Are you searching for the best gaming monitor to pair with your AMD graphics card?
Then you should definitely consider FreeSync Premium Pro (previously branded as FreeSync 2) gaming monitors in order to get the smoothest performance and best HDR image quality out of compatible games.
There are various FreeSync Premium Pro displays out there, so we’ve narrowed down your selection to only the absolute best and the most cost-effective models available!
Monitor | Size | Resolution | Panel | Refresh Rate | FreeSync Range | HDR | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
27” 32” | 2560x1440 | VA | 144Hz | 48-144Hz | DisplayHDR 600 | ||
27” 32” | 2560x1440 | VA | 240Hz | 80-240Hz | DisplayHDR 600 | ||
43" | 3840x2160 | VA | 144Hz | 48-144Hz | DisplayHDR 1000 | ||
38" | 3840x1600 | IPS | 160Hz | 48-160Hz | DisplayHDR 600 | ||
49” | 5120x1440 | VA | 240Hz | 60-240Hz | DisplayHDR 1000 | ||
49” | 5120x1440 | VA | 240Hz | 96-240Hz | 'Quantum HDR2000' | ||
32" | 3840x2160 | VA | 165Hz | 48-165Hz | 'Quantum HDR2000' | ||
34" | 3440x1440 | OLED | 165Hz | 48-165Hz | DisplayHDR 400 True Black |
So, what does the FreeSync Premium Pro certification mean exactly?
AMD has three FreeSync tiers: the original FreeSync technology, FreeSync Premium, and FreeSync Premium Pro.
FreeSync provides a variable refresh rate for supported cards over DP and HDMI (depending on the monitor).
FreeSync Premium has a bit more demanding requirements – the monitor must have at least a 120Hz refresh rate, low input lag, and support for LFC (Low Framerate Compensation).
LFC allows the variable refresh rate to continue working below the monitor’s dynamic range by doubling or tripling the frame rate.
For instance, if your FPS drops to 47FPS on a monitor with a 48-144Hz VRR range, LFC will change the monitor’s refresh rate to 94Hz for smoother performance, and so on.
FreeSync Premium Pro has the same requirements as FreeSync Premium (at least 120Hz, low input lag, and LFC) – plus a few conditions regarding the monitor’s HDR (High Dynamic Range) support.
Besides being able to accept and display the HDR10 signal, a FreeSync Premium Pro monitor must also have a wider color gamut (at least 90% DCI-P3) and a higher peak brightness (at least 400-nits) than a standard display.
Additionally, there are FreeSync Premium Pro video games that use the full potential of these monitors by proper HDR gamut and tone mapping, which ensures optimal picture quality with minimal input lag.
What about other HDR games?
In video games that don’t support FreeSync Premium Pro, the HDR picture quality will vary from game to game and depend on the monitor’s HDR capabilities.
Luckily, almost all modern gaming monitors have low input lag, so latency won’t be an issue when it comes to HDR.
Also, note that while you can use both FreeSync and HDR with compatible NVIDIA graphics cards, you cannot use the FreeSync Premium Pro HDR option in games that support it.
Unfortunately, despite the FreeSync Premium Pro certification, some units of the VA panel monitors included in this guide will have the infamous FreeSync brightness flickering issue.
Samsung CHG70
Best 1440p 144Hz HDR Monitor
Sizes: 27”, 32”
Resolution: 2560×1440
Panel: VA
Refresh Rate: 144Hz
FreeSync Range: 48-144Hz
HDR: DisplayHDR 600
The Pros:
- FreeSync and MBR up to 144Hz
- Wide color gamut, strong contrast and brightness
- Ergonomic stand, rich connectivity options
The Cons:
- Minor ghosting in fast-paced games, mostly in darker scenes
- Some units are affected with VRR brightness flickering with FPS fluctuations
- Overdrive too aggressive for low refresh rates
About The Monitor
The Samsung CHG70 is the cheapest FreeSync Premium Pro monitor that you should consider. It’s available as a 27″ and a 32″ model – the Samsung C27HG70 and the Samsung C32HG70.
Image Quality
While the 32″ sized variant has a bigger screen, the Samsung C27HG70 has a higher pixel-per-inch as both monitors feature the same 2560×1440 WQHD resolution.
