There’s no denying that the major part of the PC industry has shifted towards catering the needs of the PC gamers who spend thousands of dollars into making the ultimate gaming PC. While this may seem like a very bad habit by a lot of people, it’s done out of passion, and even as a recreational habit. Building powerful, and beautiful looking computers is something that has been around for over a decade, however, with the ever evolving technology, the gamers are only demanding more and more.
The modern day and age components are getting better by the minutes, and newer versions are taking the markets by storm. In all honesty, for an average consumer, it is kind of difficult to catch up to all the latest and greatest tech because there’s the whole factor of spending money.
Monitors are no longer your standard, run of the mill displays as they do provide a lot of features that make the gaming experience a lot better than it normally is; features such as higher refresh rate, G-Sync/FreeSync, and ultra wide aspect rations have become a norm, meaning more and more gamers are willing to invest in them.
At this point, the monitor market is something that happens to be extremely saturated, and considering how the tech that goes into these monitors is constantly changing and improving, we can safely say that this is not something that’s going to end just yet.
If you are building yourself a gaming PC, and you’re in the market for some gaming monitor, you will be surprised by the amount of different monitors available in the market. Each offering something different than the other, and in all honesty, this will lead you to confusion.
To avoid such confusions, we decided that it would be a clever thing to actually look at some of the best gaming monitors available in the market. So, we scoured the internet, and discovered the 10 best gaming monitors that you can buy at the moment.
Keep in mind that some of the gaming monitors aren’t extremely different from each other, however, some of them do share differences that are worlds apart. Again, to make it easier for the users to decide, we’ve decided to split up the reviews in sections, allowing them to make the choice a lot easier.
Now that everything is out of the way, we can go ahead and look at the 10 best gaming monitors.
Top 10 Best Gaming Monitor 2021
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1. Asus ROG Swift PG279Q – View on Amazon
Asus foray into gaming monitors market went really well, over the past couple of years, the company has released some impressive monitors; while some are expensive, the company did cater to the needs of people who don’t want to spend a lot of money on a monitor.
The monitor on our desk is the Asus ROG Swift PG279Q, and as you can see, it comes under the Republic of Gamers branding, meaning that it’s going to be a high end monitor from the get go, and there are no two sides to that. Let’s look, shall we?
Design
While a lot of companies decide to keep things minimal when it comes to the design, Asus is firing on all fours; right out of the box, the monitor’s design speaks “gamer”. All of this thanks to the angular design as well as the ROG logo on the base. However, this doesn’t end here, as soon as the monitor’s powered on, the red ring on the base along with the ROG logo lights up, clearly stating that the monitor is in fact made for gamers.
Thankfully, Asus’ decision of using matte black plastic, and good overall design language prevents the lit up logos to look tacky, and out of the way, and the good thing is that if the lights are too distracting for you, you can actually turn them off as well, allowing you to actually use your monitor without distractions, whatsoever.
In addition to that, the overall design language is also very seamless, and we’re glad that Asus has decided to stick to slim bezels, so as far as the overall design language is concerned, we are pretty pleased with how the Asus ROG Swift PG279Q looks like.
Resolution, Image Quality, and Features
Considering how all three of these factors are linked to each other very closely, we thought it would be the right thing to just write them all under one section. For those wondering, the PG279Q comes with the resolution of 2560×1440 pixels, and has a refresh rate of up to 165 Hz. This means that people who are demanding competitive levels of precision, and game play experience, this is an amazing monitor.
The screen spans 27 inches diagonally, and while people are shifting towards ultra-wide monitors, we believe that 1440p resolution on a 27-inch screen is a perfect sweet spot, as anything more will eventually case pixilation, and anything lower will not look as good.
The monitor uses an IPS panel, meaning that the colour accuracy is one of the best that we have seen, and the viewing angles are amazing. However, keep in mind that instead of having the super-low response time of a TN panel, the IPS panel on the PG279Q is 4ms, but we can confirm that after several days of intense, competitive gaming sessions, we didn’t feel that the monitor was holding us back.
The overall image quality was also very solid, the blacks were deeper, and the overall colour reproduction while outside of games was pretty amazing. Considering how it’s an IPS panel, we can say that you can do some amount of content creation on this monitor as this monitor does provide 96.6 percent coverage of the sRGB colour gamut.
You also get Nvidia’s G-Sync, that will make your gaming experience a lot smoother, especially when you don’t want to lower down the settings, and still want to achieve the smooth gaming experience that you have been spending a lot of money for.
The only gripe in terms of features is that this monitor isn’t loaded when it comes to I/O; while we would have let this one slide away, but since monitors cheaper than this one come with a lot of ports, we feel that just one HDMI, and one Display Port is lacking. If you’re okay with the lack of proper I/O, then you can hardly go wrong with the Asus ROG Swift PG279Q gaming monitor.
Final Words
The Asus ROG Swift PG279Q is the near perfect gaming monitor because of the image quality, the design, resolution, and a higher refresh rate. Not to forget the G-Sync support as well as 96.6 percent coverage of sRGB colour gamut makes it one of the heavy hitters in the market.
