The absolute best gaming monitors check a lot of boxes, and the more of them there are, the higher the price tag. However, if you can do without amenities like G-Sync and HDR support and just want an affordable monitor (maybe for the kids, as a secondary display, or to complete a budget build), the markdown on AOC's 27E1H makes it a prime candidate.
Over at Staples, it's on sale for $109.99, down from its $179.99 list price. That's a good deal as-is, though if you apply coupon code 27019 at checkout, it will knock an additional $25 off the price, bringing it all the way down to $84.99. The only tricky part is when the discount actually displays. It doesn't show up directly after punching in the coupon code, but you should see it when you get to the payment page.
This is a 27-inch monitor with a 1920x1080 resolution. It doesn't serve up many fancy features, though it does boast an IPS screen rather than a cheaper TN panel, which is a bit surprising at this price point (for a 27-inch model).
Other specs include a 5ms response time, 60Hz refresh rate, 250 nits brightness, 20,000,000:1 contrast ratio, 178 degrees viewing angles (horizontal and vertical), and a feature that reduces blue light to prevent eye strain.
Connectivity options consist of an HDMI 1.4 input, a VGA input, and a 3.5mm headphone-out jack. Nothing mind blowing, but certainly serviceable and ultra-affordable for a 27-inch display.
AOC backs this monitor with a 3-year warranty.