So, you can choose between a larger screen or a sharper picture quality.
The Samsung CHG70 gaming monitors feature a quantum-dot enhanced film layer for a wide 95% DCI-P3 color gamut, which makes for more vibrant and lifelike colors.
Further, they are based on VA panels with a high contrast ratio of 3,000:1 and a peak brightness of 350-nit brightness, which gets a boost up to 600-nits for HDR content.
As a result, you get deep blacks, bright whites, and vivid details in the shadows and highlights of the picture.
Now:
There are no FreeSync Premium Pro monitors that offer the ‘true’ HDR viewing experience.
For the ideal HDR picture, a monitor would need a higher peak brightness and a drastically higher contrast ratio, which is only achievable by OLED displays or by implementing expensive full-array local dimming (FALD) solutions.
These FALD monitors cost between $1,000 and $3,000 though.
The Samsung CHG70 monitors do have some sort of local dimming at least – but there are only 8 dimming zones.
While this is nowhere near the impact that the popular mini LED FALD monitors have with 1152 or 2048 zones, it still offers a notable improvement in HDR picture quality over the standard displays without any local dimming.
In other words, you won’t get the true HDR viewing experience with most FreeSync Premium Pro monitors, but rather just a glimpse of it, which is understandable given the price of these displays.
The 8-zone local dimming system of the Samsung CHG70 can dim parts of the screen that need to be dark without affecting parts of the image that need to be bright, thus making blacks even deeper and effectively increasing the contrast ratio.
Just how efficient the zones will be at dimming mainly depends on the content. Some scenes will look significantly better, while others may not have any improvements at all.
All in all, the Samsung CHG70 monitors offer an immersive picture quality for both HDR and SDR content considering their price.
Features
The main problem with almost all VA panel monitors is the pixel response time speed.
Due to their very deep blacks, pixels can’t quite change into brighter shades fast enough to keep up with the fast refresh rate. As a result, there’s visible smearing behind fast-moving objects, mainly in darker scenes.
For casual gaming, the amount of smearing is entirely tolerable and even negligible.
However, competitive FPS gamers may find it distracting. You can use the 1ms MPRT technology to remove some of this ghosting by backlight strobing, but this feature cannot work simultaneously as FreeSync or HDR.
Other noteworthy features include Black Equalizer (improves visibility of objects in shadows in video games), various pre-calibrated picture presets, and RGB lighting at the back of the monitor.
Another problem with the Samsung CHG70 is its overdrive implementation.
There’s only one overdrive mode that works well for 100Hz+, but if you are using FreeSync, and you’re getting under ~80FPS, the overdrive is too aggressive, which results in noticeable pixel overshoot i.e., inverse ghosting.
The only way to prevent it is to disable FreeSync in games where you can’t maintain consistent 100FPS+.
For more information, visit our Samsung C32HG70 review.
Design & Connectivity
The stand of the monitor is quite robust, but it also takes up a lot of desk space as you can see in the picture above; you can elevate the screen up to 145mm, tilt it by -5°/15°, swivel by +/- 15°, pivot by 90°, or VESA mount it (100x100mm).
Connectivity options include DisplayPort 1.4, two HDMI 2.0b ports, a headphone jack, a microphone jack, and a dual-USB 3.0 hub (2 downstream + 1 upstream). The screen has a 1800R curvature for added immersion.
Alternatives
There are numerous similar FreeSync Premium Pro monitors at this price range, so we’ll explain why exactly is the Samsung CHG70 the best one when it comes to value for the money.
Naturally, these alternatives may be more viable in some regions depending on price and availability. If that’s the case, feel free to leave us a comment below, and we’ll help you pick the best monitor for you.
1080p 144Hz FreeSync Premium Pro Monitors With DisplayHDR 400
There are two 1080p monitors worth considering that support FreeSync Premium Pro – the HP Omen 25i and the Aorus CV27F.
However, they go for $300 – $350, which is rather expensive for 1080p 144Hz monitors considering that you can get a 1440p 144Hz gaming display for the same amount of money. If 1440p is too demanding for your PC system and you just want to invest in a good 1080p display, then they’re worth considering.
The Aorus CV27F has DisplayHDR 400 and no local dimming, so the HDR image quality won’t be as good as that of the CHG70. Moreover, 1080p results in a lower pixel density of 81 PPI, so details and text will be somewhat pixely.
