If $200 is all you can give away for your new display, do not despair — you won’t need a $500+ monitor to enjoy crisp image quality and smooth gaming performance.
In this guide, you’ll find the best monitors for gaming under 200 USD.
All monitors are different from each other, and there’s no doubt that at least one is perfect for you, depending on what type of games you play.
Monitor | Size | Panel | Resolution | Refresh Rate | VRR | G-SYNC | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
24” | IPS | 1920x1080 | 180Hz | FreeSync | Stable | ||
24” | VA | 1920x1080 | 165Hz | FreeSync | Unstable | ||
29” | IPS | 2560x1080 | 100Hz | FreeSync | Stable | ||
27” | IPS | 3840x2160 | 70Hz | N/A | N/A |
Even with less than 200 USD, you can nowadays get a great monitor with either a 144Hz refresh rate, a curved display, or an ultrawide resolution.
Check out the reviews below to find the best gaming monitor under 200 USD for you!
If you want to view our changelogs for this particular buying guide, you can do so at the end of this article.
Gigabyte G24F2
Best Budget Gaming Monitor
Size: 23.8”
Panel: IPS
Resolution: 1920×1080
Refresh Rate: 180Hz
VRR: FreeSync
G-SYNC: Stable
The Pros:
- Quick response time, low input lag
- Vibrant colors, wide viewing angles
- Plenty of gaming features, including VRR and MBR up to 180Hz
- Height-adjustable stand, USB hub
The Cons:
- IPS glow and mediocre contrast ratio (as expected from this panel technology)
- Design lacks swivel/pivot option
About The Monitor
The Gigabyte G24F-2 is a 24″ 1080p 165Hz (180Hz OC) IPS gaming monitor with a quick pixel response time speed and a wide color gamut, ensuring both an immersive and responsive gaming experience.
Image Quality
Based on an IPS panel, the Gigabyte G24F-2 boasts 178° wide viewing angles meaning that the image will remain perfect regardless of the angle you’re looking at the screen.
Thanks to its 95% DCI-P3 wide color gamut, you get rich and saturated colors – and can even do professional color-critical work if you have a colorimeter to profile the display. For basic content creation though, the Gigabyte G24F-2 is more than good enough right out of the box.
As it’s the case with all IPS monitors, there’s some IPS glow and the native contrast ratio is mediocre at ~1,100:1, so you won’t get as deep blacks as that of VA panel monitors with a contrast ratio of around 3,000:1. However, VA technology has other disadvantages, which we’ll get into later.
Moving on, the Gigabyte G24F-2 monitor has a decent peak brightness of 300-nits and most importantly, a rapid response time speed for no visible ghosting behind fast-moving objects.
Features
In addition to its rapid response time speed and low input lag, the Gigabyte G24F-2 supports variable refresh rate (VRR) for tear-free gameplay up to 180Hz.
VRR synchronizes the refresh rate with GPU’s frame rate. So, if your frame rate is 70 FPS (Frames Per Second), the refresh rate dynamically changes to 70Hz in order to display 70 whole frames without tearing; what’s more, no perceptible latency is added like it’s the case with V-Sync.
You can use VRR as long as you have an AMD FreeSync compatible GPU. While not officially certified as ‘G-SYNC Compatible’ by NVIDIA, VRR also works with compatible GeForce GPUs (10-series or newer) over DisplayPort without any issues.
The Gigabyte G24F-2 also supports MBR (Motion Blur Reduction) technology called Aim Stabilizer, which uses backlight strobing to reduce perceived motion blur at a cost of picture brightness. However, VRR and MBR cannot be active at the same time.
Other features include crosshair overlays, Black Equalizer (improves visibility in darker scenes), Color Vibrance, crosshair overlays and various picture presets.
Check out our full Gigabyte G24F-2 review for more information.
Design & Connectivity
The stand of the monitor is sturdy and offers height adjustment up to 130mm, tilt by -5°/20° and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility.
Connectivity options include DisplayPort 1.2, two HDMI 2.0 ports, a headphone jack and a dual-USB 3.0 hub.
Alternatives
In case the Gigabyte G24F2 is not available, check out the LG 24GN650, the AOC 24G2SP and the HP X24i as alternatives.
Keep in mind that you can also find a 27″ 1440p 144Hz IPS gaming monitor for $200 – $250 on sale sometimes, such as the ViewSonic VX2768-2KP, the Acer XV272UV or the HP X27q.
