Picking the best gaming monitor is of the utmost importance for any PC builder. Why spend so much on your gaming PC if you’re not going to game on it with a quality screen? What constitutes a quality screen will vary from builder to build—some required a great high-fps 1080p panel, while others will want to push their graphics card to the max with a 4K or ultrawide option. Whatever you’re after, the gaming monitor you buy should be the best at it.

After all, it’s the window to your PC’s soul. Well, the window to your games anyways. And if you’ve spent a lot of money to make sure they play as well as they possibly can, the least you want is to have a screen that makes them look their best, too. There’s no point having an RTX 4090(opens in new tab) if you’re still rocking an old 60Hz 1080p panel. Nor is it worth buying a cheap 1440p display that suffers from horrific ghosting when the gaming gets tough.

To get the most for your money, you want to match your monitor choice with your PC specs. A 4K monitor with a high refresh rate would be overkill if your rig is only packing a GTX 1060. If you’ve had the cash to drop on an RTX 40-series or a high-end AMD RX 7900(opens in new tab) series GPU, you can take your pick of 4K panels. Those sitting somewhere in the mid-range of things—with, say, an old RTX 2070 Super—are better off looking at 1440p displays. Even high-end PC owners might consider skipping 4K, though: 1440p is the sweet spot right now.

For the competitive gamer who values speed above all else, check out our list of high refresh rate monitors(opens in new tab) , which run at 240Hz and even 360Hz. I’ve been constantly testing gaming monitors through my career and have made sure that only the best for each budget have crept onto this guide. It’s extensive, but there are a whole lotta gaming monitors out there, and plenty deserve your attention. This list is updated frequently as newer models pass the rigorous PC Gamer testing ringer.

Best gaming monitor

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1. Alienware 34 QD-OLED (AW3423DW)

The best OLED gaming monitor

SPECIFICATIONS

• Screen size: 34-inch
• Panel type: QD OLED
• Aspect ratio: 21:9
• Resolution: 3440 x 1440
• Response time: 0.1ms
• Refresh rate: 175Hz
• Weight: 15.26lbs
• Refresh rate technology: G-Sync Ultimate

TODAY’S BEST DEALS

REASONS TO BUY

• Fabulous contrast and colours+
• Stupendous pixel response+
• Genuine HDR capability

REASONS TO AVOID

• Not a great all-purpose panel-
• No HDMI 2.1

OLED has truly arrived on PC, and in ultrawide format no less. Alienware’s 34 QD-OLED is one of very few gaming monitors to receive such a stellar score from us, and it’s no surprise. Dell has nailed the OLED panel in this screen and it’s absolutely gorgeous for PC gaming. Although this monitor isn’t perfect, it is dramatically better than any LCD-based monitor by several gaming-critical metrics. And it’s a genuine thrill to use.

What that 34-inch, 21:9 panel can deliver in either of its HDR modes—HDR 400 True Black or HDR Peak 1000—is nothing short of exceptional. The 3440 x 1440 native resolution image it produces across that gentle 1800R curve is punchy and vibrant. With 99.3% coverage of the demanding DCI-P3 color space and fully 1,000 nits brightness, it makes a good go, though that brightness level can only be achieved on a small portion of the panel.

Still, there’s so much depth, saturation, and clarity to the in-game image thanks to that per-pixel lighting, but this OLED screen needs to be in HDR mode to do its thing. And that applies to SDR content, too. HDR Peak 1000 mode enables that maximum 1,000 nit performance in small areas of the panel but actually looks less vibrant and punchy most of the time.

HDR 400 True Black mode generally gives the best results, after you jump into the Windows Display Settings menu and crank the SDR brightness up, it looks much more zingy.

If you’re going to hook your PC up to a high-end gaming monitor, we recommend it be this one.

Burn-in is the great fear and that leads to a few quirks. For starters, you’ll occasionally notice the entire image shifting by a pixel or two. The panel is actually overprovisioned with pixels by about 20 in both axes, providing plenty of leeway. It’s a little like the overprovisioning of memory cells in an SSD and it allows Alienware to prevent static elements from “burning” into the display over time.

