Choosing a good gaming monitor is never easy: there are many models on the market and very varied prices. On these pages we have often told you about models designed to take advantage of your consoles or video cards, or we have suggested the best TVs for playing. Basically, in all sauces and resolutions.
Today, however, we want to focus on monitors, but on the cheapest but always suitable for gaming. In fact, in this article you will not find the least expensive monitors trivially, but those with the best possible compromise. Let's start!
The best cheap monitors for consoles
- BenQEL2870U
- LG32UN500
- BenQ BL2420PT
- Philips 245E1S
- LG 24ML600S
- LG 24GN53A
Best Cheap Monitors (4K)
BenQ EL2870U
Let's start with BenQ, a company that, for some time now, has often had an eye for gamers, creating models designed to make the most of your graphics cards and consoles. The model we will focus on today is the EL2870U in its 28″ version.
The technology that animates the display of this monitor is TN, always an excellent compromise between color fidelity and black rendering. As for the response time, however, there is something to rejoice: the monitor has a very fast response, with 1ms delay.
Finally, there are also two well-known and appreciated technologies, to the delight of all geeks, namely HDR and FreeSync. In the first case, although the panel does not boast many NITs, around 300, we are still talking about a certified HDR, therefore satisfactory; in the second case we are talking about a technology that is now essential for players, capable of eliminating tearing. The picture is completed by a minimal and well-crafted design, two HDMI 2.0 ports and a DP 1.4.
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LG32UN500
The last monitor in this very short list dedicated to 4K screens is the LG 32UN500. We will avoid dwelling too much on the technologies mentioned above, or HDR and FreeSync, also in this case both supported and fully functional. The real difference between this panel and the previous one concerns the type of display, in this case LED VA. Basically what you will find in front of you is comparable to an LCD TV; as for the previous monitor, with a good compromise between response times (4ms), black rendering and color fidelity.
Regarding the design, we must applaud LG for having created a very space-saving pedestal; connectivity is also exceptional, with two HDMI 2.0 ports and one DP 1.4.
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Best Cheap Monitors (1440p)
BenQ BL2420PT
The 1440p, which has always been the preferred resolution by PC Gamers and, for some time now, has also landed on consoles (Xbox One X, Series X|S and PS4 PRO support this resolution), is an excellent compromise, especially if you don't want to overdo it too much with The dimensions.
So let's go back to BenQ again, with this model called BL2420PT e fully compatible with 1440p resolution. The screen is an LED, therefore similar to the 4K models mentioned above, but without HDR and FreeSync technologies. Despite that, manages to be perfect for gamers, thanks to a minimum input lag (5ms), USB, DP and HDMI ports.
Also worth mentioning is the design and the solution adopted for changing the height of the display, really excellent and well thought out.
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Philips 245E1S
The latest model dedicated to 2K resolution is Philips 245E1S, a panel that, while not reaching crazy prices, has truly premium features. Indeed, this time we have a technology dedicated to colors capable of greatly increasing the rendering of the screen (Ultra-Wide Color) and FreeSync to support all players.
The response of the panel is 1ms, while instead the screen technology is of the IPS type, i.e. very precise in terms of color fidelity, but not very suitable for watching movies or TV series, as the rendering of blacks is not very accentuated. These qualities and some limitations that we have faced, make it a monitor extremely aimed at gaming, not entertainment.
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Best Cheap Monitors (1080p)
LG 24ML600S
As for the lower part of this roundup, not the least important or functional since 1920x1080p is still a valid choice especially in the PC environment and with screens with a not too pronounced diagonal, let's start with the LG 24ML600S model. An IPS panel, therefore, as mentioned before, very faithful in color reproduction and in the viewing angle, but not very suitable for a good rendering of blacks.
As for the players, this monitor offers 1ms response time and FreeSync, for images that are always in sync and tear-free. The connectivity is also good which, as always, is divided into DP and HDMI ports.
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LG 24GN53A
We close our roundup of screens with another LG model, this time the 24GN53A, LED panel with 1ms response time and FreeSync technology.
This monitor is part of LG's Ultra Gear series, it is therefore very suitable for gaming, as its characteristics also demonstrate. Not surprisingly, unlike the other panels we have listed, it has a refresh rate that goes up to 144, really useful for high-end PC configurations. Nothing to reproach even with regard to connectivity (DP, HDMI) and the non-aggressive design but by no means badly made.
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How to choose a good budget gaming monitor
When choosing a budget gaming monitor, there are tons of factors to take into consideration. First of all it is necessary to establish the usage scenario, the platform we intend to use, be it a console or a PC. We tell you this because depending on the console used, you may need a different resolution output, from Full HD to 4K.
That said, let's take a step-by-step look at some key aspects to consider when choosing a cheap gaming monitor.
Type of display
In addition to the resolution, which we imagine is well known to most, the technology that animates the panel is also important. Today there are basically three: TN, IPS and VA. These acronyms offer quite different technologies, and it will be you, therefore, who decides which one is best suited to your needs. Here are the differences.
- TN: They offer a very high response and are therefore very suitable for gaming. However, they do so at the expense of color quality and a not very high viewing angle, to the point that we suggest a front view.
- IPS: On the contrary, they offer reduced response times, even if not by much, but instead boast excellent color rendering, as well as a very wide viewing angle.
