The Best G-SYNC Monitors (2024 Reviews)

Looking for the best G-SYNC monitors to pair with your powerful NVIDIA gaming graphics card? Look no further, our guide has everything you need.

Even though you can now use VRR with NVIDIA cards, there are still upsides to utilizing your GeForce graphics card with a gaming display that has a dedicated G-SYNC module.

In comparison to FreeSync or G-SYNC Compatible monitors, G-SYNC displays have a special chip installed, which in addition to providing a wider variable refresh rate range, offers lower input lag and variable overdrive.

However, sometimes a G-SYNC Compatible monitor will be just as good as its G-SYNC counterpart, but at a much lower price.

Therefore, we’ve put together this buyer’s guide consisting only of the G-SYNC gaming monitors that are actually worth considering.

Make sure to also check out the alternatives we mention in the review summaries below as we’ll compare our G-SYNC model picks to cheaper adaptive-sync alternatives so that you can decide whether NVIDIA’s module is worth the extra cost yourself.

MonitorSizeResolutionPanelRefresh Rate 
38"3840x1600IPS144Hz
27"2560x1440IPS360Hz
24"1920x1080TN540Hz
best value

Dell AW3821DW

Dell AW3821DW Monitor
  • 38″ 3840×1600 144Hz
  • Fast IPS panel
  • Ultrawide format
best overall

ASUS PG27AQN

ASUS PG27AQN
  • 27″ 1440p 360Hz
  • Rapid IPS panel
  • ULMB2
premium pick

ASUS PG248QP

ASUS ROG Swift Pro PG248QP
  • 24″ 1080p 540Hz
  • Rapid TN panel
  • ULMB2

You can view our changelogs for this buying guide at the end of this guide.

The Pros:

  • 144Hz refresh rate
  • Good response time, low input lag
  • NVIDIA G-SYNC
  • Fully ergonomic stand and rich connectivity options
  • DisplayHDR 600

The Cons:

  • IPS glow and mediocre contrast ratio (as expected from this panel technology)

About The Monitor

The Dell AW3821DW is one of the best examples of a monitor with a dedicated G-SYNC module that’s worth the money.

Simply put, it’s actually the cheapest 38″ 3840×1600 high refresh rate ultrawide monitor available yet it offers the best performance and image quality.

Image Quality

A 38″ 3840×1600 ultrawide gaming monitor provides you with a high pixel density of 110 PPI, which results in sharp details and plenty of screen space without the need to use scaling.

The ultrawide aspect ratio also offers a wider FOV (field of view) in compatible games, which results in a more immersive gaming and viewing experience.

The extra horizontal screen space is also great for productivity work and audio/video editing.

Further, the Dell AW3821DW has a high 600-nit peak brightness, a wide 95% DCI-P3 color gamut, 32 dimming zones and a 1,000:1 static contrast ratio.

Features

Gaming features include Dark Stabilizer (for better visibility in darker games) and various pre-calibrated picture presets.

Visit our Dell AW3821DW review for more information.

Design & Connectivity

Dell Alienware AW3821DW Monitor Design

The stand is quite sturdy as well as versatile. You can elevate the screen by up to 130mm, swivel by +/- 20°, tilt by -5°/21°, or VESA mount it via the 100x100mm pattern.

Connectivity options include DisplayPort 1.4, two HDMI 2.0 ports (limited to 85Hz), a quad-USB 3.0 hub and a headphone jack.

Alternatives

Now, the Dell AW3821DW can be found for around $800, which is at least $200 cheaper than the FreeSync versions, such as the LG 38GN950. However, for $800, you can also get a QD-OLED ultrawide monitor for a much better HDR image quality and even smoother performance, albeit with a smaller 34″ 3440×1440 screen.

Still, if you don’t want an OLED display or must have a 38″ ultrawide, the AW3821DW is the best option available.

The Pros:

  • 360Hz refresh rate
  • Fast response time, low input lag
  • NVIDIA G-SYNC & ULMB2
  • Fully ergonomic stand and rich connectivity options
  • DisplayHDR 600

The Cons:

  • IPS glow and mediocre contrast ratio (as expected from this panel technology)

About The Monitor

The ASUS PG27AQN is another G-SYNC monitor that offers exceptional performance worth the premium.

Image Quality

The PG27AQN is a 27″ 1440p 360Hz gaming monitor based on a rapid IPS panel with a fast enough pixel response time speed to keep up with the demanding refresh rate.

It also has a wide 98% DCI-P3 color gamut and a high 400-nit peak brightness (600-nits for HDR), which provides you with a gorgeous image quality with vibrant colors and buttery-smooth motion clarity.

Naturally, VRR is supported up to 360Hz for tear-free gameplay via a single overdrive mode.

What makes the PG27AQN even better is the exclusive NVIDIA ULMB 2 backlight strobing implementation, which works all the way up to 360Hz with minimal brightness penalty, strobe crosstalk or other visual artifacts.

Note that ULMB2 doesn’t work with AMD Radeon GPUs on this monitor though.

So, if you want CRT-like motion clarity as well as a high resolution display with vibrant colors, the ASUS PG27AQN is for you.

Check out our full ASUS PG27AQN review for more information.

Design & Connectivity

ASUS ROG Swift PG27AQN Review

The stand of the monitor offers up to 100mm height adjustment, 90° pivot, +/- 25° swivel, -5°/20° tilt and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility.