The only downside is the lack of proper I/O, though for gamers, it shouldn’t be that big of an issue.
Pros
- Amazing image quality and viewing angles.
- IPS panel produces natural looking colours.
- High refresh rate, combined with 1440p resolution, and G-Sync is brilliant for gaming.
- Solid build quality, and design.
Cons
- There aren’t enough I/O ports on the back.
2. Asus MG279Q – View on Amazon
If the Asus PG279Q is not something that you want to buy mainly because of the budget, or because you have no use for Nvidia’s G-Sync, then don’t worry, we have something that will suit people who are using AMD’s graphic cards, and want to benefit from AMD’s FreeSync technology.
The monitor we are talking about is another gaming monitor from Asus, however, it’s not under the ROG branding. Say hello to the Asus MG279Q, a 27-inch gaming monitor with great specs, higher refresh rate, and a resolution to match.
Let’s have a look, shall we?
Design
While it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Asus markets this monitor as a gaming monitor, the design actually speaks otherwise. The design language on the Asus MG279Q is actually very simple, and while some people may have a thing or two to say about that, we honestly can’t complain as the design language looks really good.
The base of the monitor is a solid, matte black block with no logos whatsoever. We won’t say that we don’t like the design of this monitor as it happens to be very minimalist, and professional looking. The bezels are not super thin, but considering the price you’re paying for this amazing monitor, they’re acceptable to say the least.
All the controls of the monitor are located on the back, with the front bottom bezel only showing the logos, something that we like a lot, since it gives us a lot cleaner front than what some other companies try to do.
All in all, the design language, as well as the build quality of the MG279Q is rather simple if not over the top, and for a lot of people, this is actually the way to go.
Resolution, Image Quality, and Features
As you may have noticed, the majority of the modern day monitors actually have the screen resolution of 2560×1440. Just like 1080p in the older days, this resolution has become the industry standard for the majority of monitors. The MG279Q comes with an IPS panel with the refresh rate of 144 Hz, and 1440p screen resolution.
The screen size is 27-inch, which is ample, and adequate for the resolution, and considering how we’re dealing with an IPS panel, the response rate is 4ms. However, the good news is that Asus sells a similar panel with 1ms response time, but a TN panel instead of an IPS panel; that one also costs lesser than this.
Gaming experience was relatively smooth, and for anyone who has a high end graphics card, pushing 144 frames won’t be a difficult thing to do at all. However, keep in mind that unlike the elder siblings, this monitor actually doesn’t come with Nvidia’s G-Sync; instead of that, you get AMD’s FreeSync technology that works a lot like G-Sync, but doesn’t cost as much to implement. This means that everyone with an AMD GPU can actually take advantage of this technology, and provide a smoother gaming experience.
However, this doesn’t mean that people who have Nvidia graphic cards can’t take advantage from this monitor, as a matter of fact, they very well can, and without any issues whatsoever, because when you take out the FreeSync, you still have a very good gaming monitor with one of the most desirable resolutions, and a high refresh rate, something a lot of people are actually looking for in gaming monitors these days. Not to mention, it has one of the best image quality we have seen on the gaming monitors.
Speaking of the image quality, thanks to the IPS panel, gaming and media consumption is an absolute treat, colours are sharp, and true to their nature without too much saturation into the mix. Another amazing thing about this monitor is the fact that it has a 98.2 percent coverage of the sRGB colour gamut, meaning that for people who want to do some content creation, this is amazing because it can display almost all the shades without much problems.
With that said, Asus has added a slew of display modes as well; now we’ve seen these before in a lot of different monitors, but most of the times, they’ve just acted up as gimmicks. However, with the MG279Q, such isn’t the case. These modes work really well in almost all the cases, and can actually give you a different experience.
Furthermore, you can even tweak these modes according to your own preferences, and if that’s not what you want, you can even go ahead and create your own modes should you choose to do so. We really admire Asus decision of adding features that are specifically for gamers, and it only shows that the company is dedicated towards providing the best possible experience.
Final Words
Although the Asus MG279Q is a gaming monitor with not a lot of bells and whistles, the fact that it doesn’t cost a ridiculous amount of money is a testament to the company trying to do right by people who don’t want to spend a lot of money. There are enough features to keep a lot of people entertained without overdoing it.
The only gripe is that the monitor may lack some advanced features, but considering the price, it does seem to fall into place.
Pros
- IPS panel provides amazing image quality, and viewing angle.
- 144 Hz, with 1440p resolution is an absolute treat.
- Offers 98.2 percent sRBG coverage.
- Simple, minimalistic design language.
Cons
- Lacks some of the advanced features.
3. Asus VG248QE – View on Amazon
Even though it’s 2017 and 1440p is slowly becoming the mainstream resolution and pushing the standard 1080p behind, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that many people still want to invest in a 1080p monitor, or still running computers that are only built for 1080p gaming.
