Top 7 Best Gaming Monitors Under 500 in 2025
Komal Gulab
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Finding the perfect gaming monitor can be overwhelming, but we’ve got you covered! Whether you need ultra-fast refresh rates, stunning 1440p clarity, or a high-fidelity 4K experience, we’ll help you choose the best monitor that fits your budget
When looking for a monitor, it's important to consider resolution, speedy visuals, responsive input, and a great price, finding the right balance for your needs can be a difficult task.
But don't worry we are here to help you In this guide, we'll help you to decide which is the best gaming monitor under $500 for you.
There are plenty of great gaming monitors available today, including those that offer ultra-high refresh rate 1080p, fast 1440p options, high-fidelity 4K, and a host of ultrawide panels.
These monitors are also available in a variety of sizes and resolutions. Some even have Mini LED backlighting or other useful features, such as high resolutions, USB hubs, or high refresh rates for gaming.
However, compared to the rest of the market, most monitors in this price range are considered mid-range and budget options.
So they don't have the latest high-end features or high-end OLED panels. All of the gaming monitors in this guide can be purchased for between $400 and $500.
1. AOC Q27G3XMN Monitors Under $500
The AOC Q27G3XMN. While it costs much less than $500, it offers excellent value for money, making it a better option than higher-end monitors that perform worse.
The main advantage it has over the rest of the market is that it has Mini LED backlighting, similar to the Acer, meaning it delivers good image quality with deep blacks and bright highlights.
This makes it a great choice for playing HDR games and it also has a fast response time, but it does blur with fast-moving objects.
Its 1440p resolution isn’t as detailed as the Acer’s 4k display, but it’s still good enough for most gamers.
You can also overclock its native 165Hz refresh rate to 180Hz, but if you need something with an even higher refresh rate, the LG 27GR83Q-B is a great 240Hz option, ideal for PC gamers.
2. Alienware AW2518Hf 25 Best Monitors Under $500
The AW2518HF can be considered the best 2K gaming monitor thanks to its 25” display, high-end design, impressive refresh rate, and minimal response time.
The relatively compact size and weight of this 240Hz computer monitor make it a suitable choice for esports competitors who prefer to travel with their gaming rig wherever they go.
If you're looking for a sleek design, excellent performance, and practical gaming functionality, this Alienware product ticks all the boxes.
It's recommended for both hardcore gamers and professional graphic designers.
3. Dell G2724D Gaming Monitors Under $500
Dell G2724D. It has the same 1440p resolution and 165Hz native refresh rate as the AOC and good motion handling.
Plus, while fast-moving objects don't look as sharp on the Dell, there's less smearing. It also handles glare well, even in a bright room.
That said, it has much lower image quality in HDR. Highlights don't get bright enough to pop, deep blacks look grey in a dark room, and its colours are less vivid.
You should expect this for such a budget monitor, though. If you want a budget monitor with better HDR performance, the Acer Nitro XV275U P3biipx is a good choice.
It has popping highlights, displays deep blacks in dark rooms, and has more vivid colors, but fast-moving content looks blurrier.
4. Acer Predator XB271HU bmiprz 27 Gaming Monitors Under $500
The XB271HU is among the best 1440p gaming monitors under $500, offering a great refresh rate, wide viewing angles, and barely noticeable input lag, while its stand has top-notch ergonomics.
While this Acer monitor offers excellent gaming specs, the response time is a bit disappointing.
Also, the contrast ratio could have been higher, as blacks look grayish in dark workspaces, which is a common problem among IPS models.
The examination of the monitor did not find any backlight leakage or dead pixels. Overall, the XB271HU can be considered a great monitor for any purpose.
The excellent ergonomics and maximum brightness make it suitable for office use, while the minimal input lag is exactly what you need from a gaming display.
5. MSI OPTIX MAG272C 27 Best Gaming Monitor under 500
This 27-inch MSI monitor offers a 16:9 aspect ratio and 165Hz refresh rate. It is designed with a VA panel, making it a great choice for action-packed games. Other gaming-friendly features include a 1ms response time and FreeSync support.
