What could be the least possible price you can pay for a gaming monitor? Should it be $1000 or $500? You wouldn’t believe it, we have tested the best gaming monitor under 200 for 2022. You are lucky to have a monitor for just $200 instead of throwing hundreds of more dollars for this, where everything out there is getting so expensive at the moment.
Common FAQS About The Best Gaming Monitor Under 200
a. How much resolution a monitor under $200 could offer?
Any monitor under $200 falls under the budget category, the maximum resolution you can have for this, is 1440p (QHD) and the minimum would be 900p (HD on 20 inch) resolution. That means this specific cost flag does not contain 4k monitors or higher.
b. What is a response time and how much is good for gaming?
A response time is an amount of time measured in milliseconds (ms) at which one color shifts to another. For example from black to white to red to green and so on and then again back to black etc. the least response time is the better color reproduction and the overall image will be. Therefore the fastest response time is highly recommended, thus it has to be under 1ms to 5ms.
c. How much refresh rate a monitor under $200 could offer?
Most monitors under 200 dollars contain a 75Hz to 144Hz refresh rate, though there are few models that come with a 165Hz refresh rate as well. So the maximum is 165Hz until you are lucky to have a monitor higher than this.
d. Is the 60Hz refresh rate good for gaming?
The 60Hz refresh rate is the baseline for every gamer, the safest option for a smooth gaming experience. Not only PC gaming but console gaming too dealt with this minimum refresh rate.
e. For whom a monitor under 200 is a good option?
The gaming monitors under $200 is the least expected amount to spend. It is a good option for beginners because it is unlikely for experienced or professional gamers to buy a monitor under this lowest range, but for starters who have never played games and for those who don’t have much money to spend, this could be a good option for them.
Another reason why professional gamers wouldn’t like to spend this much is that the gaming monitors under this category might not have advanced gaming features like Black Equalizer, Extreme Low Motion Blur, etc. however for budget gaming, this is a perfect range to spend on.
List of the Best Gaming Monitors Under 200
- Asus Tuf VG279Q1R – Best 144Hz gaming monitor under 200
- Gigabyte G27FC A – Best curved gaming monitor under 200
- LG 24QP500-B – Best 1440p gaming monitor
- MSI Optix G241V E2 – Best 24 inch gaming monitor under 200
- Acer Nitro QG241Y Pbmiipx – Best 1080p 165Hz monitor
- AOC 24G2 – Best console gaming monitor under 200
- Lenovo L24e-30 – Best gaming monitor for PS4 and Xbox One
- Sceptre E205W-16003RTT – Best 20 inch gaming monitor under 200
- LG 25UM58-P – Best ultrawide gaming monitor under 200
- Benq EW2780 – Best HDR gaming monitor under 200
Best Gaming Monitor Under 200 In 2022 Reviews
1. Asus Tuf VG279Q1R – 1080p gaming monitor under 200
27 inches IPS display | 1920x1080p (FHD) resolution | 144Hz refresh rate | 1ms response time | AMD FreeSync Premium | Dual speakers | HDMI 1.4 x2 & DisplayPort 1.2 x1
With a strong reason to rank Asus as the best gaming monitor under 200 because what a professional gamer looks for in a gaming monitor is all packed here. You are going to get advanced gaming features like Shadow Boost, Trace Free Technology, Extreme Low Motion Blur, etc. These features are very helpful to achieve targets no matter how intense the gaming environment is.
While talking about the specifications, the Asus gaming monitor holds 1080p resolution with 144Hz refresh rate within 1ms fast response time. It has 72% NTSC color saturation, 250 nits peak brightness, and a 1000:1 contrast ratio. This doesn’t support HDR mode but is very much suitable for not only PC gaming but for consoles as well. Overall, this is a pretty good option under $200.
