Aleksandar Stevanovic spent 10 years honing his craft as a freelance content writer. He has a degree in Economics, and extensive experience in software, crypto,…
When showing off their setups, gamers often talk about their PC’s specs, but the monitor is equally important to the overall game experience. The best gaming monitor can make a world of difference in visual quality and maximum FPS displayed, so you shouldn’t skimp on this crucial component.
In this guide, we’ll give you detailed reviews and a comparison of the best monitors for gaming, so you can find the one that perfectly complements your PC build or console and fits within your budget.
Here’s our full list of the best monitors for gaming in 2024:
AOC AGON 24G2SPAE — Overall, the best gaming monitor for 2024 with six display presets and built-in speakers.
BenQ GL2780 — Best budget gaming monitor, with superior connectivity that delivers stunning visuals and authentic colours.
Iiyama G-Master Curved LCD — An ultrawide curved monitor that’s perfect for playing immersive FPS and simulation games.
Samsung U32R592 UHD 4K — Best 4K gaming monitor, which supports a billion colour hues for true-to-life ultra HD experiences.
Asus TUF Gaming HDR Monitor — High dynamic range and a slew of advanced options for improved saturation and better colour contrast.
Samsung SR35 — Affordable full HD LED display with AMD Radeon FreeSync compatibility to play modern games without lag.
BenQ Mobiuz EX2510S — Stylish model with a variety of built-in image optimisation features for brightness and contrast adjustments, darker blacks, and sharper images.
Acer Nitro VG240YSbmi — Full HD monitor with FreeSync compatibility and visual response boost technology.
MSI G2722 FHD — Frameless monitor with a wide viewing angle that supports up to 16.7 billion colours and a lightning-fast 1ms response rate.
Samsung CF39 Series — High-end 240Hz refresh rate, G-Sync compatibility, and a curved screen that reduces eye fatigue.
Dell S2721DGFA QHD — Premium solution for fast response times and vivid colours which is compatible with both FreeSync and G-Sync.
The Best Monitors for Gaming Reviewed
Read our in-depth review of the top gaming monitors to see how they compare head-to-head and choose the one that’s best for you.
1. AOC AGON — Overall, the Best Gaming Monitor With Six Display Presets and Built-in Speakers
AOC AGON 24G2SPAE is a 23.8″ monitor with a 165Hz refresh rate, displaying up to 240 frames per second in 1080p Full High Definition (FHD).
The monitor features an IPS (In-Plane Switching) panel that leverages parallel-aligned liquid crystals to produce rich, accurate colours for a fully immersive gaming experience. The colours remain consistent and full regardless of what angle you’re viewing the monitor from.
With an average MPRT (Moving Picture Response Time) of 1ms, AOC 24G2SPAE is ideal for first-person and third-person shooters, where a fraction of a second could make all the difference. It also features a Low Input Lag mode that optimises the display for raw response time, giving you a slight edge in fast-paced games.
Price
Screen Size
Panel Type
Refresh Rate
Aspect Ratio
Resolution
Response Time
G-Sync or FreeSync
From £120
23.8″
IPS
165Hz
16:9
1920 x 1080
1ms
FreeSync Premium
Another incredibly useful feature of this monitor is the ability to easily switch between different presets and adapt the display according to the game you’re playing. Three presets are already fine-tuned for RTS, FPS, and racing, with three other profiles you can fully customise according to your preference.
Additionally, AOC 24G2SPAE gives you full control over shadows and brightness. You can easily adjust low-lit areas for better visibility or delve into the darkness when playing horror and survival games without affecting other display settings.
On top of stunning visuals, this monitor also offers superb sound through two built-in speakers. This frees up a USB port and lets you enjoy your favourite games and watch movies and TV shows without the hassle of connecting external speakers. Thanks to its narrow border, AOC 24G2SPAE is also ideal for a multi-monitor setup.
