Buying one of the best monitors is a great way to upgrade your PC experience, whether you're gaming, working or just web browsing. They give you bigger displays, more pixels, richer colors and greater contrast, all of which make your monitor look better, feel better on your eyes and deliver a more immersive picture.
These monitors come in all sorts of shapes and sizes too, from massive ultrawides and huge monitor-replacing TVs to compact 1080p screens designed with esports in mind. Some can even be carried outside for use with your laptop or gaming system on the go.
The one thing they all have in common, though, is they look great, delivering a smooth and attractive image whatever you're doing. Whether you have thousands or a few hundred dollars to spend on your next monitor upgrade, here are the best monitors available in 2022.
- Best Monitor Overall: Alienware AW3423DW
- Best 4K Gaming Monitor: Gigabyte M32U
- Best 1080p Monitor: Asus VG279QM
- Best Gaming Monitor: Dell S3220DGF
- Best Ultrawide Monitor: LG UltraGear 38GN950
- Best 4K Monitor: Gigabyte Aorus FO48U
- Best Curved Monitor: LG 38WN95C-W
- Best 27-inch Monitor: Samsung LC27G75TQSNXZA
- Best Monitor For PS5 and Xbox Series X: Acer Nitro XV282K
- Best 32-inch Monitor: Benq EW3270U
- Best 49-Inch Monitor: Samsung 49-inch Odyssey G9 Neo
- Best Portable Monitor: Asus ROG XG17AHPE
- Best Esports Monitor: Asus ROG Swift PG259QN
- Best Curved Gaming Monitor: LG 34GP83A-B
- Best Cheap Monitor: Gigabyte M27Q
- Best TV To Use As a PC Monitor: LG C1 OLED
Best Monitor Overall
QD-OLED Is A Game Changer
- Size: 34 inches
- Resolution: 3,440 x 1,400
- Refresh rate: 175Hz
OLED might have taken its time coming to PC monitors, but this new QD-OLED display from Alienware is a whole new generation of OLED technology that makes previous attempts look antiquated in comparison. Leveraging Samsung Display's new quantum dot, or QD-OLED technology, it is able to produce a brighter picture, with more accurate colors at greater saturation, with the same fantastic contrast ratio and pixel response time of more traditional OLEDs.
It doesn't get mini-LED bright, but it's not far off, and with its amazing OLED contrast, HDR looks incredible whether you're playing a game or watching your favorite film.
Viewing angles on this display are excellent too, making it a fantastic collaborative device to use, and at 34-inches with an expanded 1400p resolution, it looks crisp and sharp, whether you're working or playing.
It also includes contemporary features like Nvidia G-Sync Ultimate support, and has a 175Hz refresh rate for smooth desktop motion and enhanced gaming. Its lack of HDMI 2.1 makes this a miss for those wanting to fully support an Xbox Series X/S and PS5, but for just about everything else, this is the best monitor you can buy today, and at a fairly reasonable price to boot.
Best 4K Gaming Monitor
A Versatile Top-Line Gaming Monitor
- Size: 32-inches
- Resolution: 4K (3,840 x 2,160)
- Refresh rate: 144Hz
The Gigabyte M32U is such a good all-rounder that it's almost the best monitor overall, but it certainly takes the top slot as the best 4K gaming monitor you can buy today. It enjoys that super crisp 4K resolution, in a 32-inch form factor which lets you take full advantage of all that extra detail without being over indulgent. It's also exceptionally fast, with a 144Hz refresh rate that makes all your movements smooth, whether you're working in a video editor or playing your favorite games.
If you want to plug in your new-generation games console, the Gigabyte M32U has full support for HDMI 2.1, and whether you're working or playing with friends, the excellent viewing angles make it super easy to collaborate and cooperate with others.
There's even a built-in Keyboard and Mouse switch, so you can control a couple of different systems with the same keyboard and mouse through the display.