The HP Omen 25i has a 24.5″ sized screen, so you get a higher pixel density of 90 PPI for sharper details.
Further, it has a fast IPS panel, so you won’t get any ghosting or VRR brightness flickering associated with the previously-mentioned VA models. The contrast ratio is lower, so blacks aren’t as deep, but you get more accurate, consistent and vibrant colors.
1440p 144Hz FreeSync Premium Pro Monitors With DisplayHDR 400
All of these monitors offer an inferior HDR image quality to the Samsung C27HG70 at the same or similar price. However, they still offer some advantages that might appeal to you.
The Dell S2721DGF is a popular 27″ 1440p 165Hz IPS gaming monitor with a fast 1ms GtG response time speed, smooth VRR performance, and a wide 98% DCI-P3 color gamut.
However, due to its only decent 400-nit peak brightness, a subpar 1,000:1 contrast ratio and lack of local dimming, its HDR image quality is underwhelming considering the price. So, it’s a great gaming monitor overall, just not a particularly good ‘HDR’ monitor.
The Gigabyte M32Q is a 32″ 1440p 165Hz 1ms IPS gaming monitor priced at $400 – $500. It’s an overall great monitor for the money, but if HDR is your main focus, the Samsung CHG70 models are better due to the higher contrast ratio and local dimming.
Lastly, the Gigabyte G32QCA model offers an inferior HDR viewing experience to the CHG70 models due to its lower-tier DisplayHDR 400 certification and lack of local dimming, but it is considerably cheaper (can be found for as low as $300).
Summary
We hope that our complete breakdown of these 1080p and 1440p FreeSync Premium Pro monitors hasn’t further confused you, but rather helped you understand why we recommend the Samsung CHG70 displays, at least for the sake of HDR.
Samsung G7
Best 1440p 240Hz HDR Monitor
Sizes: 27”, 32”
Resolution: 2560×1440
Panel: VA
Refresh Rate: 240Hz
FreeSync Range: 80-240Hz
HDR: DisplayHDR 600
The Pros:
- High contrast ratio and strong peak brightness
- Wide color gamut
- Plenty of features including FreeSync and MBR up to 240Hz
- Fully ergonomic stand and rich connectivity options
The Cons:
- 1000R curvature too steep for some users
- VRR Control option might cause micro-stuttering on some units
About The Monitor
If you want a better FreeSync Premium Pro monitor than the CHG70, we highly recommend saving up for the Samsung Odyssey G7 series which also consists of 27″ and 32″ variants.
Image Quality
The Odyssey G7 models offer a similar HDR picture quality as the CHG70 monitors with DisplayHDR 600 certification, implying a 600-nit peak brightness, wide 95% DCI-P3 color gamut, local dimming (8 zones), and a 2,500:1 contrast ratio.
However, when it comes to performance, the G7 models blow all other VA panel displays away thanks to their rapid 1ms pixel response time speed and high 240Hz refresh rate.
The response time overdrive is also very well implemented – you won’t get any ghosting or overshoot regardless of your refresh rate!
So, even if you don’t have a proper PC to run this display at ~240FPS, you’ll get a smooth performance at lower frame rates, and the monitor will last you several GPU upgrades.
Additionally, the monitor supports Motion Blur Reduction if you want to trade picture brightness and variable refresh rate for even smoother motion clarity.
Besides AMD’s FreeSync Premium Pro certification, the Samsung G7 monitors also have NVIDIA’s G-SYNC Compatible certification ensuring smooth VRR performance.
While there’s no brightness flickering once the VRR Control option is enabled, some users experience micro-stuttering instead. It doesn’t seem to affect all units and unless you’re particularly sensitive to this, it will be tolerable.
Other features include the standard picture presets, custom crosshairs, Black Equalizer, and similar gaming utilities.
Visit our full Samsung C32G75T review for more information.
Design & Connectivity
The Samsung G7 monitors also have more aggressive 1000R screen curvature for extra immersion while the rest of the design features include RGB lighting at the back and front of the display and an ergonomic stand with 120mm height adjustment, +/- 15°, pivot, tilt, and VESA mount compatibility.
