The Best 4K 144Hz Monitors (Best HDMI 2.1 Monitors) – 2024 Reviews

If you want to use the full potential of your high-end PC rig or a gaming console, a 4K 144Hz gaming monitor will definitely put its powerful hardware to good use.

Although relatively new to the market, there are quite a few 4K 144Hz gaming monitors available, and we’ll make sure you pick the one most suited to you!

So, let’s see which 4K 144Hz gaming monitor is the best one for you based on your budget and preference regarding panel type, screen size, and other features!

Note that there are also a few upcoming 4K 144Hz monitors worth keeping an eye out for, all of which we’ll mention in the monitor reviews below.

We’ll include a few alternatives that might be worth considering as well, depending on region and availability. You can view our changelogs for this buying guide at the end of this guide.

About The Monitor

Although $400 might not look ‘budget’ to most gamers – if you want a 4K 144Hz gaming monitor, you’ll hardly find anything below ~$500. However, the MSI MAG274UPF actually offers better performance and more features than many more expensive models.

Image Quality

The best thing about the MSI MAG274UPF is that you’re not really giving up anything crucial for its lower price in comparison to the alternatives.

It’s based on an IPS panel with a wide 98% DCI-P3 color gamut for saturated and rich colors. Next, it has a quick 1ms GtG response time speed that eliminates ghosting behind fast-moving objects, making it ideal for fast-paced gaming.

4K UHD resolution looks incredibly sharp on 27″ sized screens with 163 PPI (pixels per inch), while the wide 178° viewing angles ensure that the image is perfect regardless of the angle you’re looking at the screen.

The contrast ratio amounts to 1,000:1, as expected from an IPS monitor, meaning that blacks won’t be as deep as that of VA panels (~3,000:1 contrast ratio). However, there are no 4K 144Hz VA monitors available at this screen size anyway (only 43″ and 32″).

DisplayPort 1.4 with DSC (Display Stream Compression) for visually lossless compression if you have a compatible GPU (AMD Navi, NVIDIA Turing, or newer).

Features

Moving on, the MSI MAG274UPF supports a variable refresh rate (VRR) for tear-free gameplay up to 144FPS with a 48-144Hz range.

HDMI 2.1 VRR also provides a variable refresh rate for the PS5.

Next, MPRT is supported, which can reduce perceived motion blur at the cost of picture brightness by backlight strobing.

Other features include Night Vision (improves visibility in darker scenes), custom crosshairs, a refresh rate tracker and an integrated KVM switch that allows you to control multiple devices connected to the screen via one set of keyboard/mouse.

Design & Connectivity

The design is robust and versatile with a good range of ergonomics, such as +/- 45° swivel, +/- 90° pivot, 130mm height adjustment, -5°/20° tilt and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility.

Connectivity options include two HDMI 2.1 inputs with full 48 Gbps, DisplayPort 1.4 with DSC, USB-C (DP 1.4 Alt Mode, 65W PD), a dual-USB 2.0 hub and a headphone jack.

Alternatives

• KTC H27P22S, Acer XB273K V3 – monitors based on the same (or similar) panel without USB-C / KVM; can be found at a bit lower price on sale
• Acer XB283K KV – a 28″ 4K 144Hz IPS model with a USB-C port that also has 65W Power Delivery, but it can be up to $100 more expensive
• LG 27GP950 / 27GP95R – A 27″ 4K 144Hz monitor with a 98% DCI-P3 color gamut and hardware calibration support. It’s more expensive, but can be found on sale for $500 – $700
• LG 27GR93U – a newer version of the 27GP950, though it’s just as expensive yet it has worse specs: DisplayHDR 400 and 95% DCI-P3

About The Monitor

If you want a bigger 4K 144Hz gaming monitor, the MSI G321CU is the cheapest model available. It has a VA panel, which has its advantages and disadvantages.

Image Quality

The VA panel of the MSI G321CU provides you with a high 3,000:1 static contrast ratio for noticeably deeper blacks than that of IPS monitors. You also won’t get IPS glow, so the viewing experience is overall more immersive, especially in dark rooms.

The MSI G321CU monitor also has a decent 300-nit peak brightness and a 91% DCI-P3 wide color gamut coverage for vibrant colors (sRGB mode is available too).

Sadly, just like most VA panel displays, the G321CU has a slow pixel response time speed, which results in noticeable trailing behind fast-moving objects.

It’s mainly noticeable in dark scenes and some users might not be bothered by it at all, but if you’re sensitive to ghosting and smearing or play a lot of fast-paced games competitively, you should pick another display.