Best 1080p Monitor
Ready For All Esports
- Size: 24 inches
- Resolution: 1080p (1,920 x 1,080)
- Refresh rate: 280Hz
You can get an average 1080p display for not much north of $100, but if you want the best 1080p monitor that doesn't stray into the high hundreds of dollars like the top esports models, this Asus TUF Gaming display is an absolutely stellar option. At 24.5 inches, its 1080p display still looks crisp, and with the combination of high brightness and high refresh rate, it looks vibrant and extremely smooth no matter what you're doing.
If you're a gamer, the combination of the high refresh rate and its low motion blur make it especially good in competitive play—great for esports gamers. It's also certified as G-Sync compatible, so whether you have an AMD or Nvidia GPU, you'll be able to enjoy stutter and tear-free gaming.
Anyone looking to enjoy HDR movies will get a great 1080p picture on this screen, too, thanks to its native support for DisplayHDR 400.
Best Gaming Monitor
A Balanced Gaming Monitor Priced Right
- Size: 32 inches
- Resolution: 1440p (2,560 x 1,440)
- Refresh rate: 165Hz
If you want the ultimate gaming monitor, you'll have to spend thousands of dollars on the display, and own a PC that can run it—most likely with a graphics card that itself would cost a few thousand too. For most people, the best gaming monitor is one that has a high (but not too high) resolution, a high refresh rate, a low input lag and great color support. For that, the best monitor for the job is the Dell S3220DGF.
This is a monitor that combines a 1440p resolution with a 165Hz refresh rate, for a picture that is much more detailed than 1080p, but not so taxing as 4K. The refresh rate is excellent, though not overly ambitious, letting you enjoy higher frame rates in esports and AAA games without having to pay the price of the extreme esports displays. This screen also enjoys very low input lag and has full support for FreeSync.
Best Ultrawide Monitor
Ultrawide Gaming At Its Finest
- Size: 38 inches
- Resolution: 3,840 x 1,600
- Refresh rate: 160Hz
Ultrawides come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, but if you're looking for a solid choice for the best ultrawide monitor you can buy today, this 38-inch LG Ultragear display is a worthy contender. Its high resolution isn't quite as demanding as 4K, but it still looks fantastic across such a large screen, providing excellent immersion in gaming and plenty of room for expansive editing timelines. For more general office workers, it also makes it easy to have multiple windows open on a single screen, making this a very capable multi-monitor replacement.
The brightness on this screen is solid, giving it an excellent pedigree in HDR content—be it movies or gaming—and it has excellent viewing angles, should you want to play cooperative or collaborate with colleagues when working. It's not a cheap screen by any means, but most ultrawides aren't, and this one fits that sweet spot in size, performance and affordability.
Best 4K Monitor
Huge, Gorgeous, And Cheaper Than Ever
- Size: 48 inches
- Resolution: 3,840 x 2,160
- Refresh rate: 120Hz
It might be bigger than even some of the biggest 4K monitors out there, but the Aorus FO48U is by far the best 4K display you can buy today. It has just about every box ticked, from gorgeous OLED colors and contrast ratio, to a crisp 4K resolution for work and play, an amazingly fast response time and input lag for gaming, and it gets bright enough to make HDR content look stunning. It still looks its best in a dark room, but it performs better than a lot of earlier OLED displays in brighter environments.
The frame is super slim on this monitor to give it that infinite look, and though its stand is more TV-like than monitor, it has VESA mounting, so if you get yourself an adjustable stand (a robust one, as this monitor's size makes it reasonably heavy) then you'll have all the maneuverability that you need.
Although not quite as good as the LG C1 for gaming or pure entertainment, this mix of its excellent clarity and size for office tasks, not to mention solid gaming and movie chops, make this the best 4K display you can buy in 2022.
Best Curved Monitor
An All-Round Excellent Curved Display
- Size: 38 inches
- Resolution: 3,840 x 1,600
- Refresh rate: 144Hz
If you're looking for a curved monitor that does everything well but isn't necessarily designed for any one thing, the LG 38WN95C is the monitor for you. It combines a high refresh rate with a near-4K resolution, a fantastic color accuracy and gamut support, fast response time, and excellent brightness to deliver a display that is great for work and play.