While we didn’t sense any subjective issue with this 175Hz monitor, there’s little doubt that if your gaming fun and success hinges on having the lowest possible latency, there are faster screens available. You can only achieve the full 175Hz with the single DisplayPort input, too. The Alienware 34 QD-OLED’s response time is absurdly quick at 0.1ms, however, and it cruised through our monitor testing suite. You really notice that speed in-game, too. 

There’s no HDMI 2.1 on this panel, however. So it’s probably not the best fit for console gaming as a result. But this is PC Gamer, and if you’re going to hook your PC up to a high-end gaming monitor, we recommend it be this one.

Read Alienware 34 AW3423DW review.

2. LG 27GN950-B

The best 4K gaming monitor

SPECIFICATIONS

• Screen size: 27-inch
• Panel type: Nano IPS
• Aspect ratio: 16:9
• Resolution: 3840 x 2160
• Response time: 1ms
• Refresh rate: 144Hz
• Weight: 16.9lbs
• Refresh rate technology: G-Sync Compatible, FreeSync Premium Pro

TODAY’S BEST DEALS

REASONS TO BUY

• Bright vivid colors+
• G-Sync/FreeSync compatible+
• Excellent response time for a 4K monitor

REASONS TO AVOID

• Oversaturated sRGB mode

4K gaming is a premium endeavor. You need a colossal amount of rendering power to hit decent frame rates at such a high resolution. But if you’re rocking a top-shelf graphics card, like an RTX 4080(opens in new tab) or RX 7900 XTX(opens in new tab) then this dream can be a reality.

The LG UltraGear is the first 4K, Nano IPS, gaming monitor with 1ms response times, that’ll properly show off your superpowered GPU. Coming in with Nvidia G-Sync and AMD’s FreeSync adaptive refresh compatibility, this slick slim-bezel design even offers LG’s Sphere Lighting 2.0 RGB visual theatrics.

And combined with the crazy-sharp detail that comes with the 4K pixel grid, that buttery smooth 144Hz is pretty special.

While it does suffer from a little characteristic IPS glow, it appears mostly at the screen extremities when you’re spying darker game scenes. This isn’t an issue most of the time, but the HDR is a little disappointing as, frankly, 16 edge-lit local dimming zones do not a true HDR panel make.

The color fidelity of the NanoIPS panel is outstanding.

What is most impressive, however, is the Nano IPS tech that offers a wider color gamut and stellar viewing angles. And the color fidelity of the NanoIPS panel is outstanding.

LG’s default calibration is virtually faultless, with impeccable detail in both black and white scales. Beyond the strict metrics, it’s a seriously vibrant and punchy display in terms of image quality on the Windows desktop. 

This screen pops.

Hop in game and it’s just as impressive. We’ll never tire of the buttery smooth goodness that is 144Hz. But combined with the crazy-sharp detail that comes with the 4K pixel grid, well, it’s pretty special.

The LG UltraGear 27GN950-B bags you a terrific panel with exquisite IPS image quality. Despite the lesser HDR capabilities, it also nets beautiful colors and contrast for your games too. G-Sync offers stable pictures and smoothness, and the speedy refresh rate and response times back this up too. 

And while the lack of HDMI 2.1 and USB Type-C are a little limiting, especially looking forward, right now it’s one of the best monitors going.

Read our full LG Ultragear 27GN950 review(opens in new tab).

3. Dell S2722DGM

The best 1440p gaming monitor

SPECIFICATIONS

• Screen size: 27-inch
• Panel type: VA
• Aspect ratio: 16:9
• Resolution: 2560 x 1440
• Response time: 1ms
• Refresh rate: 165Hz
• Weight: 9.4lbs
• Refresh rate technology: FreeSync Premium

TODAY’S BEST DEALS

REASONS TO BUY

• 1440p and 165Hz is a very nice combo+
• Strong inherent contrast from VA panel+
• Affordable for a gaming panel

REASONS TO AVOID

• No HDR support-
• Adequate rather than excellent response

The classic 27-inch Dell S2722DGM marries that screen real estate with a 2560 x 1440 native resolution, which gives you a great pixel pitch for fine detail. At 1440p it’s also a decent resolution for getting high frame rates without the GPU demands of a 4K display. It’s also capable of delivering that resolution at 165Hz, which is appreciated.