Features

Another disadvantage of VA panels is that they’re prone to VRR brightness flickering. When using VRR, you will be able to notice jumps in brightness in some games, mainly around the 48FPS LFC threshold and in games with fluctuating frame rates.

Some users are more sensitive than others to this issue as well, but you can just disable VRR in games where the brightness flickering is noticeable and put up with screen tearing.

The MSI G321CU also supports MPRT-Sync, which uses backlight strobing to reduce perceived motion blur at a cost of picture brightness – and it can work at the same time as VRR.

Other useful features include Night Vision (improves visibility in dark scenes), smart crosshair overlays (crosshair changes color depending on the scenes for better visibility), Optix Scope (zooms in the area around your crosshair), on-screen timers, a refresh rate tracker and PiP/PbP.

Design & Connectivity

The stand of the monitor is tilt-only, but the screen supports 100x100mm VESA mounting and has a moderate 1500R curvature for added immersion.

Connectivity options include two HDMI 2.1 ports, DisplayPort 1.4 with DSC, USB-C (DP Alt Mode, 15W PD) and a headphone jack.

Alternatives

• Gigabyte M32UC – based on the same panel, but has a height-adjustable stand, a USB hub and a KVM switch for ~$100 more
• Acer XV322QK V, ASUS VG32UQA1A – 32″ 4K 144Hz gaming monitor with a flat-screen VA panel

About The Monitor

Want a 32″ 4K 144Hz monitor, but don’t want to deal with slow response times and VRR brightness flickering? The MSI MAG323UPF is the most cost-efficient IPS model!

Image Quality

Thanks to its IPS panel, the MSI MAG323UPF offers 178° wide viewing angles with consistent and vibrant colors, covering 95% of the DCI-P3 color space. It also has a decent 400-nit peak brightness (600-nits for HDR) and a fast pixel response time speed for no prominent ghosting.

VRR is supported up to 160Hz for smooth tear-free gameplay, while other features include MPRT-Sync (simultaneous VRR and MBR), Night Vision, crosshair overlays, on-screen timers, a refresh rate tracker and PiP/PbP.

Just like the MSI G321CU, the MSI MAG323UPF supports HDR, but without an OLED panel or a proper FALD (full-array local dimming) backlight, HDR is mostly useless.

Design & Connectivity

The stand is robust and fairly ergonomic with up to 100mm height adjustment, -5°/20° tilt, +/- 45° swivel and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility.

Connectivity options include USB-C (DP 1.4 Alt Mode, 90W PD), DisplayPort 1.4 with DSC, two HDMI 2.1 ports, a USB 2.0 hub (3 downstream + 1 upstream) and a headphone jack.

Alternatives

• MSI MPG321UR-QD – a 32″ 4K 144Hz model with full Adobe RGB color gamut and HDR-600. It also has built-in KVM and it’s the most cost-effective 32″ 4K IPS monitor for color-critical work involving the Adobe RGB color space. However, it’s at least $100 more expensive than the MAG323UPF – at that price range (~$630), you can find mini LED displays with proper HDR image quality, such as the Innocn 32M2V.
• LG 32GR93U – a 32″ 4K 144Hz model with a fast 1ms GtG response time speed and well-optimized overdrive for no overshoot at low frame rates. However, it’s rather expensive at $600 considering its poor HDR image quality.
• LG 32GQ950 – a 32″ 4K 160Hz IPS model with 1ms GtG, a high 1,000-nit peak brightness, wide 98% DCI-P3 color gamut and an A-TW polarizer that helps with IPS glow; it goes for $850 – $1000. Just like the 32GR93U, it offers poor HDR image quality for the price as it only has 32 dimming zones, and at that price, you can get a mini LED or an OLED display. So, consider these models only if you don’t care about HDR.

About The Monitor

Need an even larger 4K 144Hz monitor with HDMI 2.1? Gigabyte has you covered with the FV43U!

Image Quality

The Gigabyte Aorus FV43U is based on a 42.5″ VA panel, so you won’t get as fast response time or wide viewing angles as the IPS models, but you get a higher contrast ratio for deeper blacks!

Due to its slower pixel response time speed, you will be able to notice some ghosting behind fast-moving objects, especially in darker scenes.

However, the FV43U isn’t intended for fast-paced competitive gaming – first of all, due to its huge 43″ screen size. Instead, it excels at providing an immersive viewing and gaming experience.

