High refresh rates, low latency and RGB lights

If you’re getting into PC gaming or you’ve been an expert for ages, you’ll either know or be finding out that a good monitor is key to capping off a great PC build.

After all, games could be running on the highest settings but a grainy low-quality display won’t make them look all that great. So, if you’re looking to pick up a new monitor to game on, we’ve gathered the very best options for you right here.

These monitors don’t all have the exact same specs, but they all enable high refresh rates, crisp resolutions and some great extra features to go with them, so check out our recommendations to see which would work best for you.

The Samsung Odyssey NEO G9 is an upgraded version of the 49-inch Odyssey G9 which was already awesome but is now even better.

The Odyssey NEO G9 sports some serious specs that make it eye-wateringly good to game on. That includes upgrades like 2,048 local dimming zones, HDR 2000, Mini LED display and much more.

This 49-inch monster has a mini-LED display with a 32:9 aspect ratio, 5120 x 1440 resolution, 1ms response time and a 240Hz refresh rate. This is a fantastic setup for gaming as it creates an enormous immersive view of the gaming world with wonderful peripheral vision.

It’s also responsive and rocks both G-Sync and Freesync compatibility too. For productivity, you can also set the monitor into a picture-by-picture mode and plug in two devices for split-screen working.

Of course, with these kinds of specs, you need a powerful graphics card in order to get the best frame rates. Technology like Nvidia’s DLSS can help improve performance though. While ray tracing can really help make the experience even more gob-smacking.

If you’ve got the desk space, the NEO G9 is an incredible addition to your gaming area and once you’ve experienced super ultrawide gaming, you won’t know how you managed before.

Asus Rog Swift PG259QNR

2. Best monitor for esports

Pro gamer monitor choice

$425 $550 Save $125

All told this is a serious monitor for those that demand the very best from their display.

Screen Size

24.5-inch

Resolution

1920 x 1080

Max. Refresh Rate

360Hz

Response Time

1MS

Pros

• Seriously high-end specs for pro-level gaming
• Support for Nvidia Reflex Latency Analyzer
• Easy to hit the FPS to make the most of the refresh rate

Cons

• A lot smaller than others on this list
• Mighty pricey

This is the cutting-edge of ultra-fast refresh rate monitors. A 1080p fast IPS display with 1ms response time, 360Hz refresh rate, HDR10, 10-bit colour and more. It’s a monitor designed for pro players and “professional esports gamers”, with satisfying buttery smooth visuals and a superb refresh rate that should help give you the gaming edge.

Other highlights for us include the addition of a built-in Nvidia Reflex Latency Analyzer. This allows you to monitor your system and peripheral latency (assuming you have the right mouse) and cut down on issues that might hold you back from the most satisfying of wins.

It works by letting you plug in a compatible mouse directly to the monitor, and then tracking the time it takes for your click to register. Click your mouse and the latency analyser will then track the resulting muzzle flash from your weapon in games like Rainbow Six Siege, Overwatch and more. You can then monitor the GeForce Experience and optimise it to improve performance.

All these things combined result in a serious monitor for those who demand the very best from their display. It has great colour accuracy, good viewing angles, but, most importantly, it’s ultra swift and smooth, too. If you take your gaming seriously, then this is the monitor for you.

Corsair XENEON Flex 45WQHD240

3. Most flexible massive monitor

A stunning display with intriguing features

$1599.99 $1949.99 Save $350

Corsair XENEON Flex is a monitor with a difference. It’s not just one you can bend, it’s so much more. 

Resolution

3440 x 1440

Refresh Rate

240Hz

Screen Size

45-inch

Ports

2x HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x USB Type-C DP Alt-Mode

Display Technology

OLED

Response Time

GtG 0.03ms

Pros

• Stunning OLED panel
• Interesting bendy features
• Gorgeous for gaming

Cons

• Text isn’t as good
• Mighty pricey

The Corsair Xeneon Flex is something else. A massive 45-inch monitor, that not only has an ultra-thin panel but also one that can be bent. On purpose?!

That’s right, it’s called Flex because you can either use it flat or bend it to an 800R curve. Certainly an interesting feature and if you’ve not bought a monitor because you weren’t sure whether you wanted it flat or curved, now you don’t have to think about it because you can not only try both but bend it to your own preference.

