These 144Hz Monitors Help You Win Games
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Gaming monitors come in all shapes and sizes, but one of the most important specifications of a display is its refresh rate. For top-notch AAA gaming, we recommend picking up a 144 Hz display. It's the key to bleeding-edge performance in esports games, but it also makes colorful RPGs look that much smoother. Below, we'll show you our favorite picks.
The enjoyment you get from PC gaming is often directly tied to the performance of your computer. On a console, there's not much you can do to improve things, but on a PC, hardware can make or break the experience. What some people tend to overlook is that hardware means more than just things like the graphics card or the processor — you also need a good monitor.
A 60 Hz or a 75 Hz display will suffice if you don't care about high frame rates, but if you have a good PC, you'll be doing it a disservice by not grabbing a solid monitor to go with it. Most modern hardware can run games above 60 frames per second (fps), which means that your monitor needs to be able to support that too. Check out these 144 Hz options to upgrade your gaming experience.
Acer Nitro XF243Y Pbmiiprx
If you're trying to break into gaming on a 144 Hz refresh rate but don't want to spend a fortune, the Acer Nitro XF243Y Pbmiiprx is a great starting point. This Nitro model serves up the main thing an esports fanatic is looking for: A high refresh rate that hits 165 Hz if you overclock it. This speedy monitor will be great for games like "Fortnite" or "PUBG," but its display panel also makes it a solid pick for immersive, colorful RPGs.
This particular Acer Nitro has a 24-inch screen and a resolution of 1920 x 1080. It also has an IPS panel that should deliver deep contrasts and good color reproduction. It offers native support for AMD FreeSync, but it's also compatible with Nvidia's G-Sync.
This is one of the most popular gaming monitors in this price range, which is why finding it in stock might be hard. It's around $190 on Amazon when buying new and $115 for a renewed model. If you can't find this one at a decent price, the Nitro XFA243Y Sbiipr is a solid alternative at $150.
LG 27GL83A-B
The name of this LG display is a mouthful too (they usually are), but the LG 27GL83A-B is a great choice at this price range, and it helps you break into 1440p gaming. You can use it with any graphics card, but remember that if your GPU was not made to handle 1440p, you won't make the most of it — that's something to keep in mind when you shop. Still, even with a budget 1080p graphics card, you can get this monitor for some nice future-proofing.
It's a 27-inch display, and it has a nice 144 Hz refresh rate, a beautifully bright IPS panel, and a native resolution of 2560 x 1440. Scaling up to a higher resolution means that you might be able to fit more content onto the screen, which is nice in some games. The image should also appear sharper. Much like the Acer Nitro, this LG monitor supports AMD FreeSync VRR but is also compatible with Nvidia G-Sync.
If your budget can stretch to it, the LG is an upgrade over the Acer in every single way. You can usually find it for around $250 on Amazon, and at that price, it's a good deal.
Gigabyte M32U
If you want to take your gaming to the next level, you could just get a monitor that has it all: a high refresh rate, a lot of screen real estate, and stunning visuals. To meet those requirements, one of the most popular picks is the Gigabyte M32U.
This is a huge monitor, measuring 32 inches. Keep that in mind when shopping, because if you sit too close to your desk, you might find the size of this display a little uncomfortable — and some desks just don't have enough space for it to begin with. If you can squeeze it in, though, you'll enjoy 4K gaming (3840 x 2160) on an IPS panel with a 144 Hz refresh rate.
The Gigabyte M32U only really makes sense if your computer can support it. Running games at 4K is quite taxing on the graphics card, and if you actually want to hit frame rates high enough to make this monitor make sense, you need a solid gaming PC, with a recent graphics card that can support 4K gaming.
You're going to need to spend a pretty penny to get your hands on this high-end beast of a monitor. It's usually priced around $630-$650 on Amazon.
Razer Raptor 27
If you're a gamer, you most probably know of Razer. The green logo with three snakes is familiar to most, be it for gaming laptops or for the peripherals, such as mice, keyboards, or headsets. However, you may not know that Razer also makes monitors, and the Razer Raptor 27" is an excellent pick for a 144 Hz display.
This is a 27-inch monitor with an IPS panel, a refresh rate of 144 Hz, and a resolution of 2560 x 1440. For many gamers, this marks the sweet spot — you're getting great visuals and HDR contrast, access to 2K gaming (which essentially means more screen real estate), and speedy refresh rates.
Last but not least, the Raptor is one of the better-looking gaming monitors out there. It ditches the standard aesthetic, but it fits the general gamer vibe very well thanks to the added RGB lighting. It has a very wide stand and solid build quality.
Unfortunately, Razer monitors aren't all too cheap. If you want to buy this screen, you'll have to pay just short of $800 on Amazon. It's a premium offering and you can switch to 4K gaming for less, but it does offer good quality in return for the price.
Alienware AW2523HF
If you're a super competitive e-sports gamer, you might want higher refresh rates than 144 Hz. One of the best monitors that achieve this is the Alienware AW2523HF. This 24.5-inch monitor comes with a Fast IPS panel, 1920 x 1080 resolution, and an insanely high 360 Hz refresh rate.
While this Alienware model is certainly speedy, it's more optimized for refresh rates than for visuals. If you mostly play AAA RPGs, such as "Hogwarts Legacy," you're better off buying a more rounded monitor. Get this one if you want to go all-in on high fps and you have a graphics card that can deliver above 240 frames per second. Seeing as this is 1080p, you can settle for a midrange card from AMD or Nvidia and it should do fine, but your mileage may vary.
For a specialized monitor like this made by a well-recognized brand, this Alienware display is not too expensive. You'll need to spend just under $400 to make it yours if you're shopping on Amazon.