OLED panel technology isn't quite perfect. But it's far, far better than any alternative. That's especially true with the latest generation of OLED monitors, which largely address the technology's shortcomings while doubling down on its many decisive advantages.
One of the biggest problems with OLED tech for the PC has, of course, been pricing. But the deals on offer for Prime Day this year, both on Amazon itself and other sites, go a long way to solving that. The cheapest monitor here starts at $470.
👉Shop all the Prime Day deals on Amazon👈
That's still quite a lot of money. But it's about half the price a similar OLED would have cost 18 months ago or so. It buys you a 27-inch 1440p model, which is perfect for esports.
Personally, I prefer the 34-inch ultrawide format and it's fantastic to find that one of my very favourite monitors of any kind, Alienware's AW3423DWF, can now be had for $550. Again, that's exactly half the price it was when I originally reviewed it.
Stepping up to 32-inch 4K does increase the financial pain a bit. But at $699, even that's far more affordable than a basic 27-inch 1440p OLED was a couple of years ago.
Right at the top end in terms of size, it's actually hard to believe 49-inch uberwide OLEDs can be had for a little over $700. That's so much screen and not far off half the price that form factor launched at.
Oh, and if you're wondering, the other major drawback, supposedly, with OLED tech is burn-in. Both in our experience and that of independent testing, it's increasingly looking like burn-in is proving to be at worst a very minimal issue with long term usage. Purely for gaming, burn-in really isn't a worry and even for worst-case usage scenarios on the Windows desktop, you'll likely get many years of up time without serious burn-in.
Quick links
- AOC Agon PRO AG276QZD2 | $469 @ Amazon
- Alienware AW3423DWF | $499 @ Amazon
- MSI MAG 321UP | $699 @ Newegg
- MSI MPG 491CQP | $729 @ Amazon
AOC Agon PRO AG276QZD2
I haven't been sold on the notion of a 27-inch 1440p OLED monitor. But that's been because of price. When they were $900-plus, I just couldn't make sense of that small a screen for that much cash.
But now they're half that price and the proposition is so much more appealing. Sure, I still prefer 34-inch ultrawide. But then I hung up my Counter-Strike boots years ago. If you are an esports type, however, this kind of OLED absolutely nails it.
You've got the correct 16:9 aspect ratio, 240 Hz for low latency and ridiculously fast pixel response, the likes of which no LCD monitor even comes close to matching. Oh, and that perfect per-pixel lighting and epic HDR sizzle. Yum.
Alienware AW3423DWF
This is now quite an old monitor model. But Alienware recently released a new model, the Alienware 34 AW3425DW. And you know what? It's barely any better.
In fact, I actually prefer the look of this OG Alienware. I'm not a fan of the styling of the new panel. Spec wise, you miss out on 240 Hz, with this monitor "only" hitting 165 Hz.
But apart from that, you get the same Samsung QD-OLD panel tech, which mostly means epic HDR performance and preposterously fast response times. I also personally far prefer this 34-inch ultrawide form factor over 27-inch 1440p. So I reckon the $80-ish price premium is well worth it for the added gaming immersion, not to mention improved multitasking on the desktop.
MSI MAG 321UP
For many, 32 inches, 4K and OLED is peak gaming. The only problem has been price. Well, that problem hasn't entirely gone away. But it has shrunk down to $699.
I've reviewed the slightly faster 240 Hz version of this panel, and for the most part it's incredible. I prefer Samsung's QD-OLED tech to the LG WOLED alternative. On par, the latest WOLEDs are a bit brighter. In practice, that only applies to pure white brightness. The colours on these QD-OLED panels actually pop a bit more.
The only downside is that characteristic greyness of QD-OLED panels when they're bathed in lots of ambient light. But that isn't an issue for most desktops, so this monitor is all too easy to recommend at this lowest ever price point.
MSI MPG 491CQP
The whole 32:9 aspect 49-inch ubertron thing isn't for everyone. It's no good for esports and it's suboptimal for watching video content.
But for certain kinds of gaming, it's absolutely epic. The immersion, the sense of scale, it's all absolutely off the map. But, personally, I've always found it doesn't work that well with LCD. You sense the limitations in terms of viewing angles and light bleed that much more.
With OLED, of course, those issue simply vanish, replaced by perfect per-pixel lighting and incredible HDR pop. These ultrawide monitors also make great productivity panels, allowing you to run as many as four application windows side-by side. Once you get used to a monitor like this, even a 32-inch 4K panel feels restrictive.
👉All of Amazon's OLED gaming monitor deals are right here
1. Best overall: MSI MPG 321URX QD-OLED
2. Best 1440p: MSI MPG 271QRX
3. Best ultrawide: Asus ROG Swift OLED PG34WCDM
4. Best 32:9 ratio: Samsung Odyssey OLED G9
5. Best budget ultrawide: Alienware 34 QD-OLED AW3423DWF
6. Best WOLED: LG UltraGear 32GS95UE
7. Best 27-inch: Alienware 27 AW2725Q
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