Connectivity options include two DisplayPort 1.4 ports with DSC, HDMI 2.0, a headphone jack, and two USB 3.0 ports.
LG 27GP950
Best 27″ 4K 144Hz HDMI 2.1 Monitor
Size: 27”
Resolution: 3840×2160
Panel: IPS
Refresh Rate: 160Hz
FreeSync Range: 48-160Hz
HDR: DisplayHDR 600
The Pros:
- FreeSync up to 160Hz
- Wide color gamut and strong brightness
- Fast pixel response time
- Ergonomic stand, rich connectivity options
The Cons:
- Contrast ratio not as high as that of VA models
About The Monitor
The LG 27GP950 is the best 4K 144Hz gaming monitor under $1000!
We now recommend the Sony Inzone M9 instead since it offers a better local dimming solution at the same price. The article will soon be updated, in the meantime, you can check out our full Sony M9 review.
However, if you want the best HDR image quality, you should get the Cooler Master Tempest GP27U, even though it doesn’t have FreeSync Premium Pro certification.
Image Quality
While the 27GP950 doesn’t have as a high contrast ratio nor as a high refresh rate as the Samsung G7, it offers an IPS panel with a higher resolution and more consistent colors.
Despite its 16 local dimming zones, the contrast ratio of this IPS monitor is only around 1,000:1, so you won’t get as deep and inky blacks as that of VA panel displays.
What you do get is 4K resolution which results in incredibly sharp details on 27″ sized screens thanks to the high pixel density of 163 PPI.
Additionally, IPS technology offers superior color consistency and accuracy allowing you to do color-critical work without the gamma/saturation shifts at different angles, like it’s the case with VA monitors.
Other specifications include a strong 600-nit peak brightness, a wide 98% DCI-P3 color gamut, and a rapid 1ms GtG response time speed.
Features
The LG 27GP950 has both AMD’s FreeSync Premium Pro and NVIDIA’s G-SYNC Compatible certifications, and the variable refresh rate works flawlessly, without any brightness flickering or similar artifacts.
It’s possible to overclock the monitor to 160Hz via DisplayPort, while HDMI is limited to 120Hz at 4K UHD for consoles.
Other interesting features include RGB lighting at the back of the monitor with rather powerful 48 LEDs that can create atmospheric ambient lighting.
You also get the standard gaming utilities, such as Black Stabilizer, various pre-calibrated picture presets, custom crosshairs, and advanced image adjustment tools.
Design & Connectivity
The design of the monitor features ultra-thin bezels at all four sides of the display while the stand is fairly versatile with up to 110mm height adjustment, -5°/15° tilt, 90° pivot, and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility.
Connectivity options include DisplayPort 1.4 with DSC, two HDMI 2.1 ports, a headphone jack and a dual-USB 3.0 hub.
Alternatives
You should also consider the Gigabyte M28U. It offers similar image quality and performance, but with a bit lower 400-nit peak brightness, fewer 8 dimming zones and not as wide color gamut. Its overdrive is also not as well-optimized, resulting in visible overshoot at low frame rates with VRR enabled, but it is ~$250 cheaper.
As far as 32″ 4K monitors with FreeSync Premium Pro go, the Gigabyte M32U is the best option, but it only has DisplayHDR 400. If you care about HDR image quality, the MSI MPG321UR-QD would be a better option even though it doesn’t have FreeSync Premium Pro; has DisplayHDR 600 and a wide Adobe RGB color gamut.
Gigabyte FV43U
Best 43″ Gaming Monitor
Size: 43”
Resolution: 3840×2160
Panel: VA
Refresh Rate: 144Hz
FreeSync Range: 48-144Hz
HDR: DisplayHDR 1000
The Pros:
- High contrast ratio, wide color gamut
- Plenty of features, including FreeSync and MBR up to 144Hz
- DisplayHDR 1000
- HDMI 2.1, USB-C, KVM, USB hub
The Cons:
- Ghosting in fast-paced games, mainly in darker scenes
- Only a few dimming zones
- BGR subpixel layout
About The Monitor
In case you’re after a big monitor with FreeSync Premium Pro, look no further than the Gigabyte Aorus FV43U.
Image Quality
This 43″ monitor is based on a VA panel with a high 4,000:1 contrast ratio for deep blacks and has a stunning 1,000-nit peak brightness for vivid highlights.
