I'm surprised how far 1440p IPS monitors have dropped in price: Here's one for just $130 and it's got a 180 Hz refresh rate

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That's a pretty snappy screen.

Asrock gaming monitor on a pink deals background
(Image credit: Asrock)
ASRock Phantom PG27QFT1B
1440p
Save $77.22
ASRock Phantom PG27QFT1B: was $209.99 now $132.77 at Newegg

This gaming monitor has an IPS panel capable of delivering 180 Hz. The 1440p resolution means you're getting a bit of a bump up over 1080p, too, which puts this monitor right in the sweet spot for modern PC gaming. It's also IPS, too, which isn't always a given at lower prices.

Key specs: 27-inch | 180 Hz | 1 ms | IPS

Price check: Amazon OOS

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If you don't have the rig to run a game in 4K, or simply don't think the resolution is worth the extra resources, 1440p offers an excellent middle ground right now. Despite gaming rigs getting more expensive, monitors are only getting more reasonable, and I've picked out a bit of a banger today.

I check over our roundup of the best cheap gaming monitor deals every week, and this ASRock monitor isn't the cheapest 1440p monitor I can find. However, it is absolutely the one I'd go for.

The Phantom PG27QFT1B is the second cheapest, with the lowest being Acer's KA272U for $130. For the extra $3, you are getting a bump of 80 Hz to the refresh rate, which is worth it in my book. 180 Hz is plenty snappy, and the 27-inch screen is solid too.

27 inches is certainly on the smaller end, but I use two 27-inch screens in my setup, and I think it's perfect. One of mine is 1440p, and the other is a cheaper 1080p option for looking at social media and writing. Still, I used just a single 27-inch screen for years and didn't feel like I was missing too much (even if dual monitors are superior).

Moreover, if you go too large with the panel size but don't bump up the resolution, you end up with a low pixel per inch and a grainier picture quality.

You're also getting a fast 1 ms response time, HDR 400, alongside AMD FreeSync and anti-flicker technology. At a peak of 400 nits, the brightness is just okay, and you may want to keep the panel away from sunlight if you want to see it properly, but for the price, this is an understandable compromise.

If you have the hunger for 4K gaming, you could always opt for MSI's dual-mode monitor for $250 on sale, but there's no point spending so much if you don't think you will actually use it/have the graphics card to power it. 1440p is a very solid value pick right now, especially if you can't stomach the rig upgrade to fully justify 4K.

MSI MPG 321URX gaming monitor
Best gaming monitors 2026

1. Best overall / 4K:
MSI MPG 321URX

2. Best budget 4K:
Asus ROG Strix XG27UCG

3. Best 1440p:
MSI MPG 271QRX

4. Best budget 1440p:
KTC H27T22C-3

5. Best 1080p:
AOC Gaming C27G4ZXE

6. Best Ultrawide:
Gigabyte MO34WQC2

7. Best budget ultrawide:
Xiaomi G34WQi

8. Best 32:9:
Samsung Odyssey OLED G9

9. Best dual-mode:
Alienware AW2725QF


👉Check out our full gaming monitor guide👈

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James Bentley
James Bentley
Hardware writer

James is a more recent PC gaming convert, often admiring graphics cards, cases, and motherboards from afar. It was not until 2019, after just finishing a degree in law and media, that they decided to throw out the last few years of education, build their PC, and start writing about gaming instead. In that time, he has covered the latest doodads, contraptions, and gismos, and loved every second of it. Hey, it’s better than writing case briefs.

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