At 2ms GtG response, it’s just a hair behind the 1ms and 0.5ms ratings of the best IPS panels, so you’re covered when it comes to speed. That said, you can find quicker panels if you really want to chase speed. This VA panel does have a high contrast ratio, at least, given the technology’s inherent strong contrast.

This Dell monitor is most importantly available at a great price.

As for picture quality, the Dell S2722DGM is a reasonably punchy and vibrant monitor considering it’s a pure SDR panel. The strong inherent contrast certainly helps with that, ensuring you don’t feel short-changed running games like Cyberpunk 2077, which support HDR, in SDR mode.

We’d steer clear of MPRT mode, which hammers the panel’s brightness and vibrancy. ‘Extreme’ mode, which is rated at 2ms, does suffer from a whiff of overshoot, but that’s only just visible in-game, while ‘Super fast’ resolves the overshoot but allows just a little smearing of darker tones.

USB Type-C connectivity doesn’t feature. But the dual HDMI and a single DisplayPort connections are just fine, even if the HDMI ports top out at 144Hz rather than 165Hz.

This Dell monitor is most importantly available at a great price. Dell delivers high-quality gaming panels, with all the features you need and a few extraneous ones to bump up the price. And that makes it one of the best gaming monitors for most PC gamers today.

Read Dell S2722DGM review(opens in new tab).

4. ASUS ROG SWIFT PG42UQ

The best large gaming monitor

SPECIFICATIONS

• Screen size: 41.5-inch
• Panel type: OLED
• Aspect ratio: 16:9
• Resolution: 3840 x 2160
• Response time: 0.1ms MPRT (2ms GtG)
• Refresh rate: 138Hz
• Weight: 32.56lbs
• Refresh rate technology: Nvidia G-Sync compatible

TODAY’S BEST DEALS

Visit Site

REASONS TO BUY

+

• OLED for deep blacks+
• Fast response and high refresh+
• 42-inch is the best large desktop size+
• Impressive array of ports & features+
• G-Sync compatible

REASONS TO AVOID

• Low pixel density & text color fringing-
• OLED = risk of burn-in-
• No height or swivel adjustment-
• 42-inch LG C2 is cheaper with similar performance

High speed OLED gaming monitors are finally legit. That’s thanks in no small part to Alienware’s impressive AW324DW QD-OLED(opens in new tab), with plenty of other brands following suit. Among them, Asus has unleashed the ROG Swift PG42UQ OLED, a 41.5-inch behemoth that legitimately could be the only monitor you’ll ever need for the foreseeable future of gaming. Leveraging the same panel from the LG C2 OLED TV, the Swift PG42UQ adds on higher refresh rate, an anti-glare coating, DisplayPort 1.4 and more gaming monitor accoutrements. 

The result is one of the best 4K gaming monitors around.

The main question is whether it’s worth the $1,399 price tag. At that price it’s more expensive than LG’s 42-inch C2, but it does a few things better for the premium. Firstly, it works like a proper monitor and not a smart TV. One huge irritant with Smart TVs is they can’t wake and sleep in tandem with your PC, necessitating manual control. Not so with the Swift PG42UQ which works just like any monitor and even has USB upstream. In conjunction with its four USB downstream ports can make plugging in your peripherals so much easier. Take that C2!

Very importantly though, it comes in with a 138Hz refresh, over the C2’s 120Hz. It’s only a small improvement, but will be appreciated for anyone packing one of the best graphics cards(opens in new tab) out there right now. Throw in 0.1ms (2ms GTG) response time, as well as G-Sync compatibility, and Asus is onto a winner. 

One thing to note is that nowhere in the official spec does it say FreeSync, though in order to be G-Sync compatible we assume the VRR works for the red team.