That’s mainly because monitors are expensive, especially the ones that have a higher refresh rate, and resolution as well. In situations like this, the best thing one can do is invest in a monitor that doesn’t cost much, and still delivers some decent enough gaming experience.
That’s when the Asus VG248QE comes into the play, this 24-inch gaming monitor is built for people who are more than satisfied with the 1080p resolution, but do want a higher refresh rate. Let’s see why this monitor made it to our list of the best gaming monitors.
Design
The good thing we love about the design on the Asus monitors is that it can either be streamlined, simple, and minimalistic, or it can be completely crazy, and over the top; especially for some of the higher end monitors that are available in the market. The case with the Asus VG248QE is the former as it is one of the simplest looking monitor you will find in the market.
Considering how this is actually a budget monitor, and not a high end monitor, Asus didn’t pay extra attention to detail in making this monitor look gorgeous. It’s surely minimalistic, but the bezels are definitely there. However, the good news is that the overall build quality is pretty good, so you won’t be breaking or nicking the monitor for one reason or another.
Another good thing is that the monitor offers a pretty decent stand that’s well built, and ergonomic; the monitor can be adjusted in height, as well as some of the other features that some people would prefer using.
Considering the budget oriented price tag of this monitor, we’re hard pressed to actually find something to complain about, especially in the design department, so it’s best if we let the consumers decide on their own.
Resolution, Image Quality, and Features
As we have mentioned before, the VG248QE uses a 1080p panel with the screen size of 24-inch, and while some people complain about it, the 1080p looks the best on the display size that is on this monitor. Images look really good, and well detailed, however, when it comes to colour accuracy, the same cannot be said.
In case you haven’t guessed it already, the monitor uses a TN panel, something that’s not that ideal for media consumption, but definitely good for gaming. The monitor offers you a lighting fast 1ms response time, and 144 Hz, and considering the lower resolution, it won’t be a problem for the modern hardware to actually output that many frames per second
Thanks to the low response time, and higher refresh rate, the monitor is an absolute treat for gamers, especially ones who play competitive first person games like Counter Strike, or Overwatch. However, considering how this is actually a TN panel, the viewing angles are not as good, and are quite narrow. The good thing is that if you are the only person in the room sitting in front of the monitor, there won’t be any issues whatsoever.
Another thing that you should know that this monitor does come with the support for 3D, however, to keep the cost low, Asus didn’t include any 3D gear. It’s also important to note that this monitor doesn’t have support for neither FreeSync, nor G-Sync, but considering the low cost, it’s understandable.
Last but not the least, the I/O isn’t something special, and that may be a concern for some people.
Final Words
The Asus VG248QE is a budget oriented monitor that offers full HD resolution, class leading refresh rate, and low response time. The monitor also has a solid build quality, and the overall design is minimal to say the least. Last but not the least, the monitor also supports 3D, however, the 3D gear is not included.
There are some gripes like the lack of proper I/O, as well as lack of advanced features such as the FreeSync, and G-Sync. If you’re okay with these shortcomings, then the VG248QE is a very capable monitor, especially for people who are on budget.
Pros
- Good value for money.
- Full HD resolution, 1ms response time, and 144 Hz refresh rate makes it a treat to use.
- Decent build quality with a simple design.
- Stand is well implemented.
- Supports 3D.
Cons
- Doesn’t come with 3D gear.
- Lacks the basic I/O.
- No advanced features included.
4. Acer Predator XB321HK – View on Amazon
We would understand if you would feel tired of seeing the monitors from Asus, but considering how Asus has been dominating the market, we can’t help but list them there. However, the current offering that we’re looking at is not from Asus, but from Acer.
Acer’s been making some really amazing gaming monitors for the past couple of years, and this one’s no exception; say hello to the Acer Predator XB312HK. This 4K gaming monitor is one of the best in the market, and is giving some tough competition to all the heavy hitters.
What makes it so special? Let’s find out, shall we?
Design
Acer didn’t leave any stone unturned when it came to making the design as gamer-centric as possible. Without a doubt, the XB312HK is one of the most over the top looking gaming monitors available in the market. The Predator XB321HK has a very angular design, something that we have seen in majority of gaming monitors.
The monitor focuses on the red and black colour scheme, and while this colour scheme is getting quite old, we can’t really complain. The base is completely angular, and looks out of the world; while the professionals may have a reservation or two about how the design is, but the gamers are definitely going to like the bright red base.
For those wondering, the monitor’s design does offer some amount of articulation, however, it isn’t a lot, which is a confusing thing for a monitor this good; the monitor can be tilted 25 degrees backward, and 5 degrees forward. The height adjustment gives you about 5 inches of difference up and down, however, there’s no tilt or swivel at all, something that’s kind of strange in a high end monitor.
Resolution, Image Quality, and Features
For those wondering, the Predator XB321HK comes with 4K resolution at 60 Hz refresh rate; while the refresh rate isn’t as high as some people would prefer, but keep in mind that we’re talking about the 4K resolution, and on top of that, the monitor also offers Nvidia’s G-Sync technology, meaning that games will run super smooth any noticeable latency whatsoever.
