all uses. It uses VRB (visual response boost) to deliver a simulated 1 ms response time, AMD free-sync to further ensure picture quality and has built-in speakers, but they’re usually going to be a sort of last resort.
With some minor drawbacks, the Acer Nitro XV272U is probably the cheapest way to get a 1440p 144hz gaming monitor and still be very happy about it.
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2. AOC
AOC is actually not a gaming brand, but they have several monitors which they identify as gaming monitors. One could argue that this could be the ideal position for a brand because it usually means they’re aware of what gamers need, but you’re not paying extra for the clout of a gaming lifestyle brand.
What really sets AOC monitors apart is the fact that they consistently outperform other monitors at the same price point, making most of their lineup the best dollar-for-dollar monitors on the market.
However, their gaming lineup lacks a bit of depth so finding premium monitors with cutting-edge technology is a big problem. However, anybody who doesn’t need the best but rather enjoys getting their money’s worth on gaming gear (who doesn’t), will quickly fall in love with AOC.
As a result, it’s no surprise that they’re the #1 bestselling monitors in the world and have several high-profile esports endorsements.
AOC CQ27G2U
”Best Premium Gaming Monitor From AOC”
The CQ27G2U is probably the single best gaming monitor on the market when it comes to value per dollar.
It is a large 27” curved display with VA panel technology and a QHD (2560×1440) resolution. A lot of gamers find that a curved monitor delivers better peripheral views, especially for FPS or racing games. Not everyone likes them, and the advantages aren’t going to be as pronounced if you prefer RTS or building sim games.
In addition, the monitor boasts a 144Hz refresh rate and a 1ms MPRT response time, two major factors for delivering smooth framers in high-paced games. Plus, it uses Free Sync, an AMD’s adaptive synchronization between your GPU and your monitor.
Similar to the performance, the aesthetics and quality are also superb for the money. This is a frameless monitor, so there’s minimal bezel around the top and sides, which makes for both a more immersive gaming experience, and a cleaner setup if you are going for a dual or triple monitor.
To sum everything up, the AOC CQ27G2U is not a premium monitor per se, but it offers a premium kit for an affordable price. Isn’t that what we all want?
AOC 24G2
”Best Mid-tier Gaming Monitor From AOC”
The 24G2 is another perfect example of what makes AOC such a popular brand. This 24” FHD (1920×1080) monitor can hold its own against most gaming monitors, including its larger cousin, the CQ27G2U, for almost half the price.
In fact, apart from the smaller size and resolution, there are almost no differences between the two monitors. The only major one is the change from a VA panel to an IPS. The IPS panel has better viewing angles and can be less prone to ghosting, but the image quality won’t be as sharp, especially with an eye to contrasts. There’s been an attempt to correct this with some oversaturation of colors, which will make the differences more pronounced, but not as true to life.
Similar to its cousin, this monitor also offers great stats for gaming with a 144hz refresh rate and 1 ms response time. Besides that, it is also part of their G-series, meaning it’s covered by the respawned warranty, one of the best warranties for gaming monitors.
As with most AOC monitors, the 24G2 also represents insane value for the money.
AOC G2490VX
”Best Budget Gaming Monitor From AOC”
Staying within AOC’s G-Series, you’ll notice that even their most budget-friendly option doesn’t sacrifice much besides appearance to get you the performance you might be looking for. It’s still an FHD (1920×1080) monitor and it still runs at 144Hz with a 1ms MPRT response time.
Further, it uses a VA panel, which brings back some of the issues with ghosting, which can be distracting but is also found in some of the higher-tier options as well.
The only downgrade that AOC seems to have made with this one is to the construction. It uses a narrower circular stand mount, instead of the more stylish and stable angled stand the rest of the G-series used. It’s also missing the red trim and embellishments on the back of the case. Even then, it still has the same frameless construction.
Even though we labeled this one as a budget monitor, you can still find it costing more than our mid-tier pick, the 24G2, making it hard for us to recommend it–In most cases. you’ll appreciate the performance and the design of the 24G2 more.