2. BenQ GL2780 — Best Budget Gaming Monitor, with Superior Connectivity
BenQ GL2780 is a 27″ Full HD monitor with a 75Hz refresh rate, displaying between 120 and 150 FPS in most modern games. One thing to note is that you’ll have to manually change the Windows default refresh rate from 60Hz to 75Hz to utilise this monitor’s full potential.
Price
Screen Size
Panel Type
Refresh Rate
Aspect Ratio
Resolution
Response Time
G-Sync or FreeSync
From £130
27″
LED
75Hz
16:9
1920 x 1080
1ms GTG
N/A
The monitor has a 1ms GTG (Gray to Gray transition) response time, ensuring every game detail is clearly visible on screen and eliminating motion blur. It’s built with a combination of LED and a TN (Twisted Nematic) panel to bring you stunning visuals with authentic colours, deeper blacks, and sharper details.
Its standout feature is the Brightness Intelligence technology, which automatically adjusts the game brightness based on what’s happening on-screen and ambient light conditions. This ensures you’re enjoying the games how they are meant to be played, without manually tweaking brightness settings when switching from one title to another.
Another massive advantage of BenQ GL2780 over other monitors is its superior connectivity. The monitor has HDMI, DVI, DP, and VGA ports, so you’ll have no trouble connecting it to your GPU or console.
3. Iiyama G-Master Curved LCD — Ultrawide Curved Gaming Monitor, Perfect for FPS Games
Iiyama G-Master Curved LCD is a 32″ ultrawide monitor with a 144Hz refresh rate and 2560 x 1440 resolution for gamers who want a fully immersive gaming experience with immaculate visuals.
The monitor was built on VA LCD technology, which offers wide viewing angles and superb colour contrast, letting you experience even the most subtle nuances between dark and light colours.
Price
Screen Size
Panel Type
Refresh Rate
Aspect Ratio
Resolution
Response Time
G-Sync or FreeSync
From £260
32″
VA
144Hz
16:9
2560 x 1440
1ms (MPRT)
AMD FreeSync Premium
The curved 1800R design extends your peripheral vision and provides a more realistic and immersive gaming experience. This is especially important for FPS and simulation games, where you want to focus on what’s in front of you and be aware of everything happening in the background.
Iiyama G-Master Curved LCD comes with AMD FreeSync Premium, allowing it to seamlessly synchronise with the framerate of FreeSync compatible GPUs, ensuring low input latency and eliminating visual artefacts like screen tearing and stuttering. Combined with Low Frame Rate Compensation (LFC) support, this ensures the free transition of frames for maximum performance.
The monitor comes with various predefined gaming modes but also allows you to fully customise display profiles to quickly switch between the settings presets for different games. It also relies on the proprietary Black Tuner technology to enable you to adjust brightness and shades on the fly, helping you spot enemies from further away.
Another advantage of the Iiyama G-Master Curved LCD monitor is its built-in speakers and a headphone socket, so you can plug your gaming headset directly into the monitor rather than the PC case.
4. Samsung U32R592 — Best 4K Gaming Monitor, Supporting a Billion Hues
Samsung U32R592 is a 32″ curved monitor that supports resolutions of up to 3840 x 2160 pixels.
This 1500R curved monitor offers fully immersive viewing, displaying life-like 4k Ultra HD images, making you feel like you’ve entered the game’s world. Its curved display lets your eyes maintain a constant distance from the screen, resulting in less eye fatigue than flat-screen monitors. This lets you comfortably game for extended periods.
Price
Screen Size
Panel Type
Refresh Rate
Aspect Ratio
Resolution
Response Time
G-Sync or FreeSync
From £275
32″
Samsung panel
60Hz
1.27:1
3840 x 2160
1ms
N/A
What truly makes this monitor stand out is that it supports a billion hues and a 2500:1 contrast ratio. In simple terms, it can produce a much wider range of colours and deeper blacks than a regular monitor. This results in truer colours to real life, resulting in a much more realistic and visually stunning viewing and gaming experience.
The monitor features UHD Upscaling, which seamlessly converts SD, HD, and Full HD content to near UHD-level image quality, so you can enjoy movies, TV shows, and online streams to the fullest.