2. Gigabyte G27FC A – Curved gaming monitor under 200
27 inches VA display | 1500R curved | 1920x1080p (FHD) resolution | 165Hz refresh rate | 1ms response time | AMD FreeSync Premium | Dual speakers | HDMI 1.4 x2 & DisplayPort 1.2 x1, USB 3.0 (downstream) x2, USB 3.0 (upstream) x1
This is a curved gaming monitor under $200, with very pleasing images, comfortable to eyes, smooth and clear pictures. Gigabyte G27FC is a great value for starters to pay who want a curved screen to begin with. It is Nvidia G-Sync compatible and supports AMD FreeSync Premium. The feature you are going to witness is GameAssist through which you can customize gaming skills like crosshair, timer, etc. have Black Equalizer and Low Blue Light Filters.
This monitor also contains OSD sidekick software where you can make advanced settings from normal to intensified visuals according to your preferences. Whereas looking at its specifications, it has the same 250 nits brightness but the good thing is its 3000:1 high contrast ratio. Its color saturation depends on the 120% sRGB and 90% DCI P3. It’s VESA compatible and can be adjusted for its height too.
3. LG 24QP500-B – QHD gaming monitor under 200
24 inches IPS display | 2560x1440p (QHD) resolution | 75Hz refresh rate | 5ms response time | AMD FreeSync | HDMI 1.4 x2 & DisplayPort 1.2 x1
Get a grip on what you are playing and how you have to aim at the enemy. We have LG 1440p gaming monitor with the features to push you to incredible details and gaming skills. The coolest part is, no matter how poor quality content you have to deal with on the screen, the Super Resolution + technology scale up the quality. The Dynamic Action Sync feature lets the user take control of the enemy before anything happens.
LG 1440p gaming monitor contains flicker-free technology as well. It has On-Screen Control, supports energy-saving mode, etc. it has a readers mode too, through which blue harmful rays are blocked and enables the user to work for hours without harming his eyes. It is having a maximum of 300 nits brightness although the contrast ratio is 700:1 which is a little disappointing but surely not a deal-breaker.
4. MSI Optix G241V E2 – 24 inch 1080p gaming monitor
24 inches IPS display | 1920x1080p (FHD) resolution | 75Hz refresh rate | 1ms response time | AMD FreeSync | HDMI 1.4 x1 & DisplayPort 1.2 x1
A perfect option for gaming under $150. MSI Optix gaming monitor comes with nice colors, clarity and lively images throughout the whole gaming. It contains flicker-free technology, resulting in a smooth buttery performance. However, it doesn’t go any higher than 75Hz refresh rate on an FHD resolution within 1ms fast response time.
MSI Optix provides images saturated with 81.2% NTSC and 102.4% sRGB. Having no more than 250 nits brightness and 1000:1 static contrast ratio. It is VESA mountable, able to tilt but lacks the feature of swivel, and has no height adjustment. It has no built-in speakers too. For mainstream gaming, this monitor is a good option. However, the overall performance is pretty nice being a monitor under $150.
5. Acer Nitro QG241Y Pbmiipx – 165Hz gaming monitor under 200
24 inches VA display | 1920x1080p (FHD) resolution | 165Hz refresh rate | 1ms response time | AMD FreeSync Premium | Dual speakers | HDMI 1.4 x1, HDMI 2.0 x1 & DisplayPort 1.2 x1
Acer Nitro gaming monitor has always been one preferred by professional gamers, although this model by Acer doesn’t have many of the advanced features that might attract you but are very potential to compete with high-end gaming. One of the biggest advantages of this model is that it can overclock up to a 160Hz refresh rate under just $200. It is a very fast, lag-free and smooth monitor for gaming.
Besides we are not very impressed with the color reproduction as there is no strong color gamut but having a 3000:1 high contrast ratio along with 250 nits brightness. Moreover, the Adaptive Contrast Management feature enhances the sharpness of the image to great extent. Despite being HDR10 supportive, we didn’t find this feature to make any difference. Whereas talking about its ergonomics, it lacks height adjustment but does support VESA mounting.