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3. ASUS
ASUS is a well-established electronics and gaming brand with not one, but two gaming series in their catalog. There’s the platinum-tier ROG (Republic of Gamers) lineup, which makes not only monitors but laptops, desktops, and PC components as well.
This subdivision of their gaming branch puts performance, style, and quality above all else, on the assumption that money is not an object.
If you don’t care for their flashy ROG series, or can’t afford to pay the premium price for their products, don’t worry–the TUF (The Ultimate Force) series also offers a full array of PC gaming products including gaming monitors, but takes a more functional, though still not entirely budget-friendly approach.
Their wide and established lineup of gaming products earn them a spot on our list, but their higher prices (one could say overpriced) and complicated warranty keep them from claiming the top spot.
ASUS ROG Swift PG35VQ
”Best Premium Gaming Monitor From ASUS”
For most of our premium choices on this list, we’ve chosen monitors that have a higher price point but are still going to have a universal appeal and broad accessibility. The first exception to this is the Rog Swift PG35VQ.
ROG’s whole philosophy is to shoot for the moon and give you something to show off, so it would only be fair to pick one of the finest examples of that. It’s a monitor that’s impressive in what it could do, not necessarily what you’re going to ask of it every day.
It’s an ultrawide curved 35” monitor, with a 3440×1440 display, which is going to make for a rich, immersive experience. On top of that, it has a 200Hz refresh rate, and a native 2ms response rate, which is going to deliver consistently smooth, lifelike video.
It also comes equipped with Nvidia G-Sync, which will adapt your framerate to compensate for any issues, like tearing or desynchronized refresh/framerates.
The warranty is where things get complicated. It has a 12-month zero bright pixel coverage, so if a pixel goes hot and refuses to turn off or respond, it can be replaced. After twelve months it needs to be in excess of 3-5, depending on how centrally they’re located. The same goes for dead pixels at all points.
All in all, the PG35VQ is a great example of why people either love the brand or hate it. On one hand, the monitor comes packed with the best technology there is, offering an unparalleled experience and maximum immersion, leaving nothing to be desired. On the other hand, though, the price is so high that only a small percentage of gamers will be able to afford it.
ASUS TUF Gaming VG289Q
”Best Mid-tier Gaming Monitor From ASUS”
The TUF gaming brand is dedicated to providing functional performance while still being attainable in most budgets. The TUF Gaming VG289Q is a great example of this practice, being one of the most affordable 4K gaming monitors currently available.
4K (also referred to as UHD) is a display that is 3840×2160, allowing for incredible picture detail. The uptick in quality will absolutely be noticeable, but might not be fully leveraged in all uses on a 28” display. Plus, it’s an IPS panel, which makes for sharp colors to go along with the extra detail.
The refresh rate and response time are the lowest you’d want to go for a gaming monitor. The 60Hz refresh rate isn’t going to result in any issues with flickering or lines, but won’t be as clean for fast-moving video.
The response time is 5ms, which might cause some issues with ghosting, but is still within the normal parameters for a gaming laptop. The inclusion of AMD Freesync can help with issues the relatively low refresh rate can cause.
If you’re looking for a cheap 4k gaming monitor, this is a solid option. It doesn’t offer the same performance for fast-paced games as other monitors on this list but instead offers more versatility of use.
ASUS TUF VG259Q
”Best Budget Gaming Monitor From ASUS”
It’s not often that you get a budget-friendly gaming monitor that doesn’t seem to have made any sacrifices to get down to a more reasonable price, but the TUF VG259Q is exactly that.
It’s a 24” FHD (1920×1080) IPS display, which on a monitor this side is going to look clean and sharp. The refresh rate is a lightning-quick 144hz, and the response time is 4ms GTG but is boosted to a simulated 1ms MPRT. Nvidia G-Sync will also reduce major issues, like screen tearing.
It shouldn’t come as any surprise that the included speakers don’t provide a high-quality sound, but it’s still a downside and an area where they could have dropped the price a little by just leaving off.