You get 32 inches of screen real estate, and it’s an IPS panel; the good thing about IPS panels is that the viewing angles and the overall image quality is just gorgeous. The monitor is perfect for gaming, and media consumption as well. However, that’s not all, for content creators, the monitor comes with a 100 percent sRGB coverage, meaning that apart from just gaming, this monitor can be used for professional work as well as gaming, and media consumption.
For those wondering, the Acer Predator XB321HK is definitely a monitor that’s decked out in the latest and greatest features, aside from the usual G-Sync, the monitor also offers a pretty sweet deal on the I/O; you get 2 USB 3.0 ports on the left side, and in addition to that, you get 2 more USB 3.0 ports, along with a USB 3.0 type B port at the back.
You also get a single full sized HDMI, as well as DisplayPort, and while both of the options can drive 4K at 60 Hz, if you want to use the G-Sync, you’re going to have to rely on the Display Port for that. The Predator XB321HK also offers built-in speakers, and while our experience with them hasn’t been pleasant in general, the audio on these speakers is just amazing.
Last but not the least, the Predator XB321HK is one of the easiest monitors to control using the physical buttons that are present on the monitor, and absolute treat.
Final Words
The Acer Predator XB321HK is a near perfect gaming monitor when you take a closer look at everything it has to feature; the gorgeous 32-inch IPS panel offers brilliant visuals, couple that with 4K resolution, as well as G-Sync, and your gaming experience becomes perfect. There’s plenty of I/O options at the back, and the monitor offers a really, really good controlling system.
Last but not the least, the angular, gaming design makes it stand out, and look an absolute killer on your desk, especially if you have colour coordinated everything else. The only gripe we have is that the monitor doesn’t offer enough articulation, but for someone who just wants to sit and marvel this monitor, it’s an absolute monster.
Pros
- Brilliant design for gamers.
- The image quality is just amazing thanks to the IPS panel.
- 100 percent sRGB coverage.
- 4K at 60 Hz w/ Nvidia G-Sync.
- Great I/O.
- Surprisingly powerful built-in speakers.
Cons
- Doesn’t offer much articulation.
5. Asus ROG Swift PG348Q – View on Amazon
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Asus is trying day and night to make sure that the display industry gets revolutionized, and in all honesty, it’s something that is slowly happening in the market. The company has left no stone unturned, and we’ve already seen just how good the monitors from the ROG line up are.
However, Asus isn’t done, bring something special for the fans of the ultra-wide, we’re now looking at the Asus ROG Swift PG348Q. A 34-inch, curved ultra-wide, 1440p monitor with 100 Hz refresh rate, and G-Sync. Yes, as crazy as it sounds, it’s all true, and we’re going to find out more about it.
Design
As far as the design is concerned, it’s pretty evident that Asus has made sure that from the moment you look at the ROG series of monitors, you know that these are made for gamers, and gamers alone. As soon as you lay your eyes on the PG348Q, you’re welcomed by a very outlandish design that is definitely one of the craziest we have seen in the market, especially in the modern day and age.
It’s angular, outlandish, and extremely versatile with markings everywhere, and in all honesty, it would look very weird on an office table, however, that’s not the purpose here. Considering the amount of money you’re going to have to pay for the monitor, it’s safe to say that the design and the build quality is actually up to our expectations.
In case you don’t want to look at the gorgeous 34-inch panel, the monitor’s base also has lighting that shines on your desk when the monitor’s turned on, and in case you’re wondering, it’s the ROG logo right on your desk. Obviously, it can be very distracting during intense gaming sessions, but the good thing is that you can always turn it off should you want to.
Keep in mind that the monitor is a bit hard to assemble mainly because of the sheer size, but once that’s out of the way, you shouldn’t have a problem.
Resolution, Image Quality, and Features
The Asus ROG Swift PG348Q comes with the resolution of 3440x1440p, it offers a 34-inch IPS panel, and has a refresh rate of up to 100 Hz. Now the refresh rate is comparatively lower against the likes of monitors that has 144 Hz refresh rate but the important thing to keep in mind here is that you’re dealing with a monitor that also offers G-Sync, and all of these feature at such a high resolution and refresh rate make it one of the most capable monitors in the market.
Moving on to the image quality, the Asus ROG Swift PG348Q comes with an IPS panel, something that has become a fan favourite in the modern gaming monitor, mainly for its colour accuracy, and viewing angles. We can confirm that both the colour accuracy, and viewing angles are up to the mark, and the monitor is great for content creation as well; thanks to the fact that it covers 100 percent of the sRGB colour gamut.
Getting more technical, the monitor has a true 10-bit display, giving it the ability to display 1.07 billion, for the sake of comparison, the traditional 8-bit displays are capable of showing 16.7 million colours, so the difference is quite stark.
With that said, thanks to the fact that the Asus ROG Swift PG348Q is loaded with features, it is definitely one of the best gaming monitors available in the market, a monitor that has its own league. If you’re wondering about the I/O, you get one HDMI 1.4, one DisplayPort 1.2, and 4 USB 3.0 ports. There’s no Type-C on-board, but considering how not many people are using devices that have Type-C, it’s understandable.
