Looking for gaming monitors under $500? Fortunately, that kind of budget is going to serve you well. In this era of ever evolving technology, 500 bucks can get you phenomenal monitors that serve all your pro gaming needs.
A gaming monitor in this budget can offer you top tier specs ranging from an ultra wide 4k screen to an incredible 144Hz gaming experience. However, the recipe to the best monitor for gaming is not that simple.
You need to consider quite a few other features as well if you’re seeking an impeccable gaming experience. Keeping track of all those features as you scour through the internet can be hard. So don’t get into that, instead check out our top picks as you proceed scrolling.
You’ll find both mid and high end devices in this guide right here. Go on and check out the 7 best gaming monitors under $500.
which are the best Gaming Monitors under $500?
1. Sceptre 25” Gaming Monitor
- Size: 25”
- Resolution: 1080p
- Refresh Rate: 165Hz
- Panel: TN panel
- VRR: Free Sync
The Sceptre gaming monitor is an affordable choice yet renders an incredible performance. It is an amazing choice for competitive gamers who enjoy fast paced games.
This gaming monitor features a 25” display that utilizes a TN panel which has a low input lag and hence, delivers an unprecedented performance for fast paced games. The screen to body ratio is up to par and you’ll get enough space on the screen.
The colors are great, tuned right out of the box and require no adjustments. But I’m not somewhat of a fan of the viewing angles of this monitor. Apart from that, you get a 300 nits of screen brightness which is more than sufficient.
Moving on to the 165Hz of screen refresh rate along with the incredible AMD FreeSync Technology that balances the refresh rate according to the GPU capacity. This keeps the screen tearing or stuttering away from the game and allows a smooth, lag free display.
The anti flicker display along with the Blue Light filter keeps the eyes strain free so you can expect long gaming sessions with this monitor without putting your eyes through hell.
The 1ms response time of this monitor eliminates ghosting and ensures that gamers never miss the slightest of moments during action packed scenes.
The design of the Sceptre gaming monitor is super impressive especially the 3 frameless edges make it look quite promising. Although the monitor feels thin and fragile, the build quality is sturdy. Moreover, it comes with VESA mounting that allows you to save space around your gaming station.
Overall, this monitor is a worthy and affordable choice for competitive gamers!
2. Samsung Odyssey G5 Gaming Monitor
- Size: 32 Inches
- Resolution: 1440p
- Refresh Rate: 144Hz
- Panel: VA LCD
- VRR: Free Sync
The Odyssey G5 is built for a fully immersive gaming experience with its 1000R aggressive curvature that matches with the human eye and hence, offers a phenomenal viewing experience.
This gaming monitor offers a fantastic 32 inches display with a VA LCD panel that delivers the best contrast and image depth. However, the ‘not so good’ viewing angles of this monitor may be a bummer for some of you.
The colors displayed by this monitor are not too vibrant or saturated, to be fair. However, when dealing with sRGB content the colors are super accurate and will have you impressed for sure if you do not prefer over-saturation.
The HDR viewing experience is not something I’d like to write home about but let’s not forget the brightness which is just apt for a gaming monitor. The screen brightness at 250 nits works quite well as long as you don’t have direct sunlight falling on to your screen.
Moving on to the screen refresh rate which is yet another feature that meets the gaming requirements. It has a 144Hz screen refresh rate with AMD Freesync technology that synchronises the monitor’s refresh rate with your GPUs frame rates.
The Free Sync VRR reduces tearing and stuttering to a great extent. However, due to the VA LCD panel’s long response time, you may notice some amount of ghosting during certain conditions. The Odyssey G5 has a 4ms response time which is why it is not recommended for competitive FPS gaming.
Overall, this gaming monitor features a sleek and sturdy design. It is VESA mount compatible and offers adequate connectivity options as well.