Besides that, the same warranty issues apply here. Any single bright pixel is covered for the first year, but dead pixels and bright pixels after the first year will need to show up in large quantities to be covered.
For bargain hunters and ASUS fans, this is a fantastic monitor. It’s got all the performance you need and doesn’t sacrifice a whole lot to get to a lower price range.
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4. LG
LG is one of the most well-known electronic brands in the world, and so it should come as no surprise that they offer a series of gaming monitors that perform extremely well.
It’d be fair to say that the LG Ultragear lineup has been lately gaining more and more popularity, and for a good reason–their gaming monitors are extremely high-quality and well-performing, but most importantly, you don’t feel like you’re overpaying for any of their gaming monitors.
The LG Ultragear series checks all of our boxes for gaming performance but is a relatively small and closely clustered lineup. That, combined with a more restrictive warranty moves LG down our list a few spaces.
LG 34GP83A-B
”Best Premium Gaming Monitor From LG”
The LG 34GP83A-B is one of the largest of the LG Ultragear lineup. It’s a 34-inch QHD (3440×1440) display that offers lots of screen real estate and a perfectly sharp display. Apart from the increased size and resolution, the main selling point is the extreme performance and picture quality.
The monitor offers a 160hz refresh rate and 1ms (GtG!) response time for perfectly smooth visuals, a curved Nano IPS panel with HDR400 to literally suck you into the game, and it’s also G-Sync compatible.
The one thing that’s not so good is the warranty. It only covers parts and assembly up to 1 year, which is a much shorter window than some of the other brands on our list.
However, LG monitors and especially the Ultragear lineup offer a real quality you can really rely on. Pair that with the fantastic performance, aesthetics, and fair price, and you’ve got one of the best gaming monitors currently available on the market.
LG 27GL83A-B
”Best Mid-tier Gaming Monitor From LG”
The 27-inch options from Ultragear are consistently ranked as some of the best monitors of the year, with some disagreement on whether the slightly cheaper 27GN650-B, the higher refresh rate 27GN750-B, or the higher definition 27GL83A-B is the best overall. For the sake of our review, we’ve picked the 27GL83A-B, because the increased resolution is the change you’re most likely to notice.
It’s a QHD (2560×1440) IPS panel monitor, which means sharp, rich images from any angle. The refresh rate is a full 144Hz, which is going to be comfortably into the range where you’re not likely to notice any further upgrades.
The aspect that really makes the 27GL83A-B one of the best mid-tier gaming monitors on the market is the native 1ms response time, which is going to mean an insanely quick, up-to-the-moment display without relying on any tricks.
Overall, the 27GL83A-B is an outstanding gaming monitor that features almost the same performance as its bigger brother, only in a smaller, more affordable package.
LG 24MP59G-P
”Best Budget Gaming Monitor From LG”
The LG 24MP59G-P is not part of the Ultragear series, which as we mentioned is pretty tightly grouped in both price and quality. As a result, there are some steps down in quality, but not as severely as you’d expect. The most immediately noticeable is the switch to a fixed stand instead of the highly adjustable mounting of the Ultragear series.
The 24” screen is an FHD (1920×1080) IPS panel display. The only thing that you may notice as a drop in performance is the 75Hz refresh rate, which is still above the point where you’re likely to notice flickering.
Fast-paced games, like FPS or racing, will not appear as smooth, but will still perform correctly. The response time is a native 5ms GTG, which is corrected with a 1ms MBR to reduce or eliminate ghosting.
Sadly, the warranty on the rest of LG’s monitors isn’t any better than their Ultragear warranty: it just covers parts and labor for up to one year after purchase.
With all this being said, this is a decent budget monitor with decent performance and visuals for casual gamers. But that’s really the only group of gamers we’d recommend this monitor to.
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5. Dell
Dell’s Alienware brand has been one of the most recognized names in PC gaming for quite some time. That alone earns them a spot on our list, but in recent years the Dell brand has been producing some fantastic gaming products, independent of the Alienware label.