If this seems like a bit of a gimmick, it isn’t. It actually becomes useful when you want a more immersive gaming experience, but a flatter one for working or productivity.

The Corsair Xeneon Flex pleases in other ways though. It features a stunning 45-inch OLED panel developed by LG that boasts an ultra-wide resolution and impressive brightness, colour gamut coverage and fast response rate.

For gaming, this monitor is absolutely stunning. It is, however, massive and you’ll need a large desk and plenty of space to use it.

There are plenty of small highlights to this monitor too. The stand, for example, has connectivity ports so you don’t have to faff about trying to plug them into the underside of the monitor which is a joy. It has various display modes including ones that are easier on the eye for reading and fancier ones for gaming.

The downside to this monitor is clearly the price. It comes at a steep cost, but the specs and quality are fantastic.

Acer Predator XB273U GP

4. Stylish monitor

Jack of all trades

$399.99 $499.99 Save $100

The Acer Predator XB273U GP offers a speedy 165Hz IPS panel with an ample 1440p resolution, making it a nice middle ground between esports-focused 1080p panels and higher-resolution/ultrawide options.

Resolution

1920 x 1080

Refresh Rate

360Hz

Screen Size

24.5-inch

Display Technology

IPS panel with LED backlight

Response Time

1MS

Pros

• Excellent picture clarity
• 1ms GtG response time
• Funky front-facing RGB lighting

Cons

• The HDR effect isn’t too impressive

The Acer Predator XB273U knows how to make a statement. It has a bold gamer aesthetic with front-facing RGB accents along the lower trim. This makes more sense than the usual LED-clad rear panels, as you can actually see it in use.

It’s a great look, but we found the animated effects a little too distracting for serious gaming, thankfully, they can be easily disabled. Elsewhere, you get lovely slim bezels along with a sturdy stand and confidence-inspiring build quality.

It’s not all about looks though, with a 165Hz 1440p IPS panel, the XB273U provides an excellent balance between resolution and responsiveness. The 1ms GtG time, is great for competitive titles, too.

It may not be speedy enough for esports professionals, nor accurate enough for full-time creatives, but for the majority of gamers, it finds itself in a bit of a sweet spot. We found it a delight to live with.

Corsair XENEON 32UHD144

5. A premium monitor choice

Superb FPS panel

$799.99 $999.99 Save $200

All told this monitor delivers the goods with superb visuals and plenty of appealing features that make it well worth your money. 

Screen Size

32-inch

Resolution

3840 x 2160

Max. Refresh Rate

144Hz

Response Time

1MS

Pros

• Vibrant colours
• Smooth and responsive visuals
• Excellent for both gaming and working

Cons

• Price
• HDR looks a little washed out

This Corsair monitor surprised us with its capabilities. It’s a beautiful-looking monitor that’s well-built and intelligently thought out.

It boasts a slim bezel design with a thin form factor but a solid stand and premium design.

Most importantly it looks great in various lighting conditions and provides a smooth gaming experience with a 144Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time.

It ticks many boxes for gaming but also for creative and productivity uses with 100% Adobe RGB and 98% DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage.

There are many different settings to play around with, including a text mode which makes it easier on the eye when working, but we didn’t find we had to mess around with settings much to get it to look good. Which is refreshing.

HDR is a little bit washed out in some games, but that’s often the case.

All told this monitor delivers the goods with superb visuals and plenty of appealing features that make it well worth your money.

Sony Inzone M9

6. Stunning monitor option

Great for Sony fans

$798 $898 Save $100

The Sony Inzone M9 might be an expensive monitor, but it’s a great-looking one with decent specs and features. It’s also visually stunning and great to game on.

Resolution

3840 x 2160

Refresh Rate

144 Hz

Screen Size

27-inch

Response Time

1MS

Pros

• Rich and accurate colours
• Fantastic viewing angles
• Built-in KVM switch as standard

Cons

• Expensive
• No cables included as standard

Sony has moved into the PC gaming space with the Inzone M9. This is a brilliant 4K display with some interesting highlights that include not only a fast refresh rate screen and HDR600 but also a built-in KVM switch as standard. You can connect two machines to this and control them with one keyboard and mouse setup.

