If you’re here, you love gaming as much as we do. One thing we can all agree to is regardless of whether you’re playing sports-oriented games like 2K and FIFA, adrenaline-fueled types like Call of Duty, or classic games such as Mario Kart, the visual display and super clear sound needs to come through for everything else to work.
With the display quality being put out by these games, anything short of a gaming monitor won’t literally capture the full picture.
The advancements in visual technology have made top-of-the-line devices available at comfortable price tags. You can get an excellent gaming monitor for yourself, a friend, or a significant other for under $300.
We have done your homework and gone through a myriad of models to come up with a compilation of the best gaming monitor under 300.
Related Review: Best Graphics Card Under 100
Best Gaming Monitor Under $300 Reviews 2022 –
| Image | Product | Price |
|---|---|---|
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Editor’s Pick
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ASUS VG278QR Gaming Monitor |
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Best Value
 |
AOC C24G1A Gaming Monitor |
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|
3
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Sceptre C248B-144RN Gaming Monitor |
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4
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Samsung LC24F396FHNXZ Gaming Monitor |
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5
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Acer XFA240 Gaming Monitor |
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1. ASUS VG278QR Gaming Monitor
The ASUS VG278QR is a sleek 27-inch gaming display that is designed for fast-paced, intense, and, Full HD gaming. It partners a high-frequency monitor refresh rate of 165Hz with a low response time of 0.5ms for an extra-smooth gaming experience.
This experience is further enhanced courtesy of the incorporated FreeSync Technology. This feature eliminates choppy frame rates and any screen tearing; all this is for seamless gameplay.
Thanks to ASUS VG278QR’s GameFast Input Technology, this gaming monitor provides faster on-screen motion than normal TV sets.
A lot of customer consideration was put into its engineering that isn’t just seen in its display prowess but also in its overall design. The VG278QR screen can be adjusted thanks to provisions at the monitor’s swivel, tilt, height, and pivot.
It was designed for long gaming sessions (marathons) as it offers screen reorientation for when you get tired of sitting in one position.
It additionally has flicker-free technology that will maintain your eyes’ healthiness during drawn-out gaming weekends. Lastly, it is possible to have a more permanent set up in your room as this machine is VESA wall-mountable.
Pros
- The color conciseness it offers is satisfactory
- Easy to mount it on walls with the help of the best drywall anchors
- Its menu and controls are easy to navigate
- The stand is firm and steadfast
Cons
- There is reported flickering when doing some specific tasks
- Its ELMB Sync is periodic and a pain to work with
2. AOC C24G1A Gaming Monitor
The AOC C24G1A Gaming Monitor is a bastion in any immersive gaming system it’s involved in. It comes at a comfortable 24-inches and has a clarity of 1920 * 1080 Full HD resolution.
The adage, the more, the merrier, is applicable here as this 1500R curved screen can be integrated with several more screens to create a gaming command center.
Its 3-sided frameless design has narrow borders for a sleek link-up when using multiple monitors. Ease of use is further enhanced thanks to adjustable stands for a better ergonomic arrangement.
Using the AOC C24G1A Gaming Monitor is an exercise in immersive gaming. This is because it features a rapid response time of 1ms (MPRT) that is complemented by the fast refresh rate of 165 Hz (through the use of a DP 1.2 port).
All this is blended together thanks to the AMD FreeSync Premium, which guarantees no screen tearing, stuttering, and an overall lag-free experience for those with AMD graphics cards. These features work together to ensure even tiny characters/icons are clear and with vibrant color.
Pros
- The manual is quite straightforward
- It is a sleek and beautiful machine
- Adjusting its angling is simple
- Offers distinct colors with a crisp overall display
Cons
- Some monitors came with manufacturing defects such as a few dead pixels
- Requires a moderately powerful processor to handle the transitions
3. Sceptre C248B-144RN Gaming Monitor
Another exemplary gaming monitor that is shy of the $300 mark is the Sceptre C248B-144RN Gaming Monitor. This 24” monitor is thin, sleek, and has a leading 1800R screen curvature that delivers an inspired visual display. The images as they curved around you will have you feeling smack in the middle of the action.
It has a couple of ports for increased connectivity when it comes to interfacing with other devices. They include the HDMI port, DisplayPort, and audio out provision.
