The Best Gaming Monitors Under 400 USD (2025 Reviews)

Got a budget of $300-$400 for a new gaming monitor?

In this guide, you will find all the available combinations of display specifications within this price range, allowing you to pick the best gaming monitor under 400 USD for you!

Now, since you have quite a diverse selection in this price range, it’s important that you pick the right panel type, screen size, resolution and refresh rate according to your preference.

Visit our dedicated monitor buyer’s guide for more information.

We’ll cover everything in the monitor summaries below, so as long as you stick to our guidelines and tips, we guarantee that you’ll be satisfied with your new gaming monitor.

However, ensure that your PC system will be able to properly run video games at the resolution and refresh rate you want.

If you want to view our changelogs for this particular buying guide, you can do so at the end of this article.

Best 1080p Gaming Monitor

If you want the lowest resolution and the highest refresh rate for the highest frame rate and lowest input latency, the Acer XV252QF is for you.

About The Monitor

The Acer XV252QF is the best monitor for competitive FPS games you can get for under $400.

Note that Amazon has a different image for this monitor. It’s unclear whether Acer upgraded the design of the monitor or if Amazon’s image for this model is wrong.

Image Quality

Based on an IPS panel, the Acer XV252QF provides you with wide viewing angles, vivid colors with a 115% sRGB gamut volume for extra saturation, a strong 400-nit peak brightness and the typical 1000:1 static contrast ratio.

It has a fast pixel response time speed for minimal ghosting behind fast-moving objects and low input latency. You can overclock it to 390Hz from its native 360Hz refresh rate.

VRR is supported up to 390FPS for tear-free gameplay, and the monitor also offers an excellent backlight strobing implementation that works up to 390FPS for CRT-like motion clarity at the cost of a bit reduced brightness.

Check out our full Acer XV252QF review for more details.

Design & Connectivity

The stand of the monitor is fairly sturdy and offers a good range of ergonomics, including up to 120mm height adjustment, -5°/25° tilt, +/- 180° swivel, 90° pivot and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility.

Connectivity options include DisplayPort 1.4, two HDMI 2.0 ports (max 240Hz), a headphone jack and dual 2W built-in speakers.

Best 4K Gaming Monitors

Nowadays, you can even find 4K high refresh rate gaming monitors for under $400!

About The Monitor

The Acer XB273K V5 is one of the most affordable 27″ 4K 144Hz+ IPS gaming monitors yet it features a 1080p 320Hz Dual Mode!

Image Quality

The 4K UHD resolution on a 27″ sized screen provides you with a high pixel density of 163 PPI (pixels per inch).

This results in plenty of screen space with incredibly sharp details and text. You will need to apply scaling in order to make smaller items readable though.

Also, keep in mind that 4K UHD is quite demanding on the GPU, so make sure your PC rig will be able to handle gaming at a satisfactory frame rate.

Moving on, the Acer XB273K V5 also has a wide 90% DCI-P3 color gamut coverage for vibrant colors, an sRGB emulation mode for better SDR accuracy, a rapid 1ms GtG pixel response time speed and a strong 400-nit peak brightness.

It also supports VRR up to 160Hz for tear-free gameplay (320Hz at 1920×1080) and offers plenty of useful features, including crosshair overlays, a refresh rate tracker, Black Boost, VRB (Visual Response Boost) backlight strobing, etc.

Design & Connectivity

The design is robust and versatile with a good range of ergonomics, such as +/- 00° swivel, +/- 90° pivot, 150mm height adjustment, -5°/25° tilt and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility.

Connectivity options include two HDMI 2.1 inputs, DisplayPort 1.4 with DSC and a headphone jack.

About The Monitor

If you want a larger 4K 144Hz gaming monitor, the Arzopa M3RC is the only model available for under $400 yet it offers everything you need for a vibrant image quality and smooth performance.

Image Quality

The Arzopa M3RC is a 32″ 4K 144Hz IPS gaming monitor with a wide 82% DCI-P3 color gamut, a decent 350-nit peak brightness, a fast pixel response time speed and a 1,000:1 static contrast ratio.