When it comes to gaming, this model features a dedicated Game Mode that automatically optimises image contrast in different game scenes to make every colour on the screen clearer and give you that competitive edge.
Another reason to opt for this Samsung monitor is its PBP (Picture-by-Picture) capability, which lets you connect it to two devices and view the input from both simultaneously. This is great for any creative work where you need the processing power of two machines and want to see the input from multiple programs on the same screen.
5. Asus TUF Gaming HDR Monitor — High Dynamic Range and Options for Improved Saturation and Colour Contrast
Asus TUF Gaming HDR Monitor is a 27″ Full HD monitor with a fast IPS panel and a refresh rate of up to 280Hz. One thing to keep in mind is that the 280Hz refresh rate requires overclocking.
The Asus fast IPS technology provides a 1ms response time (GTG). It ensures low input latency, making this monitor ideal for shooters, real-time strategy games, and other genres where fast responses make all the difference between victory and defeat.
Price
Screen Size
Panel Type
Refresh Rate
Aspect Ratio
Resolution
Response Time
G-Sync or FreeSync
From £200
27″
IPS
Up to 280Hz
16:9
1920 x 1080
1ms (GTG)
G-Sync
The monitor also supports Asus Low Motion Blur Sync (ELMB SYNC) technology, making it compatible with G-Sync-compatible GPUs. In combination, this eliminates screen tearing and ghosting, providing sharper visuals and smoother gameplay performance.
What makes Asus TUF Gaming HDR Monitor stand out is the High Dynamic Range technology, which improves saturation and colour contrast, resulting in higher image quality, brighter whites, and darker blacks.
You can also leverage the Asus Shadow Boost to highlight darker areas of the game and improve the visibility of the lit regions, so you don’t have to adjust the brightness/gamma of the entire game.
The monitor supports various connectivity options, including DisplayPort 1.2, two HDMI 2.0 ports, and an earphone jack, so you can easily connect it to different multimedia devices.
6. Samsung SR35 — Affordable Full HD Display With AMD Radeon FreeSync Compatibility
Samsung SR35 is a 24″ flat LED monitor with a Full HD display and supports FreeSync for smooth, stutter-free gameplay.
With a refresh rate of 75Hz, you can play modern AAA titles in full HD at 60 FPS without any lag or ghosting effects. The AMD Radeon FreeSync helps keep your monitor and GPU in sync, minimising screen tear and stuttering and ensuring a decently fast response time (5ms).
Price
Screen Size
Panel Type
Refresh Rate
Aspect Ratio
Resolution
Response Time
G-Sync or FreeSync
From £120
24″
LED
75Hz
16:9
1920 x 1080
5ms
AMD Radeon FreeSync
While not as fast as monitors higher up on our list, Samsung SR35 does offer excellent performance for the money. The monitor automatically adjusts the colour settings and image contrasts, allowing you to see even the smallest details more clearly and spot monsters and enemies hiding in the dark.
The LED display also employs advanced eye comfort technology to reduce eye strain, letting you game for hours without experiencing eye fatigue.
Its design with super-narrow edges makes Samsung SR35 an excellent option for a multi-monitor setup, providing an almost gapless view that’s ideal for gaming and work.
7. BenQ Mobiuz EX2510S — Stylish Monitor With Built-in Image Optimization Features
BenQ Mobiuz EX2510S is a 24.5″ flat HDR monitor with FreeSync Premium support and a 165Hz refresh rate.
The monitor has built-in optimization, consisting of BenQ HDRi technology that improves performance through brightness and contrast adjustments, Light Tuner, and Black eQualizer for darker blacks and sharper images.
Price
Screen Size
Panel Type
Refresh Rate
Aspect Ratio
Resolution
Response Time
G-Sync or FreeSync
From £210
24.5″
IPS
165Hz
16:9
1920 x 1080
1ms
AMD FreeSync Premium
BenQ Mobiuz features scenario mapping, allowing you to create multiple presets for different games and switch between them with a single button tap on your monitor’s Gaming Quick OSD (On-Screen Display). This lets you optimise your gaming experience without manually fine-tuning the settings whenever you switch games.
