Lamenting the price of PC graphics cards has become a routine, if futile, pastime here on PCG. So, it's weird to note just how cheap the things GPUs plug into have become. Gaming monitors are silly cheap.
Don't believe me? How about a 180 Hz 1440p IPS monitor for just $150. You can't buy even the crappiest graphics card for anything close to that price. But 150 bucks buys you 2,560 by 1,440 pixels' worth of quality IPS panel refreshing 180 times a second. It's bananas.
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At the same time, high refresh 4K gaming is now available for under $300, which was unthinkable a couple of years ago. It's also impressive how much OLED prices have fallen.
When OLED first entered the PC monitor market, pretty much everything was over $1,000, even mere 27-inch 1440p models. Now you can get one for well under $500, while one of my very favourite 34-inch ultrawide models goes for just $550 and even 49-inch megawide monsters have come down to well under $800.
All told, there's absolutely loads of choice, with all kinds of shapes, sizes, panels types and refresh rates available at prices to suit just about any budget. In an age of component shortages, scalping and Trump tariffs, fro whatever reason, gaming monitors look like something of an outlier and for all the right reasons. There really are some excellent deals.
Incidentally, if none of my favourites take your fancy, be sure to check out our full run-down of all the very best deals for Amazon Prime Day 2025.
Quick links
- Acer Nitro KG271U | $149 @ Amazon
- Acer Nitro VG270K | $299 @ Amazon
- AOC Agon PRO AG276QZD2 | $469 @ Amazon
- Alienware AW3423DWF | $549 @ Amazon
- MSI MPG 491CQP | $749 @ Amazon
Acer Nitro KG271U
I don't know about you, but $150 for a proper 1440p gaming monitor with an IPS panel and 180 Hz refresh seems like conspicuous value here in 2025, a time when even a poverty-spec GPU costs $300 or more.
Apart from inarguably the most idiotic naming scheme known to mankind (the "N3bmiipx" gibberish is actually important to note), the worst thing about this panel is the mere 250 nit brightness. This monitor wouldn't be a great pick for bright rooms.
That aside, you're getting a proper IPS panel with 1 ms claimed response performance, plus that lofty 180 Hz refresh rate. If you're on a tight budget, it's truly great to know that this class of display is now available so affordably. It makes GPUs and CPUs seem chronically over priced.
Acer Nitro VG270K
If it's proof you demand that gaming monitors are stellar value this year, look no further than the Acer Nitro VG270K. I mean, seriously, a 4K 160 Hz gaming monitor for a whisker under $300.
That used to be budget money for a gaming panel. Now it gets you a truly high-end experience. Of course, the slight problem is that you'll need a very expensive GPu to drive a panel like this at native res, though upscaling tech like Nvidia's DLSS and AMD's FSR do help with that.
Personally, I also prefer 32 inches when it comes to 4K gaming. You lose little in terms of sharpness and detail, but gain a larger, more cinematic and immersive experience. Sadly, 32-inch 4K remains the one form factor where prices are stubbornly holding up. So, if it's 4K on the cheap you seek, this Acer could be your weapon of choice.
AOC Agon PRO AG276QZD2
Praise science for the gift of the sub-$500 OLED gaming monitor. No surprise for this kind of money that we're talking 27-inch and 1440p. Otherwise, there's really no skimping here, thanks to a Samsung QD-OLED panel with strong full-screen brightness, incredible speed and epic HDR performance.
Apart from the QD-OLED panel tech and 1440p resolution, you get 240 Hz refresh. Of course, there are now faster 1440p OLEDs. But 240 Hz is pretty quick and combined with QD-OLED's 0.03ms response performance, we'd prefer this over any LCD alternative with higher refresh, even for esports. For everything else, the QD-OLED panel tech ensures that gorgeous per-pixel lighting.
As for downsides, the panel size is on the small side given what you can get for similar money in the LCD monitor market. But if you're in the market for a 27-inch 1440p OLED, this is one heck of a deal.
Alienware AW3423DWF
Alienware has just updated its 34-inch ultrawide OLED offering. But I wasn't blown away by the upgrades with the new Alienware 34 AW3425DW. I'm not wild about the new chassis design and the panel isn't much of a step forward, either.
But that's good news for this "old" Alienware AW3423DWF, because it makes the $230-ish saving over the new model thanks to this Amazon Prime Day deal awfully, awfully pretty appealing. The main spec hit you miss out on versus the new model is 240 Hz, with this monitor topping out at 165 Hz.
Other than that, it's the same Samsung QD-OLD panel tech with stellar HDR performance and ridiculously fast response times. Personally, I much, much prefer this 34-inch ultrawide form factor over the 27-inch 1440p alternative. It's suboptimal for esports, but it's miles more immersive for every other kind of gaming, a great for multitasking on the desktop, too.
My only concern is the relatively low pixel density. But then that's the same problem with most 34-inch ultrawide LCD monitors. There are now some 5K2K models, but they're pricey and need one heck of a GPU to kept them fed with pixels.
MSI MPG 491CQP
This isn't the perfect monitor for everyone. But if you value scale, immersion and unbeatable multitasking ability, look no further. This monitor has come for you.
You will, of course, need one heck of desk to accommodate this 49-inch monster. It is absolutely huge. But that means it shows off Samsung's QD-OLED panel tech to the max. With LCD monitors this large, issues like viewing angles, backlight bleed and shonky local dimming are so much more obvious.
But you sidestep all that nonsense with this monitor's perfect per-pixel, ludicrously fast response and excellent viewing angles. Granted, it doesn't offer the fastest refresh out there at 144 Hz. But that's plenty quick enough for fluid gaming. And, anyway, if you're really into esports, a 32:9 aspect ubertrin like this isn't going to be on your radar.
For me, the only downside is the slightly lowly pixel density. That's not a huge issue in games. But it does mean that you don't get super crisp fonts in Windows or that precision and detail which is characteristic of a 32-inch 4K model.
👉All of Amazon's 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
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