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This sturdy monitor offers great image quality, performance, and lots of adjustability. We’re not overly fond of the design, though. Read More
BenQ’s EX2510R is the best value on our list. It has a 144Hz refresh rate and image quality that’s only a hair behind the best monitors, but its low price makes it obtainable for most gamers. Read More
The MSI Oculux NXG253R is a good value. It has a base MSRP of $599.99, which is lower than the alternatives and doesn’t compromise quality to achieve it. Read More
Alienware’s AW2521H combines a class-leading 360 Hz refresh rate with good image quality and premium design. It’s an expensive monitor that’s worth every cent, but its price tag will send some gamers elsewhere. Read More
The Asus ROG Swift PG259QN is the most affordable monitor we tested to offer a 360 Hz refresh rate. It also has a good contrast ratio and solid color accuracy. The monitor’s corkscrew stand design is distinct but won’t be to everyone’s tastes. Read More
A 24-inch gaming monitor is a great choice for gamers who want to make the most of their cash. Though they lack the obvious “wow” factor of a big screen or TV, 24-inch monitors usually have great image quality and smooth gameplay at a much more affordable price than their large-scale cousins.
Our top 24-inch pick is the Acer XB253Q GW (available at Amazon for $389.67) . Its image quality is fantastic and it has a refresh rate of up to 280 Hz for smooth gameplay. These gaming-centric features are supported by a sturdy build and a highly adjustable, ergonomic stand. If you're on a tight budget and still want great image quality, BenQ's Mobiuz EX2510R (available at Amazon) is an excellent pick at its low price point. We also have several other solid choices to consider, so you can find the perfect compact monitor for your next session.
Acer's 24-inch beauty packs a punch on all fronts, making it the best gaming monitor for most people.
The BenQ Mobiuz EX2510R is our favorite value 4K monitor.
We test monitors using the same suite of scientific equipment we use to test TVs.
Matthew S. Smith is a technology journalist, reviewer, and editor with 14 years of experience. He’s tested over 600 laptop and desktop displays over the past decade, keeping a log of his results for future reference. In addition to evaluating monitors, laptops, and other gear for Reviewed, you can find his monitor reviews published at Insider, IGN, and Digital Trends.
Image quality is our top priority when evaluating a gaming monitor. Modern games are crammed with outstanding visuals that can easily be spoiled by a bad display. We look for great color accuracy, a solid color gamut, and a decent contrast ratio. Good HDR performance is a plus, but even the best 24-inch monitors remain weak in this area.
Gaming monitors must do more than deliver great visuals, however. Fast-paced games should also look good in motion. While this doesn’t matter to every gamer, those who play esports or other fast-paced titles will benefit from a high refresh rate, great motion clarity, and low input lag.
Our testing was conducted with Datacolor’s SpyderX Elite. This calibration tool offers detailed tests that gauge how a monitor’s color gamut, color accuracy, gamma curve, luminance uniformity, and color temperature compared to industry standards. If this all sounds a bit technical to you, don’t worry about it. There’s no need to sweat the details. Just know our judgment is based on objective testing that’s as free of bias as we can make it.
We also use each monitor to play our favorite games for at least several days. This subjective evaluation lets us identify small problems and inconsistencies that don’t show up in objective, instrumented tests. Our latest round of testing revealed no major surprises—all the monitors performed as our objective tests hinted they would.
Most 24-inch gaming monitors stick to 1080p resolution. This might not sound impressive in today’s work of 4K displays, and it does lead to some problems. You may notice fine edges and small fonts look fuzzy or pixelated. However, this is a sacrifice you’ll have to live with when purchasing a 24-inch gaming monitor. Few 24-inch monitors exceed 1080p resolution and those that do lack features that appeal to gamers.
A gaming monitor’s refresh rate is the number of times it can refresh the on-screen image in one second. Most monitors refresh at 60Hz, or 60 times each second, but gaming monitors can refresh at up to 360Hz, or 360 times each second. Most monitors on this list have a refresh rate of at least 144Hz.