One huge irritant with Smart TVs is they can’t wake and sleep in tandem with your PC. Not so with the Swift.

Out of the box, colors are already amazing, with rich saturation, vibrance and contrast. There are several color profiles to pick from the OSD including dedicated DCI and sRGB modes. Dive into the OSD and you can easily calibrate the monitor to your liking. SDR brightness peaks out about 450 nits and up to 750 nits in HDR. Not the brightest but with perfect blacks, who needs more brightness?

The OSD controls sit on a large tab (or chin?) at the base of the monitor in the center. It’s donned with an angry red ROG logo and navigating is done via a touch sensitive joystick and buttons. Menus are clear and straightforward, so no chance of confusion, and there’s even a dedicated Gaming section for overclocking, black equalizer and all the usual gaming enhancers. It also has some tricks to prevent the dreaded burn-in, including periodic pixel shift and refresh, as well as an automatic brightness limiter. Only time will tell, of course but I think if you’re mindful of the basics, burn-in shouldn’t be a problem.

The Asus ROG Swift PG42UQ absolutely slaps and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed using it. The main drawback is how expensive it is, though. With LG’s C2 42 coming in $300 cheaper, and offering a lot of the same experience, it’s difficult to recommend the Swift for simply your average movie watcher. However, the standard C2 is not (and will never be) a gaming monitor. 

The Swift brings all the best parts of the C2 into the gaming space, improving it in a host of ways that gamers will be better pleased with. Sure the adjustments are limited, but the ROG Swift PG42UQ is a gamers bestie where it matters, and certainly another champion for the OLED cause.

Read Asus ROG Swift PG42UQ review(opens in new tab).

5. Dell S3222DGM

The best 32-inch 1440p gaming monitor

SPECIFICATIONS

• Screen size: 32-inch
• Panel type: VA
• Aspect ratio: 16:9
• Resolution: 2560 x 1440
• Response time: 1ms
• Refresh rate: 165Hz
• Weight: 16.4lbs
• Refresh rate technology: FreeSync Premium

TODAY’S BEST DEALS

REASONS TO BUY

• Awesome value for money+
• Decent all-round image quality+
• Reasonably quick and responsive

REASONS TO AVOID

• “Only” 1440p-
• No HDR support-
• Not terribly punchy

We’d all love to have a thousand bucks burning a hole in our back pockets to blow on a new gaming monitor. But back in the real world, the Dell S3222DGM wants a crack at the kind of budget most of us actually have.

It’s a 32-inch beast with a VA panel running at up to 165Hz and delivering 2,560 by 1,440 pixels. Yup, the tried and tested 1440p resolution, the sweet spot for real-world gaming according to many, the perfect balance between performance and visual detail. The catch is all that normally applies to 27-inch models. 32 inches? That makes for a pretty big panel for 1440p in terms of pixel density. 

To put an actual number on it, you’re looking at just 93 pixels per inch.

Where the low pixel density hurts most is actually in Windows. If you like crisp fonts and lots of desktop real estate, this isn’t the monitor for you. For everyone else, well, it comes down to the value proposition. There are faster monitors. There are monitors with superior IPS-powered image quality. There are monitors with all kinds of HDR support not found here. And others with far more pixels or more dramatic aspect ratios. 

This is a gaming-centric monitor without any HDR support but based on VA panel technology. So, the peak brightness is 350 nits, static contrast is about as good as it gets at 3,000:1, and there’s official AMD FreeSync Premium certification.

Rounding out the basics is a gentle 1800R panel curve.

Rounding out the basics is a gentle 1800R panel curve. It’s a slightly odd, though not actually unique, feature for this class of display. Curvature is a more obvious and natural fit for ultrawide displays. On a conventional 16:9 panel? We still need a little convincing.

Dell quotes 8ms gray-to-gray in ‘fast’ mode, 4ms gray-to-gray in ‘super fast’, 2ms gray-to-gray in ‘extreme’, and finally, and somewhat confusingly, 1ms gray-to-gray in ‘MPRT’ mode. The ‘MPRT’ setting is, for us, a non-starter since it crushes brightness so comprehensively. ‘Super fast’ it is, then, and the result is good but not absolutely great response with no overshoot. Pretty much what you’d expect given the 4ms rating for ‘super fast’.

