Best Gaming Monitors 2020 – Top 10 Monitors For Any Budget

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Choosing the right gaming monitor can often give you a headache, considering the number of monitors on the market with all kinds of different specs and features. That’s why we’ve put together a list of the best gaming monitors of 2020, covering various budget and performance options, so you can choose the one that’s best for YOU.

When shopping for a gaming monitor, it doesn’t matter if you play games just for fun or at the highest level. Choosing the right gaming monitor will have a great impact on your overall gaming experience. It will significantly improve your visual experience, fully immerse you in your games and will also give you a competitive edge over your opponents.

Before we get into individual reviews, we will quickly go over the most important specs and explain how can they benefit you, so you can make the best decision and not waste your money on something you won’t make any use of. We recommend reading our full guide on how to buy a gaming monitor, before buying one for yourself.

What To Look For In a Gaming Monitor

Size and Resolution

When choosing the size of your monitor, consider the kind of games you usually play. If you mostly play competitive, fast-paced FPS games, the 27” is a golden standard, while 24” is also a very good option. 32” and above is usually better for MOBA games, strategies, racing and simulator games, since the slow speed of these game won’t cause you to disorientate during gameplay.

Once you’ve made up your mind on the size, make sure you pick a resolution that will be a good fit for the size of your screen. Some monitors come with lower resolution for their size, which results into lower PPI (pixel per inch), causing a worse visual experience. To achieve an optimal pixel density, check out the picture below:

Refreshing rate

Another very important factor when it comes to gaming monitors is refreshing rate. If your not familiar with this term, let me explain. Refreshing rate basically tells you how many times per second are the pixels on your screen able to turn off and turn on. It is measured in hertz and the most common refreshing rates nowadays are 60hz, 144hz and 240hz.

If you truly want a pleasant visual experience, forget about 60hz. These days, 144hz is the sweet spot you should be aiming for. 144hz monitors are getting more and more affordable and considering how much better they are compared to 60hz monitors, it is a nobrainer.

240hz monitors are the bread and butter of pro gamers and competitive gamers. They offer the smoothest frames, however if you want to pair a 240hz refreshing rate with an IPS panel and a higher resolution display, you will have to reach deep in your pocket.

Response Time

Same as the refreshing rate, response time is also related to the pixels inside of your screen. This metric tells you how fast are the pixels able to change from fully active(white) to fully inactive(black), then to fully active(white) again. It is measured in milliseconds and quicker means better, of course.

This directly correlates with the refreshing rate. With 60hz monitor you’ll get away with 8ms response time. If you are buying a 144hz monitor you should get one that has at least 4ms response time and 1-2ms is needed for 240hz monitors.

FreeSync and G-sync

Free Sync and G-Sync are technologies developed to synchronize your monitor and graphic card to ensure a smooth picture and prevent certain artifacts like ghost images, screen tearing or shuttering happening on your monitor.

In order to make a use of these technologies, you need to pair your graphics card with the either FreeSync or G-Sync. FreeSync was developed by AMD and supports their graphics cards and G-Sync was developed by nVidia and supports mainly their GPUs.

Curved or Flat?

This topic is rather individual, however we tend to lean more towards curved screens since they typical provide a better immersion and visual experience. Some studies have even found that people using curved screen experience less eye pain when gaming for a longer period of time.

However, there is no performance gain that comes with curved screen, so if you prefer flat screens better, you’re not missing out on extra fps or anything like that. Like we mentioned before, it is completely an individual preference.

Best Gaming Monitors 2020 Round Up

In the table below you will find all 10 gaming monitors we picked. Our picks cover various performance and budget options so anyone can pick according to their needs and budget. To see the full review, simply click ”review>>” on a respective row.

