Best gaming monitor under $500 in 2024 – our top picks

A condensed list of the market's leading monitors in the under $500 category.

Table of Contents Table of Contents

On today’s agenda is figuring out the best gaming monitor under $500 in 2024.

Over the years, gaming monitors have become increasingly expensive – mainly thanks to the ever-evolving technology that goes into the market’s most sort-after products. Whilst this is great for competition between manufacturers, it also makes choosing the best gaming monitor under $500 a tricky little prospect, especially if you aren’t fully up to speed with the latest monitor know-how. However, we keep this guide up to date to reflect the current market and pricing. If you’re in a rush, we’d start by looking at either the Acer Predator XB283K or ASUS ROG STRIX XG27AQ.

Luckily, $500 in today’s market will get you a pretty impressive panel – meaning, whether you’re into hardcore gaming, casual play, or want something that falls somewhere in the middle; this price point should yield you exactly what you’re looking for. In the following article, we’ll be scouring the web in order to find only the best gaming monitors for under $500, comparing price, performance, value, and aesthetics as we go. So, with plenty to get through, let’s waste no further time and dive straight into it!

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Best gaming monitor under $500: in-depth reviews

Below, we’ll be reviewing each monitor to showcase its best features, benefits, and qualities. We conclude with our thoughts on why you should consider each monitor.

Best gaming monitor under $500: Acer Predator XB283K

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Acer Predator XB283K V3bmiiprx

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Pros

• 28-inch 4K display
• 150Hz refresh rate
• HDMI 2.1 port

Cons

• Mediocre design

If you want the absolute best gaming monitor for under 500 dollars, then you should check out the Acer Predator XB283K.

To start with, this is a 28-inch monitor, which we think is a good size for most setups – neither too big nor too small. Further, you get 4K resolution, which should deliver better picture quality than FHD – so you can expect stunning visuals for your graphics-heavy games.

Coming to gaming performance, the monitor has a 150Hz refresh rate, which is more than sufficient to run AAA games. Plus, it also offers a 1ms GtG response time, which should allow for better color transition and precision. You also get support for AMD FreeSync Premium, so you don’t have to worry about stuttering during key moments.

As far as connectivity is concerned, the monitor offers an HDMI 2.1 port, a DisplayPort 1.4, and an audio output – so you don’t have to worry about connecting peripherals. Additionally, the monitor has an ergonomic design, so you can adjust height, tilt, swivel, and pivot for your comfort.

Best 1440p monitor under $500: ASUS ROG STRIX XG27AQ

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ASUS ROG STRIX XG27AQ

Size

27″

Refresh Rate

170Hz

Response Time

1ms

Panel

IPS

Maximum Resolution

2560 x 1440

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Pros

• Excellent 1440p picture clarity
• Quick 170Hz Refresh rate
• 1ms GTG response time
• IPS color accuracy and viewing angles

Cons

• Poor HDR performance

This is ASUS’ second entry in this guide, offering up a slightly different mix of specifications that lean it more towards the casual gamer – rather than the competitive. That being said, this 27-inch monitor is a great all-rounder that should suit everyday users and hardcore gamers alike.

The XG27AQ offers up a WQHD 2560 x 1440 IPS panel that has a 170Hz refresh rate via overclocking. It’s not quite 1440p 240Hz, but it’s getting there – and safely ahead of the best 1440p 144Hz gaming monitors. The response time is 1 ms (GTG), and features include ELMB sync, G-sync, and VESA DisplayHDR400. As always, this entry-level standard of HDR doesn’t offer the greatest HDR performance. That said, it is still marginally better than no HDR at all.

Stand ergonomics are excellent, and overall aesthetics are fantastic – as you’d expect with an ASUS monitor. Enabling G-sync will help reduce any screen tear issues you may be having, whilst the quick refresh rate will help maintain a liquidy smooth gaming experience. Overall, it is a very nice monitor for the price.

Best 4K gaming monitor under $500: AOC U27G3X

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AOC U27G3X

Screen size

27″

Refresh rate

160Hz

Response time

1ms

Panel type

IPS

Resolution

3840 x 2160

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Pros

• Stunning 4K image quality
• Great color accuracy and wide viewing angle
• Decent dark room gaming
• Good value for money

Cons

• Only just within budget

The last monitor in this guide is the AOC U27G3X, a 4K monitor that is great for gaming and productivity users alike. While we would previously have to settle for something like a 60Hz display here, 4K monitors are becoming much more affordable. The 4K screen resolution gives you a ton of desktop real estate – allowing you to utilize several tabs at any given moment. The additional boost in resolution does offer great picture quality as well – albeit more taxing on your PC’s internal hardware.

The refresh rate of this monitor is an impressive 160Hz, providing plenty of smooth visuals in single-player and multiplayer games alike. Furthermore, with a quick 1ms response time, it’s suitable for competitive games, too – adaptive sync is there to ensure screen tearing is minimized. If you wanted to jump up the theoretical refresh rate ladder while keeping the 4K screen resolution, you’d be doubling the cost of the monitor (at least). Overall, this monitor is suited to all-round users, providing good image quality and colors for both casual gamers and multitaskers.

