The 7 Best Gaming Monitors Under $200

For 1080P gaming, there are a lot of good monitor options for under $200. And, in this guide, we’ve compared seven of the best gaming monitors under $200.

While higher-resolution monitors are becoming more and more popular, the truth is that, for competitive gamers, those higher resolution monitors can be a hindrance in their success against their competitors. The higher the resolution they play at, the fewer framerates they’re going to get, and the more of a disadvantage they’ll be at when playing highly competitive games (like first-person shooters.)

So, for most competitive gamers, 1080P offers the perfect balance of picture quality and performance. And, fortunately, a solid 1080P gaming monitor won’t set you back nearly as much as a high-end 1440P 144Hz monitor, or a 4K monitor will. In this guide, we’ve listed seven of the best gaming monitors under $200 at a variety of price points for a range of use cases.

A Quick Look at the Best Gaming Monitors Under $200

If you’re looking for a quick run-down of our favorite gaming monitors for under $200, the table below gives you our top overall pick, our runner-up pick, our pick for the best curve monitor under $200, and our selection for the best budget gaming monitor in the sub-$200 price range.

		NAME	SPECS	RATING
TOP PICK		Acer XFA240	24″ Display 1080P Res. 144Hz G-Sync	8.8/10	Check Price Read Review »
RUNNER-UP		AOC G2460PF	24″ Display 1080P Res. 144Hz Freesync	8.7/10	Check Price Read Review »
CURVED		MSI Optix G24C	24″ Display 1080P Res. 144Hz Adaptive	8.7/10	Check Price Read Review »
BUDGET		BenQ GL2760H	27″ Display 1080P Res. 60Hz DVI & VGA	8.4/10	Check Price Read Review »

*To read more about each of these sub-$200 gaming monitors, click on “Read Review »” to jump to the overview we’ve written on that specific monitor. You can also scroll further down in this post to see our Honorable Mention selections.

1. Acer XFA240 24″

The best gaming monitor under $200

The Acer XFA240 24″ monitor was our Best Value Pick in our guide on the Best Cheap 144Hz Monitors and it is also our top pick for the best gaming monitor under $200. It’s not hard to figure out why, either…

It’s a 24-inch monitor with a 1080P resolution, a 144Hz refresh rate, a 1ms response time, and it is both G-Sync and FreeSync compatible. So, if you have a solid NVIDIA or AMD graphics card in your system (or are planning on building a PC with one in it), the XFA240 will essentially give you an ideal 1080P gaming experience with its high refresh rate and fast response time.

The best part is, that it won’t even take a high-end system to run, either. So, along with this $200 gaming monitor being a high-end (but budget-friendly) 1080P option, it will also pair well with our $700 gaming PC build and our $800 gaming PC build.

Ultimately, if you’re a competitive gamer who needs the performance advantage that a 144Hz monitor can offer you at an affordable price, this monitor will be an excellent option for your needs.

2. AOC G2460PF 24”

Our runner-up pick

Everything that was said about the Acer XFA240 listed above could be said about the AOC G2460PF. Spec-wise, they are essentially the same displays.

Like the Acer XFA240, the AOC G2460PF is a 1080P monitor with a 144Hz refresh rate, a 1ms response time, and comes FreeSync ready. So, again, if you’re a competitive gamer that has (or is going to get) an AMD graphics card that can utilize AMD’s FreeSync technology, this monitor will work really well for you. However, if you have an NVIDIA graphics card, this monitor cannot support G-Sync technology and so you’ll want to go with the Acer XFA240 regardless.

The prices on the two monitors are also very similar as well, with each coming in under $200. The XFA240 is currently ~$15 less expensive, though, making it the better buy at the moment.

We did give the nod to the Acer XFA240 mostly because Acer is a bit more established as a top monitor brand than AOC is. And, while AOC isn’t considered to be a bad brand, the more established reputation of Acer, the G-Sync compatibility, and the lower price tag makes the XFA240 a better option overall in our opinions.

3. MSI Optix G24C 24″

The best curved monitor under $200

We cheated a little bit with this pick as MSI’s Optix G24C 24″ monitor comes in at slightly above $200. However, it’s worth noting because, while it is very similar to the two monitor options listed above, it has one other standout feature that might sway you to pay the small premium to get it: it has a curved panel display.

Like the two monitors listed above, the Optix G24C 24″ monitor has a 1080P resolution, a 144Hz refresh rate, and a 1ms response time. The Optix G24C does opt for Adaptive Sync technology rather than FreeSync, though.