Product	Image	Rating
1. Asus ROG Swift PG35VQ “Best Overall“		9.9	Check Price review>>
2. Acer Nitro XV273K Pbmiipphzx “Best 4k monitor“		9.6	Check Price review>>
3. Dell AW3420DW Alienware “Best overall runner-up“		9.7	Check Price review>>
4. Acer Predator XB273K Sbmiprzx “Our pick“		9.3	Check Price review>>
5. GIGABYTE AORUS FI27Q “Best flat QHD monitor“		9.6	Check Price review>>
6. AOC AG273QCX “Great value pick“		9.4	Check Price review>>
7. Asus ROG Strix XG49VQ “Best ultra-wide monitor“		9.5	Check Price review>>
8. ASUS ROG STRIX XG258Q eSport Gaming  “Cheap 240Hz option“		9.2	Check Price review>>
9. Dell AW2518HF Alienware “Even cheaper 240Hz option“		9.3	Check Price review>>
10. HP 25x “Best budget pick“		8.9	Check Price review>>

1. Asus ROG Swift PG35VQ

Screen Size: 35″ | Resolution: Quad HD 3440 × 1440 | Panel Type: VA | Aspect Ratio: 21:9 | Response Time: 2ms | Refreshing rate: 200hz | Brightness: 1000cd/m2 | Contrast Rate: 2500:1 | Curved: Yes | I/O Ports: HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.4, USB 3.0 Type-B, 2x USB 3.0 Type-A, 3.5mm mini-jack

REASONS TO BUY

• Best Gaming Monitor On the Market
• True HDR1000
• Insanely Rich Colors
• Super Smooth Frames
• FALD with 512 zones
• Best Visual Experience You Can Get
• nVidia G-Sync Ultimate
• Quality Built with Great Aesthetics

REASONS TO AVOID

• Astronomical Price

Our Rating:   9.9/10

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If you’re looking for the best gaming monitor on the market and money is not an issue for you, look no more – the ASUS ROG Swift PG35VQ is a complete package and an ultimate gaming behemoth with a huge 35” screen, perfectly accurate color displaying, super detailed shadows and highlights thanks to the support of HDR1000, not to mention the 200hz refreshing rate which ensures perfectly smooth frames.

This monitor will literally suck you into your game, making it almost a real life experience. If you ever try this thing, you will hate to play games on any other monitor.

But like with all the good things in the world, there is a price to pay. And in this case, it is a monstrous one. Do we think it is too much? Well, that depends.

On one hand, with the same money you could literally buy eight 24inch 240hz monitors and make the widest multi-screen setup on the planet.

On the other hand, this is hands down the best monitor we’ve ever been lucky to lay our eyes on.

But the real question is: Is the PG35VQ really worth this much money?

Well, yes and no. You may be thinking right now we are crazy to try justifying the price of this thing. But If you haven’t tried it, you won’t understand. This is truly an incredible piece of tech and if you have the heart and soul of a gamer (and the money), this monitor won’t disappoint you in any way.

The Asus ROG Swift PG35VQ also features:

• G-Sync Ultimate – nVidia G-Sync Ultimate technology enables advanced features, such as 1,000-nit brightness, stunning contrast, cinematic color, and ultra-low latency to deliver the best HDR gaming experiences

• Aura Sync – With the RGB ROG logo on the back and a lighting system in the base of the stand, which projects an ROG logo on the desk below, you will be able to fully synchronize your monitor with other Aura Sync-enabled components

• Ergonomic Design – An ergonomically designed stand offers swivel, tilt and height adjustments, meaning you will be able to adjust the screen to the perfect viewing position

• Smart Fan Control – High-end monitors typically require a lot of power and therefore produce a lot of heat. That’s why ASUS came with the smart fan control technology, which will keep your monitor at an optimal temperature while producing minimum noise levels

• Flicker-Free and Low Blue Light Technologies – The Flicker-free technology eliminates flickering of the screen and optimizes brightness to reduce eye strain. Besides that, the Low Blue Light technology reduces the amount of harmful blue light for more convenient gameplay

2. Acer Nitro XV273K Pbmiipphzx

Screen Size: 27″ | Resolution: 4K Ultra HD 3840 × 2160 | Panel Type: IPS | Aspect Ratio: 16:9 | Response Time: 1ms | Refreshing rate: 144hz | Brightness: 350cd/m2 | Contrast Rate: 1000:1 | Curved: No | I/O Ports: 2x HDMI 1.4, 2x DisplayPort, 5x USB 3.0

REASONS TO BUY

• Super Sharp Display
• Beautifuly Rich and Accurate Colors
• Smooth 144hz Refreshing rate
• Great for Content Creation

REASONS TO AVOID

• Higher Price
• Quite Thick Bezels

Our Rating:   9.6/10

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The Acer Nitro XV273KPbmiipphzx claimed a second spot on our list for couple of reasons. Despite the fact It does not offer the same visual experience as the Predator X27 – the top monitor of acer’s lineup, it comes at a noticeably lower price point, while performing almost at the same level, making it a much more attractive option in our eyes.