The monitor also comes with two built-in 2.5W speakers and a DSP (Digital Sound Processor) chip, which you can fine-tune using three different custom sound modes for superb audio and a truly immersive gaming experience.
8. Acer Nitro — Full HD Monitor With FreeSync Compatibility and Visual Response Boost Technology
Acer Nitro VG240YSbmi is a 23.8″ full HD gaming monitor with an IPS panel and a 165 Hz refresh rate, so it offers crisp, smooth, lag-free gameplay.
Price
Screen Size
Panel Type
Refresh Rate
Aspect Ratio
Resolution
Response Time
G-Sync or FreeSync
From £190
23.8″
IPS
165Hz
16:9
1920 x 1080
2ms (1ms with VRB)
AMD Radeon FreeSync
The monitor has a standard response time of 2ms; however, it comes with the Visual Response Boost (VRB) technology that can improve the response time to 1ms, eliminating any traces of motion blur and ghosting. It’s also compatible with Radeon FreeSync, ensuring an artefact-free visual performance at up to 120 FPS.
Thanks to the Acer display widget, you can quickly adjust the monitor’s settings on the fly. There are presets to choose from, pre-tuned for gaming, movies, sports, and work. You can also configure and save your own settings to easily switch between multiple profiles for different games.
Acer Nitro VG240YS also comes with a built-in 2W speaker system, which ensures the audio is as good as the visuals and lets you fully immerse yourself in the games you’re playing.
9. MSI G2722 — Frameless Monitor With a Wide Viewing Angle That Supports Up to 16.7 Billion Colours
MSI G2722 FHD Gaming Monitor is a 27″ Full HD monitor with a standard 920 x1080 IPS panel and a high refresh rate of 170Hz, perfect for smooth aiming and motion tracking in FPS games.
The monitor’s lightning-fast 1ms response rate and a 178-degree wide viewing angle make it an excellent choice for gaming, especially in combination with the MSI Night Vision technology that enhances crucial game details in dark environments.
Price
Screen Size
Panel Type
Refresh Rate
Aspect Ratio
Resolution
Response Time
G-Sync or FreeSync
From £199
27″
IPS
170Hz
16:9
1920 x 1080
1ms
AMD FreeSync Premium
It’s fully compatible with AMD FreeSync Premium, so you won’t have to worry about visual artefacts since your PC and GPU will be perfectly in sync to deliver a smooth, stutter-free gaming experience.
With a Wide Colour Gamut, MSI G2722 supports up to 16.7 billion colours, providing life-like game visuals and letting you immerse yourself in the game world. Additionally, the monitor is optimised to emit less blue light and is outfitted with anti-flicker technology, drastically reducing the strain on your eyes.
The frameless design also makes MSI G2722 an excellent choice for a dual-monitor setup since there’s virtually no visual gap between the two monitors.
10. Samsung CF39 Series — 240Hz Refresh Rate, G-Sync Compatibility, and Curved Screen To Reduce Eye Fatigue
Samsung CF39 Series is a curved 24″ monitor with a 4ms response time and a 240Hz refresh rate.
While the 240Hz refresh rate allows you to reach higher FPS in modern games, the slower response time is much better suited for RPGs, strategy games, and other genres apart from fast-paced shooters. Whether you’re on a keyboard and mouse or console, this is a solid bet for gaming.
Price
Screen Size
Panel Type
Refresh Rate
Aspect Ratio
Resolution
Response Time
G-Sync or FreeSync
From £109
24″
LED
240Hz
16:9
1920 x 1080
4ms
G-Sync
The 1500R curved screen wraps around your vision and creates a wider field of view, helping you immerse yourself in the games you’re playing thanks to the enhanced depth perception. It also reduces the strain on your eyes, resulting in less eye fatigue, so you can play for longer periods.