The display is also fantastic. It’s aimed at FPS gamers and that’s the focus here with features like FPS mode, on-screen crosshairs, refresh rate display and more.

It also boasts full array local dimming zones with 96 zones supporting deep blacks and impressive contrast. We thoroughly enjoyed convincing dark scenes and incredibly bright whites when gaming with this one.

You’ll also note a PlayStation-esque theme to the design that includes a forward-facing middle stand and various other accents. There are PS5-exclusive features on this one too. So if you own both a gaming PC and PS5 then this is an even better choice.

It’s expensive, but fantastic for fast-paced yet glorious-looking FPS games.

X= XRGB27WQ V2

7. Best monitor on a budget

Fantastically affordable gaming monitor

This is a fantastic monitor for the money with plenty of great specs and good visuals for gaming. It’s well worth a look if you’re on a tight budget.

Pros

• Insanely priced
• Great looking for gaming
• Good specs for the money

Cons

• RGB is underwhelming
• Not great for productivity use

If affordability is the name of the game, then look no further than this 27-inch gaming monitor.

For a really reasonable price, you’re getting a decent specifications line-up which includes 1440p resolution, 165Hz refresh rate, AMD Freesync and Nvidia G-Sync compatibility and more.

This monitor might have an awkward name but don’t let that put you off as it’s a surprisingly good gaming panel for the cash. We found that it’s not really suited to productivity as much (you wouldn’t want to work on it all day) but for gaming it’s fantastic.

You get Plenty of options to play around with to get the visuals you’re after and it’s responsive as well. The RGB lighting on the rear isn’t particularly bright or impressive though, but we rarely find it is anyway.

The bottom line

There are a lot of great gaming monitors out there, and as you’ll have seen from the highlights we’ve compiled above, they come in all sizes and shapes – and at all price points.

Still, if budget is no issue, there’s really nothing quite like strapping in to game in front of the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9, which makes widescreens look fat. It’s just massive and is almost like having a triple-monitor array all in one go.

Samsung Odyssey Neo G9

$1252 $2200 Save $948

This is our top pick for a reason – the Odyssey Neo G9 is unlike almost anything else we’ve tried, and has to be seen to be believed.

How to choose a gaming monitor

There are quite a few options when it comes to gaming monitors. When considering a purchase it can be tricky to work out which is the best choice. There are some things that are worth considering:

Graphical quality and speed

What’s more important to you? Stunning game graphics, that are crystal clear and utterly immersive or a fast refresh rate with ultra-high FPS capabilities and low latency?

If you don’t play competitive shooters and just enjoy casual single-player gaming experiences, then it makes sense to opt for a monitor that will make the most of that experience. 4K monitors are often the best-looking and most eye-pleasing. UHD resolution is still hard to drive at a decent frame rate though. So you need a good gaming PC or ultra gaming laptop in order to still have a smooth experience.

Monitors that give you a competitive edge

On the other hand, if you take your gaming seriously and want to play games to win, then a smaller (24 or 27-inch monitor) with a 1080p resolution and high 240-300Hz refresh rate is the better choice. These monitors are able to display games in a much more accurate way, with less latency and a more accurate representation of what’s happening in-game, down to the millisecond.

If you’re playing games like CS2, Rainbow Six Siege, Valorant and others that can manage 200-300FPS then these pro-level monitors make for a logical choice. If you’re always playing triple-A games on maxed-out settings, then not so much.

HDR settings

The other thing to watch out for is HDR. High Dynamic Range adds another level of depth to your games, assuming they support it. Better colours and a wider range of light and dark elements make the right monitors really pop. Better colours and a more beautiful gaming experience are the obvious benefits of this.

Can you go wide with your monitor?

There’s a lot to be said for ultrawide gaming. These monitors are usually 21:9 or 32:9 aspect ratio, which means you have less vertical height but a wider peripheral view. These monitors give a much more immersive experience, especially in big open-world games where the environment is there to be enjoyed.

The downside is games at this resolution and aspect ratio are often not optimised for it so you end up with black bars in cut scenes and you can’t stream games at this aspect ratio on Twitch, YouTube and Facebook Gaming without some tweaks. These monitors aren’t great for streamers or competitive gamers, but they are fantastic if you just want to get lost in the game world.