Choices, choices: You can grab a high refresh rate 1440p VA gaming monitor for just $133 in the Prime Day sales, or the brighter IPS equivalent for a mere $10 more

1440p

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ASRock Phantom Gaming PG27QRT1B: was $209.99 now $132.99 at Newegg

If you want to shave a few extra dollars off your bill at checkout, this gaming monitor from ASRock is a good way to go about it. It's a VA panel, which is good for contrasts but loses out to an IPS in a few ways, but it's around $10 cheaper than a competitive IPS from the same manufacturer. It's also rated to 180 Hz, which is pretty good going.

Key specs: 180 Hz | 27-inch | FreeSync | 1440p

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It's difficult to overstate what a massive difference a good gaming monitor makes to your PC setup. And the good news is, we're finding tons of great Amazon Prime Day gaming monitor deals right now, so you don't have to spend a ton of cash on your next upgrade. This 27-inch curved 180 Hz 1440p model from ASRock caught my eye this morning, as it's down to just $133 at Newegg right now—and that's a helluva lot of gaming monitor for the cash.

This particular variant has a VA panel, which should have excellent contrast and keeps costs as low as can be. However, if an IPS model is more what you're after, there's also a non-curved equivalent for a mere $10 more, also at Newegg.

The IPS equivalent

1440p

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ASRock Phantom Gaming PG27QFT1B: was $209.99 now $142.77 at Newegg

If a 1440p IPS panel is what you desire (and still with a 180 Hz refresh rate and many of the same features), this alternative ASRock model may well be for you. It's significantly brighter than the model above, too, with a DisplayHDR 400 rating, and doesn't have a curve. It's $10 more, though. Decisions decisions, ey?

Key specs: 180 Hz | 27-inch | FreeSync | 1440p

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So, which should you pick? Well, there's nothing wrong with a good VA panel, and $10 is $10. That being said, the IPS equivalent is brighter, with a 400 nits max brightness rating compared to the VA versions 300 nits.

For regular, non-HDR content, 300 nits is absolutely fine. But the DisplayHDR 400 rating of the IPS variant means you can take advantage of that higher fullscreen brightness, and that's a nice thing to have.

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That being said, VA panels tend to have better contrast than their IPS equivalents, and DisplayHDR 400 is far from the best HDR rating—making all this a potentially moot point in terms of perceptible image quality. But then, IPS panels usually deliver better color accuracy and viewing angles. It's a bit of a headache, isn't it?

And then, one is curved, and one is flat. Now, I'm not anti-curved monitor per se, but on a 27-inch panel, I think it might be a little much for some. The VA version has a 1500R curve, which isn't particularly extreme, but will definitely change the gaming experience. Still, it's going to be a taste thing, and I think I'd prefer something flat at this size. Perhaps the second model, then?

Whichever you pick, both monitors represent excellent value for money. So really, I think you can happily add either to your cart, and be safe in the knowledge that you've bought an excellent, 180 Hz, 1440p gaming monitor for a stunningly low price. It all comes down to personal preference at the end of the day, and I'd be happy to drop my cash on either of these budget beasties.

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Top Oct Prime Day deals

1. RTX 5060 laptop | Lenovo LOQ 15 | $810 (save $490)

2. 1 TB SSD | Lexar NM790 | $66 (save $24)

3. Gaming chair | Corsair TC100 Relaxed | $160 (save $110)

4. 4K OLED monitor | MSI MAG | $750 (save $150)

5. GPU | ASRock RX 9070 XT | $640

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