- Asus TUF VG27AQA1A | 27-inch 1440p 170Hz VA |
$249.99$169.99 - ASRock Phantom Gaming | 34-inch WQHD 165Hz VA |
$379.99$289.99 - Acer Nitro XV282K | 28-inch 4K 144Hz IPS |
$499.99$399.99 - Alienware AW3423DWF| 34-inch WQHD 165Hz OLED |
$1,099.99$799.99 - Samsung Odyssey G9 | 49-inch 240Hz OLED |
$1,599.99$999.99
It's Cyber Monday 2023 time and the pandemic and supply-chain induced price spike for all things PC related all but fades from memory, I can't help but notice some good deals on gaming monitors. Some very good deals, indeed.
To begin at the beginning, let's go with the cheapest option, the Asus TUF Gaming VG27AQA1A. It's a 27-inch 1440p model running at 170Hz refresh and it's yours for $170 from Newegg.
We reckon 27 inches and 1440p is now entry level, with 1080p really only being of relatively narrow interest for esports who demand the absolute highest refresh rates and lowest latency. Anyway, the VG27AQA1A has decent all-round specs including 300 nits brightness and 3ms GTG response.
Asus TUF Gaming VG27AQA1A
That latter figure implies this is a VA rather than IPS panel, which indeed it is. IPS action starts that little bit higher at $210 and the Gigabyte G27Q. Either way, both are a whole lotta gaming monitor for remarkably little money. A few years ago, a 2,560 by 1,440 monitor with 170Hz refresh would have been hard to imagine at these lowly price points.
Next, let's up the ante to 3,440 by 1,440 ultrawide and 34 inches, my own personal sweet spot for all-round gaming joy. Until recently, that came a quite a premium. Now, you can have it in proper high-refresh configuration for just $250 courtesy of the LG UltraGear 34GP63A-B.
ASRock Phantom Gaming
But me? I'd spend a teensy bit more on the ASRock Phantom Gaming for $290. It's been my in-the-office panel for the last year, and it's much brighter than the LG. It's not the fastest thing out there thanks to VA panel tech, but it's a super all rounder for the money.
- We're curating all the best Cyber Monday PC gaming deals right here.
I've been waiting forever for 32-inch, 4K, IPS, and 144Hz refresh to be combined at a sensible price. That's not quite happened, yet, but the 28-inch Acer Nitro XV282K is going for $399.99 on Newegg right now.
Acer Nitro XV282K
That's a good price for such a high-spec monitor. Incredibly, it even includes USB-C with 65W of power delivery. If I wasn't already buried under a massive pile of review monitors, I'd be pulling the trigger myself.
Not quite last and miles from least is perhaps the ultimate gaming monitor of the moment, the Alienware 34 AW3423DWF. This OLED beauty delivers HDR the way it was always meant to be but has previously failed to actually deliver thanks to a Samsung QD-OLED panel and a glossy screen coating.
Alienware 34 AW3423DWF
It's not exactly pocket change at $800 from Dell, but it is a fabulous gaming panel. Speaking of Samsung QD-OLED tech, the final special mention has to go to the Samsung Odyssey G9 G93SC. Right now, it's the only PC monitor with Samsung's second-gen QD-OLED, which ups the brightness and slightly improves on the panel's subpixel structure for improved image crispness.
Samsung Odyssey G9 G93SC OLED
OK, it's $1,000 at Amazon. But that's down from $1,599 at launch just a few months ago. And this is a 49-inch monster to the Alienware's mere 34-inch. You're getting 44% more upgraded QD-OLED tech for just 25% more money. It's an incredible gaming screen, it really is.
