Though the memory crisis casts a dark cloud over the gaming PC hardware market, monitors offer a brief respite thanks to their killer technology and even better prices. No matter what type of gamer you are, there's a solid panel out there for you, and if you're looking for something for competitive play, I've got you covered.
Right now, you can pick up the Alienware AW2525HM IPS gaming monitor, with its 320 Hz refresh rate and 0.5 ms response time, for $200 at Amazon, which is a saving of $50 and its lowest ever price.
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Our Jacob Fox reviewed this monitor back in June, giving it an 85%, and he is particularly fond of the monitor's price point, as well as those great stats. 320 Hz refresh rate is likely too high for the average casual gamer, but if you have competitive aspirations, you likely want to get those numbers as high as possible. In Fox's testing, he also reckons 360 Hz is the point of diminishing returns for refresh rate, so you're getting pretty close with this Alienware pick.
Refreshingly, it's not a monitor that only cares about the refresh rate, either. It is fitted with an IPS panel (which I'd generally prefer over VA or TN), and we reckon its HDR10 (without VESA cert) compatibility is pretty solid too, offering an impressive experience.
Jacob's words: "I didn't expect much, but actually, after calibrating everything, playing Doom Eternal with HDR on is wonderful. Everything just feels that much more immersive and realistic with it enabled, thanks to the improved colour space and contrast."
We reckon the monitor itself looks nice, too, with thin bezels, an adjustable stand, and even a handy headphone hook on the left-hand side. It also has two USB ports with passthrough.
Naturally, you aren't getting everything for the price. At 1080p, the resolution is pretty much the absolute lowest you want to go for a modern gaming monitor. Generally speaking, a casual gamer will get more out of a less impressive but nicer-looking 1440p monitor (Like this MSI Pro with a 100 Hz refresh at $120 or this 200 Hz Acer Nitro at $150).
As well as this, we spotted significantly more motion blur than the much more expensive Zowie XL2586X+, but if you're looking for something competitive level on a budget, we really rate this one.
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1. Best overall / 4K:
MSI MPG 322UR X24
2. Best budget 4K:
Asus ROG Strix XG27UCG
3. Best budget OLED
Alienware AW2726DM
4. Best 1440p:
MSI MPG 271QRX
5. Best budget 1440p:
KTC H27T22C-3
6. Best 1080p:
AOC Gaming C27G4ZXE
7. Best Ultrawide:
Gigabyte MO34WQC2
8. Best budget ultrawide:
Koorui 34E6UC
9. Best competitive
KTC 25M1