Of course, it still has low input lag, so you won’t be able to notice any delays between your actions and the result on the screen, allowing you to enjoy casual fast-paced competitive gaming, where the minor ghosting here and there won’t bother you either.

The high 4,000:1 static contrast ratio of the monitor allows for deep blacks and striking details in the shadows of the picture, while the stellar 1,000-nit peak brightness ensures vivid highlights.

On top of that, the Gigabyte FV43U has a wide 99% Adobe RGB color gamut (97% DCI-P3, ~150% sRGB) for exceptionally vibrant colors!

It also supports local dimming, but you’re still not in the ‘true HDR’ category as there are only a few dimming zones. Still, thanks to its wide color gamut, high contrast and strong peak brightness, HDR image will look great and significantly better than SDR.

The viewing angles aren’t quite as wide as that of IPS technology, so some minor shifts in brightness and contrast can be observed at skewed angles, but nothing extreme or that would take away from the overall viewing immersion.

4K resolution looks very good even on 42.5″ screens with roughly 104 pixels per inch, but if you plan on using the monitor for regular PC use, note that the FV43U has a BGR subpixel layout instead of the regular RGB.

This can make small text look a bit smudgy at native scaling, but there are ways to alleviate it. If you plan on using the screen for a lot of reading and typing, it won’t be ideal – but this is the case with all 43″ monitors and TVs.

Features

VRR is supported via AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and NVIDIA G-SYNC Compatible (though there’s no official certification) within the 48-144Hz range. Some units might be affected by the VRR brightness flickering issue.

Other features include Aim Stabilizer Sync, Black Equalizer, various picture presets and custom crosshairs and timers.

Design & Connectivity

The design is not ergonomic, but it supports VESA mount compatibility via the 200x200mm pattern.

Connectivity options include DisplayPort 1.4 with DSC, two HDMI 2.1 ports (4:2:0 at 4K 120Hz on the PS5), USB-C (with DP Alt Mode), a dual-USB 3.0 hub, a headphone jack, an audio line-out jack, two 12W built-in speakers and a KVM switch.

About The Monitor

If you want a 43″ display, but don’t want to deal with OLED’s limited brightness and risk of burn-in, the Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 S43CG70 is the best 43″ 4K LED-backlit high refresh rate gaming monitor available.

Image Quality

Even though the Gigabyte FV43U has DisplayHDR 1000 certification, the Samsung S43CG70 with DisplayHDR 600 actually offers a significantly better HDR image quality due to its 360-zone mini LED FALD backlight.

While it cannot reach 1,000-nits, it goes up to 700-nits for small highlights and can maintain ~450-nits for a full white window, which along with its full-array local dimming creates a much better HDR image quality.

The Samsung S43CG70 has a 95% DCI-P3 gamut coverage, so it won’t have as vibrant colors as that of the FV43U.

For the best HDR image quality, however, you should consider the LG 42C2 with an OLED panel due to its per-pixel dimming as all FALD displays have noticeable blooming in demanding scenes. The Samsung S43CG70 is only worth considering if you’re worried about burn-in and need a high peak brightness for everyday use.

As it’s the case with most VA panel monitors, the S43CG70 is prone to VRR brightness flickering and it has a slow pixel response time speed, resulting in noticeable smearing in dark scenes.

The monitor also has Samsung’s Tizen OS with streaming applications, DeX, Microsoft 365, Bixby voice assistant, etc. Other supported features include UltraWide Game View (changes the resolution to 3840×1600 21:9), crosshair overlays and various picture presets.

Design & Connectivity

The stand is tilt-only by -3°/20°, but the screen is 200x200mm VESA mount compatible. The screen has a matte anti-glare coating that eliminates reflections without making the image too grainy.

Connectivity options include two HDMI 2.1 ports, DP 1.4 with DSC, a dual-USB 3.0 hub, RJ45, WiFi, Bluetooth and dual 20W speakers. You also get a remote controller.

About The Monitor

For proper HDR support, we highly recommend the Innocn 27M2V if you want a 27″ 4K high refresh rate monitor.

Image Quality

The 27M2V is based on an IPS panel with a wide 99% DCI-P3 and 99% Adobe RGB color gamut for vibrant colors.

Further, it has an 1152-zone mini LED FALD backlight for incredible HDR image quality. When watching HDR content, the peak brightness can go a bit over 1,200-nits for punchy highlights while at the same time the screen can dim parts of the image that are supposed to be dark for inky blacks!

Other panel-related specifications are similar to that of the MSI MAG274UPF and include a 1,000:1 static contrast ratio, a fast 1ms GtG response time speed and 178° viewing angles.