Connectivity options include DisplayPort 1.4 with DSC, three HDMI 2.0 ports (limited to 144Hz), a headphone jack and a dual-USB 3.0 hub.

Alternatives

Acer also has a G-SYNC model based on the same panel and similar features, the Predator XB273UF. Both models can be found on sale for $850 – $900.

There are no 1440p 360Hz non-GSYNC models announced at the moment – except for the upcoming 27″ 1440p 360Hz QD-OLED panels announced for Q1 2024. While these models will offer better image quality and even faster response time, we believe they won’t feature backlight strobing.

The Pros:

  • 540Hz refresh rate
  • Fast response time, low input lag
  • NVIDIA G-SYNC & ULMB2
  • Fully ergonomic stand and rich connectivity options

The Cons:

  • Narrow viewing angles

About The Monitor

The ASUS ROG Swift Pro PG248QP is hands-down the best eSports gaming monitor available right now!

Image Quality

Having a high refresh rate display is great, but it doesn’t mean anything if the pixels cannot change fast enough to keep up and cause awful ghosting.

For 540Hz, a display needs to have a fast 1.85ms pixel response time speed to eliminate ghosting. Luckily, this isn’t an issue for the ASUS PG248QP thanks to its lightning-fast eSports-TN panel!

So, not only do you get an incredibly low input lag and responsive gameplay provided by 540Hz, but there also won’t be any noticeable trailing behind fast-moving objects.

To make things even better, the ASUS PG248QP supports NVIDIA ULMB 2 backlight strobing technology between 360Hz and 540Hz!

There’s minimum strobe crosstalk and a low brightness penalty (up to 300-nits, down from 400-nits peak), which is great news if you want to completely reduce perceived motion blur caused by sample-and-hold.

Unlike with the ASUS PG27AQN, you can use ULMB 2 with AMD GPUs on the PG248QP at 540Hz. However, when using VRR, the monitor is limited to 500Hz when using Radeon graphics cards, while it works up to 540Hz with GeForce GPUs.

The main disadvantage of the ASUS PG248QP are the narrow viewing angles, but as long as you’re sitting directly in front of the screen, this won’t be an issue.

Other specifications include a standard 1,000:1 contrast ratio, a 400-nit peak brightness and a wide ~90% DCI-P3 gamut coverage for more vibrant colors. The extra color variety provided by the wide gamut can also make your enemies stand out more in certain environments.

You also get the standard gaming features, such as Dark Boost, various picture presets, crosshair overlays, on-screen timers and a refresh rate tracker.

Design & Connectivity

ASUS ROG Swift Pro PG248QP Design

The stand of the monitor offers height adjustment up to 110mm, -5°/20° tilt, +/- 30° swivel and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility.

Connectivity options include DisplayPort 1.4 with DSC, two HDMI 2.0 ports, a headphone jack and a dual-USB 3.0 hub.

Alternatives

While there are 1080p 500Hz IPS gaming monitors, such as the Dell AW2524H, its pixel response time speed doesn’t even come close to that of the PG248QP. More importantly, it doesn’t have a fast enough response time for its 500Hz refresh rate, which results in noticeable ghosting.

Therefore, the ASUS PG248QP is the best eSports gaming monitor currently available.

Alternatively, consider waiting for the Acer XV242F model. It uses the same panel, but without the G-SYNC module. At the moment, it’s only available in China for ~$540. We also don’t know how good its MBR implementation will be in comparison to ULMB2.

BenQ announced their ZOWIE XL2586X too, with a 24.5″ 1080p 540Hz TN panel and DyAc 2 backlight strobing implementation. No word on pricing and availability yet though.

Conclusion

As you can see, a G-SYNC monitor is mainly worth it if you’re a competitive FPS player and want next-level motion clarity provided by fine-tuned panels and ULMB 2, such as the ASUS PG27AQN and the ASUS PG248QP.

The Dell AW3821DW, on the other hand, actually offers better value than the 38″ 3840×1600 high refresh rate FreeSync models, although you can get a 34″ 3440×1440 QD-OLED at the same price range. So, if you don’t want an OLED display or really want a 38″ ultrawide, the AW3824DW is an excellent option.

Changelog +

  • November 15, 2023:
    – Added the ASUS PG248QP.
  • November 24, 2022:
    – Checked up on the guide to ensure that our picks are still the best options available.
  • April 22, 2022:
    – Added the Dell AW3423DW.
  • November 25, 2021:
    – Checked up on the guide to ensure that our picks are still the best options available.
  • September 2, 2021:
    – Replaced the Dell AW2721D with the ASUS PG279QM; the ASUS PG27UQ with the ASUS PG32UQX; and the Acer X35 with the Dell AW3821DW.
  • May 7, 2021:
    – Replaced the ASUS PG259QN with the Dell AW2521H.
  • December 16, 2020:
    – Removed the LG 32GK650G/850G. The Samsung G7, although G-SYNC Compatible and not native G-SYNC, offers significantly better image quality and performance at the same price.
    – Removed the AOC AG352UCG6 and the Dell AW3418DW as you can get a much better 3440×1440 144Hz G-SYNC Compatible Nano IPS gaming monitor at the same price, the LG 34GP83A.
    – Removed the LG 38GL950G since its FreeSync counterpart, the LG 38GN950, offers a better image quality at a lower price, while its performance is just as good.
    – Added the new Dell Alienware AW2721D.

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Rob Shafer

Rob is a software engineer with a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Denver. He now works full-time managing DisplayNinja while coding his own projects on the side.