Further, there are some 1080p 240Hz IPS models that can go on sale for below $200, including the Dell S2522HG, the Dell AW2521HFL and the LG 27GN/GP750.
AOC C24G1A
Best 1080p 144Hz Curved Gaming Monitor
Size: 24”
Panel: VA
Resolution: 1920×1080
Refresh Rate: 165Hz
VRR: FreeSync
G-SYNC: Unstable
The Pros:
- Low input lag
- Wide color gamut, high contrast
- Plenty of gaming features, including FreeSync and MBR up to 144Hz
- Ergonomic stand
The Cons:
- Minor ghosting in fast-paced games, particularly where dark pixels are involved
- Some units prone to VRR brightness flickering
About The Monitor
Under $200, you can also get a great 165Hz gaming monitor with a curved VA panel, the AOC C24G1A.
Image Quality
The VA panel of the AOC C24G1A offers an exceptional static contrast ratio of 3,000:1 in comparison to the 1,000:1 contrast ratio of IPS panels.
Now, such high contrast ratio provides you with deeper blacks and better relation between the darkest and the brightest tones, which is the main asset of VA panels.
The colors aren’t as consistent as that of IPS displays, but they are vibrant and vivid regardless thanks to the 89% DCI-P3 (~120% sRGB) wide color gamut support of the C24G1A. So, you get more saturated colors with the ability to restrict the gamut to the standard 100% sRGB using the sRGB color temperature mode.
For entry-level color-critical work, IPS is still the better technology due to its wider viewing angles and no gamma shift.
In comparison to the previously mentioned 144Hz monitors, the VA panel of the AOC C24G1A has a slower response time speed, resulting in noticeable trailing behind fast-moving objects, especially in dark scenes.
Still, the C24G1A is one of the faster VA monitors, so the amount of ghosting might not bother a lot of gamers.
On balance, if you mostly play competitive FPS games, the IPS models will provide you with better results and performance. The AOC C24G1A is more suited for those who play FPS games more casually and prefer immersion provided by the higher contrast ratio and wide color gamut.
Features
The AOC C24G1A offers plenty of game-enhancing elements, including MBR, Shadow Boost, pre-calibrated presets (FPS, RTS, Racing) and crosshair overlays.
It supports AMD FreeSync over both HDMI and DP with a 48-144Hz VRR range, and although it’s not certified as G-SYNC Compatible by NVIDIA, FreeSync works with compatible NVIDIA cards.
Unfortunately, some units of the AOC C24G1A (and most other monitors based on VA panels) are affected by the brightness flickering issue when VRR is enabled.
This brightness flickering is mostly visible when your FPS fluctuates a lot or when it gets below 48FPS and triggers LFC. It doesn’t affect all units of the monitor, and it’s not visible in all video games.
Design & Connectivity
The AOC C24G1A boasts a sturdy design with decent ergonomics, including up to 130mm of height adjustment, +/- 30° swivel, tilt and 100×100 VESA mount compatibility.
It has an aggressive screen curvature of 1500R, which nicely complements the monitor and adds a bit of extra depth and immersion. Connectivity options include two HDMI 2.0 ports, DisplayPort 1.2, VGA and a headphone jack. Both HDMI and DP support 144Hz.
Alternatives
Alternatively, you might want to check out the older AOC C24G1 model with a standard 144Hz refresh rate and no wide color gamut support.
LG 29WQ500
Best UltraWide Monitor
Size: 29”
Panel: IPS
Resolution: 2560×1080
Refresh Rate: 100Hz
VRR: FreeSync
G-SYNC: Stable
The Pros:
- Ultrawide format
- Vivid colors, wide viewing angles
- Plenty of features, including FreeSync up to 100Hz
The Cons:
- Tilt-only stand
- IPS glow and mediocre contrast ratio (as expected from this panel technology)
About The Monitor
Nowadays, you can even get an ultrawide monitor for under 200 USD. This type of monitor offers a 21:9 aspect ratio as opposed to the standard 16:9 giving you extra horizontal space for a more cinematic viewing experience.
Ultrawide monitors are great for PC gaming, watching movies and multi-tasking as well.
The LG 29WQ500 is the only 21:9 monitor available for under $200. Note that the monitor is 29-inch in diagonal but longer in width than a standard display. So, the monitor is as tall as a regular 23-inch 16:9 monitor, but wider — which may take some time getting used to.
Image Quality
The LG 29WQ500 offers 2560×1080 Full HD Ultra-Wide resolution and since it is a fairly small monitor in size, it will provide you with a decent pixel density of 96 PPI (Pixels Per Inch).