The sheer size of this display makes it the perfect replacement for a twin-display setup at work, or if you're looking for a more immersive movie watching and gaming experience, its fantastic quality and extensive features make it ideal for that too. It's DisplayHDR 600-certified for vibrant HDR content, supports NVIDIA’s G-Sync for screen-tearing prevention and it has an excellent frame with integrated Thunderbolt 3 connectivity and the ability to minutely adjust the display to the exact height, orientation and angle that’s right for you.
Best 27-inch Monitor
Sharp Picture, Sharper Design
- Size: 27 inches
- Resolution: 2,560 x 1,400
- Refresh rate: 240Hz
Most of Samsung's Odyssey displays are fantastic, but just because the range is overshadowed by the monstrous 49-inch G9 Neo, doesn't mean the more modest options aren't stellar too. The Odyssey G7 is a much more reasonable display, but it has all of the same excellent qualities of its larger siblings, and it's far more affordable for it.
If you're looking for the best 27-inch monitor for gaming, work or creative endeavors, this has to be the top of your list. It combines an excellent 1440p resolution with a high 240Hz refresh rate for a detailed and smooth picture, and comes with gorgeously thin bezels and an attractive stand to boot. The steep curvature makes it extra immersive—though not quite so good for collaborative work and play—and it is fully supportive of both G-Sync and Freesync, so it can offer stutter and tear-free gaming to just about anyone.
Best Monitor For PS5 and Xbox Series X
Fit For Any Gaming Machine
- Size: 28 inches
- Resolution: 3,840 x 2,160
- Refresh rate: 144Hz
There are three important factors for any great Xbox Series X and PS5 gaming monitor: It's got to be 4K, it has to offer 120Hz refresh rate support, and it needs to have HDMI 2.1 ports. This Acer Nitro XV2 goes above and beyond those specs, easily eclipsing them and offering a fantastic picture for any console you plug into it.
On top of its high refresh rate and resolution support, it has a 1ms response time and a low input lag for responsive and competitive gaming. It has two HDMI 2.1 ports, as well as a DisplayPort and USB-C input, so you can connect devices, accessories, multiple consoles and your gaming PC all to the same display. It has excellent colors, with a gamut that covers 99% of the adobe RGB spectrum, is certified VESA DisplayHDR 400 for HDR and bright-SDR gaming, and it fully supports AMD's Freesync, so Xbox gamers can enjoy games that are free from both tearing and stuttering.
Best 32-inch Monitor
An Affordably Priced Workhorse
- Size: 32 inches
- Resolution: 4K (3,840 x ,2160)
- Refresh rate: 60Hz
You get a lot of monitor with a 32-inch display, and if you want high-end features, they’ll usually cost you. Not so with the BenQ EW327U, which is both gorgeous to look at and surprisingly affordable. It still has a 4K resolution, solid viewing angles, great blue light options and excellent contrast ratio for deep blacks and stark whites, but has a sub-$500 price tag.
It does have a 60Hz refresh rate, so it's not as good for gaming as some of the other best monitors on this list, but you have to miss out on some things to get such an affordable big-screen 4K display like this. It doesn't fall behind on ports, though, with options of DisplayPort, two HDMI inputs and a USB-C connector, so you can connect up to this with consoles, laptops, gaming PCs and anything else besides.
This isn't the best monitor at any one thing, but if you want a great all-round 32-inch monitor that won't cost you the earth, it's one of the best monitors you can buy in 2021.
Best 49-Inch Monitor
The Ultimate In Ultrawide
- Size: 49 inches
- Resolution: 5,120 x 1,440
- Refresh rate: 240Hz
If 49 inches wasn't more than most people need, and if it wasn't hard to find movies and games that could actually use all that screen space, the Samsung Odyssey G9 Neo would be the best monitor you can buy for just about any purpose. It ticks every box there is, with a huge amount of screen real estate, a high refresh rate, high resolution, simply staggering brightness and excellent color support. It looks great with movies, games, multi-screen office work and video editing thanks to the huge screen offering lengthy timeline support.