It also supports VRR up to 144Hz for tear-free gameplay.

Design & Connectivity

The stand is robust and offers full ergonomic support with height, tilt, swivel and pivot adjustments, as well as 75x75mm VESA mount compatibility.

Connectivity options include two HDMI 2.1 ports, DP 1.4, USB-C, a dual-USB 2.0 hub and a headphone jack.

Best HDR Gaming Monitor

You can even get a display with proper HDR support for under $400!

About The Monitor

The Xiaomi G Pro 27i is the best monitor with proper HDR support available for under $400.

However, we recommend investing around $40 more in the KTC M27P6 with a 4K 160Hz IPS panel, 1080p 320Hz Mode, 1152 dimming zones and DisplayHDR 1400.

Image Quality

Thanks to its 1152-zone mini LED FALD (full-array local dimming) backlight, the Xiaomi G Pro 27i can simultaneously deliver deep blacks and bright highlights up to 1200-nits!

These zones can individually dim parts of the image that are supposed to be dark without greatly affecting the areas that are supposed to remain bright.

In some demanding scenes (stars in a night sky, fireworks, etc.), the light that’s illuminating the small bright object can bleed into the surrounding dimmed zones and create blooming, but this is an expected drawback of this technology. Considering that it only occurs in these demanding scenes, most users can tolerate it.

In addition, the Xiaomi G Pro 27i has a wide 99% DCI-P3 and 97% Adobe RGB gamut coverage for rich and saturated colors.

VRR is supported up to 180Hz for tear-free gameplay.

Design & Connectivity

The stand of the monitor is sturdy and offers height up to 120mm, pivot by 90°, -5°/20° tilt, +/- 45° swivel and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility.

Connectivity options include two DisplayPort 1.4 inputs, two HDMI 2.0 ports and a headphone jack.

Best UltraWide Gaming Monitor

Ultrawide displays have an aspect ratio of 21:9 as opposed to the 16:9 ratio of standard widescreen monitors.

This provides you with extra horizontal space that (in games that support 21:9 natively) widens your field of view for a more immersive gaming experience.

About The Monitor

The MSI MAG401QR is the best ultrawide monitor you can get under $400 if you want a large flat-screen display.

Image Quality

The MSI MAG401QR has a 40″ 3440×1440 flat-screen display with 93 PPI (pixels per inch), which is a similar pixel density as that of a 24″ 1080p monitor. So, that’s the level of detail clarity you can expect, just on a much larger screen.

Further, the monitor’s screen is not curved, which is the preferred format on ultrawide displays of this size. However, at a normal viewing distance, it’s not an issue.

Moving on, the monitor has a wide 94% DCI-P3 gamut coverage for vibrant colors, a strong 400-nit peak brightness and a high 144Hz (overclockable to 155Hz) refresh rate.

You also get VRR support up to 155Hz for tear-free gameplay, PiP/PbP support, crosshair overlays, Night Vision, on-screen timers and MBR.

Check out our MSI MAG401QR review for more details.

Design & Connectivity

The stand of the monitor is tilt-only, but the screen is VESA mount compatible (100x100mm).

Connectivity options include DP 1.4, two HDMI 2.0 ports, USB-C with DP Alt Mode and 65W Power Delivery, a dual-USB 2.0 hub and a headphone jack. There’s also integrated KVM functionality.

Alternatives

If you want a smaller 34″ ultrawide display, you can find the Sceptre E345B-QUN168W with a flat-screen IPS panel and the KTC H34S18S with a curved VA panel for under $300.

Conclusion

Did you find the best gaming monitor under 400 USD for you?

Feel free to leave any questions in the comment section below if you need further assistance. 

Overall, we find that the Xiaomi G Pro 27i offers the best value due to its proper HDR support.

If you’re not interested in HDR, consider the Acer XV252QF if you want a higher refresh rate or the Acer XB273K V5 for its higher 4K UHD resolution.

In case you prefer ultrawide displays, the MSI MAG401QR is the best option under $400, but you should also check out the mentioned alternatives if you prefer curved models with higher pixel density.