The monitor is compatible with G-Sync, so you don’t have to worry about image tearing, ghosting, stuttering, or lag since it perfectly synchronises with your graphics card.
Thanks to the Samsung VA technology, the Samsung CF39 Series provides a 3000:1 contrast ratio, resulting in deeper blacks, more vibrant whites, and sharper, richer colours.
11. Dell S2721DGFA — Fast Response Time and Compatible With Both FreeSync and G-Sync
Dell S2721DGFA QHD Monitor is an IPS panel 27″ monitor with a fast 1ms response rate and a 165Hz refresh rate.
Price
Screen Size
Panel Type
Refresh Rate
Aspect Ratio
Resolution
Response Time
G-Sync or FreeSync
From £340
27″
IPS
165Hz
16:9
2560 x 1440
1ms
FreeSync and G-Sync
Thanks to DisplayHDR 400, the monitor can reproduce over 1 billion vivid colours, so you can enjoy life-like visuals in your favourite games. It’s compatible with AMD FreeSync Premium and G-Sync, so it perfectly syncs with AMD Radeon and Nvidia GPUs to eliminate image tearing, stuttering, and lag.
Dell S2721DGFA QHD is designed to be flicker-free and reduce harmful blue light emissions, which helps significantly to reduce the strain on your eyes, so you won’t feel eye fatigue even after long gaming sessions.
The monitor allows you to create and save three preset profiles to easily switch between them when playing different games. It also features shortcut buttons on the back of the monitor, letting you adjust all the crucial settings on the fly.
Here’s a master table containing all the specifications of the monitors we’ve reviewed in this guide, so you can see how they compare head-to-head and exactly what you get for your money:
Consider These Factors When Choosing the Best Gaming Monitor
When you’re looking for a new gaming monitor, there are a lot of factors you should consider on top of just the price, the size, and the aesthetics. Here’s a breakdown of the key factors you need to pay attention to when shopping for a new monitor.
Your Graphics Card
First and foremost, you need to consider your PC’s specs. Buying a high refresh rate monitor won’t do much if your GPU can’t handle the game on high graphics since you won’t even reach the FPS the monitor can display.
Additionally, some monitors support FreeSync or G-Sync. The technology ensures your GPU and monitor are perfectly in sync, reducing image tear, ghosting effects, stuttering, and lag.
That said, the technology only works on compatible cards, so if you’re using an AMD Radeon GPU, you need a FreeSync-compatible monitor. For Nvidia graphics cards, you need one that supports G-Sync.
Monitor’s Refresh Rate
The monitor’s refresh rate directly impacts the visible FPS on the screen. If your GPU and CPU are powerful enough to comfortably run modern games on 120 FPS, but your monitor has a 75Hz refresh rate, you’ll only be able to see up to 60 FPS instead of 120.
In order to get the best image quality, you need to ensure that the monitor’s refresh rate matches your PC’s performance.
Response Time
When it comes to response time, 1ms is the best possible option since there’s virtually no delay between the input and actions on-screen. While a couple of milliseconds might not seem like a big deal in most games, the lightning-fast response is crucial for most multiplayer shooters and battle royale games. If you primarily play online shooters, you want a 1ms response rate monitor.
Additional Image Processing Technology
In addition to the panel type, response time, and refresh rate, most monitors on our list feature advanced image processing technology that further improves performance, reduces lag input, and eliminates image tear and stuttering.
For example, Brightness Intelligence and Black Tuner technologies help adjust the brightness according to the events on screen and display darker/deeper blacks, ensuring that the other colours are vivid and clearly visible on-screen, even in low-lit areas of the game.
Ports
One thing that often gets overlooked is the monitor’s ports. Depending on your GPU, you might need a DVI or an AVG port. Additionally, you want an HDMI 2.1 port to connect the monitor to your console. PlayStation can be connected directly, while for Xbox, you’ll need an HDMI to Displayport adapter if the monitor doesn’t have a Displayport.
Is 144Hz or 240Hz Recommended for Gaming?