You will need a lot of desk space to actually mount this monitor, and its aggressive curvature means it won't sit anywhere close to flush against the wall, but it is easily one of the best monitors ever made, maybe even the best; it's just almost too big for most, and very expensive. If you're looking for a huge screen and don't mind paying for the privilege, however, the Samsung G9 Neo is as good as it gets in 2022.
Best Portable Monitor
Fast, Lightweight, With Great Battery Life
- Size: 17.3 inches
- Resolution: 1,920 x 1,080
- Refresh Rate: 240Hz
One of the downsides to the most portable gaming laptops, is that they tend to be small and don't have the best displays. You can fix that though, with the best portable gaming monitor: the Asus ROG XG17AHPE. This 17.3-inch screen is perfect for gaming from your non-gaming laptop, your tablet, or your phone — just plug it in via USB-C or micro HDMI and enjoy a big-screen gaming experience. It has 240Hz refresh rate support, as well as adaptive-sync and has a mere 3ms response time, making this monitor snappy, and motion-blur free.
Color accuracy is great, with a wide color gamut support of 100% sRGB, and the 1080p resolution looks crisp and clear at this size, without demanding too much from your system's GPU.
Battery life lasts around three hours of mixed usage, and it weighs just 2.3 pounds, making it super portable.
Best Esports Monitor
The Fastest Monitor You Can Buy
- Size: 24.5 inches
- Resolution: 1080p (1,920 x 1,080)
- Refresh rate: 360Hz
If you take your competitive gaming seriously, then the best monitor for you is one that's faster than the competition, with a lower input lag and a near-instantaneous response time. The Asus ROG Swift PG25QN will help take your esports play to the next level with its practically-unmatched refresh rate of 360Hz. That shaves off precious milliseconds from every action you take, which can really add up over the course of a game. Combine it with a modern GPU with its own lag reduction technologies and a fast keyboard and mouse, and you'll be able to game to your true potential without any hardware slowing you down.
Elsewhere, this monitor has full G-Sync and Freesync support, plus an impressive and unique-looking stand, which makes it both good to look at (even when it's turned off) but super ergonomic, letting you line up the display exactly how you want it with ease. It's not a huge screen nor a highly detailed one, but it's incredibly fast, which is all that really matters for competitive esports gamers.
Best Curved Gaming Monitor
Great For Gaming And Movies
- Size: 34 inches
- Resolution: 3,440 x 1,440
- Refresh rate: 160Hz
Not quite as big as its 38-inch sibling, this 34-inch LG gaming display is easily one of the best curved monitors you can buy, combining a high resolution, with a greater pixel density. It also has a perfect curvature that makes for more immersive gaming and better color representation in movies and still images as it puts the entire screen at almost the same distance from your eyes.
It enjoys a high refresh rate and a very low input lag, making this a great curved screen for gaming. Its high brightness makes it a good fit for use in brighter rooms or when the curtains are open. It does have a slightly weak contrast ratio though, so it isn't quite so well suited to darker rooms. For office work and productivity tasks, this screen excels with its combination of great text clarity and expansive physical size, letting you easily get around a few colleagues for collaborative work, or enjoy a vast video editing timeline on a single display.
Best Cheap Monitor
Perfect For Any Workstation
- Size: 27 inches
- Resolution: 1440p (2,560 x 1,440)
- Refresh rate: 170Hz
Most professional monitors are marketed specifically with the deep pockets of businesses in mind. But if you aren't working with an office upgrade budget, getting a great professional monitor at a fair price is important. That's what makes the Gigabyte M27Q so special. It is a stealth professional monitor under a veneer of gaming performance, and although it excels at both, its affordable price tag and exceptional spec sheet make it one of the best monitors available today.
Its brightness is excellent, and whatever resolution you're editing, it has exceptional color representation, supporting 100% of the sRGB spectrum, and 92% of the DCI P3 gamut. It's big enough and has great clarity and wide-angles, making it an excellent display for collaborative work, and it has a built-in USB-C port with power delivery, so you can charge up your devices through the display or power additional accessories. If you want to do some gaming in the off-hours too, it also has that sweet-spot combination of 1440p resolution and a high refresh rate, making it smooth and detailed, without being too demanding on your GPU.