But add in the 165Hz refresh and you have a pretty convincing monitor for response-critical online shooters. To be sure, if that is your number one priority, you’d be better off with a higher-refresh 1080p IPS monitor with faster response. If you want a larger panel like this, 4K isn’t an all-around win. It comes with a huge additional GPU load and that in turn requires mega-investment levels in a good graphics card

It’s worth remembering that pricing for this class of display—a 32-inch 165Hz 1440p panel—extends all the way up to $800 in the Corsair Xeneon 32QHD165(opens in new tab). So, while the Dell S3222DGM isn’t all that exciting from a technical point of view, for the money, it’s pretty convincing.

6. Pixio PX277 Prime

The best budget gaming monitor

SPECIFICATIONS

• Screen size: 27-inch
• Panel type: IPS
• Aspect ratio: 16:9
• Resolution: 2560 x 1440
• Response time: 1ms
• Refresh rate: 165Hz
• Weight: 16.3lbs
• Refresh rate technology: G-Sync Compatible, FreeSync Premium

TODAY’S BEST DEALS

REASONS TO BUY

• Affordable+
• 165Hz refresh rate

REASONS TO AVOID

• Barebones feature set-
• Not the best contrast

The Pixio PX277 Prime is about as barebones as it comes in regards to gaming monitors. Designed with a sci-fi theme in mind, the base is sharp-looking, and a lot of thought certainly went into the thing’s build quality. The thin bezel is always a plus in our book, too.

Here, this 27-inch panel provides frames at a stable 165Hz refresh rate, not the speediest but certainly workable for competitive gaming. The 1ms grey-to-grey response time doesn’t hurt for gaming either. As a FreeSync certified monitor, AMD users can be sure of a tear-free gaming experience.

At 1440p you get a good pixel density for the size of the monitor, and the image is pretty sharp to boot. The screen itself is advertised as anti-glare and we’re seen that it holds its own in most brightly lit environments, though doesn’t do so well in dim spaces.

A great entry-level option for those looking for a larger screen.

The Pixio’s contrast sits at 1000:1, which isn’t the greatest, we admit, but the colors can be tuned to create a punchy and accurate image with a bit of fiddling. It would have been nice to see this out of the box, however.

The biggest selling point of the PX277 Prime, though, is its low price point. A great entry-level option for those looking for a larger screen with a high refresh rate and don’t want to be left totally broke. 

While the build quality isn’t as robust as a higher-spec screen, the Pixio panel is perfect for the budget gamer who doesn’t mind missing out on some of the bells and whistles of a higher-end monitor but is keen on top performance.

7. Gigabyte M32UC

The best budget 4K gaming monitor

SPECIFICATIONS

• Screen size: 32-inch
• Panel type: VA
• Aspect ratio: 16:9
• Resolution: 3840 x 2160
• Response time: 1ms MPRT
• Refresh rate: 144Hz (160Hz overclocked)
• Weight: 17.9lbs
• Refresh rate technology: AMD FreeSync Premium

TODAY’S BEST DEALS

REASONS TO BUY

+

• Affordable 4K+
• Up to 160Hz refresh overclocked+
• Great panel performance+
• No frills approach+
• Handy USB hub

REASONS TO AVOID

• Stand is pretty basic-
• DisplayHDR 400 isn’t much

We’re finally in an era of gaming where an affordable 4K monitor and a fast 4K monitor are one and the same. You could still buy a lower resolution panel for a whole lot less, and there are less desirable 4K panels out there, but as the Gigabyte M32UC proves you can get a whole lot of screen for what feels like a fair price.

You can find this monitor going for as low as $600, which is an awfully competitive price tag for a speedy 4K gaming monitor at this size. Gigabyte has figured out a heady blend of features for that sort of money too, with two HDMI 2.1 ports, 1ms MPRT, FreeSync Premium Pro, and even a USB 3.2 hub.