Moreover, it boasts full Adobe RGB gamut coverage for absolutely gorgeous colors equivalent to ~150% sRGB gamut size!
It also supports local dimming, but with only 8 zones, it’s not very effective. Still, you get a meaningful improvement in HDR image quality as opposed to lower-tier DisplayHDR certification and SDR monitors.
The monitor has its downsides, such as the BGR subpixel layout and unclear gray text when displayed on a black background on the top of the screen, so it’s not ideal for office-related work – it’s mainly a gaming and content consumption display.
When it comes to performance, there’s some minor smearing behind fast-moving objects in dark scenes, but it’s tolerable or even negligible, depending on how sensitive you are to it.
Some units are also prone to VRR brightness flickering, so if you’re sensitive to screen tearing and must use a variable refresh rate, the FV43U will not suit you.
Sadly, there are no alternatives of this form factor that offer stable VRR performance. For most people, tearing won’t be noticeable/bothersome at 144Hz, so you can leave VRR disabled.
Other features include Aim Stabilizer Sync (simultaneous MBR + VRR), PiP/PbP, crosshair overlays, on-screen timers and Black Equalizer.
Design & Connectivity
The screen of the monitor is VESA mount compatible (200x200mm), but there are no ergonomic adjustments available. Connectivity options include DisplayPort 1.4 with DSC, two HDMI 2.1 ports, USB-C (DP 1.4 Alt Mode), a dual-USB 3.0 hub, a headphone jack, dual 12W integrated speakers and a KVM switch.
Note that the HDMI 2.1 ports are limited to 24 Gbps and rely on DSC for 4K 144Hz 10-bit 4:4:4. This isn’t an issue for Xbox consoles and PC, but the PS5 is limited to the 4:2:0 color format instead of 4:2:2, which is negligible for gaming.
LG 38GN950
Best FreeSync Premium Pro UltraWide Monitor
Size: 38”
Resolution: 3840×1600
Panel: IPS
Refresh Rate: 160Hz
FreeSync Range: 48-160Hz
HDR: DisplayHDR 600
The Pros:
- FreeSync up to 160Hz
- Wide color gamut and strong peak brightness
- Quick pixel response time
- Ergonomic stand, rich connectivity options
The Cons:
- Overpriced
- Contrast ratio not as high as that of VA models
About The Monitor
The LG 38GN950 is the best 21:9 ultrawide gaming monitor with FreeSync Premium Pro.
Image Quality
The IPS panel of the monitor provides accurate and consistent colors, wide viewing angles, and a rapid 1ms GtG pixel response time speed, which effectively eliminates ghosting in fast-paced games.
Next, the LG 38GN950 has a wide 98% DCI-P3 (135% sRGB) color gamut, which makes colors really pop! You can also use the provided sRGB emulation preset, which limits the color output to ~100% sRGB for more accurate colors.
Further, the 3840×1600 screen resolution is ideal for 38″ sized monitors as you get a pixel density of around 110 PPI meaning that you get plenty of screen space and sharp details without any scaling necessary.
The ultrawide resolution further improves the viewing experience by extending your field of view in video games. Its extra horizontal screen space is also great for productivity work and for playing 21:9 movies.
Sadly, IPS panel monitors have a contrast ratio of only 1,000:1. So, blacks won’t be nearly as deep as that of the Samsung G7 and other VA monitors.
However, the LG 38GN950 has 12 dimming zones that can help improve the contrast ratio in some HDR scenes, while the strong 600-nit peak brightness brings out the highlights.
Features
FreeSync Premium Pro is supported with a 48-160Hz VRR range over DisplayPort, whereas the HDMI port is limited to 75Hz at 3840×1600 on this monitor.
Other features include Black Stabilizer (for better visibility of objects in shadows in games), pre-calibrated picture presets customizable crosshairs, and On-Screen Control (a desktop application for OSD settings).
For more information, visit our LG 38GN950 review.
Design & Connectivity
The stand of the monitor is sturdy and offers versatile adjustments, including -5°/15° tilt, up to 110mm height adjustment and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility.
The screen has a 2300R curvature, which is rather noticeable on 38″ sized ultrawide monitors, and it definitely helps with the immersion!