Best TV To Use As a PC Monitor
The Best OLED Has To Offer
- Size: 48 inches
- Resolution: 4K (3,840 x 2,160)
- Refresh rate: 120Hz
LG's OLED TVs have been stealing the show in living rooms around the world for years now, and the latest 2021 generation of these TVs is no exception. Just as exciting, however, is that with OLED technology improving in brightness and burn-in mitigation, they're becoming excellent alternatives for those who want an absolutely massive monitor.
This goes beyond ultrawide; these sorts of TVs are ultra-large displays, letting you easily fit four 1080p-scale screens on a single display. They can be the ultimate in productivity displays, but they're also fantastic for gaming, with near-infinite contrast ratios, gorgeous colors, and an almost non-existent input lag. Whether you're playing competitively or just for fun, the LG C1 OLED is one of the best TVs to act as a huge screen monitor.
How To Choose The Best Monitor For You
Buying the right monitor for you means taking stock of your budget, your physical space and considering what it is you want to do with the display. Do you want to play games or do some work on the new screen? Do you have a powerful graphics card for high-resolution gaming, or do you need a lightweight display to take with you on the road?
The Right Size For You
The size of your display has a huge impact on whatever you do with it. A big monitor can make games more immersive or give you more screen space to work with when working. They also take up a lot more room and often demand a higher resolution to enjoy the same level of detail and clarity.
Make sure that whatever display you consider will have proper space on your desk (take particular note of the display stand feet), that you don't chase a bigger screen at the expense of other features and that you have room to sit far enough back from it to make the most of it. You don't want to be sitting a couple feet from a 48-inch screen having to turn your head to look at the sides.
The Importance Of Aspect Ratio
Alongside size, aspect ratio is something worth considering. Where traditional monitors are 16:9 for resolutions like 1,920 x 1,080 (1080p) and 3,840 x 2,160 (4K), there are some laptops which have 3:2 displays that have resolutions like 3,000 x 2,000. That additional vertical screen space makes them great for browsing long websites or working on long documents.
There are also 21:9 ultrawide displays, which can give you a movie watching experience without black bars, some added immersion in compatible games and more horizontal space to fit your work windows on. The biggest ultrawides even come in 32:9, though those are better suited to multiple windows than a single application or game, as few support such aspect ratios.
Resolution Isn't Everything
As much as it might be tempting to get a 4K monitor, you don't necessarily need one. Monitors that are 1440p or even 1080p at smaller sizes still look great, and 4K can be extremely demanding on a graphics card if you're trying to play games at that resolution.
4K is still great if you want to watch movies and UHD TV shows, but it also demands icon scaling in Windows to make everything legible and is almost always more expensive than more modest resolutions. It also can mean sacrificing other features like higher refresh rates and better color accuracy, unless you buy the best of the best.
Refresh Rate Is King For Gaming
If you play fast-paced games—particularly competitive fast-paced games like esports—you almost require a high refresh rate monitor. They make the action smoother (that's the case whatever you play) but if you can hit high enough frame rates, a higher refresh rate can give you a competitive advantage too. By getting the image to you faster and more frequently, your high refresh rate monitor can give you a few milliseconds advantage over the competition and it reduces input lag.
When it comes to choosing a display, faster is typically better, although there are diminishing returns the higher you go. A 120Hz monitor is a major upgrade over 60Hz, and 240Hz is a reasonable jump again. The fastest go as high as 360Hz, but the difference between that and 240Hz rates is much smaller. For non-gamers, high refresh rates aren't as important, though they can make watching sports a little clearer and it makes mouse pointer movement smoother and easier to track.
Color Breadth And Accuracy
For professionals and creatives, making sure your monitor supports a wide color gamut and has great color accuracy are important. It ensures that what you're making will look good on most other displays and will remain true to your vision when it's finished. This isn't always widely advertised like more recognizable features, so check individual reviews to make sure your chosen monitor has these qualities.