This means that the image will have very sharp details and plenty of screen real estate for you to work with.
As if that’s not enough, the monitor is based on an IPS panel with true 8-bit color depth and over 99% sRGB color gamut, so the colors will be accurate and consistent, which may interest aspiring designers as well.
Features
The LG 29WQ500 supports AMD FreeSync with a 40-100Hz VRR range, and it works well with compatible NVIDIA GPUs.
If your favorite games support 21:9, you will be able to enjoy them on a whole new level!
Keep in mind that video games that don’t support ultrawide resolutions will just have black borders at the sides or stretch the image. You can check which games support the 21:9 aspect ratio here.
The LG 29WQ500 offers its share of game-enhancing features, including Black Stabilizer, pre-calibrated picture presets and advanced picture and color adjustments.
Design & Connectivity
The design consists of thin bezels at the top and at the sides which make it a great choice for a multi-monitor setup as well.
It also has 100x100mm holes for VESA mount while the screen can be tilted by -5°/20°. Connectivity options include HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.2 and a headphone jack.
Alternatives
There’s also the LG 29WQ600 model with a USB-C port (DP Alt Mode, no Power Delivery) and dual 7W integrated speakers. It’s more expensive, but can be found on sale for $200.
Sceptre U275W-UPT
Best 4K Monitor
Size: 27”
Panel: IPS
Resolution: 3840×2160
Refresh Rate: 70Hz
VRR: N/A
G-SYNC: N/A
The Pros:
- High pixel density
- Affordable
- Up to 70Hz
- Vivid colors, wide viewing angles
The Cons:
- No AMD FreeSync
- Tilt-only stand
- IPS glow and mediocre contrast ratio (as expected from this panel technology)
About The Monitor
You can even find a 4K monitor below $200, though without some nifty features such as AMD FreeSync.
Image Quality
Even though it’s $50 – $100 cheaper than most budget 4K monitors, the Sceptre U275W-UPT features an IPS panel with wide viewing angles, 99% sRGB color gamut and a strong peak brightness of 350-nits!
4K UHD resolution results in a high pixel density of 163 PPI on 27″ monitors, which translates to plenty of screen real estate with crystal-clear details and text!
Keep in mind that you’ll need a powerful PC system to run the latest games at 4K with decent frame rates and picture settings. For office and everyday use, this won’t be an issue.
Just like most IPS monitors, the Sceptre U275W has a contrast ratio of 1,000:1, so don’t expect particularly deep blacks as that of VA panels.
However, it has a fast response time speed, so there won’t be any prominent trailing behind fast-moving objects. The monitor even supports 70Hz over DisplayPort for a very subtle boost in motion clarity as opposed to 60Hz.
Design & Connectivity
The stand of the monitor is fairly sturdy and offers tilt adjustment by -5°/15° as well as VESA mount compatibility via the 100x100mm pattern.
Connectivity options include DisplayPort 1.2 for 4K 70Hz, one HDMI 2.0 port (for 4K 60Hz), two HDMI 1.4 ports (limited to 30Hz at 4K) and a headphone jack,
Conclusion
This brings us to the end of our best gaming monitor under 200 USD buyer’s guide. As you can see, for just $200, you can get a pretty neat monitor.
Each monitor on the list has its advantages and disadvantages, so only you can know which one is the best for you.
If you mainly play competitive FPS games, then you should definitely get the LG Gigabyte G24F-2.
In case you’re more of a single-player kind of gamer and don’t care about scoreboards, the AOC C24G1A will provide you with a more immersive gaming experience thanks to its high contrast ratio.
Finally, in case you don’t care much for high frame rates and fast-paced gaming, the LG 29WQ500 offers decent performance, but a more immersive image quality as well as accurate and consistent colors.
Updates +
- December 29, 2022:
– Replaced the LG 24GN600 and the AOC 24G2 with the Gigabyte G24F-2.
– Replaced the LG 29WP60G with the LG 29WQ500. - November 24, 2022:
– Checked up on the guide to ensure that our picks are still the best options available. Be sure to check out ‘Alternatives’ for monitors that go for below $200 on sales. - August 1, 2022:
– Added the Sceptre U275W. - May 12, 2022:
– Replaced the LG 25UM58 with the LG 29WP60G. - February 10, 2022:
– Added the LG 24GN600.
– Removed the AOC G2590FX. - November 24, 2021:
– Checked up on the guide to ensure that our picks are still the best options available.