The best gaming monitor for upgrading your visuals

There's a lot more to gaming than sitting on your backside. It's about finely-honed skill, next-level visuals, and total immersion. And it's about having the right hardware. Specifically, a top-rated gaming monitor.

Monitors get better and better as technology advances. And it’s possible to get a solid gaming monitor for a low price. Then again, serious gamers want all the bells and whistles that more expensive monitors offer. Prepare yourself. Things can get pricey.

We've done our bit to help by researching some of the best monitors available, picking at a range of price points so there's something for every budget. But first, here's some useful information to help you choose a monitor.

What kind of gaming monitor do you need?

This depends on what kind of gaming you’ll be doing. For some, visuals are the most important part of a gaming monitor. These shoppers may want to go large-screen, and for something uber immersive, such as a curved screen. High resolution will be the key here. Some gamers prefer an ultra-wide monitor, but we think that awesome audio is also important to compliment a beautiful display. What’s cooler than a monitor that enables you to hear different noises from the game from different locations?

E-sports players, pro gamers, or those looking for something to enable multiplayer gaming will want to go with a monitor that supports high-speed gaming. While all the monitors we’ve included on this list work at great speeds, the best one for this type of player might be the ViewSonic Elite, which doesn’t compromise on speed or visuals. 

How big are gaming monitors?

Size is an important thing to nail down from the start. What size display do you want? How much desk space do you have? What's your budget? Usually, the bigger displays are on the more expensive side. Also, bigger isn't always better. Most monitors on this list are around the 27-inch mark, but it's possible to get bigger.

What resolution are gaming monitors?

The higher the resolution your display can produce, the higher pixel count, which creates better visual detail and clarity. You'll want something that is at least 1080p Full HD, but if you want the very best quality, aim for 4K. For something in between, there's 1440p, otherwise known as Quad HD.

What is refresh rate in gaming monitors?

This measures the number of times your monitor can refresh an image per second. If you have a good GPU in your PC, you should be able to handle a smooth frame rate, and can go for a high Hertz count. 144Hz is a good middle ground.

What does response time mean?

Response time is a measurement of how much time a pixel needs to go from black to white. When it comes to gaming, this will mostly affect camera movement — the lower the response time, the less motion blur you'll experience during gameplay. Response time is measured in milliseconds. Aim for a monitor with a response time of around 1 millisecond.

Do you need Adaptive Sync?

Adaptive Sync comes at no extra cost in most monitors, so it's important to make sure your chosen display includes it. AMD FreeSync and NVIDIA G-Sync are some of the more common versions, and prevent screen tearing while you play.

What are the best gaming monitors?

All the monitors we have lined up are spectacular, but we wanted to include monitors that span all price points, as well as monitors for different types of gamers. So you’ll find something for everyone and every budget in this list. With every choice, we kept resolution, refresh rate, and key features in mind.

These are the best gaming monitors in 2024.