The M32UC runs at a perfectly reasonable 144Hz out of the box—and you’ll need a powerful graphics card to make the most of that at 4K. However, if you hook this monitor up via DisplayPort 1.4 you can also overclock the panel via the OSD. That bumps the refresh rate up to 160Hz, and while that’s probably excessive for most, if you’re going big with the rest of your rig (or plan to pick up a powerful next-gen GPU sometime in the future) then it’s a decent option to have at the ready.

Fine details are well preserved and this panel doesn’t struggle with saturation.

But something to consider with the M32UC’s blend of resolution and refresh rate is that even a high-end GPU won’t always make the most of it. That’s what makes the M32UC’s FreeSync capabilities so crucially important. Keeping this panel in sync with your graphics card when it’s under the max refresh rate of the screen, as it is likely going to be at times, prevents a whole lot of screen tearing.

It should come as no surprise that the 32-inch panel running at 4K results in a stunningly crisp image while gaming. I’ve been playing arguably too much Destiny 2 right now and the M32UC is a stunning way to experience the game. Fine details are well preserved and this panel doesn’t struggle with saturation, which makes for a luscious and vibrant image.

The M32U also offers a DisplayHDR 400 rating on the box, though I wouldn’t consider it for its HDR capabilities. It’s lacking much of what’s required of a true HDR monitor, such as a higher brightness and local dimming. You also have to look past what is otherwise a fairly bland outer shell on the Gigabyte.

In terms of value for money, Gigabyte has hit the nail on the head with the M32UC. If you look around for competition with similar specs at around the same price, you’ll often only find other Gigabyte models coming close, including a handful of often discounted Aorus models. That makes the M32UC a great choice if you’re planning ahead for a next-gen 4K-capable gaming PC or if you already have a high-end GPU but are not yet making the most of it.

8. Acer Predator X38

The best widescreen gaming monitor

SPECIFICATIONS

• Screen size: 37.5-inch
• Panel type: IPS
• Aspect ratio: 24:9
• Resolution: 3840 x 1600
• Response time: 1ms
• Refresh rate: 144Hz (175Hz overclocked)
• Weight: 21lbs
• Refresh rate technology: G-Sync Ultimate

• TODAY’S BEST DEALS

REASONS TO BUY

• Expansive resolution+
• Quality, responsive IPS panel+
• 175Hz refresh rates

REASONS TO AVOID

• Weak HDR

If your mantra for displays is ‘go big or go home,’ Acer hears you, and its Predator X38 is a massive 38-inch curved screen that looks stunning. It features a not-quite-4K QHD ultrawide panel with a 3840×1600 resolution. With an aspect ratio of 24:9, the IPS panel looks great, and the size means you have a lot of screen real estate for gaming.

This 37.5-inch display is expansive. It simply isn’t possible to take it all in without moving your head slightly. That means immersion, of the maximum variety. The skinny little bezels are just 2mm wide and blend into invisibility in use.

It’s curved a little, with a relatively relaxed 2300R bend, and comes with a sturdy, pre-fitted big metal stand—one that tilts back a full 35 degrees, exposing its display and power ports underneath for effortless, no-fumble plugging in.

The display also features G-Sync technology with up to 175Hz variable refresh rates. That’s a huge boost over lower refresh rate curved gaming monitors, and Acer has overcome the big IPS downside of typically high response times, too. This beast has a 1ms GtG response, which is truly IPS coming of age and doing it all without the compromises of old.

With its DisplayHDR 400 certification, it’s good enough to deliver what you want in HDR effects, but it’s not dazzling like the HDR 1000 screens you can now buy, like the Asus PG43UQ.

Pushing the overclock to 175Hz yielded a perfect result with no ghosting visible.

Banding was pretty much non-existent and the backlighting was even, though with a faintly noticeable glow coming from the edges in dark scenes, but nothing to be troubled about and not noticeable at all while gaming.

