PC gaming isn’t really a budget-friendly hobby.
While console gamers can use the family TV, for a PC you often need a dedicated monitor, which can add to the cost of an already pricey setup. It’s possible, however, to get the cost down by selecting budget-friendly components, and a monitor is one of the prime candidates for this.
At its simplest, a monitor is a device for displaying the video output of the computer’s graphics chip, and there are various technologies that can achieve this. High-end monitors can support display enhancements such as HDR or extremely high framerates, 4K or higher resolutions and come in enormous sizes that rival TVs. At the lower cost end of the market, you can still get a 1080p panel with a 60Hz refresh rate that’s perfectly acceptable for the majority of PC games and has been the standard for years.
While higher framerates can be useful in competitive shooters, where those extra frames can make the difference between spotting an opponent coming and not seeing what killed you, a framerate of 60fps is enough for a smooth experience in most games, and many PCs will struggle to provide even that in the latest titles, especially if you’ve been economical with your choice of graphics card.
Then there's the monitor tech itself. There have been several options for what’s going on behind your screen, usually TN (Twisted Nematic), VA (Vertical Alignment) or IPS (In-Plane Switching) panels, which have been joined recently by top-end OLED screens which offer a brighter, more colourful picture but at a premium price. This means the older tech has dropped in price, and an IPS monitor, with its wide viewing angle and superior colour accuracy, is now within reach of budget shoppers. This doesn’t mean you should rule out TN screens, however, as they can offer good response times and contrast at a good price.
Here are some of the best gaming monitors out there.
Best cheap gaming monitors at a glance:
- Best for all-round gaming: AOC AGON 27G2SAE - £150, Amazon
- Best for a step up from 1080p: Cooler Master GA271 - £139, Amazon
- Best for 4K on a budget: Z-Edge 28 Inch 4K Monitor - £220, Amazon
- Best for switching between PCs: Gigabyte G27F2 - £220, Argos
- Best for the basics, done right: ViewSonic VX2718-P-MHD - £178, Amazon
- Best for a bargain: ASUS VA24EHE - £129, Amazon
- Best for work and play: BenQ GW2485TC - £149, Amazon
- Best for gaming immersion: MSI G27CQ4 E2 - £269, Amazon
AOC AGON 27G2SAE
Best for: all-round gaming
This 27-inch, 1080p VA screen offers an excellent 165Hz refresh rate for the price, and comes with LED backlighting for an evenly lit picture.
If that refresh rate isn’t enough, you can switch the screen into a Low Input Lag mode that prioritises its response time, while for the best quality visuals, you can synchronise its refresh rate with your graphics card using AMD’s Freesync Premium adaptive sync tech. With a peak brightness of 350 nits and a pair of 2W speakers built-in, this beats a lot of other budget screens.
Buy now £150.00, Amazon
Cooler Master GA271
Best for: a step up from 1080p
The 1440p resolution sits between 1080p and 4K, and so represents a step up in image quality and sharpness without having to push your graphics card too far.
This 100Hz model from Cooler Master offers a VA panel with adaptive sync, to prevent screen tearing seen when the screen and graphics chip get out of sync with each other, and support for the HDR 10 standard for more vibrant colours.
Buy now £138.99, Amazon
Z-Edge 28 Inch 4K Monitor
Best for: 4K on a budget
Having a 4K screen at just 28 inches across the diagonal would make no sense for a TV, but you sit closer to a computer monitor and are more likely to be able to see the improvements in sharpness it provides. This screen uses an IPS panel, a rarity at this price point, and offers a 60Hz refresh rate and 300 nits of brightness with HDR10 support.
There are four inputs too, meaning you can use it to hook up multiple computers or consoles, or even insert a streaming stick to put the built-in speakers to work.
Buy now £220.00, Amazon
Gigabyte G27F2
Best for: switching between PCs
The 27-inch, 1080p panel is a common sight on the budget gaming monitor market. This one comes with a 144Hz refresh rate from its IPS panel, which offers a sharp and colourful picture even though it doesn’t support any HDR tech.
There are three video inputs and a small USB hub, so you can easily use it for switching between multiple computers if you have a work laptop alongside your gaming battle station.
Buy now £220.00, Argos
ViewSonic VX2718-P-MHD
Best for: the basics, done right
A 27-inch 1080p VA panel with a 165Hz refresh rate, this screen offers everything you need in an HD gaming monitor. There are dual integrated speakers and three inputs so you can put it to work as a display for multiple devices, while LED backlighting ensures there are no dark spots in the picture.
Buy now £178.00, Amazon
ASUS VA24EHE
Best for: a bargain
This budget 1080p screen takes a dip in size down to a 24-inch diagonal, but retains the HD resolution and a 75Hz refresh rate. As a slightly older model, it can often be found being discounted to less than £100, so it’s worth shopping around for a bargain.
There's an IPS panel at work here, so you’ll get a sharp and colourful picture with a wide viewing angle, and there's adaptive sync to reduce screen tearing. But, there are no integrated speakers and it shows its age by having VGA and DVI inputs alongside a single HDMI port, with no sign of more modern DisplayPort or USB-C connections.
Buy now £129.00, Amazon
BenQ GW2485TC
Best for: work and play
This 24-inch screen from BenQ is a home office model, but it still has a lot to offer for gamers. There's a built-in noise-cancelling microphone and speaker, so you can use it for meetings or online gaming, HDMI and DisplayPort inputs, and a USB-C connection with 60W power output that can connect to your gaming laptop with a single cable. It’s fitted with an LED backlight for an evenly lit picture, and has a 75Hz refresh rate that will please all but the most demanding of gamers.
Buy now £149.00, Amazon
MSI G27CQ4 E2
Best for: gaming immersion
This 27-inch curved monitor is more expensive than many on this list, but shows you what you get if you step up the price hierarchy a bit. Its refresh rate is 170Hz, making for lightning-fast response times, and the curved screen, along with its extremely thin bezel, gives the impression of being enveloped in your game, increasing the feeling of immersion.
It has a 10-bit colour display gamut, an LED backlight, and a VA panel making it all work. The brightness of 250 nits might be surpassed elsewhere, but with the lights down low and the sound turned up, this screen can really bring you into the game.
Buy now £269.00, Amazon
Verdict
It’s possible to blow your wallet right open when choosing a gaming monitor, but it doesn’t have to be that way. The most recent technology has brought diminishing returns to the way we view our games, and as long as a screen can display a decent contrast ratio and a smooth framerate, you’ll likely be happy.
This doesn’t mean you have to settle for something outdated or which gives a poor picture, as the monitors on this list, such as the AOC AGON 27G2SAE and Cooler Master GA271 show. For less than £200 you can get yourself a screen that will handle multiple computers, consoles or streaming sticks, and at a size that doesn’t completely dominate a smaller room.