Final Words
There’s no denying that the Asus ROG Swift PG348Q is a gorgeous monitor, it has amazing image quality, top of the line specs, and outlandish design, and it’s packed with features. The only real downside here is that the monitor is somewhat hard to assemble, mainly due to the sheer size of it.
It’s definitely one of the best, if not the best gaming monitors available in the market, especially if you have the money to buy it, as it comes at a pretty steep price.
Pros
- Spectacular image quality.
- Decked out with feature like G-Sync, high refresh rate, and high resolution (3440×1440)
- IPS panel offers amazing viewing angles, 100 percent sRGB colour gamut, and a 10-bit display.
- Solid build quality.
- Futuristic design that is sure to turn heads, and raise eyebrows.
Cons
- A bit difficult to setup.
6. Acer Predator XB271HK – View on Amazon
If you’re still not properly used to the ultra-wide trend that has taken the gaming industry by the storm, and wanting more traditional and suitable, don’t worry, we do have some options for you. While ultra-wide is slowly taking over, there’s no denying that the demand for standard 16:9 or 16:10 aspect ratio is still there.
The monitor we’re looking at right now is the Acer Predator XB271HK, the younger sibling to the XB321HK, and the Predator X34. It’s a 27-inch monitor that features an IPS panel, G-Sync, and 60 Hz refresh rate. While it’s not the fastest monitor in terms of the refresh rate, the G-Sync goes hand in hand with the 4K resolution and gives an amazing experience.
Design
The good thing about Acer is that they have a very uniform design language that they intend to follow, meaning that the monitors that are from the same series are somewhat identical to each other. While the difference between X34, and the XB271HK is certainly a lot in terms of design, the XB271HK takes the design cues from the XB321HK, and that’s not really a bad thing.
The XB271HK looks a lot like its 32-inch sibling, as a matter of fact, if it weren’t for the size, it would have been almost impossible to tell the difference between both monitors. With that said, we actually can’t complain about the design at all, as it’s nothing bad.
The entire monitor is black with bright red accents on the stand, the design is certainly futuristic, but nothing that we’ve never seen before, and it’s not too over the top either, so you can easily put it anywhere you want to.
The monitor does offer decent amount of articulation as well; you can adjust the monitor’s height, thanks to the small size, and in addition to that, the monitor also offers pivot, tilt, and swivel to a rather nice extent.
Resolution, Image Quality, and Features
As far as the resolution of the Acer Predator XB271HK is concerned, the monitor offers a 4K, IPS panel that has a refresh rate of 60 Hz, now keep in mind that as compared to the competition, it may not be enough, but the good thing here is that the display also has Nvidia’s G-Sync technology, meaning that you can actually play games a lot smoother than you would on a panel that’s not G-Sync.
Moving on to the image quality, thanks to the IPS panel that’s used in the XB271HK, the image quality is pretty amazing; viewing angles are great, the colorus are accurately produced, and considering how the display offers a complete range of colour gamut, so majority of content creators will be at ease to know that there display won’t give in based on what they’re working on.
In many ways, this could be the near perfect monitor for both gamers, as well as content creators thanks to the accuracy of colours that comes with it. However, the good things don’t end here; the monitor also offers Nvidia’s G-Sync, a feature that’s very revered in the gaming community. If you don’t understand it, the feature basically syncs monitor’s frame rate to the frames you’re getting in the game, and while this may not seem like something effective, it makes a lot of difference as the game then becomes a lot smoother than you’d expect.
For instance, if a game you’re playing is giving you 54 frames per second, the monitor’s refresh rate will go down to 54 Hz, eliminating any or all stutter, or visible lag. This feature is surely an expensive one to implement, but considering the benefits of it, the cost isn’t something that matters a lot.
Last but not the least, the monitor also comes with 2 speakers that are there for light media consumption like watching videos. Music isn’t something we’d recommend on the speakers because a lot of important detail just gets lost in the mix, something you won’t enjoy much.
Final Words
The Acer Predator XB271HK is a mighty fine gaming monitor and there’s no way to deny that, it offers 4K resolution at 60 Hz, and a gorgeous 27-inch IPS panel with 100 percent sRGB coverage, and a great, futuristic design that will please all the gamers. Last but not the least, the monitor also offers great articulation, so you can adjust it however you want to.
The only downside here is the somewhat underpowered duo of speakers, something that can easily be overlooked.
Pros
- 27-inch display with amazing image quality thanks to the IPS.
- 4K resolution with G-Sync at 60 Hz.
- Solid angular design and good build quality.
- Gorgeous bezel free design.
Cons
- The speakers are a bit underwhelming.
7. Acer Predator X34 – View on Amazon
If the standard aspect ratio offering by Acer isn’t your cup of tea, and you’re looking for something over the top and different, then don’t worry, Acer’s got you covered. Expanding the Predator lineup, we have the Acer Predator X34 on our desk today.
