In this post, we’ve compiled a list of seven of the cheapest G-Sync monitors currently available and rated each of them based on what they offer.
For gamers who are looking for the smoothest gaming experience possible, one upgrade that can be made to achieve smoother in-game performance is to get a monitor that utilizes variable refresh rate technology. And, of the available technologies, perhaps none are more polished and consistent as NVIDIA’s G-Sync. But, up until a couple of months ago, the in-game enhancements that G-Sync offers came with a serious premium in price, and left many wondering if G-Sync was even worth it.
However, with NVIDIA’s move to allow certain daptive sync monitors to use G-Sync technology, it has never been cheaper to get a G-Sync compatible monitor.
And, regardless, if you are planning on choosing an NVIDIA graphics card for your PC build, a G-Sync compatible monitor is your only option to take advantage of variable refresh rate technology in your games. So, in this guide, we’ve rated and reviewed seven of the cheapest G-Sync monitors currently available to help you find a G-Sync monitor that will work with your system and won’t cost you an arm and a leg.
Table of Contents
1. Quick-Look: Top Cheap G-Sync Monitors
2. Top Pick: Acer Predator XB271HU 27″
3. Value Pick: Dell S2417DG 24″
A Quick Look at the Best G-Sync Monitors Under $500
This guide will give you a list of seven of the best G-Sync monitors under $500. However, if you want a quick look at which of those seven stand out amongst the other, we’ve provided some quick picks for various buying scenarios. Below are our choices for the best G-Sync monitor under $500, the best value option, the faster G-Sync monitor under $500, and the cheapest G-Sync monitor overall.
| NAME | SPECS | RATING | |||
TOP PICK |  | Acer Predator XB271HU |
| /10 | |
VALUE |  | Dell S2417DG |
| /10 | |
FASTEST |  | ViewSonic XG2560 |
| /10 | |
CHEAPEST |  | AOC G2590FX |
| /10 |
*To read our full overviews on the G-Sync monitors listed above, click on “Read Review »” to jump to that specific monitor. And, to read our Honorable Mention choices, keep scrolling down to the bottom of this guide.
Best G-Sync Monitor Under $500:
Acer Predator XB271HU 27″
Acer’s Predator line of monitors is among the elite when it comes to the different categories of gaming-oriented monitors. Their Predator XB271HU G-Sync monitor is no different.
The XB271HU is a 27″ 1440P 144Hz G-Sync-ready monitor that comes in at just under $500. Its larger screen size helps it stand out as the best G-Sync option under $500, although the Dell S2716DG is a similar option and the Dell S2417DG might offer the better overall value.
While its 144Hz refresh rate is actually the baseline for the monitors on this list, the Predator XB271HU can be overclocked to hit a refresh rate of up to 165Hz.
The XB271HU also sports a WQHD panel with a fast 1ms GTG response time and a Displayport and HDMI port, too.
Overall, for just under $500, you get one of the best G-Sync monitors currently available. And, while the Dell S2417DG listed below might be the better value option, if you’re looking for a 27″ G-Sync monitor under $500, the XB271HU is the right option for you.
Best Value Option:
Dell S2417DG 24″
We chose the Dell S2417DG 24″ G-Sync monitor as our pick for the best thin bezel monitor currently available. And, because of what it offers and the price it comes in at, we’ve also chosen it as our best valued G-Sync monitor.
That’s because, for just a little over $400, you get a G-Sync-ready monitor that has a 1440P resolution, a 165Hz response rate, and a 1ms response time.
Its 24″ display is a little smaller than the Acer Predator XB271HU’s screen, but the S2417DG matches the XB271HU in just about every other regard and comes in at nearly $100 less.
So, if you are looking for a G-Sync monitor and price-to-performance is important to you, in our opinion, the Dell S2417DG 24″ currently offers the best value among G-Sync-ready monitors.
240Hz G-Sync Monitor:
ViewSonic XG2560 25″
If having the fastest refresh rate possible is more important to you than having a higher resolution, then the ViewSonic XG2560 25″ monitor might be the best option for you on this list.
Aside from being a 25″ G-Sync ready display, the XG2560’s most startling feature is its unheard of 240Hz refresh rate. While there really aren’t a lot of scenarios out there where the 240Hz refresh rate can be fully utilized, if you are a competitive gamer, you may want to consider if you can make use of the XG2560’s faster refresh rate.
The XG2560 does cost about ~$40 more than the Dell S2417DG listed above and does come with a lower screen resolution (1080P vs 1440P). But, we can’t really fault ViewSonic for opting for a 1080P panel in this instance as we’re not sure if there’s a GPU configuration out there that could push a 1440P 240Hz monitor properly.
Ultimately, if you’re a competitive gamer and every ounce of extra speed and performance is what you’re after, then the ViewSonic XG2560 is a G-Sync monitor you’ll want to consider.
Cheap G-Sync Monitor:
AOC G2590FX 25″
Hey, who said G-Sync monitors couldn’t be cheap? Now that NVIDIA is allowing certain adaptive sync monitors to be compatible with their G-Sync technology, the price to get a G-Sync compatible monitor is cheaper now than it has ever been.
That’s because NVIDIA has now made their G-Sync technology available via software rather than requiring specific hardware to be placed inside of the monitor. NVIDIA is still picky with which adaptive sync monitors are up to G-Sync standards, but there are quite a few that have already hit the market. And, the cheapest of those is the AOC G2590FX.
