Best 27" and 24" PC Gaming Monitors 2017

A good gaming monitor needs to have low input lag, a fast response time, and be as big as you can possibly afford.

In this post I'll review a variety of my new favorites including budget TN panel monitors as well as moderate to high-end IPS monitors. I'll also include sections for 3D gaming monitors.

Choosing a gaming monitor is really all about what's most important to you. While manufacturers continue to advertise response times it's important to take into consideration that most TN or twisted nematic panel monitors have similar response times and today are generally above 5ms. Having a large monitor might be more important to some than having a 1ms response time or even low input lag. If you have a budget above $300, then you might also consider an IPS monitor. IPS monitors have better color reproduction and wider viewing angles which makes them ideal for games with great detail and scenery. If you're a pro or play time-sensitive FPS or RTS games, then an indication like input lag is probably the most important to you.

Before I get started with my picks here's a few terms you should know. If you already know them, then use the contents at a glance section to skip to the portion of this post that most interests you.

Resolution: Most computer monitors today come with full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution. This number shows how many pixels are in your monitor first horizontally then vertically. There are a few 16:10 monitors which have 1920x1200 resolution that give you a little more screen real estate horizontally. Higher-end IPS models have screen resolutions in excess of 2560 x 1440. While these are generally made for photographers, gamers with an eye for detail, and money, prefer having a resolution beyond standard HD.

Response Time: This is the time it takes for a pixel to go from black to white and back again. Manufacturers tend to post the gray to gray or GTG number in order to post lower times. Most TN panel monitors have response times of 5ms or less with the top gaming monitors having a GTG response time of around 1ms. IPS monitors tend to have higher response times, but depending on the type of IPS panel, can have as low as a 6ms GTG response time.

Input Lag: Most important for time-sensitive gaming like RTS and FPS - input lag is the lag in time that comes from when a command is input from your mouse and keyboard and then when it's displayed on your screen. While manufacturers do not typically post input lag I'll do my best to incorporate the numbers that I already know into this post.

Asus VE278Q Review

Asus is well known among professional gamers for their inexpensive and highly responsive monitors and the Asus VE278Q falls in line. Sub 1 frame input lag along with a 2ms response time make it ideal for gaming, but the additional connectivity options, size, and price are what really makes this monitor my pick for best overall bang for your buck.

Unlike most monitors in its price range the VE278Q has a DisplayPort, DVI-D, D-Sub, and HDMI connector. Additional technical details include; 170°/ 160° viewing angle, 1920 x 1080 resolution, 16.7 Million display colors, 300 cd/m2 brightness, 100,000 :1 DCR, 2 x 3W built-in speakers, and it's tilt adjustable. Comes with a 3 year parts and labor warranty.

Viewsonic VX2770SMH-LED

The Viewsonic VX2770SMH-LED was released in 2013 - 2014 and I immediately picked one up. I was excited about having the chance to check out a monitor by Viewsonic that was advertised as having a 1ms response time, and since it was the successor to the VX2770SWM - the lowest input lag 27 inch monitor available, I decided to take the plunge. It turned out to be a worthwhile investment.

Design

The VX2770SMH-LED is definitely not the most attractive monitor available. The larger bezel on the bottom where Viewsonic has hidden the integrated speakers is somewhat unattractive, but overall it still looks very nice. That being said it is very unique and new features like the book stand option, which allows you to remove the stand and lean the monitor back, really make this monitor stand out.

Technical Details

Specifications for the VX2770SMH-LED include; 1920 x 1080 resolution, 16.7 Million display colors, DCR 30,000,000:1, 1ms response time, D-Sub, HDMI x 2, Tilt adjustable, built-in speakers, and it includes a 3 year parts and labor warranty.

I really trust Asus for two things; motherboards and monitors. While I really like the budget monitor above, if you're looking for an LED monitor for a bit more contrast and thinner style, then I recommend the Asus VE278Q. From what I've seen of this monitor the input lag is right about 1 frame and it has a 2ms response time. While that's a little bit more than the two monitors above, I haven't found it to be an issue.

Technical Details: 1920 x 1080 resolution, 170°(H) / 160°(V) viewing angle, 0.311mm pixel pitch, 16.7 Million display colors, 300 cd/m2 brightness, 10,000,000:1 DCR, 2ms GTG response time, D-Sub, DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort, built-in speakers, VESA compatible, and it includes a 3 year warranty.

Dell UltraSharp U2711

Dell UltraSharp monitors are reasonably priced when compared to other monitors with similar specifications. The U2711 has a 2560 x 1440 resolution and is a 30-bit monitor that accurately produces 1.07 Billion colors. Although these monitors are more well-known among photo editors and graphic designers, the U2711 is a good option for gamers who want the best picture.

Responsiveness

While it's true that most IPS monitors have a slower response time than TN panel monitors the Dell UltraSharp U2711 has a 6ms GTG response time. That is more than acceptable for gaming. While I don't have the exact numbers for input lag on this particular monitor, many of the Dell UltraSharp IPS monitors do in fact fall below 1 frame of input lag. The most reasonable to compare this model with is the Dell U2410 which has 14.4ms input lag in game mode.

There are many advantages, beyond 3D, that come with having a 120Hz monitor. Refresh rate reflects the amount of times in a second that your monitor draws data. And since 120Hz monitors draw data twice as fast as standard monitors you get extremely crisp details that are smoothly rendered and lifelike. 120 Hz monitors are also more responsive and eliminate tearing.

If you're main reason for purchasing a 120 Hz monitor is for the 3D, then I strongly recommend you go with one that has NVIDIA 3D Vision 2 like the new Asus VG278H 3D monitor . The advantage of 3D LightBoost, which improves shutter times and screen brightness, makes your 3D experience a lot clearer.

If you just want a higher refresh mainly for performance reasons, then I recommend the Samsung S27A950D which I feel has a crisper feel to the picture detail.

Asus VH236H EVO Computer Monitor

If you're looking for a super responsive 23-24 inch monitor but only have around $150, then go no further than the Asus VH236H, which has been code named EVO by the gaming community for its use in the EVO championship series. Input lag of 8.3ms in game mode and a response time of 2ms GTG make this monitor ideal in time-sensitive FPS and RTS games where a fraction of a second can be life or death.

Specifications for the Asus VH236H include; 1920 x 1080 resolution, 160°(H) / 160°(V) viewing angle, 0.266mm pixel pitch, 16.7 Million display colors, 300 cd/m2 brightness, 2ms (GTG) response time, D-Sub, DVI, HDMI connectors, VESA Wall mount compatible, and it comes with a 3 year parts and labor warranty.

Specifications include; 1920 x 1080 resolution, 170(H) / 160(V) viewing angle, 0.277mm pixel pitch, 16.7 Million display colors, 250 cd/m2 brightness, 10,000,000 :1 DCR, 2ms GTG response time, HDMI, DVI-D, D-Sub connectors, tilt adjustable, includes integrated speakers, and includes a 3 year parts and labor warranty.

With an e-IPS panel that has a 8ms response time and just 9.4ms of input lag the Dell is a new favorite of many gamers including myself. If you're willing to pay around 40% more you can get a slightly more responsive 30-bit monitor in the UltraSharp U2410.

Specifications include a 1920 x 1200 resolution, 178° wide viewing angles, 0.27mm pixel pitch, 16.7 Million display colors, 300 cd/m2 brightness, DCR 2,000,000:1, DisplayPort, D-Sub, DVI connectors, 1 USB 2.0 upstream port, 4 USB 2.0 downstream ports, Height, Pivot, Swivel, Tilt adjustment, VESA compatible, and it comes with a 3 year parts and labor warranty.