This Sceptre gaming monitor has a fast refresh rate of 144 Hz, which is twice the typical refresh rate of typical TV screens and monitors. The latter’s smoothness is decent; however, decent doesn’t cut it at high-level gaming.
To give it a competitive edge in the market, AMD FreeSync has been incorporated to work with the monitor’s frame rates. It makes for seamless and accurate movement even in the most fast-paced of games.
In a bid to preserve the integrity of the game’s colors and the scenes they depict, this gaming monitor has an anti-flicker feature. It does the simple job of ensuring pictures are crisp by preventing the periodic flashing of the backlight.
Pros
- Interfaces easily with any computer running a Windows 10 OS
- Easy to set up
- Offers quite the performance for its price tag
- It offers graphics with vibrant colors
Cons
- The customer service is terrible
- in some machines, its Overdrive Mode tends to be a little quirky
4. Samsung LC24F396FHNXZ Gaming Monitor
The Japanese giants have their own answer to the question of high-quality, affordable gaming displays with the Samsung LC24F396FHNXZ Gaming Monitor. Like most gaming monitors at this tier, the screen has a curvature of 1800R, which makes for a truly immersive experience.
Its design was literally based on the curve of the eye. The screen’s display size is an adequate 23.5 inches with a Full HD display of 1080i. This beautiful, thin but curvy, and metallic-finished monitor interfaces with necessary hardware using HDMI.
It’s not only sleek in terms of design but also in the gameplay. You can thank the GTG response time of 4ms for the device’s smooth frame transitions.
This translates to seeing all the on-screen action with less blurring or ghosting due to having steady visuals. Furthermore, this device also incorporates AMD’s FreeSync, which minimizes input latency and enhances visual smoothness thanks to the reduced image stuttering and tearing.
There is also the matter of Samsung’s Active Crystal Color technology. It ensures the color production is of the most vibrant quality thanks to the optimal 3000:1 contrast ratio.
Pros
- Mounting it on the wall is easy enough
- It is affordable
- Easy to interlink with other monitors
- Has ports for HDMI, USB, and aux connectivity
Cons
- The device has bad backlight bleeding, which affects color clarity
- The notable absence of in-built speakers
5. Acer XFA240 Gaming Monitor
The Acer XFA240 Gaming Monitor is a full HD gaming display that will provide you with a satisfactory performance every single time. Its monitor measures 24” with a 1920*1080 FHD resolution.
Through an aspect ratio of 16:9, images are depicted at the best quality with crisp detail. The good people at Acer have equipped this monitor with a couple of features to preserve your vision even as you game; these include a blue-light filter, flicker-free functionality, low-dimming technology, and their ComfyView display.
Validated by NVIDIA, this display incorporates NVIDIA G-SYNC that works together with GeForce graphics cards to bring your gaming a breath of crispy-clear smoothness.
This TN panel type monitor has a quick reaction time. Its response time stands at an impressive 1ms. Such responsiveness reduces the chances of character/motion ghosting and blurring, which will happen if transitions aren’t fast enough. For extra smooth 2D game scenes, the Acer XFA240 was designed with a refresh rate of 144Hz.
Pros
- Offers smooth gameplay
- It is easy to adjust the screen position to your required orientation
- The stand is firm and sturdy enough
- Its overall appearance and design is appealing
Cons
- The setting menu is a bit tiring to work with
- Its LED power light was piercing and annoying
How to Choose the Best Gaming Monitor Under $300: Asus, Curved and Other Budget Friendly Monitors – The Ultimate Buying Guide
We don’t want you to look at the priciest model and decide that’s the one for you; it is best to get a gaming monitor that aligns with what you need. Think of it as buying the best sound system for your PC, TV set, or gaming monitor. Let us look at a few factors to consider prior to making the purchase.
The aspect we all have a clue: resolution
Resolution can be described as the measure of sharpness when it comes to your panel’s picture quality. This parameter is quantified in terms of megapixels packed within the screen.
It is an especially crucial factor when it comes to AAA games (games of the highest quality). Screens come in various megapixel formats.
Most of these games put as much effort into the game world graphics and aesthetics as they do with the general gameplay, which is a lot.
Hence, for the best experience when playing your post-apocalyptic survival horror, 1st/3rd person shooting, or even competitive sports games, you will need to think about your res output.