Same as the X27, if offers the sharpness of 4k gaming, smoothness of 144hz and color accuracy via the IPS panel. The only drawback might be the HDR400, which compared to the HDR1000 produces worse image quality, which is even more noticeable when compared side by side.

With that being said, this monitor still offers an amazing image quality, which leads to not only an amazing immersion in games, but also the ability to do professional graphics designs, video editing and other content creation.

The Acer Nitro XV273KPbmiipphzx brings a lot to the table, being an all-in package with top gaming capabilities. If you decide on it, you won’t need to upgrade your monitor for a very long time.

The Acer Nitro XV273KPbmiipphzx also features:

• Flicker-Free and Low Blue Light Technologies – The Flicker-free technology eliminates flickering of the screen and optimizes brightness to reduce eye strain. The Low Blue Light technology reduces the amount of harmful blue light for more convenient gameplay

• Predator GameView – The Predator Gameview provides a number of features such as color adjusting, number of presets for different styles of games, dark boost and more to enhance you gaming experience

• 95% of the DCI-P3 color gamut – With support of 130% of the sRGB and 95% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, the current standard utilized by the film industry, your monitor will produce super accurate and rich colors

• Ergonomic Design – With an ergonomically designed stand, you will be able to make height, tilt and swivel adjustments, to easily find a perfect viewing angle.

3. Dell AW3420DW Alienware

Screen Size: 34″ | Resolution: Quad HD 3440 × 1440 | Panel Type: IPS | Aspect Ratio: 21:9 | Response Time: 2ms | Refreshing rate: 120hz | Brightness: 350cd/m2 | Contrast Rate: 1000:1 | Curved: Yes | I/O Ports: HDMI 1.4, DisplayPort 1.2, 2x USB 3.0 Type-A, 1x USB 3.0, 3.5mm headphone jack

REASONS TO BUY

• Perfectly Accurate Colors (98% of DCI-P3)
• Smooth 120Hz Display
• Super Immersive Wide Curved Screen
• Sleek Design With Custom Lighting

REASONS TO AVOID

• Higher Price
• No HDR

Our Rating:   9.7/10

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If you are into bigger screens like the ASUS PG35VQ, but don’t have that much money to spend, this widescreen alienware monitor might be exactly what you’re looking for.

If we compare these two against each other, it obviously doesn’t offer as much as the number one monitor on this list. It has lower refreshing rate, no HDR and worse peak brightness meaning you won’t get to the level of color richness and detail quality in shadows and highlights, like you would with the ASUS monitor.

However, it comes at half the price of the PG35VQ and has the fast IPS nano color panel, which offers the most accurate (98% of DCI-P3) out of all other panel types. Combined with 120hz refreshing rate and 2ms response time, The AW3420DW Alienware has it all. No doubt, this is a perfect pick for someone who is looking for a large screen with beautiful colors and immersive visual experience in games, but also who needs to do professional work on their monitor.

The Dell AW3420DW Alienware also features:

• Flicker-Free and Low Blue Light – The Flicker-free technology eliminates flickering of the screen and optimizes brightness to reduce eye strain and the Low Blue Light technology reduces the amount of harmful blue light for more convenient gameplay

• Modern Design – A unique design is something the alienware monitors have been known for. In this case you have the premium, brushed surface with super thin bezel, which give the monitor a very precise feel.

• AlienFX Custom Lighting – With four independent customizable lighting zones, you will have the power and freedom to fully personalize your monitor and also synchronize it with other AlienFX enabled components. You can also download unique themes for more than 145 different games.