3. ASUS TUF Gaming Monitor
- Size: 27 Inches
- Resolution: 1440p
- Refresh Rate: 165Hz
- Panel: IPS LCD
- VRR: G Sync Technology
This monitor boasts an incredible ergonomic design. If you’re looking for a gaming monitor that supports tilt, swivel, and height adjustments along with fulfilling other gaming needs, then this has to be the perfect choice.
The Asus Tuf gaming monitor has a 27” screen that comes with an IPS LCD panel. This means the input lag is super low so you can enjoy your games to the most. Also, with this display panel, you can expect splendid color performance even from shallow viewing angles.
The 1ms response time of this monitor makes it a perfect choice for fast paced and competitive FPS gaming. Moving on to the color dynamics of this monitor which are pretty good too.
The monitor delivers fantastic images with a 99% sRGB color gamut and a 1000:1 contrast ratio. The colors are vivid and adequately saturated. The color tones and contrasts are decently accurate and will impress unless you prefer over-saturation.
The brightness levels at 350 nits are up to par as well although, Glare can be an issue in brightly lit rooms. And let’s not forget the amazing shadow boost technology that brightens the darker areas in your game without overexposing the bright areas.
The screen refresh rate is 165Hz and comes with a G-Sync compatibility. On top of that, this gaming monitor also boasts an ELMB (extremely low motion blur sync) technology. A combination of both results in an elimination of tearing, ghosting, and stutter at high frame rates.
And for the safety of your eyes, this monitor is equipped with Asus eye care technology to minimize fatigue. All in all, this gaming monitor is a great deal for 300 bucks.
4. Sceptre Curved Gaming Monitor
- Size: 27 Inches
- Resolution: 1080p
- Refresh Rate: 75Hz
- Panel: VA
- VRR: Adaptive Sync
Another gaming monitor by Sceptre and this one is a perfect option for budget minded consumers. At sub 200 bucks, this monitor offers quite a lot of impressive features.
This gaming monitor offers a super immersive 27” curved display with a 1080p screen resolution. The display delivers an outstanding performance with the VA panel. These panels produce crisp and accurate colors. Also, they’re known for excellent viewing angles and so we see 178° wide viewing angles on this monitor.
You’ll find better contrasts as compared to TN and IPS panels. The contrast ratio of this monitor is 3000:1 which speaks for the superior performance itself. The screen brightness at 220 nits is pretty decent as well. You don’t need to worry unless you’re gaming in brightly lit rooms.
The colors are quite accurate with vivid, saturated and highly detailed visuals. The monitor offers a wide color gamut that produces enhanced features.
The response time of this monitor can be a major turn off for most people. A 5ms response time is not what a pro gamer can suffice with yet sceptre promises a smooth and stutter free gameplay. However, we do not recommend this for running demanding AAA titles.
Moving on to the screen refresh rate of 75Hz that comes with a Freesync technology. A synchronised screen refresh rate and GPU frame rate helps to eliminate screen tearing and ghosting to a great extent.
Also, you get a Blue Light shift so your eyes are strained less during long gaming sessions and your performance is not compromised. The monitor is VESA mount compatible and offers versatile connectivity options. Overall, this is an amazing budget gaming monitor and will surely be a worthy purchase.
5. Samsung CF396 Curved Gaming Monitor
- Size: 23.5 Inches
- Resolution: 1080p
- Refresh Rate: 60 Hz
- Panel: VA
- VRR: AMD Freesync
Another budget option with some amazing features and this one is by Samsung. This curved monitor can serve as a workstation as well as a gaming station.
It is a 23.5” display with a screen resolution of 1080p. This monitor comes with a VA display panel that renders accurate colors and incredible viewing angles. There’s no color degradation even from shallow viewing angles. The color saturation is up to par and this monitor covers up to 98.1% of the sRGB space. And for the price this is the best of the best you can find.
The colors are true to life with a 3000:1 contrast ratio. The dark areas are sufficiently exposed without overexposing bright areas. The 200 nits of brightness is apt for most indoor environments, however, the performance may not be impressive in extremely bright lighting conditions.