That depends solely on how much FPS you can get based on your GPU’s and CPU’s power. If your PC can achieve 250 FPS, you won’t be able to feel (see) the FPS difference between 120 and 250 FPS on a 144Hz monitor since it’ll only be capable of displaying 120 to 144 FPS.
In our opinion, you don’t really need a 240Hz monitor unless you have a spaceship of a PC, but even then, the difference between 120 FPS and 240 FPS is barely noticeable. A 165Hz monitor is ideal, provided you have the specs to comfortably get 120+ FPS in modern AAA titles.
What Size Monitor is Best for Gaming?
Again, that depends solely on your preference and the space you have for the monitor on your gaming desk. However, the general consensus among gamers is that around 27″ is ideal for a gaming monitor. Anything below that, and you might miss out on key details in-game, while anything above is more of a luxury than a necessity.
Which Monitor Panel Type is Best for Gaming?
Monitors with IPS panels are generally the best since they offer the highest colour gamut (can display the highest amount of colours) and have wider viewing angles that contribute to image sharpness.
That said, for the best performance, you want a monitor with an IPS panel with a relatively high refresh rate and a fast response time — ideally 1ms. In combination, this will result in the highest quality image and high FPS and minimise ghosting, motion blur, and image tear.
Gaming Monitor UK FAQs
Which monitor is best for gamers?
There is no simple answer to this question, as that depends on factors such as your PC specs (specifically your GPU), personal preference, and budget. Every monitor on our list is an excellent option for gaming, you just have to compare them and see which one best fits your needs.
Is a 43-inch monitor too big for gaming?
A 43″ monitor is insanely large, so it can be difficult to take in everything on the screen, especially in fast-paced games. Another problem with this size is that you’d have to sit further away from the monitor; otherwise, the most important details will be in your peripheral vision instead of your direct line of sight.
Is a curved monitor better for gaming?
Not necessarily, but it can be a better option if you’re playing many racing or simulation games since it adds depth to the images on screen, making them seem more realistic and life-like. For other types of games, you won’t see a noticeable difference. All in all, it comes down to personal preference.
What monitor do pro gamers use?
That depends on what game they’re playing competitively and their preference. In terms of monitor models, the most commonly used are BenQ, Acer, Asus, ViewSonic, and Alienware.
Are monitors better than TVs for gaming?
Monitors are better for PC gaming simply because they’re much more convenient to set up, but TVs are generally a much better option for gaming on consoles.
Can you play 4k at 240Hz?
It’s technically doable but very difficult to achieve. You’d need the latest generation GPU and a powerful processor to pull 240 FPS at 4K resolution, but even then, you might experience occasional motion blur and ghosting. It’s much better to run games at 1920 x 1080p resolution if you’re chasing higher frame rates.
Conclusion | What’s the Best Gaming Monitor in the UK in 2024?
As you’ve seen from this guide, no one-size-fits-all monitor works best with every single PC configuration and every type of game. You should carefully weigh your options, ensure that the monitor works well with your GPU, and find the best blend of price and quality.
If you still can’t decide, we’d recommend the AOC AGON 24G2SPAE for AMD Radeon graphics cards. It provides stunning visuals, has a high refresh rate of 165Hz, and a 1ms response time, and it gives you full control over shadows and brightness in games.
We recommend Asus TUF Gaming HDR Monitor for Nvidia G-Sync compatible graphics cards. It has an IPS panel, a refresh rate of up to 240Hz, and comes with Asus Low Motion Blur technology that further enhances game performance.
Aleksandar Stevanovic spent 10 years honing his craft as a freelance content writer. He has a degree in Economics, and extensive experience in software, crypto, and cybersecurity industries. He covers a multitude of topics, writing factual and informative articles, helping individuals better understand the intricacies of the online world. Over the last two years, his research focus shifted more towards tech and software content, as evidenced by his publications on CEX.IO, Business2Community, and Techopedia. He believes in simplifying complex topics and bringing them closer to like-minded individuals. His work is as detail-oriented as it is creative, and is designed to…