• Dynamic On-screen Display – The on-screen display is easily accessible and has everything you need. It has a new gaming-centric menu with easy-to-use dashboard plus useful tools for gamers such as customizable preset game modes, FPS counter and more

4. Acer Predator XB273K Sbmiprzx

Screen Size: 27″ | Resolution: 4K Ultra HD 3840 × 2160 | Panel Type: IPS | Aspect Ratio: 16:9 | Response Time: 4ms | Refreshing rate: 144hz | Brightness: 350cd/m2 | Contrast Rate: 1000:1 | Curved: No | I/O Ports: HDMI 2.0, 2x DisplayPort, USB 3.0, 3.5mm headphone jack

REASONS TO BUY

• Ultimate 4k Gaming Monitor
• Accurate Colors and Great Viewing Angles
• HDR400 Certificate
• Super Sharp 27” Display
• Great for Content Creation

REASONS TO AVOID

• Stand Lacks Pivot Option
• Thick Bezels
• Premium Price

Our Rating:   9.3/10

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As a number four on our list we’ve picked the Acer Predator XB273KSbmiprzx, which has a lot to offer, especially if you’re looking for a high end 4k monitor. To be fair, this monitor is far from perfect – we would like to see a curved screen and thinner bezels to be really confident putting it higher up our ladder.

But if you don’t mind the design, this thing really delivers in terms of visual experience. The 4k resolution on a 27” IPS screen is as sharp as it gets and paired with 144hz refreshing rate, HDR400 and G-Sync it offers a smooth and super immersive gameplay.

Thanks to the IPS panel, the colors are very accurate (90.1% of the DCI-P3 color gamut) and even though this monitor was made to be a merciless gaming machine, you can also use it for some serious content creation.

However, if you want to play newer, high demanding games on this monitor at 4k with 144hz, you’ll need a powerful graphics card – preferably an nVidia card, to be able to take advantage of the G-Sync technology.

The Acer Predator XB273KSbmiprzx also features:

• Ergonomic Design – With a unique, ergonomical, full metal stand, you will be able to make height, tilt and swivel adjustments to find a perfect viewing angle.

• Predator GameView – The Predator Gameview provides a number of features like color adjusting, number of presets for different styles of games, dark boost and more to enhance your gaming experience

• Flicker-Free and Low Blue Light – Flicker-free technology eliminates flickering of the screen and optimizes brightness to reduce eye strain. Low Blue Light technology reduces the amount of harmful blue light for more convenient gameplay

5. GIGABYTE AORUS FI27Q

Screen Size: 27″ | Resolution: Quad HD 2560 × 1440 | Panel Type: IPS | Aspect Ratio: 16:9 | Response Time: 1ms | Refreshing rate: 165hz | Brightness: 350cd/m2 | Contrast Rate: 1000:1 | Curved: No | I/O Ports: 2x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort 1.2, 2x USB 3.0, 3.5mm headphone jack

REASONS TO BUY

• Crisp QHD Resolution
• Rich and Accurate Colors (95% of DPI-P3)
• 165hz Refreshing Rate For Smooth Frames
• Loaded With Features for Gamers
• Attractive Design

REASONS TO AVOID

• Limited Contrast Ratio

Our Rating:   9.6/10

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One of the latest addition to AORUS monitor line up is the FI27Q. If you’re familiar AORUS products, you’ll know the design and quality is what they excel at. And the FI27Q is no exception. It has a very likable, premium design with an ergonomic stand and RGB LED zones on the back, which are fully customizable via RGB Fusion 2.0.

But if we put the design aside, the main reason we like this monitor so much is the high quality IPS panel with QHD resolution, 165hz refreshing rate and 1ms response time. The IPS panel provides the most accurate colors, making it a perfect fit for someone who is not only a gamer, but also a content creator. As a gamer though, you will appreciate the 165hz refreshing rate giving you a super smooth frames, especially if you play FPS games.

What sets this monitor apart from the competition is the number of little features and tools, such as the gameassist, black equalizer, noise cancellation tool, and many more, which will give you a an edge over you opponents.

If you’re looking for a high-end 1440p gaming monitor, you must consider this one.

The GIGABYTE AORUS FI27Q also features:

• Ergonomic Design – With an ergonomically designed stand, you will be able to make height, tilt, pivot, and swivel adjustments, to easily find a perfect viewing angle.

• Flicker-Free and Low Blue Light Technologies – The Flicker-free technology eliminates flickering of the screen and optimizes brightness to reduce eye strain. The Low Blue Light technology reduces the amount of harmful blue light for more convenient gameplay

• Built-in Digital LED – As most of the premium gaming monitors, the AORUS FI27Q also offers multiple RGB LED zones, which can be customized and synchronized with other components via the RGB Fusion App.