The response time of this gaming monitor is quite average. With a 4ms response time, this monitor is not deemed suitable for triple A games. However, you can expect smooth and blur free motion on less demanding titles.
The 60Hz refresh rate works well in combination with the adaptive free sync technology. Ghosting and tearing of visuals is reduced to a great extent by syncing of the screen refresh rate with the GPU capacity. You can enjoy a smooth gameplay with minimised input latency even during fast paced games.
The monitor also supports blue light filter and offers a flicker free, anti-glare display. The design is not so sleek with 0.5” thick bezels but the build quality is excellent.
Overall, this monitor is not particularly a gaming monitor yet can be used for work and gaming both.
6. AOC G2490VX Gaming Monitor
- Size: 24 Inches
- Resolution: 1080p
- Refresh Rate: 144 Hz
- Panel: VA
- VRR: Free Sync Premium
What’s better than a budget gaming monitor? A budget gaming monitor with premium features. This monitor by AOC offers all the high end features that too under 200 bucks.
Starting off with the 24” FHD display that offers a 1080p screen resolution. The display comes with a stellar VA panel that ensures very phenomenal colors. The colors are accurate and true to life.
On top of that, the viewing angles are excellent again thanks to the VA panel. This monitor offers 178° wide viewing angles without any color distortion.
The wide 126% sRGB color gamut delivers promisingly vivid and saturated colors that bring the virtual world to life. This gaming monitor has an incredible contrast ratio of 4000:1 which produces accurate bright and dark areas.
The brightness levels of this monitor are above average at 350 nits. The brightness of this monitor is beyond sufficient. In fact, it is an overkill for most users.
Moving on to the very promising response time of 1ms. Action packed games and transitions are displayed smoothly on this monitor.
The screen refresh rate of 144Hz along with the FreeSync technology delivers fantastic results. You get a smooth, stutter free and tear free gaming experience so you can forget blurry motions and enjoy a sharp and butter smooth gameplay.
But there’s a downside to this monitor. The Gtg response time is quite low which makes the 144Hz refresh rate go down the drain. The ghosting effects are clearly noticeable and throw shade on the rest of the amazing features. Anyway, for the price this monitor is equipped with incredible features.
7. Acer Nitro VG271 Gaming Monitor
- Size: 27 Inches
- Resolution: 1080p
- Refresh Rate: 144 Hz
- Panel: IPS
- VRR: AMD Freesync
This gaming monitor by Acer is yet another star of our list. It will meet all your gaming needs without costing you an arm and leg.
The Acer Nitro gaming monitor features a 27 inches full HD display and comes with a 1080p resolution. The display comes with an IPS panel that work really well for gaming. You get the most promising colors on screen that let you enjoy your games to the fullest.
Also, the IPS panel ensures wide viewing angles up to 178° without any color degradation. So no matter from what angle you’re looking at the screen, you can enjoy accurate colors.
The brightness levels of this monitor are beyond the requirements at 400 nits. You’ll definitely have to turn it low unless you plan on going blind. The color gamut is not wide and you’ll get a mediocre color performance with a basic contrast ratio.
Anyway, the colors are still pretty decent but not something that deserves lots of praises. Moving on to the 1ms response time that works really well for demanding AAA titles. The visuals are absolutely stutter free and you can enjoy a butter smooth gameplay on this monitor.
The screen refresh rate at 144Hz is also up to par. It comes with the FreeSync technology which means the frame rate will be determined by your graphics card and not the refresh rate of your monitor. This gaming monitor offers a flicker free and anti-ghosting display.
The zero frame design renders the monitor a very sleek look unlike conventional monitors with thick bezels. The monitor is VESA mount compatible and comes with decent speakers too!
Best Gaming Monitors under $500: Buyer’s Guide
A budget of $500 for a gaming monitor can land you some pretty amazing specs. However, you still need to keep a check on your expectations. So here’s what you can expect from a gaming monitor under 500 dollars:
Screen Size and Resolution
Screen size is one of the primary features you should consider before buying a gaming monitor. Screen size is more of a matter of preference. But the thing with smaller screens is that they offer a better pixel density which means you get to experience highly detailed visuals.