- VA: The middle ground. Neither more nor less. More than anything else, in this case the difference is made by a slightly more pronounced rendering of blacks, which will make you enjoy images with more contrast. For the rest, as already mentioned, it is a perfect middle ground between TN and VA panels.
Resolution and format
Granted that it is, as already reiterated at the beginning, it is essential to take into consideration the resolution in relation to the type of use of the screen. Do you have a PC that allows you to play games in 4k resolution? Well, then you should definitely go for an Ultra HD screen, so as to benefit from a significant increase in pixels. On the contrary, if 4K is not within the reach of your computer or your consoles (remember that sOnly PS4 Pro, One X, PS5 and Series X guarantee you a 4K resolution), aiming for a 1080 monitor, perhaps with a high refresh rate, could be a more than valid solution. Attention, however, to the 1440p resolution, supported by Xbox One X, Series X and PS4 Pro, but detested, at least for the moment, by PS5.
Regarding the format, the situation is very simple: if you play on consoles, abolish any format other than the classic 16:9. We tell you this because consoles are absolutely not designed to accommodate other formats. On PC, however, the situation is different, and it is therefore possible to experiment with even more particular solutions.
Refresh rate
Gamers are always quick to talk about FPS, but rarely do it in relation to their screen and the refresh rate, Hz. This cool two-letter word indicates how many times a screen image is refreshed.
Going more specifically, we could tell you that, if you have a PC capable of pushing games to infinity and beyond, it is necessarily necessary to also have a monitor capable of exceeding 60Hz, preferably 120Hz or higher. We tell you this because alternatively, although the PC is outputting more than 60 FPS per second, the monitor, being neutered to 60Hz, would fail to refresh more than 60 times the screen. Penalty, you will not benefit from a frame rate higher than 60FPS.
As this is a buying guide meant for the cheapest monitors, we believe that 60Hz in the case of a 4K monitor and 120 or 144Hz in the case of Full HD monitors are more than satisfactory for a good gaming experienceto prevent the price from rising too much.
G-Sync and FreeSync
These very popular technologies, G-Sync and FreeSync, worked on by NVIDIA and AMD respectively, allow the latest generation of monitors and TVs to synchronize the FPS output from the game with the refresh rate of the display, Hz. In this way, annoying visual artifacts are avoided, above all the well-known tearing, which "tears" the image due to the lack of sync between FPS and refresh rate of the panel.
Therefore, to all gamers intent on playing games at maximum fluidity and without interruptions of any kind, we strongly suggest that you consider monitors equipped with these technologies. Be warned, though: not all consoles support them. Indeed, only Xbox One X, Series S, Series X and PlayStation 5 support them, and only in AMD's proposed FreeSync format, no support for NVIDIA technology.
Design and dimensions
Ok, we have dealt with the resolution, refresh rate, panel type and paid attention to all the features dear to gamers, but what are they the most suitable dimensions? And the screen? Is it better curved, or not? Regarding the dimensions, the factors to consider are actually few: basically, if you play with the screen positioned on a desk, at a maximum of 10/12cm away, well, better not to exaggerate too much with the dimensions, limiting yourself to 27 ″ or so. With regard to the conformation of the display, however, everything is even simpler: curved screens necessarily need to be seen centrally, i.e. you will not be able to look at them from the side, otherwise the image quality will be reduced, especially if the panel is not was IPS; even more important, then, the immersiveness, the real purpose of these screens, which will be lost if you don't position yourself in front of the screen
Connectivity
An element often undervalued by players is precisely that relating to connectivity, we are referring to the different input ports of the screen. For example: console gamers will absolutely need HDMI ports to connect your consoles, preferably two if you have both Xbox and PlayStation; alternatively, on PC, it's always worth connecting the display to the DP porti.e. Display Port. Because? In this way you will have access to all the PC functions of your monitor and you will also be able to set resolutions and some formats that were previously inaccessible.
Not to be underestimated, then, are also the audio inputs. You know, in most cases you won't find any sneakers, so it becomes essential to find at least some inputs for the headphone jack or for external speakers. So, consider carefully when buying.
Response time
Very important in the gaming field, especially in some particular video games, the response time - fortunately - almost always stands at really excellent levels, even in the case of monitors that are not exactly the latest trend. Therefore, at least nowadays, it is really difficult to run into response problems and completely unsuitable monitors. However, if you play competitively or enjoy the FPS of the moment, even a very small difference, a slight improvement, could make a difference. In fact, the advice is to focus on monitors characterized by a practically immediate response time, 1ms in the best case.
However, unless you play competitively, even going up to 5ms is certainly not a drama. In experiences like Uncharted or The Last of Us, we are sure you will have no problems of any kind.
Price
As reiterated many times now, this is a guide dedicated to the cheapest gaming monitors. For this reason, even when we took 4K and HDR screens into consideration, we did not go above €350 in any way. We are therefore talking about very affordable screens, which we are sure will make many happy, intent on not spending too much on a gaming monitor, but who, at the same time, want all the necessary specifications.
So, even before establishing the budget, think about your reference platform, be it a PC or a game console, and then think about which resolution is the most suitable to use. For a 4K screen at 60Hz, as mentioned, following the suggestions in the article, you will keep under €350; around €160 in the case of 1080p and less than €300 and close to €260 in the case of 1440p resolution screens.