It’s a 25-inch display that has a 1080P resolution, a 144Hz refresh rate, and a 1ms response time. At a little under ~$190, it is by far the cheapest G-Sync monitor you can currently get. The Acer XFA240 is another affordable adaptive sync monitor that is G-Sync compatible, but it comes in at ~$10 more expensive than the G2590FX, and it is also a little smaller (only 24″.)
So, the bottom line is that, if you’re looking for the least expensive G-Sync monitor currently available, the AOC G2590FX is the option you’ve been searching for.
Honorable Mention #1:
Dell S2716DG 27″
If you’re looking for an alternative option to our top pick, the Acer Predator XB271HU, then the Dell S2716DG 27″ is probably it. The only major difference between the two is that the S2716DG comes with a 144Hz refresh rate, whereas the XB271HU comes with a 144Hz refresh rate that can be overclocked to reach 165Hz.
All of the other main features are virtually the same. The Dell S2716DG is a 27″ G-Sync-ready monitor with a 1ms response time and a 2560 x 1440 WQHD panel.
The two come in at virtually the same price as well, which the Predator slightly more expensive (~$20 more at the time of writing this). So, if you want to save a few bucks and forego the ability to overclock your monitor from 144Hz to 165Hz, then the S2716DG would be the option for you.
Honorable Mention #2:
ASUS ROG Swift PG248Q 24″
A nice alternative to the ViewSonic XG2560 is ASUS’ ROG Swift PG248Q 24″ monitor. It’s G-Sync-ready monitor that comes with a 1080P resolution panel, a 24″ screen, a 1ms response time and a 180Hz refresh rate.
Obviously, the 180Hz refresh rate isn’t quite as fast as the ViewSonic XG2560’s 240Hz refresh rate, but the PG248Q does come in at over ~$50 cheaper.
And, in reality, the difference between 180Hz and 240Hz is probably going to be negligible for 99% of users.
So, if you like the idea of having as fast of a G-Sync monitor as possible, but you don’t want to spend over $400 to in order to get it, the PG248Q is probably your best bet.
Honorable Mention #3:
Acer Predator XB241H 24″
Another option from Acer’s Predator line of monitors is the XB241H. It’s a very similar monitor to its bigger brother, the XB271HU, with the main differences being that the XB241H has a smaller screen size (24″ vs 27″) and a lower resolution (1080P vs 1440P) and much lower cost (~$380 vs ~$500).
However, the XB241H only comes in at ~$20 less expensive than the Dell S2417DG, which offers 1440P resolution. So, for just $20 more you can get double the resolution.
To me, that seems like the better deal. And, so ultimately, the Acer Predator XB241H—at this price—remains an Honorable Mention.
Honorable Mention #4:
ASUS VG278Q 27″
If you’re looking for the cheapest 27″ G-Sync monitor, then the ASUS VG278Q is probably your best bet. And, at just under ~$300, the VG278Q is the third cheapest G-Sync monitor on this list.
That’s because, like the AOC G2590FX, the ASUS VG278Q is another adaptive sync monitor that is G-Sync compatible. The VG278Q is a 1080P display that comes with a 144Hz refresh rate and a 1ms response time.
The VG278Q also comes with ASUS Eye Care Technology and 2W speakers, as well. Obviously, those aren’t the most powerful speakers in the world and if you’re a serious gamer, you’ll probably want to get a better pair of PC speakers or a gaming headset. However, if you do use a gaming headset, the built-in speakers offer a nice alternative audio option if you want to take a break from wearing a headset.
Overall, if you are looking for a larger display that is G-Sync compatible, but you don’t want to spend over $300 on a standard G-Sync monitor, the ASUS VG278Q G-Sync compatible adaptive sync monitor if probably the option for you.
Honorable Mention #5:
Acer XFA240 24″
Last but not least, we have the Acer XFA240. Like the AOC G2590FX and the ASUS VG278Q, the XFA240 is a G-Sync compatible adaptive sync monitor. And, because it doesn’t require G-Sync installed at the hardware level, it comes in at quite a bit less expensive than standard G-Sync monitors.
However, at just a little under ~$200, the XFA240 comes in at a little bit more expensive than the AOC G2590FX. And, the G2590FX also has a slightly bigger display and it also has a thinner bezel, as well. So, while the XFA240 is definitely a worthy affordable G-Sync monitor, its slightly higher price tag, smaller display, and larger bezel make it the less attractive option when compared to the G2590FX.
Of course, it would probably be a good idea to check its price tag anyways in case it has come down in price. If it cand dip to a price that is below the G2590FX, then it might be worth considering.
Are the Cheapest G-Sync Monitors Worth It?
Technically, there’s no such thing as a cheap G-Sync monitor. But the options listed above would be considered the “cheapest” G-Sync monitors currently available. If you are in the market for a high-end G-Sync monitor, but you don’t have an unlimited budget, the monitors above are the best options under $500.
Just understand that, if you are going to get a G-Sync monitor, it will only work with an NVIDIA graphics card. So, if you have an AMD graphics card in your current system, you’re either going to have to switch to an NVIDIA GPU or choose a Freesync monitor instead.
Shane says
What are the best G-Sync Compatible monitors? Now that we can have Freesync, We should be ablt to save 200-300 on a quality monitor!