• Aim Stabilizer – This feature will be helpful especially if you play FPS games. It helps to reduce blur and enhance visual clarity when firing a weapon that produces a strong recoil. This easy-to-use feature will help you improve your aim and maintain clarity in the game to an extent.

• Game Assist – The Gameassist is another neat feature that will give you a small edge over your opponents. It gives you the ability to create custom crosshair, use an onscreen timer to keep track of your game time or enemies cooldowns for example and much more.

6. AOC AG273QCX

Screen Size: 27″ | Resolution: Quad HD 2560 × 1440 | Panel Type: VA | Aspect Ratio: 16:9 | Response Time: 1ms | Refreshing rate: 144hz | Brightness: 400cd/m2 | Contrast Rate: 3000:1 | Curved: Yes | I/O Ports: 2x HDMI 2.0, 2x DisplayPort 1.4, VGA, 4x USB 3.0

REASONS TO BUY

• Sharp QHD Display
• Excepional Contrast Ratio via the VA Panel
• 144hz For Smooth Gameplay
• Good All-in-one Monitor
• Plenty of Connectivity Options
• Reasonable Price

REASONS TO AVOID

• Design Lacks Pivot Adjustments
• FreeSync Issues with nVidia Cards

Our Rating:   9.4/10

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The AOC AG273QCX might be one of the best QHD monitors using a VA panel. The reason we say that is it combines the main benefit of a VA panel, which is high contrast ratio (one of the most important aspects for a color richness) with 144hz refreshing rate and 1ms response time.

That allows you to do literally everything on your monitor. It provides incredible smoothness which helps in competitive games but also offers great immersion through displaying colors in a satisfying depth. It also allows for a decent content creation making it a great all-in-one package.

The design is rather simple, although still very precise with thin bezels, high quality stand and a RGB ring on the back which can be easily customized. If you consider how much value the AOC AG273QCX brings compared to others, much more expensive monitors, you will quickly become a big AGON fan, jut like we have.

The AOC AG273QCX also features:

• AMD Fresync2 – This monitor is equipped with AMD FreeSync2 technology meaning your monitor and GPU will be able to synchronize with each other and prevent screen tearing, shuttering and other unpleasant artifacts happening on your screen during your gameplay

• AOC Flicker-Free and AOC Low Blue Light – The Flicker-free technology eliminates flickering of the screen and optimizes brightness to reduce eye strain. The Low Blue Light technology reduces the amount of harmful blue light for more convenient gameplay

• Ergonomic Design – With an ergonomically designed stand, you will be able to make height, tilt and swivel adjustments, to easily find a perfect viewing angle

• Built-in Speakers – High quality speakers on the back of the monitor give you an option to watch movies or play music directly from your monitor

7. Asus ROG Strix XG49VQ

Screen Size: 49″ | Resolution: 3840 x 1080 (DFHD) | Panel Type: VA | Aspect Ratio: 32:9 | Response Time: 4ms | Refreshing rate: 144hz | Brightness: 450cd/m2 | Contrast Rate: 3000:1 | Curved: Yes | I/O Ports: 2x HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.2, 2x USB 3.0 Type-A, 1x USB 3.0 Type-B, 3.5mm mini-jack

REASONS TO BUY

• Super Immersive Gameplay
• Awesome Color Depth
• Supports HDR
• Solid Build Quality
• Packed With Useful Features

REASONS TO AVOID

• The Display Is Not as Sharp (81 PPI)
• Does Not Work Well with FPS Games
• Lacks RGB

Our Rating:   9.5/10

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The Super Ultra Wide Screens have found themselves a lot of fans and haters over the years and for that reason we can’t recommend it to everyone. Though, if you are thinking about purchasing a super ultra wide monitor for yourself, the Asus ROG Strix XG49VQ certainly belongs to the top tier in its category.

On the other hand, if you are not sure whether or not an ultra wide monitor is a good choice, lets us pass along a bit of knowledge we accumulated during our time playing on this thing.