As the name may have given away, the X34 is a 34-inch, curved, ultra-wide gaming monitor that offers a lot of amazing features like an IPS panel, G-Sync, and a refresh rate of 100 Hz. In addition to that, the Predator X34 also offers the aggressive, angular design that we have come to expect from majority of gaming monitors regardless of the company.
How good is it? Let’s find out.
Design
When it comes to gaming monitors, design is almost as important as the specs. That’s because impressing some of the hardcore gamers is not easy, and it’s important for the manufacturers to make sure that the design looks futuristic, but at the same time, doesn’t hinder with the overall practicality of the monitor.
The good thing about the design on the Acer Predator X34 is that it’s both practical, and good looking. The entire monitor is black, instead of the usual red and black combination we have seen a lot in the Predator series, and the curves, and angles are all there.
One really weird thing about the design is why Acer decided to go with a glossy black backside instead of something subtler like a matte finish. Matte finish is always more premium looking, and a lot less prone to smudges. Guess we won’t understand why Acer’s done that.
As far as the base is concerned, it reminds us of the base on the XB321HK, however, instead of being red, the base is now matte black, something that looks much, much sober than you may think. Last but not the least, Acer has also done a great job in trimming the bezels as much as possible, making the X34 a stunning monitor to look at.
Resolution, Image Quality, and Features
Much like the other ultra-wide monitors on the market, the Predator X34 features a resolution of 3440×1440, this is on a 34-inch curved, IPS panel with a refresh rate of 100 Hz. So, technically, on the paper, the Acer Predator X34 is definitely killing it thanks to the top of the line hardware that’s found under the hood.
As far as the image quality is concerned, it’s really hard to actually find any flaws here. There’s no denying that the image quality on the X34 is near perfect, and considering the price consumers will be paying, it would be hard to have it any other way. Thanks to the IPS panel, the colour reproduction is stunning, the monitor does support the 100 percent sRGB colour gamut, meaning that it’s not just for gamers, but also for people who want to do content creation.
In case we haven’t mentioned before, the Predator X34 is also a true 10-bit display, meaning that it can display 1.07 billion colours, that’s comparatively higher as compared to the 16.7 million colours on the traditional 8-bit displays that are available in the market. Gaming on this monitor is an absolute treat thanks to the uniformity of the colour it outputs; everything looks like a big, huge frame that’s giving you an incredible immersion.
As stated earlier, the monitor comes with Nvidia’s G-Sync support out of the box, and that coupled with the 100 Hz refresh rate is an absolute treat. If you have the hardware for it, the monitor will shine the brightest when it comes to high octane gaming without breaking a sweat, and that is something that we really, really like.
The monitor also has a bunch of speakers, and although they are decent, on maximum volume, they felt a lot underpowered than you’d want them to be. Normally, it isn’t an issue since most people do use headphones or speakers, but considering the price point, it would have been nice to have powerful speakers.
Final Words
With so many amazing features such as 100 Hz refresh rate, a high resolution, and G-Sync, it’s really hard to question the Acer Predator X34, however, the underpowered speakers, and the choice of glossy black plastic can be off putting for some.
Pros
- Top of the line specs makes it one of the most wanted monitors.
- The 34-inch IPS panel is gorgeous, and amazing.
- High refresh rate and G-Sync are the perfect combo.
- Futuristic design is surely brilliant.
Cons
- Acer’s choice of glossy plastic instead of matte is dubious.
- The speakers are rather underpowered.
8. BenQ XL2730Z – View on Amazon
BenQ is one of the companies that were really huge back in the day, but somehow disappeared into the mist, however, as soon as the monitor market started revolutionizing, BenQ decided to make a comeback, and release some monitors that will cater to the high end gamers. Did they succeed?
Well, after launching an entire series in order to cater the needs of the gamers, we can say that they have, and in a rather spectacular fashion. The company’s managed to keep the overall cost low, and still release a lot of great monitors.
One such amazing monitor on our table is the BenQ XL2730Z; a cheap gaming monitor that is getting a lot of things right.
Design
Upon the first glance, it may be hard for the consumers to understand that this is in fact a gaming monitor. That’s largely because of the understated, minimalistic design language BenQ has chosen to go for. The monitor’s basically all matte black except a glossy black square at the back which may seem awkward at first, but goes out of sight really fast.
The base is simple looking, and there are bezels that aren’t super slim, but shouldn’t bother you much, especially when you consider the price. The majority of monitor is made out of plastic, however, the build quality remains solid throughout the entire monitor. Rest assured, you won’t be breaking it.
Resolution, Image Quality, and Features
The BenQ XL2730Z offers a very standard resolution of 2560×1440, at 144 Hz with AMD’s FreeSync technology. For those who don’t know, AMD’s FreeSync technology is an answer to Nvidia’s G-Sycn, and while both technologies work the same way, the biggest difference here is that the FreeSync is actually very cheap to implement as compared to the G-Sync.