However, FreeSync was built on the open source Adaptive Sync technology and so, just like FreeSync, newer AMD graphics cards will work with Adaptive Sync as well.

So, that makes this monitor yet another really nice option for competitive gamers who want a budget-friendly 144Hz monitor. While it does cost a little bit more than the two options listed above if the curved panel display that the Optix G24C offers piques your interest, that could mean that it’s the better option for you.

4. BenQ GL2760H 27″

Budget-friendly 27-inch display

If you’re just looking for an affordable gaming monitor and you need the high refresh rate that the options above come with then the BenQ GL2760H is worth considering. It’s not built specifically for gamers like some of the other options on this list, but it does have one thing going for it that the others don’t: it comes with a 27″ display.

So, if all you really need is a 1080P 60Hz monitor for less competitive gaming, and having more screen real estate would be more beneficial to you, then the BenQ GL2760H would be a solid option for you.

Again, it comes with a 27″ 1080P display with a 60Hz refresh rate. It has a 2ms response time and comes with both DVI and HDMI ports. Those features alone might not help this monitor stand out, but at just under $150, this is one of the most affordable 27-inch monitors currently on the market.

5. Acer GN246HL 24″

Honorable mention #1

Acer’s GN246HL 24″ monitor became a really popular option after its release, mostly due to the fact that it was the first 144Hz refresh rate monitor to be released for under $200. And, it’s still the least expensive 144Hz monitor currently on the market.

Along with its 144Hz refresh rate, it is a 24-inch monitor with a 1080P display and a 1ms response time. However, it is not a perfect monitor option.

Despite sporting a blazing fast 144Hz refresh rate, the biggest thing working against the GN246HL is the fact that it doesn’t come with any kind of variable refresh rate technology. So, if you try to play more demanding games on it where you likely won’t come anywhere near to 144 frames per second, you’ll likely experience some screen tearing.

On the other hand, though, the GN246HL will work well with a mid-range gaming PC that can push non-demanding eSports titles (League of Legends, Dota 2, Rocket League, etc.) at really high framerates, as at those higher framerates, the screen tearing will be less of an issue.

Overall, if you’re a competitive gamer, unless the GN246HL was available on sale for a significant price, I would probably look at the top three options on this list intead, as they come with variable refresh rate technology that will make them better options for playing more demanding games.

6. Samsung CF390 24″

Honorable mention #2

The Samsung CF390 is really just a standard 1080P 60Hz monitor that comes in at a fairly affordable price. However, it does come with a curved panel display, which is a rare find on a monitor at this price range (just under ~$140).

The CF390 is obviously not going to be the absolute best option for competitive gamers that play games like PUBG, CS:GO, Battlefield, etc. However, if you’re not a hardcore eSports gamer, or you’re working with a tighter budget that puts the top three monitors on this list out of your price range, then the CF390 will be a decent alternative.

Samsung’s CF390 does come with AMD’s FreeSync technology, though, so in terms of 1080P 60Hz monitors, it is one of the better options for budget-oriented eSports gamers.

7. Sceptre E225W-19203R 22″

Honorable mention #3

If your main concern is price and you’re working with a really tight budget, you might want to consider the Sceptre E225W-19203R. It’s one of the better 1080P monitors under $100 currently available.

It comes with a 22″ screen and up to a 75Hz refresh rate. Its 5ms response time isn’t ideal for hardcore gaming, but if you just need a cheap monitor that will allow at least give you a decent-quality 1080P picture, this is an okay choice.

Ultimately, the Sceptre E225W-19203R isn’t a long-term monitor option for gaming. But if you need something to hold you over until you can afford a true gaming monitor, the E225W-19203R is really cheap and will give you a decent 1080P display while you save up for something more suited for hardcore gaming.

Is A Sub-$200 Gaming Monitor Any Good?

Yes, there are a lot of fancy monitor options out there that cost $500 or more. You’ve got high-resolution ultrawide monitors, 1440P 165Hz monitors, G-Sync monitors, 4K monitors (and, now, 4K 144Hz monitors), and plenty more. But, if you’re a serious gamer you don’t necessarily need those expensive monitor solutions. In fact, for ultra-competitive gamers, those higher-resolution monitors require a much more powerful system in order to run properly—and if you don’t have a high-end gaming computer to push them properly, you’ll actually end up hurting your in-game performance as a result.

Fortunately, if you are a competitive gamer, you can grab a nice 1080P 144Hz monitor for under $200, or, if you’re more of a casual gamer, you can get a solid 1080P 60Hz monitor for even less. Ultimately, the options above are our choices for the best gaming monitors under $200 and there is likely a choice there that will suit your own individual needs.