If you’re an honest-to-God gamer, then the resolution itself just won’t cut it. You will need to combine the resolution with the screen size to create a metric called PPI (Pixels Per Inch).
The actually perceived fidelity of the screen is what this PPI determines.
Gaming monitors under $300 tend to have FHD 1080p as the average resolution rating. More immersive gaming will be achieved with monitors of the 2K standard, but this means sacrificing a little on the refresh rate and increasing the processing power available.
Let us look at the recommended screen sizes for common resolutions:
- 1080p resolution needs a 24” screen or something smaller. A PPI of around 89-91 is ideal here
- 1440p resolution needs a 32” screen, or something smaller. A PPI of 90 is ideal for 32” and for a 27” screen, a PPI of 108
- 4K resolution needs a 32” screen, or something smaller. A PPI of 137 is good for 32” and for a 27” screen, a PPI of 163 works
Assessing the panel type
While it may not be the most-searched-for specification, it plays a big role when it comes to your viewing experience. The underlying panel can come in any of these three types:
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Twisted Nematic (TN) type
This is probably the most commonplace of the lot. It, like the other two, has its own advantages and disadvantages. For starters, it is affordable and has the fastest refresh rates and pixel response time.
However, it offers the worst color reproduction, and clarity is also dependent on the viewing angles.
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Vertical Alignment (VA) type
This one is a bit pricier when compared to the TN type, but it has better picture quality. It offers the best quality when it comes to depicting dark scenes, and it takes the silver medal when it comes to optimal display angles and color reproduction.
Its major cons are the fact that these kinds of panels offer the worst refresh rates and pixel response times.
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In-Panel Switching (IPS) type
The IPS panel is undoubtedly the most expensive. However, this is for good reason as they have the best color accuracy, viewing angles, and picture quality.
They are a close second in terms of response time and refresh rates. This panel’s biggest flaw is that it bleeds a lot of backlights, which hurts dark scenes.
We recommend getting an IPS panel monitor as developments in monitor technology has made its downsides more diminished than ever before. This is to say that in recent times its refresh rates and response time have been on the up and up.
The other types should also warrant consideration as the VA type, for instance, handles dark scenes in games and even movies well; the TN will be good for serious eSports professionals and is the most pocket-friendly of the three.
What do we mean when we talk about refresh and frame rate?
The frames per second (FPS), also known as the in-game frame rate, is up there at the top when it comes to crucial game monitor considerations. A higher rate of FPS means smoother image transitions.
Think of it like this; any video is a series of images moving in time; the more images you can get within a set period of time, the more the graphics gel together. The catch is, your monitor needs to be able to keep up.
Directly related to the in-game FPS but separate from it is the monitor’s refresh rate. This is a quantity measured in Hertz (Hz). It is basically the number of times your screen can display an image (refresh) in a second.
You see what we meant by your display keeping up; the monitor’s refresh rate will limit the maximum frames per second it is possible for you to see.
Conventional display devices like TVs and most computer monitors have a refresh rate of 60 Hz. This is why gaming monitors are an entirely different class of monsters from the former devices.
They can push this frequency into the hundreds. While this may seem like overkill, it isn’t. A slow refreshing device can be the difference between making a kill or being killed.
For this reason, a fast-reactive gaming monitor is of particular importance to competitive gamers. It is worth remembering that a TN panel has better refresh rates. A few common refresh rate options are:
- 60 Hz – 60 FPS – It is the bare minimum for a game to earn the title “smooth.” During the Xbox One and PS4 console era, this figure was halved in some games to 30 FPS.
- 75 Hz – 75 FPS – It is only slightly improved vis-à-vis the 60 FPS, but better half a loaf than nothing at all, right?
- 100 HZ – 100 FPS – This is where the difference in quality from the 60 FPS begins to show. It is a good option for single-player games, where you have to balance the enhanced fluidity of a high refresh monitor with the visual quality.
- 120 Hz – 120 FPS – On paper, it is better than the 100 FPS, but for inexperienced gamers, the distinction can be difficult to spot. This is the initial high refresh standard.
- 144 HZ – 144 FPS – You might have seen a pattern here; while it is miles better than the 100 FPS monitor, the difference isn’t so obvious in relation to the 120 Hz. Regardless of this, it is the current high refresh standard.
- 240 Hz – 240 FPS – This is the future high refresh standard. It can be easily discerned by high-level competitive gamers and PC gamers.