Pushing the overclock to 175Hz yielded a perfect result with no ghosting visible. Small details like text were rock solid, too, with no shimmering. At such a huge resolution your graphics card will obviously be taxed in many games, and for me while testing this I generally left it at 144Hz, though for several days I used it on 175Hz for everything – including boring work, and it was rock solid and crisp all the time.

It’s a big, bold, and beautiful-looking display. If you’re looking for something to turn heads, this is one of the best widescreen gaming monitors out there. 

It’s taller than the 27-inch 16:9 displays and nearly half again as wide, but the higher resolution means the dot pitch is slightly lower than, the lesser panels. And for games that properly support ultrawide resolutions, the surround effect of the XR382CQK is incredibly immersive—sitting at your desk, the 38-inch panel will fill your field of view.

9. Samsung Odyssey Neo G9

The best ultrawide gaming monitor

SPECIFICATIONS

• Screen size: 49-inch
• Panel type: VA
• Aspect ratio: 32:9
• Resolution: 5120 x 1440
• Response time: 1ms
• Refresh rate: 240Hz
• Weight: 32lbs
• Refresh rate technology: AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, Nvidia G-Sync Compatible

REASONS TO BUY

+

Stupendous 49-inch, uber-curved VA panel+

Outrageous peak brightness+

Super-fast pixel response and refresh

REASONS TO AVOID

–

Mini-LED backlight implementation is clunky-

Preposterously expensive compared with big screen TVs

The best just got a whole lot better. That’s surely a foregone conclusion for the new Samsung Odyssey Neo G9. After all, the original Odyssey G9 was already Samsung’s tip-top gaming monitor. Now it’s been given the one upgrade it really needed. Yup, the Neo G9 is packing a mini-LED backlight.

Out of the box, it looks identical to the old G9. Deep inside, however, the original G9’s single most obvious shortcoming has been addressed. And then some. The Neo G9 still has a fantastic VA panel. But its new backlight is what counts here—it offers far more than just edge-lit dimming.

It packs a cutting-edge mini-LED tech with no fewer than 2,048 zones. This thing is several orders of magnitude more sophisticated than before. As if that wasn’t enough, the Neo G9’s peak brightness has doubled to a retina-wrecking 2,000 nits. What a beast.

The problem with any backlight-based rather than per-pixel local dimming technology is that compromises have to be made. Put another way, an algorithm has to decide how bright any given zone should be based on the image data. The results are never going to be perfect.

Visible halos around small, bright objects are the sort of issue you expect from full-array dimming. But the Neo G9 has its own, surprisingly crude, backlight-induced image quality issues. Admittedly, they’re most visible on the Windows desktop rather than in-game or watching video. 

Graphics-heavy titles such as Cyberpunk 2077 or Witcher III are what the G9 does best.

If you position a bright white window next to an all-black window, the adjacent edge of the former visibly dims. Or let’s say you move a small, bright object over a dark background. The same thing happens. The small, bright object dims. Even uglier, if something like a bright dialogue box pops up across the divide between light and dark elements, the result is a gradient of brightness across the box.

All this applies to both SDR and HDR modes and, on the Windows desktop, it’s all rather messy and distracting. Sure, this monitor isn’t designed for serious content creation or office work. But at this price point, it’s surely a serious flaw.

Still, that 1000R curve, huge 49-inch proportions, and relatively high resolution combine to deliver an experience that few, if any, screens can match. Graphics-heavy titles such as Cyberpunk 2077 or Witcher III are what the G9 does best. In that context, the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 delivers arguably the best visual experience on the PC today.

In practice, the Neo G9’s mini-LED creates as many problems as it solves. We also can’t help but observe that, at this price point, you have so many options. The most obvious alternative, perhaps, is a large-format 120Hz OLED TV with HDMI 2.1 connectivity. 

Read our full Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 review(opens in new tab).

Best gaming monitor FAQ

How does PC Gamer test gaming monitors?

Like everything else we test, we live with a gaming monitor in the same way you would at home. We also go through a series of experiential tests to highlight any ghosting, backlighting issues, or general smeariness or blurring of images. We find it too easy to get lost in the weeds of specific panel benchmarks and miss more obvious problems that might crop up during day-to-day gaming use.