The 27″ sized screen is slightly smaller, but it also has a slightly higher pixel density of 163 PPI.

Features

The Innocn 27M2V supports a variable refresh rate for tear-free gameplay up to 144FPS. Other features include various picture presets, Shadow Balance, PiP/PbP and crosshair overlays.

Check out our Innocn 27M2V review for more details.

Design & Connectivity

The monitor has a sturdy and ergonomic stand with up to 120mm height adjustment, +/- 15° swivel, 90° pivot, 15° tilt and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility.

Connectivity options include DisplayPort 1.4 with DSC, two HDMI 2.1 inputs with full 48 Gbps, USB-C (DP 1.4 Alt Mode, 90W PD), a dual-USB 3.0 hub, a headphone jack, dual 5W integrated speakers and built-in KVM functionality.

Alternatives

If the Innocn 27M2V is not available in your region, check out the Redmagic 4K Gaming Monitor with the same panel and local dimming solution.

In case neither is available and you want a 27″ 4K HDR display, you’ll have to settle with the Cooler Master Tempest GP27U, the KTC M27P20 Pro or the Acer XV275K P3 as an alternative. These three displays use the same panel with a fewer 576-zone FALD backlight yet they cost around the same as the 1152-zone models.

The Acer XV275K P3 model can be found on sale for $600, so it’s worth considering if you want to save ~$200 and don’t mind the lower local dimming zone count.

About The Monitor

In case you want a 32″ 4K 144Hz gaming monitor with true HDR support, you’re going to love the Innocn 32M2V!

Image Quality

Even though it has a larger screen with the same number of dimming zones as the Innocn 27M2V, the Innocn 32M2V still manages to deliver an immersive HDR viewing experience thanks to its 1152-zone mini LED FALD, 1200-nit peak brightness and wide 99% Adobe RGB and DCI-P3 color gamut.

It will naturally have more blooming than the Innocn 27M2V, but considering that this is an unavoidable drawback of this technology and that it mainly occurs in particularly demanding scenes, it’s tolerable.

Moving on, the Innocn 32M2V supports VRR up to 144Hz for tear-free gameplay and offers plenty of additional features, such as Black Boost, a refresh rate tracker, crosshair overlays and various picture presets.

Check out our full Innocn 32M2V review for more information.

Design & Connectivity

The stand is sturdy and offers height adjustment up to 80mm, +/- 25° swivel, -5°/20° tilt and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility.

Connectivity options include two HDMI 2.1 ports with full 48 Gbps bandwidth, DP 1.4 with DSC, USB-C with DP Alt Mode and 90W PD, two 5W built-in speakers, a headphone jack and a dual-USB 3.0 hub.

Alternatives

• Innocn 32A6V – the same monitor with a darker design
• Acer Predator X32FP – has a bit faster response time, but fewer dimming zones (576) and it’s also more expensive (~$1200)
• ASUS PG32UQX, ViewSonic XG321UG – 32″ 4K 144Hz models with the best mini LED HDR implementation thanks to DisplayHDR 1400, 1152-zone mini LED FALD and G-SYNC Ultimate module. However, they lack HDMI 2.1, have slower pixel response time speed, and go for ~$2,000

There’s also the ASUS PG32UQXR model with the same panel and 576-zone FALD as the Acer X32FP. ASUS’ model has DisplayPort 2.1, but lacks USB-C and KVM yet goes for up to $300 more.

Additionally, DP 2.1 is not necessary as the DP 1.4 port on the Acer X32FP can deliver the full 4K 160Hz experience via virtually lossless compression (DSC). Moreover, its DP 2.1 port has only UHBR10, so you still have to use DSC.

About The Monitor

In comparison to the Innocn 32M2V, the Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 S32BG75 has a VA panel with a higher native contrast ratio and more dimming zones (1196) for significantly less blooming. However, it doesn’t have as smooth VRR performance and a lot of users don’t like its aggressive 1000R screen curvature.

Image Quality

Based on a VA panel with a high native contrast ratio and an 1196-zone mini LED FALD solution, the Neo G7 delivers deep blacks with minimal blooming.

Additionally, it has a high peak brightness of around 1,200-nits for punchy highlights, while the 95% DCI-P3 gamut coverage ensures vibrant colors.

The Neo G7 is also one of the rare VA panel displays with a rapid 1ms GtG response time speed for no ghosting/smearing in fast-paced games.