You do typically need to go into their higher-priced tiers to get uncompromising performance, and there is an extent with the Alienware brand that you’re paying for the logo, even if the performance is insanely good.
If we said the Ultragear lineup is tight, this series is even tighter. You could count Alienware’s gaming monitors on one hand, although they’re extremely popular and very well-performing.
On the brighter side, the Dell warranty is more expansive, but only covers bright pixels, which can be a pretty major downside.
Dell Alienware AW3420DW
”Best Premium Gaming Monitor From Dell”
The Dell Alienware AW3420DW is Dell’s most attractive, most expensive, and highly-rated gaming monitor.
It’s a beautiful 34” monitor with lots of power under the hood–120hz refresh rate, 2ms response time, G-Sync compatibility, and a wide QHD resolution, which is perfectly sharp on the 34” screen.
However, it should be noted that this is not their best-performing monitor, and even more importantly, the LG’s 34” offering offers much better performance at a significantly better price range. Besides, their warranty only covers bright pixels but can be extended up to five years, which is sort of a mixed bag.
Performance aside, another big reason why Alienware is so popular is the attractive, futuristic design which can take any gaming setup’s aesthetic to the next level. If looks are as important to you as performance then you have another reason to take a closer look at Alienware’s lineup.
All in all, the Alienware AW3420DW is a fantastic gaming monitor that combines performance and aesthetics better than anybody else. If you’ve set aside a good chunk of your budget for your monitor and want something that’s going to stand out, the AW3420DW should be at the top of your list.
Dell Alienware AW2521H
”Best Mid-tier Gaming Monitor From Dell”
The Alienware AW2521H is a relatively small display compared to some of the larger ultrawide gaming monitors available, but its compactness is meant to conserve all available resources for performance.
It’s a 25” FHD (1920×1080) display, which again is relatively low for what we’ve seen from other premium options. If you’re more into strategy or sim games, the display size could very well be a downside.
On the other hand, for most fast-paced first-person games, the display is going to deliver unmatched performance. It has a native 1ms response time and a 360hz (!) refresh rate. Add in the G-sync capability and there’s nothing holding it back from producing the smoothest visuals you’ve ever seen.
Overall, this is one of the fastest gaming monitors on the planet and will give you a real competitive edge over your opponents. If you’re a competitive gamer who puts performance above everything else, even the picture quality, then this is the monitor for you–if you have the money for it.
Dell S2522HG
”Best Budget Gaming Monitor From Dell”
The Dell S2522HG isn’t quite as powerful as the Alienware above, but for the price holds its own shockingly well. In fact, there aren’t any areas where there’s going to be an immediately noticeable difference in performance.
It has a 24.5” inch FHD (1920×1080) display, and an extremely color-accurate IPS panel display. The refresh rate is a full 240hz, which is several times beyond what the naked eye will typically perceive. It also boasts a 1ms native response time, quick enough to remove any lag or ghosting.
There are a few monitors that have managed to be certified as compatible with both AMD and Nvidia’s adaptive sync programs, and this is one of them. Regardless of which brand of GPU you use, this monitor will work with them to enhance your visual performance.
The warranty is the same as the Alienware, so it will only cover bright pixels but will do so for three years by default, extendable to up to 5.
If you don’t care for the appearance of the Alienware monitors, the S2522HG is a great way to get a 240hz monitor for a very budget-friendly price compared to other monitors on the market.
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In Conclusion
These are the best all-around brands for gaming monitors, but there are others that have a few decent options but don’t have the same consistency across their lineup.
If you’re going to select an option that’s not on this list, there are a few key things that you should look for, most notably a high refresh rate and a low response time. High resolution is a plus but can be compromised on as long as you stay above 1080p. Depending on whether you have an AMD or Nvidia GPU you’ll want either Freesync or G-Sync, respectively.
The more high-speed games you play, the more important things like adaptive sync and response time will be. On the other hand, for more in-depth games, like simulators or strategy games, things like resolution and screen size will become more important.
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