So, we put more weight on what it’s like to actually use a gaming monitor than what the specs might say.

Should I go for an IPS, TN or VA panel?

We would always recommend an IPS panel over TN(opens in new tab). The clarity of image, viewing angle, and color reproduction are far superior to the cheaper technology, but you’ll often find a faster TN for cheaper. The other alternative, less expensive than IPS and better than TN, is VA tech. The colors aren’t quite so hot, but the contrast performance is impressive.

Should I go for a FreeSync or G-Sync monitor?

In general, FreeSync monitors will be cheaper. It used to be the case that they would only work in combination with an AMD GPU. The same went for G-Sync monitors and Nvidia GPUs. Nowadays, though, it is possible to find G-Sync compatible FreeSync monitors(opens in new tab) if you’re intent on spending less.

Should I buy a HDR monitor?

With a High Dynamic Range monitor, you can take advantage of the ever-growing list of games and apps that feature HDR support. It offers more vibrant colors and greater contrast but is going to drive up the price a little. Windows’ native HDR function also leaves a lot to be desired, and you may find you have to fiddle in the settings to get HDR looking like it should.

What aspect ratio should I go for?

Today’s movies and games are best enjoyed in a widescreen format at a 16:9 aspect ratio or above. In 4:3, those cinematic moments will look stunted with black strips along the top and bottom. There are a host of minute variations on each ratio, but at the end of the day choosing between these depends entirely on your personal preference. 

And the very far-out option, if you have a little extra cash to blow, is ultra-wide aspect ratios like 21:9 and 32:9 and their variants. These will provide a much more immersive, encompassing experience. Or literally, encompass yourself with a curved monitor, up to you. 

Jargon buster – gaming monitor terminology

Refresh Rate (Hz)
The speed at which the screen refreshes. For example, 144Hz means the display refreshes 144 times a second. The higher the number, the smoother the screen will appear when you play games. 

V-Sync
Graphics tech synchronizes a game’s framerate with your monitor’s refresh rate to help prevent screen tearing by syncing your GPU frame rate to the display’s maximum refresh rate. Turn V-Sync on in your games for a smoother experience, but you’ll lose information, so turn it off for fast-paced shooters (and live with the tearing). Useful if you have an older model display that can’t keep up with a new GPU.

G-Sync
Nvidia’s frame synching tech that works with Nvidia GPUs. It basically allows the monitor to sync up with the GPU. It does by showing a new frame as soon as the GPU has one ready.

FreeSync
AMD’s take on frame synching uses a similar technique as G-Sync, with the biggest difference being that it uses DisplayPort’s Adaptive-Sync technology which doesn’t cost monitor manufacturers anything.

Ghosting
When movement on your display leaves behind a trail of pixels when watching a movie or playing a game, this is often a result of a monitor having slow response times. 

Response Time
The amount of time it takes a pixel to transition to a new color and back. Often referenced as G2G or Grey-to-Grey. Slow response times can lead to ghosting. A suitable range for a gaming monitor is between 1-4 milliseconds.

TN Panels
Twisted-nematic is the most common (and cheapest) gaming panel. TN panels tend to have poorer viewing angles and color reproduction but have higher refresh rates and response times. 

IPS
In-plane switching, panels offer the best contrast and color despite having weaker blacks. IPS panels tend to be more expensive and have higher response times. 

VA
Vertical Alignment panels provide good viewing angles and have better contrast than even IPS but are still slower than TN panels. They are often a compromise between a TN and IPS panel. 

HDR
High Dynamic Range. HDR provides a wider color range than normal SDR panels and offers increased brightness. The result is more vivid colors, deeper blacks, and a brighter picture. 

Peak Brightness
This refers to the maximum brightness of a monitor or television and is measured in nits.

Ultrawide
Shorthand for monitors with aspect wider aspect ratios like 32:9 or 21:9

Resolution
The number of pixels that make up a monitor’s display, measured by height and width. For example: 1920 x 1080 (aka 1080p), 2560 x 1440 (2K), and 3840 x 2160 (4K).