6. AOC 24G2 – Console gaming monitor
24 inches IPS display | 1920x1080p (FHD) resolution | 144Hz refresh rate | 1ms response time | AMD FreeSync Premium | Dual speakers | HDMI 1.4 x2, DisplayPort 1.2 x1, D-Sub x1 (VGA)
We suppose we have an audience who look for a console monitor under $200 too, therefore we ought to cover them all. Although we have many gaming monitors with the ability to handle consoles, AOC 24G has won our hearts while we have tested our new PS5 and Xbox Series X with it. The PS4, PS4 Slim, Xbox One, and all the previous generation consoles support no more than 60Hz and the next generation consoles go up to no more than 120Hz including Xbox One X and S, thus this 144Hz monitor is a good option if you own any of these consoles today.
Not only for console gaming, for C gaming the AOC 24G has great capabilities to render the required energy for AAA game titles. Its color saturation includes 126% sRGB and 94% Adobe RGB. The peak brightness is 375 nits along with the 1500:1 static contrast ratio which is a good thing. Another good thing is its ergonomics, it is not only adjustable in height, but it can also tilt, swivel, and is mountable on the wall too.
7. Lenovo L24e-30 – Gaming monitor for PS4 & Xbox One
24 inches VA display | 1920x1080p (FHD) resolution | 144Hz refresh rate | 4ms response time | AMD FreeSync | HDMI 1.4 x1, D-Sub x1 (VGA)
We have the Lenovo L24e gaming monitor for those who intend to play games with PS4 or Xbox One. Since these consoles go no more than up to 60Hz refresh rate at FHD resolution, this gaming monitor with a 75hz refresh rate at 1080p is a perfect one to pick. As for PC gaming, this model fulfills all the requirements for competitive PC gaming without flickering or stuttering. So if you want to start with something affordable, then have a look at this one.
Talking about its screen details, Lenovo gaming monitor consists of 72% NTSC color gamut. It has 250 nits brightness and a 3000:1 impressive contrast ratio. The image might not seem as sharp as it is supposed to be, but the gaming quality matches the requirement for the gamer especially for mainstream gaming. Whereas it is not very good in terms of ergonomics, it lacks height adjustment for optimal viewing but is VESA compatible.
8. Sceptre E205W-16003RTT – 20-inch gaming monitor
20 inches TN display | 1600x900p (HD) resolution | 75Hz refresh rate | 5ms response time | Adaptive Sync | Dual speakers | HDMI 1.3 x2, D-Sub x1 (VGA)
Having too little space on your working table? A Sceptre gaming monitor that is only 20 inches wide can ease you a lot. It has a compact size and small footprint that wouldn’t take much of the space. It has HDMI and VGA, any device with these connections is compatible with this monitor especially with consoles, like, Xbox and PS4. Whereas for PC gaming, there are not many great features to take advantage of. However, for budget gaming, this monitor can do the job.
You might also not like the view angles, i.e. the 160 degrees vertical and 170 degrees horizontal, it is because of the TN panel instead of IPS or VA. The color saturation purely depends on the 99% sRGB, it has 250 nits peak brightness and 3000:1 contrast ratio. This monitor is unable to tilt and swivel as well as incapable to adjust for its height. Though it supports VESA mounting for optimal viewing.
9. LG 25UM58-P – Ultrawide monitor for gaming
25 inches IPS display | 1920x1080p (FHD) resolution | 75Hz refresh rate | 5ms response time | Adaptive Sync | HDMI 1.4 x2
Ultrawide gaming monitors cost you at least around $300, but LG 25UM58 is an ultrawide monitor under $200. Comes with advanced features like Black Stabilizer that reduces the darkness and helps to locate the enemy, then it has Dynamic Action Sync that makes sure there is no stuttering or misalignment of the frames. The coolest feature is splitting the screen into up to four sections in order to work on multiple windows, resulting in an increase in productivity compared to any ordinary monitor.
Anyhow, this gaming monitor contains only two HDMI ports and no DisplayPort or VGA option. Subsequently, this can be connected to your desktop and consoles following the given connectivity. Further getting into the image details, you are going to get 250 nits brightness, 99% sRGB color gamut, and 1000:1 contrast ratio on a 21:9 aspect ratio screen. It is VESA mountable but has no height adjustment feature and is not able to swivel.