The link between gameplay and response time
Before we can look at this relationship, we first know what response time is. More accurately referred to as pixel response time, this parameter is a determination of the time it takes for a given pixel to shift colors; this is mostly Gray-to-Gray (G2G).
Most people think that input lag (the time it takes for a controller action to perform an action in the game) is the cause of the on-screen delay. This isn’t the case.
Motion blurring/smearing/ghosting is what is perceived as a result of variations in the pixel response time. If the time it takes for transitioning between colors by the pixels, that is, the pixel response time is high, then the motion will tend to be difficult to track and be less clear.
This can be a problem for gamers playing swiftly-paced titles such as first-person shooter games or basically any game incorporating rapid camera motion.
This problem becomes especially complex when trying to gain high refresh rates. You will not experience high refresh rates if the response time is equally high.
It is a prevalent problem with cheap VA panels that aren’t as high refresh as advertised. However, it is a non-issue if you intend to go for a high-end gaming monitor.
Sure, you’ve heard of HDR. But what is it?
When talking about display technology, you will encounter the term HDR (High Dynamic Range). It can be described as the capability of using distinct backlighting areas, either turning brightly on or completely turning off.
This effect is done to bring out colors vibrantly; this is to say that black looks dark and other hues have better and distinct variations. HDR is important when buying HD TVs but no so much when dealing with PC monitors.
Let us explain this distinction. In big HDR TVs, you have plenty of space to create discrete backlighting zones. However, when it comes to PC monitors, most people prefer getting a smaller device as the viewing distance is reduced.
This then creates a physical limitation since the monitor space for exclusive lighting isn’t there. Therefore, PC HDR is not that important.
That is not to say you don’t have options available for you if what you want is to boost the color vibrancy. You can use an IPS panel and a good color calibration tool to make the necessary alterations.
Intelligent gaming with adaptive sync
Even with the best gaming monitors, tearing, stuttering, and jagged rendering of the edges can be unavoidable. Adaptive sync fixes this. It does so by automatically readjusting vertical orientation’s refresh rate to match what is going on within the game.
While it is a minor factor for casual gamers, if you are a heavy gamer, you will probably want to consider this smoothness-enhancing factor. This feature is expected in dedicated gaming monitors.
Currently, there are two major adaptive sync technologies available: AMD’s FreeSync and NVIDIA’s G-SYNC. Gaming monitors exclusively offer one technology per unit.
This means that the technology you choose should match the graphics card you’re using. AMD laptops are compatible with the FreeSync, and for those with an NVIDIA GeForce powering their machines, a G-SYNC monitor will be right for you.
Conclusion
We know you can’t wait to get finished with assembling your gaming rig and begin gaming. Before you get started, you will need to consciously go through the above guide; it’ll help you make an informed decision.
$300 is an affordable option when it comes to gaming monitors and, therefore, will not have the advanced features of the pricier competition.
Best Gaming Monitors Frequently Asked Question (FAQs)
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What is a gaming monitor?
A gaming monitor is a display device. Unlike typical devices used for office, work, music, and other entertainment applications, this device is used to view gaming scenarios.
With this machine, through your console’s or CPU’s processing power, you can interact with avatars and gaming environments in real-time.
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What size monitor for gaming?
A gaming monitor will help you view and participate in the game world. They are normally meant for single-person use; however, even for dual-use, a monitor in the ballpark of 32” will do the job adequately.
In this day and age, the size of the gaming monitor does not necessarily limit the viewing area, as multiple monitors can now be connected to form a massive integrated screen.
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What is the best gaming monitor?
The best gaming monitor is that which satisfies every single one of the user’s requirements. This can be assessed in terms of screen clarity, processing power, frame rates, screen adjustment, or controller responsiveness.
Your perfect gaming monitor is one that checks all these boxes while also being under $300.
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What makes a good gaming monitor?
A good gaming monitor is one that immerses the user/gamer fully into the experience. This experience is a function of a couple of factors.
These include screen resolution and clarity, responsiveness to controls, adjustability to the user’s physical requirements, and affordability in terms of the initial purchase and when it comes to its extensive use.
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What is a good response time for a gaming monitor?
While ideal conditions are impossible to achieve, a GtG response time of at most 5mS is fine for gaming. For premium gaming, however, you will need a response time of 1mS or lower.