Firstly, games like 3rd person shooters, any kinds of driving or flying simulators, racing games, RPG and strategy games will become exponentially better on this monitor (due to the extra peripheral vision and super immersion) and if you happen to try it for couple of days like we did, you will hate to go back to a standard 16:9 monitor.

Also, multitasking is super convenient with this monitor, especially with some of the features ASUS offer to make thing well-arranged on your screen.

All in all, if you play the kind of games I mentioned above and you know you can use that extra space this monitors offers, I can only recommend you the ROG Strix XG49VQ.

But to be fair, there are some games that don’t support super ultra wide monitors. Make sure to do some research before purchasing one for yourself.

The Asus ROG Strix XG49VQ also features:

• Picture by Picture Hotkeys – With this feature you will be able to manually adjust the layout on your screen, or choose from different options to achieve the best fit for you current needs.

• Shadow Boost Technology – This feature brightens up darker areas in the game which improves your vision and you will be able to spot enemies hiding in dark.

• Multiple HDR Modes – the ROG Strix XG49VQ comes with multiple HDR modes, enabling you to choose one that fits best the current scenario

• Flicker-Free and Low Blue Light Technologies – The Flicker-free technology eliminates flickering of the screen and optimizes brightness to reduce eye strain. The Low Blue Light technology reduces the amount of harmful blue light for more convenient gameplay

• Ergonomic Design – ROG Strix XG49VQ features a stand that’s designed to be ergonomic. It offers extensive swivel, tilt and height adjustments to ensure that your ideal viewing angle is easy to achieve.

8. ASUS ROG STRIX XG258Q eSport Gaming

Screen Size: 24.5″ | Resolution: Full HD 1920 × 1080 | Panel Type: TN | Aspect Ratio: 16:9 | Response Time: 1ms | Refreshing rate: 240hz | Brightness: 400cd/m2 | Contrast Rate: 1000:1 | Curved: No | I/O Ports: 2x HDMI 1.4, DisplayPort 1.2, 2x USB 3.0, 3.5mm headphone jack

REASONS TO BUY

• Super Smooth Frames With 240hz
• 1ms Refreshing Rate
• Great Price
• Loaded With Features For Gamers
• Used By Pro Gamers

REASONS TO AVOID

• Poor Color Displaying
• TN panel
• Older Model

Our Rating:   9.2/10

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If you’re looking for an affordable 240hz gaming monitor, the ASUS ROG STRIX XG258Q might just be the perfect option for you. Yes, we know this isn’t ASUS’s latest and greatest monitor, but over the time it has dropped nearly $200 from what you would pay for it when it first came out.

It was used by professional gamers from all around the world and for a good reason. It offers butter-smooth display with 240hz refreshing rate. Also, the 1080p resolution is still very sharp on a 24” screen, so you don’t need to worry about the lower resolution.

On the downside, the monitor uses a TN panel, which won’t make you happy in terms of color accuracy and depth. But that’s something to expect with a TN panel.

Anyways, if you’re a pure gamer with the need of having the smoothest, most responsive screen to dominate your opponents even more, this monitor is a must for you, especially considering the price.

The ASUS ROG STRIX XG258Q eSport Gaming also features:

• Aura Sync RGB Lighting – With the RGB ROG logo on the back and a lighting system in the base of the stand which projects an ROG logo on the desk below, you will be able to customize and fully synchronize your monitor with other Aura Sync-enabled components

• Super Narrow Bezel – Thanks to the super narrow bezel, you will be able to set-up a multi-display with ease, if you ever decide on it

• Gameplus Technology – This technology has been developed with input from pro gamers and offers features like custom crosshair, timer, fps counter which will help you gain a small edge over your opponents

• Ergonomic Design – The ergonomically design stand allows you to make height, tilt, pivot and swivel adjustments, to easily find the perfect viewing angle.