10. Benq EW2780 – HDR monitor for gaming
27 inches IPS display | 1920x1080p (FHD) resolution | 75Hz refresh rate | 5ms response time | AMD FreeSync | Dual speakers | HDMI 2.0 x3
When you have HDRi instead of an HDR, it means there wouldn’t be any color washouts, no over-emphasized brightness but an intelligent improvement in the colors by a unique method of measuring the ambient light in each area. We have this in the Benq HDRi gaming monitor. A step ahead of an ordinary HDR monitor. Benq also contains Brightness Intelligence Plus which takes care of the colors, contrast, and brightness together for optimal and much improved content at the end.
Whereas the color saturation depends on the 72% NTSC, it has 250 nits peak brightness and 1000:1 contrast ratio. When we look closely at the built of this monitor, you can observe the thin bezel, an ideal design for multiple monitor setup. If you are tired of the poor built-in speakers, then this might go well with you as it contains two 2.5W speakers with loud audibility. However, there is no DisplayPort though has three HDMI.
How to choose the best gaming monitor under $200? Buyers Guide
The $200 gaming monitor is as much important as any expensive one for which one might pay hundreds of dollars and focus thoroughly on its features. This range of monitors also requires your full attention from refresh rate to response time to everything else that makes the best one among many. Besides these monitors do have some limitations that fall exactly under the affordable picks. What are they and where you have to compromise, lets put some light on this.
Resolution of the monitor under 200
The $200 monitor is entirely a budget category for gamers with little cash and high hopes. The maximum you can have is the QHD monitor in this budget constraint. No UHQ monitors are welcomed here, although if you want to, then you have to raise the amount you are willing to pay. However we suggest, if that’s the case where you need something affordable and competent enough, then try to focus on a 1080p gaming monitor, which are probably better in terms of response time and have handy features as well, compared to the 1440p monitor where cost cuts the majority of the features for gaming.
Response time of the monitor
The response time of the monitor is another important feature, especially for gaming. The least the response time the faster you can respond/ act. The 1ms response time is the ideal situation, although anything up to 5ms is fairly good for gaming. This principle is unchanged in the case of any price range monitor as well.
The refresh rate of the gaming monitor
Don’t ever forget the role of the refresh rate of the monitor for gaming. The higher the refresh rate the faster and smoother the game would be. Particularly for $200 monitors, the refresh rate higher than 165Hz is nearly impossible unless you rise your budget as well. Whereas, the minimum and sufficient refresh rate is 60Hz. So it is suggested to pick a monitor with a refresh rate that is higher as much as you can in this budget and no lower than 60Hz.
Other features…
The mentioned above are the most crucial elements you must need to take under consideration. Other than these, you can choose between the size and type of the panel. Having said that, the TN panel is the least favorite as it has poor view angles but has a fast response time and IPS is the most demandable with the best view angles whereas VA is in between both the choices with mediocre view angles and response time. As for size, it’s recommended to check the space that is available to you, i.e. working table/ desk or the wall you want to mount on.
In addition, ergonomics is also an imperative feature that ensures your optimal viewing. It includes the comfort being offered by tilting, swiveling, and the height adjustment of the stand. It’s worth mentioning that a VESA mounting ability is highly recommended, who knows you might want your monitor to be a TV at any moment.
Conclusion
The best decision lies in the cost-effectiveness alongside sufficient features to bring in a decent and acceptable gaming experience. The best gaming monitors under 200 dollars stand alone on this criteria compared to any cost you have to pay that is lower than this. Although there are exceptions that also come where there is a budget constraint (like there wouldn’t be any 4k monitor), this is still not as bad as it might look.
Subsequently, the $200 monitor is an attractive bid for budget gamers and those who have started gaming for the first time. Not only this, but this range of spending on a monitor is feasible for those too, who have little time to devote for gaming and more for office working.