Best curved monitor under $500: Acer Nitro XZ342CU

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Acer Nitro XZ342CU Sbmiipphx

Refresh tate

165Hz

Response time

1ms

Screen size

34″

Resolution

3440 x 1440

How We Review

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Pros

• Immersive 3440 x 1440 screen resolution
• Decent 144Hz refresh rate
• 1ms VRB response time
• IPS Panel

Cons

• Poor bright room performance

Replacing the Acer Nitro XV340CK, which we previously reviewed, is the Acer Nitro XZ342CU – a great example of the quality that their Nitro line offers to budget-restricted gamers. While it isn’t the best monitor in this guide or the best ultrawide gaming monitor available, it certainly offers an extremely well-balanced mix of performance and price.

Aesthetically, you have to say that Acer has done a pretty solid job with this monitor. Just like its predecessor, the cylindrical stand is not only subtle in design, but it also offers great versatility and support. Often, monitors of this size come with a decent amount of wobble, but that isn’t the case here.

Looking at the specifications, you’d have to say, considering the price, this monitor is very impressive. At its heart lies a VA panel that offers fantastic contrast levels and decent viewing angles to boot. The XZ342CU also offers a fast 165Hz refresh rate, low 1ms response time (when VRB is enabled), and decent input lag. Pair that with the 3440 x 1440 screen resolution, and you have an incredibly efficient gaming monitor – that is both well-priced and affordable.

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How we test & choose the best gaming monitors under $500

Whether it’s a best-of-guide or a single product review, we aim to recommend displays that have been through our strict testing process. We don’t just search Amazon for the top sellers, we hand-pick the market’s best monitors, any we’ve had a hands-on with is tested with the same meticulous care and attention as the last. This ensures that we can present you with the best products the market has to offer and gives our readers confidence that they can trust any monitor we recommend as having been through the same impartial review process.

As part of the monitor review process, we like to test each for color accuracy, responsiveness, panel uniformity, build quality, and overall gaming performance. We use a number of specifically designed tools to capture the data for each monitor, ensuring only the highest levels of accuracy are recorded during testing. This process allows us to hand-select the best monitors from both a performance and value standpoint whilst also enabling us to compare the latest models with last season’s best sellers.

Click here if you want to see our in-depth explanation of how we test each and every monitor.

How to pick the best gaming monitor under $500

Unlike our best gaming monitor under $200 article, expectations for a monitor under $500 aren’t nearly as harsh. Let’s be honest: $500 is a good chunk of cash to drop on a display – you pretty much have the freedom to purchase whatever you want.

That said, and for those who aren’t up to date on the latest monitor technology, below 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 there is. Refresh rate refers to the number of times your monitor refreshes its panel – per second. It has a direct impact on general gameplay smoothness and gives competitive players a real edge over their enemies. That being said, when spending $500, you don’t really need to worry about this spec too much. Whilst you may not be able to get yourself a 360Hz monitor (unless it’s on sale), you can purchase 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.

Screen size

Screen size is an interesting specification, mainly because it isn’t the sole contributing factor that adds price to a particular panel. That said, when purchasing a monitor within the $500 price spectrum, users can expect to buy anywhere between 24″ and 34″. Anything higher than this will usually be more than $500, and if it isn’t, you’ll usually compromise on panel response, general speed, and overall build quality.

Resolution

Resolution is a huge factor when it comes to a monitor’s price point – especially if it’s paired with other high-performance specs like response time and refresh rate. That being said, there are plenty of 4K monitors in today’s market that retail for under $500. However, they usually come with slower response times and lesser refresh rate speeds.

HDR

I don’t class HDR as one of the main specs when it comes to a monitor – it’s more of an additional extra (especially in gaming monitors). That being said, you can usually find pretty decent monitors that offer VESA DisplayHDR400/600 at this price point. HDR 1000+ is classed as a premium standard of HDR and is normally saved for manufacturers’ most premium offerings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are gaming monitors under $500 good?

It’s one of the biggest questions we get – and for good reason. Monitors have increased in price over the last couple of years, with the latest arrivals coming to market at well over $2,000.

So, can you still get a good monitor for under $500? Yes, absolutely. Some of the market’s best value monitors fall within the “under 500” price range, with many featuring excellent specifications to boot.

With competition growing more fierce in recent times, we’re also seeing monitor pricing drop – leaving more monitors in the under $500 category.

Are monitors under $500 good for gaming?

Many of the market’s best gaming monitors land within the “under 500” price spectrum.

As gaming monitors focus more on speed and response, many of the market’s leading options are under – or around – the $500 mark. Our best gaming monitor under $500 is one of the best monitors on the market, featuring all the high-end features you could want for a stunning visual experience.

Final word

So, there you have it, our comprehensive breakdown of the best gaming monitors for under $500 in 2024. As you can see from the list above, $500 is an extremely generous amount of cash to splash on a monitor – allowing you to purchase some of the market’s leading options. In the above article, we’ve tried to select monitors that will suit different user demographics, allowing you to make the decision on which one suits you best. Whether you’re looking for 1440p, fast refresh rates, or just a large 4K panel, we’ve tried to satisfy almost every type of user in this guide.

With that being said, if you want a monitor for your setup, then we think that the Acer Predator XB283K is a good product. The 28-inch monitor comes with a 4K resolution, so you can expect good picture quality. Further, you get a 150Hz refresh rate, 1ms GtG response time, and support for AMD FreeSync Premium, which should deliver good gaming performance. You an HDMI 2.1 port, a DisplayPort 1.4, and an audio output – so connectivity should not be a problem.