You should also know that the BenQ XL2730Z uses a 27-inch TN panel, and while TN panels have become bane of several monitors over the course of the history, the good thing here is that the monitor offers a surprisingly good image quality for a TN panel. It can’t be compared to an IPS panel, but the gaming experience shouldn’t be bothered that much.
Viewing angles are also average, and the image quality is just average for the price you’re paying. The colour coverage, however, is rather good. The monitor offers 96.4% sRGB coverage, something that is respectable enough, but not enough for the hardcore content creators in the market.
Moving onto the features, the BenQ XL2730Z uses AMD’s FreeSync tech, the reason why it’s cheaper to implement is because G-Sync requires an actual G-Sync module that goes inside the monitor, this module is of course provided by Nvidia to the monitor companies. As for the FreeSync, it only requires a DisplayPort 1.2a to power up, as well as a scalar that allows for the change of refresh rate on the fly.
The good thing is that both of the technologies work identically, and gamers shouldn’t feel any difference whatsoever. Just keep in mind that you still need an AMD graphics card to be able to utilize FreeSync otherwise, it’s not going to work at all.
One interesting feature about the BenQ XL2730Z is a plastic puck, something that we have never seen in a monitor before. The puck actually acts as a controller monitor’s OSD, and allows you to effectively navigate the monitor without trying to find where the controls are located. A gimmicky, but clever implementation if we’re to be honest.
Last but not the least, the BenQ XL2730Z also offers a 3.5mm headphone jack, and while it’s a good addition to have, the audio quality through that input is very average, and it’s best if you only use it in worst case scenarios.
Final Words
While it’s evident that the BenQ XL2730Z is not the most amazing gaming monitor in the market, but for people who are on a budget, and are running an AMD graphics card, it’s pretty damn amazing.
However, there are some issues that we shouldn’t ignore. For starters, the image quality, and the viewing angles are only average. That’s mainly because of the TN panel. The headphone jack also has a very average sound output.
If these issues don’t bother you, then the BenQ XL2730Z is an amazing monitor for the price.
Pros
- Pretty decent image quality for a TN panel.
- AMD’s FreeSync goes really well with the 144 Hz refresh rate.
- A surprising amount of extra features.
Cons
- The image quality and viewing angles are just average.
- Average quality through the headphone jack.
9. LG 34UM67 – View on Amazon
LG isn’t really a name a lot of gamers relate to when it comes to gaming monitors or any gaming peripheral for that matters. However, let’s not forget that LG is one of the leading manufacturers of the panels that we see in some of the best gaming monitor, so it’s only natural to be excited about something that’s coming from LG.
Say hello to the LG 34UM67, an oddly named ultra-wide monitor that’s aiming to do big things without breaking the bad. Just how good is it when compared to the other ultra-wide monitors that we’ve reviewed so far? We are going to find that.
Few things before we get into the details, the monitor offers screen space of 34-inches, has AMD’s FreeSync technology, and the resolution of 2560×1080; the resolution is certainly lower than what have reviewed before, but we can’t say just how well it performs until we see for ourselves.
Design
Despite the fact that we are dealing with a gaming monitor here, the design on the LG 34UM67 is perhaps one of the simplest designs we have seen. It’s understated, and minimalist; something many gamers will actually prefer over the futuristic, angular designs that are becoming the norm. Not only that, this is the type of monitor that will look amazing on your office desk as well.
Another great thing about the understated design of the LG 34UM67 is that LG has done a great job at shaving off the bezels on this beauty, something that a lot of people including us can appreciate. Bezels are slowly becoming a useless thing, and removing them is the best thing one can do.
The monitor can be tilted, but height adjustment, pivot, and swivel is something that’s not available on this monitor. All in all, we really like the understated, and minimal design of the LG 34UM67, and though the lack of proper articulation is a sad affair, it’s something we can overlook.
Resolution, Image Quality, and Features
The LG 34UM67 is the first monitor on our list that features the resolution of 2560×1080, while the good thing is that this will allow some of the older cards to perform much, much better, the bad thing is that the overall size of the screen can make some of the images appear blurry, or pixelated. Something that you should keep in mind. The refresh rate is also 60 Hz.
Thanks to the use of an IPS panel, the colours on the LG 34UM67 are very, very vibrant, however, we noticed that the green looks a bit out of the place. We’d assume that this has something to do with hardware calibration, but the good thing is that it’s not that intense, and can be overlooked. The image quality is pretty decent from a distant viewing angle, however, sitting closer can show you some pixilation due to the lower resolution display.
The viewing angles are also solid, and even though there isn’t much articulation, one shouldn’t have issues looking at the monitor from a different angle. As far as the features are concerned, the LG 34UM67 comes with some pretty nice features that are there to sweeten the deal; for starters, the AMD FreeSync is amazing, and when coupled with an AMD graphics card, it really shines as the gaming performance is utterly smooth.
However, the important thing here that you should keep in mind is that the monitor’s resolution isn’t as high as the 3440×1440, so games rarely have to struggle, but still, FreeSync is something that’s always nice to have, especially for people with AMD GPUs.