The display has a native resolution of 1920 x 1080. It is surrounded by slim bezels and offers a 3000:1 contrast ratio, 300 cd/m2 brightness, and support for over a billion colors.
Connecting the monitor is simple thanks to the availability of HDMI, DP, and USB Type-C ports.
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Aside from the mediocre pre-calibration, there is no reason why this model cannot be considered for the title of the best gaming monitor under $500.
6. Sceptre C275B-144R 27" Gaming Monitor Under 500
The C275B-144R offers everything you'd expect from the best sub-$500 gaming monitor. It sports a 27-inch curved display and a 144Hz refresh rate, providing smooth transitions and seamless gameplay without blur.
That smoothness is further bolstered by FreeSync support, which is a must for competitive esports.
The anti-flicker feature helps you enjoy a sharper image by minimizing backlight flickering.
With fast response times and reduced ghosting and blurring, there's nothing stopping you from enjoying a clear, accurate image.
7. AOC G2590FX 25 Best Gaming Monitor Under 500
The G2590FX can take your gaming experience to the next level with its 24.5” Full HD display and ultra-fast response times. This monitor offers extra-slim bezels and borderless design on three sides for added immersion.
The product has a maximum refresh rate of 144Hz and Adaptive-Sync support that provides an extra-smooth and responsive gaming experience.
While ensuring that all possible screen tearing, stuttering, and input lag are kept to a minimum.
The AOC flicker-free technology is another inclusion that helps ensure that you experience video games the way they are meant to be experienced.
It reduces eye fatigue and helps you have long gaming sessions without feeling exhausted at the end.
How to Pick the Best Gaming Monitor Under $500
$500 is a good amount of money to spend on a display; you're pretty much free to buy whatever you want.
That being said, and for those who aren't up to date with the latest monitor technology, here are some of the main expectations of buying a monitor in this particular price range:
Refresh Rate
For gamers, refresh rates are one of the most important specifications out there. Refresh rate refers to the number of times your monitor refreshes its panel, per second.
It has a direct impact on the overall fluidity of the game and gives competitive gamers a real advantage over their enemies.
That being said, when you're spending $500, you don't really need to worry too much about this specification.
While you may not be able to get your hands on a 360Hz monitor (unless it's on sale), you can buy any number of 240Hz monitors.
And unless you're a super-competitive esports player, you won't really notice the difference between the two high-speed refresh rates.
Panel Types
There are 3 types of panels: IPS, TA, and VA. IPS models are known for their rich colors and superior color gamuts.
They also offer incredible viewing angles and top-notch color accuracy, regardless of whether you're sitting in front of the monitor or looking at it from an angle.
That said, IPS can't match TN panels in terms of response time and refresh rate, which is crucial for delivering a smooth and immersive gaming experience.
However, higher performance comes at a price, as TN monitors offer the worst viewing angles and color accuracy, while the color gamuts and vibrancy provided also often leave you wanting more.
VA monitors offer a combination of incredible viewing angles, color accuracy, and high refresh rates. But they have significantly slower response times compared to TN models.
Curved Display vs. Flat Display
For decades, gamers relied on traditional flat screens. However, as the size of gaming monitors began to increase, viewing content on a flat screen became more awkward.
The introduced curved design adapts to your field of view and increases the amount of screen space you see without turning your head.
Curved designs range from 1000R to 1800R, with the former offering a steeper curve and the latter offering a more gradual one.
Resolution
Resolution is a huge factor when it comes to the price of a monitor, especially when combined with other high-performance specs like response time and refresh rate.
That being said, there are plenty of 4K monitors on the market today that sell for under $500. However, they do tend to have slower response times and lower refresh rate speeds.
HDR
I don't classify HDR as one of the core specs when it comes to a monitor, it's more of an added extra (especially on gaming monitors).
That said, you can usually find pretty decent monitors that offer VESA DisplayHDR400/600 at this price point.
HDR 1000+ is classed as a premium HDR standard and is usually reserved for the most premium offerings from manufacturers.
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