On the contrary, if you’re on a hunt for larger screens then make sure you get the one with a higher resolution. Large monitors with low resolution will render a low pixel density and so, you’ll not be able to enjoy sharp and immersive visuals.
In a budget of $500, you get an option to choose from a versatile range of screen sizes. Generally speaking, you can find gaming monitors ranging from 22 inches to 32 inches under $500. If you’re looking for a better size, then you may as well take your budget up a notch.
As for the resolution, you can find anything from 1080p to 4K resolution. The 1080p and 1440p will be on the cheaper end, however, if you go above 400 bucks you can find 4K monitors as well.
A 1080p resolution is considered best for monitors up to 24 inches. 1440p works best for monitors up to a size of 27-30 inches. For bigger sizes, you should consider a 4K resolution.
If you’re still confused on choosing the best monitor screen size for your setup, you can read the guide i wrote about the different types of screen sizes.
Panel Type
The most commonly used display panels in gaming monitors include twisted nematic (TN), vertical alignment (VA), and in-plane switching (IPS) panels.
IPS panels are best known for their color performance. They offer the widest color gamut and more color space than TN or VA panels. For the best color performance, you should get your hands on an IPS monitor.
Along with amazing colors, an IPS panel is also well acclaimed for excellent viewing angles. However, IPS panels are weak in terms of their black levels because they often tend to diminish dark details.
Moving on to the TN panel, which is yet another great option for gaming monitors. This is the oldest panel type yet it is widely loved by gamers because TN panels offer the best response time and refresh rates.
In terms of color, a TN panel delivers average performance. It does not offer a wide color gamut as it covers only standard RGB colors and the contrast ratio is mediocre too at 1000:1.
Lastly, vertical alignment (VA) panels offer great colors close to the IPS panel. They are best in terms of contrast and offer a 3000:1 ratio which delivers excellent visuals with defined blacks vivid colors.
However, they are not so great in terms of the response time. You’ll most commonly find a 3ms to 5ms response time in VA panels so they’re not it for demanding and competitive triple A games.
Refresh Rate
The refresh rate is a measure of the number of times a monitor can refresh in 1s. It also determines the number of frames a monitor can display in a second. This means that a good refresh rate is one of the integral features of a gaming monitor.
So if you’re looking for a higher FPS rate, then you should look for gaming monitors with a higher refresh rate. Refresh rates vary from 30Hz to 240Hz and higher. However, for a gaming monitor you better skip the 30 Hz option.
In our list, you can find options ranging from 60 Hz to 165 Hz and honestly, all of them are excellent for gaming. Since they work in combination with Freesync or G-sync, the frames are decided by the GPU and not the fixed refresh rate of the monitor.
Even more so, most users cannot even discern between a 60FPS and 120FPS monitor so higher refresh rates may not always prove to be a worthy buy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best gaming monitor under 500 dollars?
We’ve listed the 7 best gaming monitors under 500 dollars in our list above. But if you ask one, then the Asus Tuf Gaming 27” monitor is an all rounder. It offers a decent 1440p resolution, an adequate refresh rate and a very promising IPS panel display.
Which monitor is best for FPS gaming?
FPS gaming requires the fastest display; higher refresh rate, minimal input lag, and a very low response time. The Sceptre 25” Gaming monitor listed at #1 does that all. It utilizes a TN panel which is well acclaimed for delivering a fast display.
Is 4K much better than 1440p?
Well, 4K is considered superior to 1440p because it offers a better pixel density. A 4K monitor is a great choice for gamers but it does require very strong hardware. As opposed to that, a 1440p monitor is considered quite ideal unless you’re choosing a screen size larger than 32 inches.
What monitors do pro gamers use in 2022?
Pro gamers use monitors that offer a fast display and that means the monitors with higher refresh rates, low response time, and capable display panels.
