1080p: 1920 x 1080 (HD)
1440p: 2560 x 1440 (QHD)
4K: 2840 x 2160 (UHD)
Ultrawide: 3440 x 1440 (WQHD), 2560 x 1080 (WFHD)
UK monitor deals: All the best panels on sale
There's never a wrong time to scout for a cheap gaming monitor deal. Whether you're looking to upgrade to a higher resolution because you've just bagged a shiny new graphics card or adding a second panel to your home office desk, there's usually a lot on offer at discount prices. But there's much to consider when searching for the right gaming monitor. Is it just for work, for play, or both? Do you plan on using a desk mount? What's your budget?
Suppose you picked up one of the best graphics cards. In that case, you must ensure your monitor can deliver its optimum resolution with a decent frame rate. Otherwise, you're not taking advantage of your fancy GPU's graphical potential and forcing an unnecessary bottleneck.
For the discerning competitive gamer, it's all about frame rate. Resolution be damned! Thankfully we've spotted gaming monitors with refresh rates up to 360Hz on offer lately, and 240Hz seems pretty commonly discounted.
We've compiled a list of all the best cheap gaming monitor deals we've found, using our years of panel testing expertise to guide us, and we've organized them by resolution below. You can also see how they compare against some of the best gaming monitors. Those top screens don't always go on sale, but the ones listed here can offer a good alternative if you want to save a buck. And rest assured; we will let you know if they get a discount.
Where the best gaming monitor deals?
In the US:
- Amazon - Save hundreds of dollars on selected gaming monitors
- Best Buy - Deals for gaming monitors under $500
- Lenovo - Lenovo Legion gaming monitors are over 30% off
- Newegg - Limited-time deals on new gaming monitors
- Dell - Deep discounts on Alienware and Dell gaming monitors
In the UK:
1080p
1440p
4K
Ultrawide
UK monitor deals
Gaming monitor FAQ
Should I go for an IPS, TN or VA panel?
We would always recommend an IPS panel over TN. The clarity of image, viewing angle, and color reproduction are far superior to the cheaper technology, but you'll often find a faster TN for cheaper. The other alternative, less expensive than IPS and better than TN, is VA tech. The colors aren't quite so hot, but the contrast performance is impressive.
Should I go for a FreeSync or G-Sync monitor?
In general, FreeSync monitors will be cheaper. It used to be the case that they would only work in combination with an AMD GPU. The same went for G-Sync monitors and Nvidia GPUs. However, it is possible to find G-Sync-compatible FreeSync monitors if you intend to spend less.
Should I buy a HDR monitor?
With a High Dynamic Range monitor, you can take advantage of the ever-growing list of games and apps with HDR support. It offers more vibrant colors and greater contrast but will slightly increase the price. Windows' native HDR function also leaves much to be desired, and you may have to fiddle with the settings to get HDR looking like it should.
What aspect ratio should I go for?
Today's movies and games are best enjoyed in a widescreen format at a 16:9 aspect ratio or above. In 4:3, those cinematic moments will look stunted with black strips along the top and bottom. There are a host of minute variations on each ratio, but at the end of the day choosing between these depends entirely on your personal preference.
And the very far-out option, if you have a little extra cash to blow, is ultra-wide aspect ratios like 21:9 and 32:9 and their variants. These will provide a much more immersive, encompassing experience. Or literally, encompass yourself with a curved monitor, up to you.
Jargon buster - gaming monitor terminology
Refresh Rate (Hz)
The speed at which the screen refreshes. For example, 144Hz means the display refreshes 144 times a second. The higher the number, the smoother the screen will appear when you play games.
V-Sync
Graphics tech synchronizes a game's framerate with your monitor's refresh rate to help prevent screen tearing by syncing your GPU frame rate to the display's maximum refresh rate. Turn V-Sync on in your games for a smoother experience, but you'll lose information, so turn it off for fast-paced shooters (and live with the tearing). Useful if you have an older model display that can't keep up with a new GPU.
G-Sync
Nvidia's frame synching tech that works with Nvidia GPUs. It basically allows the monitor to sync up with the GPU. It does by showing a new frame as soon as the GPU has one ready.
FreeSync
AMD's take on frame synching uses a similar technique as G-Sync, with the biggest difference being that it uses DisplayPort's Adaptive-Sync technology which doesn't cost monitor manufacturers anything.
Ghosting
When movement on your display leaves behind a trail of pixels when watching a movie or playing a game, this is often a result of a monitor having slow response times.
Response Time
The amount of time it takes a pixel to transition to a new color and back. Often referenced as G2G or Grey-to-Grey. Slow response times can lead to ghosting. A suitable range for a gaming monitor is between 1-4 milliseconds.
TN Panels
Twisted-nematic is the most common (and cheapest) gaming panel. TN panels tend to have poorer viewing angles and color reproduction but have higher refresh rates and response times.
IPS
In-plane switching, panels offer the best contrast and color despite having weaker blacks. IPS panels tend to be more expensive and have higher response times.
VA
Vertical Alignment panels provide good viewing angles and have better contrast than even IPS but are still slower than TN panels. They are often a compromise between a TN and IPS panel.
HDR
High Dynamic Range. HDR provides a wider color range than normal SDR panels and offers increased brightness. The result is more vivid colors, deeper blacks, and a brighter picture.
Peak Brightness
This refers to the maximum brightness of a monitor or television and is measured in nits.
Ultrawide
Shorthand for monitors with aspect wider aspect ratios like 32:9 or 21:9
Resolution
The number of pixels that make up a monitor's display, measured by height and width. For example: 1920 x 1080 (aka 1080p), 2560 x 1440 (2K), and 3840 x 2160 (4K).