VRR is supported via HDMI 2.1, FreeSync Premium Pro and G-SYNC Compatible technologies, and although there’s no official NVIDIA certification, you get a smooth performance. In case you get some brightness flickering, you can enable the VRR Control option to prevent it, though this adds some input lag and micro-stutter.

Check out our full Neo G7 review for more information.

Design & Connectivity

The stand of the monitor offers height adjustment up to 120mm, +/- 15° swivel, +/- 90° pivot, -9°/13° tilt and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility.

Some users hate the aggressive 1000R screen curvature, some love it and some get used to it and forget it’s even there – so, it all comes down to personal preference.

Connectivity options include two HDMI 2.1 ports with 40 Gbps and DSC, DisplayPort 1.4 with DSC, a headphone jack and a dual-USB 3.0 hub.

About The Display

While there are excellent 1440p and ultrawide OLED gaming monitors, if you want a 4K 144Hz display, the LG OLED42C3 TV is your best bet!

Image Quality

OLED displays don’t rely on a backlight to produce an image. Instead, each pixel emits its own light. As a result, you get a basically infinite contrast ratio with true blacks as pixels can simply turn off when displaying black.

Further, there’s no backlight bleeding, IPS glow or blooming visual artifacts, which makes for an incredible HDR viewing experience, especially in dark rooms.

Next, the pixel response time speed is instantaneous. So, there’s no ghosting or overshoot behind fast-moving objects, regardless of the refresh rate.

You also get smooth VRR performance and although there’s some near-black gamma shift in dark scenes, it’s not as noticeable as VRR brightness flickering on VA panels.

The main disadvantage of OLED displays is the risk of burn-in when showing an image with bright static elements for too long. However, as long as you’re using the monitor sensibly and taking advantage of the available burn-in prevention features, it shouldn’t be an issue.

OLED displays also can’t get as bright as LED-backlit panels. The LG OLED42C3 is limited to around 180-nits in SDR. For some users, this is bright enough under normal lighting conditions, but others might find it too dim. For HDR, the screen can reach up to 700-nits for small highlights, which is enough to create a vivid and punchy viewing experience.

While the 4K UHD resolution looks sharp even on 42″ sized screens, LG’s W-OLED panels use an RWBG subpixel layout, which causes minor fringing on small text and fine details, but it’s not noticeable in games and videos.

The LG OLED42C3 also has a wide 98% DCI-P3 gamut coverage for rich colors and 178° viewing angles, which means that the image remains flawless regardless of the angle you’re looking at it.

Finally, the TV uses LG’s WebOS 23 for smooth navigation through streaming apps and you get the Magic Remote controller. Other features include various picture presets, 21:9 and 32:9 Wide Aspect Ratio, Black Stabilizer, Google and Alexa voice assistance and even Dolby Vision support.

Check out our LG OLED42C3 review for more details.

Design & Connectivity

The LG OLED42C3 has a design with legs to better fit on a regular PC desk, but there are no ergonomic adjustments apart from VESA mount compatibility. It has a glossy screen finish for a more vibrant image quality, but it’s reflective.

Note that the screen has a glossy screen finish, which makes the image more vivid, but it also makes it more reflective. It won’t be an issue as long as there’s no strong lighting directly hitting the screen.

Connectivity options include four HDMI 2.1 ports, RJ45, tuner, composite-in, both analog and digital audio jacks, three USB 2.0 ports, WiFi, Bluetooth and dual 10W integrated speakers (no subwoofer though).

Alternatives

• ASUS PG42UQ – based on the same panel with a 138Hz overclocked refresh rate, DisplayPort input, matte anti-glare coating and a heatsink for slightly higher brightness. However, it goes for $1400, while the LG OLED42C3 can be found for as low as $850. The PG42UQ also doesn’t have any smart features or Dolby Vision support. If you want a model with a matte anti-glare coating, consider the KTC G42P5, which can be found for ~$1,100.

Conclusion

Did you find the best 4K 144Hz gaming monitor for you? Leave us a comment below if you’re not sure which one to pick!

Overall, we find that the Innocn 27M2V, the Innocn 32M2V and the LG OLED42C3 are the best 4K 144Hz gaming displays worth considering since they are only slightly more expensive than the other models yet offer proper HDR support thanks to the mini LED backlight or an OLED panel.

Keep in mind that there are a lot of 4K 240Hz OLED displays available that you should consider, as well as upcoming and cheaper 144Hz-165Hz variants of those displays.

Of course, if you don’t care about HDR gaming and content consumption, the other SDR models are also worth considering for light SDR gaming, productivity work, everyday use, etc. if you want to save some money.