Final Words
While the LG 34UM67 is far from the perfect ultra wide gaming monitor in the market, it’s definitely among the budget friendliest monitor in the market. Low price coupled with some really great looks, even better set of features, and an IPS panel makes for a really amazing package.
The downsides, however, can’t be ignored. For starters; the monitor uses a resolution of 2560×1080 pixels, now this won’t be a problem on a screen that’s around 27 inches, however, we’re talking 34 inches, and that can create some pixilation, or blurred images.
Pros
- One of the most affordable ultra-wide monitors.
- Offers AMD FreeSync technology.
- Minimalistic, understated design.
- Pretty amazing viewing angles.
Cons
- The resolution is quite low for a 34-inch screen.
10. Acer Predator XB270HU – View on Amazon
The last monitor on our list is actually from Acer; the XB270HU might be the simplest looking monitor from the Predator series, so much so that it doesn’t even look like it’s from the series. However, don’t let the looks fool you as under the simplistic design, there lies some really good.
That’s because the 27-inch monitor offers 1440p resolution at 144 Hz, and on top of that, it also comes with the Nvidia G-Sync for extra smooth game play. Last but not the least, all of this is beautifully displayed on an IPS panel for extra colour accuracy, and top of the line viewing angles.
So, are there any tradeoffs? Well, let’s go ahead and find those out.
Design
As soon as you lay your eyes on the Acer XB270HU, you get the realization that Acer has done away with the futuristic design that was actually very common on the Predator lineup of monitors. The design on the XB270HU is actually very simple, and minimalistic. People may almost call it dull, and uninspired, but honestly, speaking for the gamers who are tired of seeing outlandish, and angular designs, the XB270HU is like a breeze of fresh air.
Most of the monitor is donning matte and glossy black plastic, with very small hints of red, however, nothing out of the place, so you won’t have to worry about your monitor looking out of the place. As a matter of fact, if you place it on your office desk, the red may be just considered a tasteful design choice.
The stand is also very nicely implemented, and it offers all the articulation you could ask for, it includes height adjustment, pivot, tilt, and swivel. So for those who like to move their monitor a lot before they get the best possible spot, this is certainly something that you should check out.
The XB270HU also has bezels, but thanks to Acer, they’re not as pronounced as you may see on some of the other gaming monitors, and the overall frame size is rather small, making it an amazing monitor.
Resolution, Image Quality, and Features
For those wondering, the XB270HU offers a resolution of 2560×1440 pixels at 144 Hz refresh rate. All of this looks absolutely amazing on the 27-inch IPS panel. Now keep in mind that it is an 8-bit panel but the overall image quality, and the colour reproduction is something that looks amazing, thanks to the IPS panel.
Whether you’re gaming, watching movies, or even YouTube videos, the experience is always going to be amazing. Colours are vibrant and sharp, and thanks to the perfect screen size, and screen resolution ratio, everything looks as crisp as the company intended to. So as far as the image quality is concerned, we really have no complaints whatsoever.
With that said, to make things sweeter, the already impressive monitor also supports NVidia’s G-Sync technology, meaning that it can synchronise the monitor’s frame rate with the frames you’re getting in a game. While this may seem like a completely pointless tech, it’s actually very useful, and can work wonders to get rid of any apparent lag or stutter.
The monitor also comes with 4 USB 3.0 ports, and 1 USB 3.0 Type B port for people who want to connect their peripherals with the monitor, and free up some space on the back of their computer.
Final Words
With so many good things like a high refresh rate, G-Sync, IPS panel, and QHD resolution, it’s hard to find faults in the Acer Predator XB270HU, as a matter of fact, it’s one of the best gaming monitors available in the market, especially when you consider the price.
The only downside that we found was the sort of dull design, however, this is not something everyone will approve of, since it’s very simple, and many people actually prefer the simpler designs over the futuristic ones in the market.
Conclusion
So there you have it folks, after extensive testing on the 10 of the best gaming monitors, we have finally come to the conclusion. While it may look like a no brainer to a lot of people, we can assure you that the overall process to evaluate the best display wasn’t that easy. As a matter of fact, it was anything but easy.
If it were a battle without the ultra-wide monitors in the mix, it would have been a bit easier. However, we had some of the leading ultra-wide monitors thrown into the mix, and by the end of this review, we were extremely confused as to what the winner should be.
Since there must be a victor in every roundup, this one has one too; the Asus ROG Swift PG348Q is hands down the best gaming monitor from the rest. However, choosing it as the winner wasn’t an easy job. It was getting hard time from the Acer Predator X34, and to be honest, by the end of the roundup, the outlandish design and overall better gamer pleasing aesthetics scored the victor for the ROG Swift PG348Q.
Sure, both monitors are extremely similar to each other, but it was important for us to pick a winner, something that we can call an “editor’s choice”. We hope that you liked this roundup as much as we liked writing it.
If you have any suggestions about some other good gaming monitors that you want us to check out, feel free to let us know, and we’ll surely look into it.