• Flicker-Free and Low Blue Light Technologies – The Flicker-free technology eliminates flickering of the screen and optimizes brightness to reduce eye strain. The Low Blue Light technology reduces the amount of harmful blue light for more convenient gameplay

9. Dell AW2518HF Alienware

Screen Size: 24.5″ | Resolution: Full HD 1920 × 1080 | Panel Type: TN | Aspect Ratio: 16:9 | Response Time: 1ms | Refreshing rate: 240hz | Brightness: 400cd/m2 | Contrast Rate: 1000:1 | Curved: No | I/O Ports: HDMI 1.4, DisplayPort 1.2, 4x USB 3.0, 3.5mm jack

REASONS TO BUY

• 240hz Refreshing Rate
• Decent Price
• Nice Aesthethics
• Decent Color Displaying For a TN panel

REASONS TO AVOID

• Poorer Viewing Angles
• Older Model

Our Rating:   9.3/10

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The Dell AW2518HF Alienware offers basically the same as the ROG STRIX XG258Q. It also has 240hz refreshing rate, 1ms response time and a TN panel with 1080p resolution, making in the best option for a competitive gamers, streamers and pro gamers, while not costing an arm and a leg.

However, if we avoid the discussion which one of the two has better design, the AW2518HF Alienware has an advantage and if you have an AMD graphics card in your PC, make it two.

Compared to the ASUS XG258Q, this monitor comes at a noticeably lower price and also comes with AMD Free Sync, making it a nobrainer for someone with an AMD graphics card. Unless you’re an ASUS die hard fan.

The Dell AW2518HF Alienware also features:

• Super Thin Bezel – Thanks to the super narrow bezel, you will be able to set-up a multi-display with ease, if you ever decide on it

• AMD FreeSync – This monitor is equipped with AMD FreeSync technology meaning your monitor and GPU will be able to synchronize with each other and prevent screen tearing, shuttering and other unpleasant artifacts happening on your screen

• Ergonomic Design – An ergonomically designed stand offers swivel, tilt and height adjustments, meaning you will be able to adjust the screen to a perfect viewing position

• Team Liquid Partnership – If you’re not familiar with alienware monitors, you don’t have to worry about their quality – Team Liquid, one of the most accomplished eSports team signed a partnership with dell and this exact monitor was used by all of their players

10. HP 25x

Screen Size: 24.5″ | Resolution: Full HD 1920 × 1080 | Panel Type: TN | Aspect Ratio: 16:9 | Response Time: 1ms | Refreshing rate: 144hz | Brightness: 400cd/m2 | Contrast Rate: 1000:1 | Curved: No | I/O Ports: HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort, 3.5mm jack

REASONS TO BUY

• Smooth Frames With 144hz
• 1ms Response time
• Great Price to Performance Ratio
• Neat Design
• Sharp Display

REASONS TO AVOID

• Stand Only Allows Height Adjustment
• Poor Viewing Angles
• Plastic Parts Feel Cheap

Our Rating:   8.9/10

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The last one on our list but certainly not the least is the HP 25x gaming monitor. If you’re on a budget and looking for an upgrade over an older, 60hz monitor to achieve the smoothness of 144hz refreshing rate and 1ms response time, we really recommend you looking more into this one.

This monitor runs at 1080p on a TN panel, meaning you can expect worse viewing angles and worse color reproduction compared to other, higher quality monitors, but having tested the HP 25x, we can assure you the display on a 24” screen is very sharp and in games like Overwatch and CS:GO, where you can easily get 144fps with a decent graphics card, the frames are super smooth.

The bottom line is, if you want monitor purely for gaming and also want to make the upgrade from 60hz to 144hz for the lowest price possible, while also getting a decent display, the HP 25x is a great option.

You can even upgrade to a dual-monitor down the road. With price this low and the super thin design and the monitor actually doing a decent job, it is something to definitely keep in mind.

The HP 25x also features:

• AMD Freesync – This monitor is equipped with AMD FreeSync technology meaning you monitor and GPU will be able to synchronize with each other and prevent screen tearing, shuttering and other unpleasant artifacts happening on your screen

• Super Thin Bezels – Thanks to the super narrow bezel, you will be able to set-up a multi-display with ease, if you ever decide on it

• Height Adjustable Stand – Despite lacking the ability to make tilt or swivel adjustments, you can still adjust the height of your monitor, which is better than nothing I guess

You might also like:

• Best Gaming Mice 2020
• Best Gaming Keyboards 2020
• Best Graphics Cards 2020

There you have it. Those were our top ten gaming monitors for 2020. If you want to share your thoughts and experiences, or you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comment section below and we will be more than happy to help you out.

Cheers!

Richard