The 6 Best Budget Gaming Monitors Of 2022 [Buyer’s Guide]

In this article, we’re going to look at the Top 6 Best Budget Gaming Monitors Of 2022. We made this list based on our own opinion, research, and customer reviews. We’ve considered their quality, features, and values when narrowing down the best choices possible.

If you want more information and updated pricing on the products mentioned, be sure to check the links in each product we mentioned.

So, here are the Top 6 Best Budget Gaming Monitors Of 2022.

#1. Acer Nitro XF243Y Pbmiiprx

The Acer Nitro XF243Y Pbmiiprx is the best budget 1080p gaming monitor we’ve tested. It’s excellent for gaming and offers features that most gamers should enjoy, like a 144Hz refresh rate that you can overclock to 165Hz, and native FreeSync support to reduce screen tearing with G-SYNC compatibility. It looks good even for picture quality, and it performs well in bright rooms.

Despite the relatively small screen size, it’s a great choice for co-op gaming because it has wide viewing angles. Also, the stand has a round base that offers a full 360-degree rotation, making it easy to share your screen with a friend next to you. It has fantastic motion handling with an extremely quick response time at its max refresh rate and 60Hz, so you won’t notice any motion blur behind fast-moving objects. There’s also a backlight strobing feature to reduce persistence blur, but it only works within a narrow refresh rate range.

#2. ASUS TUF Gaming VG259QM

If you prefer something with a higher refresh rate, look into the ASUS TUF Gaming VG259QM. It doesn’t have a 360-degree swivel range like the Acer Nitro XF243Y Pbmiiprx, but it still has outstanding ergonomics, making it easy to adjust the screen. Its input lag is higher at 60Hz, so it’s not as good of a choice for console gaming. However, it’s better for high-frame-rate PC gaming because it has a 240Hz native refresh rate that you can overclock to 280Hz, and the input lag at its max refresh rate is extremely low. It’s also a native FreeSync monitor, and NVIDIA certifies it to have G-SYNC compatibility. Sadly, it’s not a good choice for HDR gaming due to its low HDR peak brightness and lack of a wide color gamut.

If you’re looking for the best budget 1080p gaming monitor, the Acer is a great choice because it’s versatile, but if you want something to play high-frame-rate games, then look into the ASUS.

#3. Gigabyte M27Q

The best budget 1440p gaming monitor we’ve tested is the Gigabyte M27Q. This 27 inch model delivers an excellent gaming experience as it has an exceptional response time, low input lag, and a high refresh rate. Fast-moving scenes look clear and smooth, and screen tearing is minimal thanks to its VRR support. It’s a native FreeSync monitor and is compatible with NVIDIA’s G-SYNC.

The design is pretty simple and not overly gamer-oriented, meaning it won’t stick out like a sore thumb in office setups. The stand is sturdy, but it only allows height and tilt adjustments, so it’s a bit hard to place in an ideal position. It has a USB hub with two USB 3.0 inputs and a USB-C input that supports DisplayPort Alt Mode. You can display two input sources simultaneously with its Picture-in-Picture and Picture-by-Picture modes and control both source devices with one set of peripherals with its built-in KVM switch.

#4. Dell S2722DGM

If you prefer something with better dark room performance, then look into the Dell S2722DGM. It’s not as versatile for productivity as the Gigabyte M27Q because it lacks a USB hub, but with a VA panel, it has a high contrast ratio, so blacks appear as they should when viewed in the dark room. It has many great gaming features like low input lag, a 165Hz refresh rate, and native FreeSync support. It has a quick response time, better than most VA panels, but the common issue of black smearing is still present as it has a slow response time in dark transitions. Unfortunately, it can be distracting if your games have a lot of dark scenes, and it also lacks a local dimming feature to improve the picture quality in dark scenes.

If you’re looking for the best budget gaming monitor with a 1440p resolution and 27 inch screen, you can’t go wrong with the Gigabyte as it’s versatile, but if you want a VA panel monitor, then check out the Dell.

#5. Dell S2722QC

The Dell S2722QC is the best budget 4k gaming monitor that we’ve tested. It’s a great overall 4k monitor designed with a few productivity features, and while it performs best as an office monitor, it’s great for gaming. Picture quality looks good in bright rooms, and it has an IPS panel with wide viewing angles if you want to use it for co-op gaming with a friend sitting next to you.

Motion looks smooth thanks to its quick response time, and there’s no overshoot with fast-moving objects. Your actions will feel responsive thanks to the low input lag, and it stays low even with VRR enabled. Speaking of VRR, it has native FreeSync support, but since the refresh rate is limited to a max of 60Hz, the VRR range is narrow. We also confirmed that it’s G-SYNC compatible over the USB-C port because it supports DisplayPort Alt Mode. Lastly, the 4k resolution delivers crisp images and exceptional text clarity.

#6. Gigabyte M34WQ

The best budget ultrawide gaming monitor we’ve tested is the Gigabyte M34WQ. This is a feature-rich monitor with perks for whether you’re a competitive gamer or if you need something for work. It costs a bit more than other monitors in this recommendation, but that’s expected for an ultrawide monitor as the extra screen size will cost just a bit extra.

It has a high 144Hz refresh rate that you can achieve over a DisplayPort connection, and it has both native FreeSync and G-SYNC compatibility to reduce screen tearing. It has an incredible response time at its max refresh rate, and while it’s slower at 60Hz, motion still looks smooth. If you notice any persistence blur, it has an optional backlight strobing feature that even works with VRR enabled, but there are some bugs with it as it stops working when the refresh rate drops below 85Hz.