Connectivity options include DisplayPort 1.4, two HDMI 2.0 ports, a dual-USB 3.0 hub and a headphone jack.
Alternatives
- LG 38WN95C – the same monitor, but with Thunderbolt 3 connectivity
Samsung G9
Best Value 49″ Super UltraWide Monitor
Size: 49”
Resolution: 5120×1440
Panel: VA
Refresh Rate: 240Hz
FreeSync Range: 60-240Hz
HDR: DisplayHDR 1000
The Pros:
- FreeSync up to 240Hz
- Wide color gamut, strong contrast and brightness
- Ergonomic stand, rich connectivity options
The Cons:
- Only 10 dimming zones
- Some overshoot at 220 – 240FPS when VRR is enabled
About The Monitor
The Samsung Odyssey G9 is an upgraded version of the CRG9 with a more aggressive 1000R screen curvature, a 240Hz refresh rate, and a faster pixel response time speed.
Image Quality
When it comes to image quality, there’s not that big of a difference between these two models.
You get a high 1,000-nit peak brightness, wide 95% DCI-P3 color gamut, and a slightly lower 2,500:1 static contrast ratio with the same number of dimming zones.
While the contrast is a bit lower, the pixel response time is a lot faster, so there won’t be any prominent smearing or ghosting in fast-paced games, which is the main reason we recommend investing in the G9 instead of going with the CRG9.
The higher 240Hz refresh rate also makes this display more future-proof as it will be a while before you’ll be able to run most of your games at 240FPS at 5120×1440.
Features
In addition to AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, the G9 also has NVIDIA’s G-SYNC Compatible certification with a 60-240Hz supported VRR range for tear-free gameplay.
Other features include custom crosshairs, pre-calibrated picture presets, Black Equalizer, and PiP/PbP modes.
When using Picture by Picture, the monitor is limited to 60Hz by default. You will need the 1006.2 or newer firmware to enable 120Hz support in this mode.
Visit our full Samsung C49G95T review for more information.
Design & Connectivity
The design of the monitor is robust and rather eye-catching with a steep 1000R curvature, glossy white chassis, and RGB lighting at the back of the monitor.
You can elevate the screen of the monitor up to 120mm, tilt it, swivel by +/- 15°, or VESA mount it.
Connectivity options include two DisplayPort 1.4 ports with DSC, HDMI 2.0 (max 60Hz), a headphone jack, and a dual-USB 3.0 hub.
Samsung Neo G9
Best HDR UltraWide Monitor
Size: 49”
Resolution: 5120×1440
Panel: VA
Refresh Rate: 240Hz
FreeSync Range: 96-240Hz
HDR: Quantum HDR2000
The Pros:
- FreeSync up to 240Hz
- Wide color gamut, strong contrast and brightness
- Ergonomic stand, rich connectivity options
- 2048-zone mini LED FALD
The Cons:
- Expensive
About The Monitor
The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 is essentially the same monitor as the original G9 but with the added 2048-zone mini LED FALD backlight for drastically better HDR image quality.
It’s capable of reaching up to 1,000-nits peak brightness while the 2048 full-array local dimming zones significantly boost the contrast ratio, making for the true HDR viewing experience.
Other specifications and features are the same as that of the original G9, though overdrive is a bit better optimized for less overshoot at high frame rates.
Design & Connectivity
The design features a 1000R curved screen with -5°/15° tilt adjustment, +/- 15° swivel, up to 120mm height adjustment and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility.
Connectivity options include DP 1.4 with DSC, two HDMI 2.1 ports (max 144Hz), a headphone jack and a dual-USB 3.0 hub.
Conclusion
Did you find the FreeSync Premium Pro monitor for you?
If you’re still indecisive, leave us a comment and we’ll gladly help you out!
Overall, you can’t go wrong with the Samsung G7 or the LG 27GP950, depending on your preference and use-case.
In case you are open to paying for something pricier, the LG 38GN950 and the Samsung G9 are the best FreeSync ultrawide monitors currently available!
If you have a more limited budget, the Samsung CHG70 still offers a very good image quality for the price, but you’ll have to face either tearing or overshoot at lower frame rates.
The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 offers a drastically better HDR viewing experience than any other FreeSync Premium Pro monitor, but it’s sadly quite pricey!