Higher refresh rates lead to lower input lag and better motion clarity. The monitor will feel more responsive and appear sharper in motion. You’ll clearly pick out details that look smeared or blurred on a monitor with a normal 60Hz refresh rate. But while a high refresh rate can improve clarity, there is a catch. Your computer must be powerful enough to play a game at a framerate close to the monitor’s refresh rate.
That means a game will need to render at up 360 frames per second to make proper use of a 360Hz gaming monitor. It will still look fine and feel smooth at a lesser framerate, but you won’t be using the monitor to its full potential. The most expensive 24-inch monitors are best when paired with the most expensive video cards.
However, there’s also nothing wrong with a 60Hz monitor. Gamers who play titles with minimal motion, like Civilization VI or Crusader Kings 3, will see less benefit from higher refresh rates. This is worth remembering, as high refresh monitors carry a serious price premium. Several monitors on this list have a low refresh rate but great image quality, making them a solid pick for strategy, puzzle, and adventure games.
AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync are adaptive sync standards that let a monitor’s refresh rate match the framerate of the game you’re playing. This eliminates stuttering or tearing artifacts that can occur when the timing of a game’s framerate aligns poorly with a monitor’s refresh rate. It’s an important feature for most gamers, and fortunately, it’s widely available.
As the naming implies, AMD FreeSync is designed to work with AMD graphics cards, while Nvidia G-Sync is designed to work with Nvidia video cards. The standards are actually more fluid than this: monitors that handle one standard can often handle the other. This is not guaranteed, however, so we recommend you buy a monitor that supports the adaptive sync standard that matches your PC’s graphics card.
While AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync are important, they’re not essential. Players who lean heavily towards genres with a slower pace of gameplay, like strategy or adventure, might not need this feature. The improvement is less noticeable in games that focus on static menus or slow-moving objects.
A monitor creates a picture by pairing an LCD display panel with LED backlights that sit behind it. The type of LCD panel a monitor uses will impact the monitor’s quality. Three distinct types of panel technology can be found in gaming monitors.
IPS: IPS stands for “in-plane switching.” They lean towards a bright, vibrant image with minimal ghosting and excellent motion clarity when combined with a high refresh rate. However, they tend to have a low contrast ratio and poor performance in dark, shadowy scenes. IPS panels can suffer “IPS glow,” a hazy look in dark areas that is most noticeable at a wide viewing angle. Despite this, most high-end gaming monitors choose an IPS panel for its superior motion performance.
VA: VA stands for “vertical alignment.” This panel type can serve up a great contrast ratio and better performance in dark, shadowy scenes. Though often a bit dimmer than IPS panels, the best VA panels look vivid and offer a wide, accurate color gamut. Viewing angles are not good compared to IPS, so you’ll want to sit directly in front of the display. VA panels can also struggle with motion clarity, so they’re rare in monitors with a refresh rate above 144 Hz.
TN: TN stands for “twisted nematic.” This is an older panel type that generally lacks the color accuracy, gamut, contrast, and viewing angles of ISP and VA panels. It’s inexpensive to produce and can support a high refresh rate, so gamers on a tight budget might want to consider a TN panel.
Want more general help in buying the right kind of monitor? Check out our guide to buying a monitor.
Great image quality
360Hz refresh rate
Competitive price
Design won’t be for everyone
Class-leading refresh rate
Premium design
Great image quality
Expensive
Class-leading refresh rate
Excellent motion clarity
Great image quality
Design
High refresh rate
Good color accuracy
Competitive pricing
Mediocre build quality
Great color performance
1920 x 1200 resolution
Attractive design
Low refresh rate
Great contrast ratio
Vibrant colors
Low Price
Flimsy stand only adjusts tilt
Low refresh rate
144 Hz refresh rate
G-Sync compatible
Affordable price
Poor color accuracy
Low contrast ratio
Matthew S. Smith is a veteran tech journalist and general-purpose PC hardware nerd. Formerly the Lead Editor of Reviews at Digital Trends, he has over a decade of experience covering PC hardware. Matt often flies the virtual skies in Microsoft Flight Simulator and is on a quest to grow the perfect heirloom tomato.
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