With the variety of gaming monitors on the market, shoppers may get a little intimidated when trying to find the right one. Some of the most cost-effective and best gaming monitors have become even more affordable as Black Friday deals have ramped up. Luckily for gamers, the models currently seeing steep discounts are actually among the most reasonable choices for midrange gaming setups.
There are a lot of specific features worth considering when selecting a gaming monitor, but the most prominent are size, resolution and refresh rate. You can also select a more traditional flat monitor or a more modern curved monitor, a popular choice in recent years. There are other aspects, like HDR support and wide color gamut coverage, that you’ll see on high-end gaming monitors, as well.
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4K monitors and the hardware to play games on them are often very expensive. This 32-inch screen at a 1440p resolution is one of the most cost-effective formats for those with mid-range gaming setups, as it’s large enough to be highly immersive and has enough to pixels for a clean and crisp image. This already well-priced option is currently available at a significant discount; the only real drawback is that it’s limited to a 75 Hertz maximum refresh rate.
While this isn’t heavily marketed as a gaming monitor, the Ultra HD panel, powerful HDR performance and moderate price make it an excellent choice for anyone wanting to take advantage of a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X. It has a thin body and slim bezel, so it looks great and doesn’t take up a ton of desk space, and it’s among the few computer monitors with HDR10 certification.
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The biggest selling point of this 25-inch model is its 240Hz refresh rate. Its ability to display up to 240 FPS coupled with the relatively low field of view of its small size makes it the perfect choice for gamers who love fast-paced first-person games where reaction time is key. Its 99% coverage of the sRGB gamut promises rich colors, while the four USB ports make it easy to connect peripherals. The included stand offers four-way adjustment or you can mount the display to a standard VESA arm.
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There aren’t many reliable gaming monitors priced lower than this one. With that in mind, you won’t have to sacrifice much in terms of an immersive experience. This affordable option measures 24 inches at 1080p, which provides the pixel density needed for good-looking gameplay with little to no pixelation. It’s even good up to 144Hz and compatible with major variable refresh rate protocols.
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This one’s a little different from the rest. It’s clearly not meant for desktop gaming, and it doesn’t make a ton of sense for laptop gaming either. Instead, this portable monitor is an excellent choice for playing consoles when you don’t have the luxury of a full-size TV or monitor. It’s a good choice for both new and old consoles, and it makes Nintendo Switch games look especially nice in docked mode.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
This monitor has similar basic specifications to some other great holiday deals, but it’s a step up in terms of overall quality. The screen display gets brighter with more colors than many others in its size class. It also supports AMD FreeSync Premium, an advanced variable refresh rate protocol that increases smoothness and decreases latency in systems with AMD graphics cards. Like many of Samsung’s high-end monitors, it controls the backlight with a direct current, allowing for a flicker-free operation that should be comfortable for most users.
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This is last year’s version of LG’s wildly popular lineup of OLED TVs. It has basically all the same features as its more recent relative, yet it’s already offered at a discount, and you’re likely to see it remain with a similar price cut through the holiday season. At 48 inches, it’s large enough to be incredibly immersive but not so large it takes up an entire wall. If you’re looking for versatility and pure image quality, few displays of any type can top this one, but it’s still a pretty big investment even when it’s on sale.
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While it wasn’t designed specifically to be a computer monitor, the Q70A is yet another offering from Samsung that’s equipped with a full slate of features that gamers will love. These include QLED filtration for a wide color gamut in addition to a 120Hz variable refresh rate complete with HDMI 2.1 connectivity to support the newest GPUs. With its smallest variant coming in at 55 inches, it’s considerably larger than almost any computer monitor currently available. If you have enough room for it, it also looks considerably better than most PC monitors on the market.
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For a lot of gamers, 1440p graphics at 144Hz is considered the sweet spot, and that’s exactly what this high-performing monitor delivers. It also claims a 1ms gray-to-gray pixel response time, which keeps ghosting and incidental motion blur to a minimum. Plus, at 27 inches, its pixel density is high enough that you probably won’t be able to make out individual pixels from across a desk. Considering it’s already significantly discounted, this is one of the best pre-Black Friday deals around.
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If you’re especially concerned with high frame rates that make for smoother visuals and decreased response time while gaming, this premium monitor should be on your list. It’s capable of displaying an impressive 360 FPS, something few others can do, and something manufacturers claim can actually make competitive gamers better at playing demanding games. It’s also equipped with a special latency analysis system meant to reduce input lag to the lowest levels possible.
As long as you’re comfortable playing in Full HD, it’s hard to beat this deal from computer giant Dell. It boasts a 144Hz refresh rate, which can be hard to find at the same size and price, and its contrast ratio and peak brightness are both above average. It also comes at a pretty steep discount at the moment, which means a lot considering its manufacturer’s great reputation.
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Chris Thomas writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
