Updated Jun 05, 2024 at 03:28 pm
By Nicholas Di Giovanni
overview 11 comments
You don't need a high-resolution monitor for a great gaming experience, and 1080p gaming monitors can perform very well. They're available for any type of gamer, and higher-end models are typically designed for competitive gaming because they include the highest refresh rates, even upwards of 500Hz, so they're a great choice if you crave gaming performance over graphical detail in games. That said, even lower-cost 1080p monitors have high enough refresh rates for most gamers.
Most 1080p monitors are available in 24- or 25-inch sizes, have low input lag for a responsive feel, and have VRR support to reduce screen tearing. When looking for a monitor, it's important to consider its response time so that motion looks sharp. 1080p monitorscan also be versatile for other uses, like productivity. Though they don't deliver the same sharp text clarity as higher-resolution displays, smaller 1080p monitors provide decent enough text clarity for a productive workspace.
We've bought and tested over 315 monitors, and below are ourrecommendations for the best monitors to buy with a 1080p resolution.See our recommendations for the best budget and cheap gaming monitors, the best 24-25 inch monitors,and the best gaming monitors under $300.
Note:We recently publishedTest Bench 2.0and are updating our reviews to reflect this. As such, it may seem that two similar monitors have wildly different scores, but scores aren't comparable between different test benches.
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Best 1080p Monitor
Dell Alienware AW2523HF 5
Gaming
8.4
Size
25"Pixel Type
IPSMax Refresh Rate
360 HzNative Resolution
1920 x 1080See Also720p, 1080p, 1440p, 2K, 4K, 5K, 8K: Display Resolution Explained | iHax1080p vs 4K: how the screen resolutions differWhat Is 1080p? Understanding the Meaning, Resolution, Bitrate…See all our test results
The best monitor with a 1080p resolution we've tested is the Dell Alienware AW2523HF. It has a 25-inch screen and a fast 360Hz refresh rate, which is great even for competitive gaming, making it the best 1080p gaming monitor. It has a few gaming features, like VRR support, a dark stabilizer to help you see your opponents better in dark areas, and different crosshairs to give you a competitive advantage in FPS games. However, it lacks a backlight strobing feature. It also has an incredible response time, sofast-moving objects look sharp, even at lower refresh rates.
Besides its impressive gaming performance, it also delivers good picture quality with accurate colors, wide viewing angles, and great peak brightness, meaning it looks good in well-lit rooms. This monitor often goes on sale, but if you have trouble finding it available, consider the Sony INZONE M3, which is another great gaming monitor but with a lower 240Hz refresh rate.
See our review
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Best 1080p G-SYNC Monitor
Dell Alienware AW2524H 42
Gaming
8.4
Size
25"Pixel Type
IPSMax Refresh Rate
500 HzNative Resolution
1920 x 1080See all our test results
If you have an NVIDIA graphics card that you want to take full advantage of and are willing to spend considerably more, it's better to get a native G-SYNC monitor like the Dell Alienware AW2524H. It's higher-end than the Dell Alienware AW2523HF as it has a faster 500Hz refresh rate, but the main benefit of getting the AW2524H is that it has features you can only use with an NVIDIA graphics card. These include variable overdrive to improve motion handling based on the refresh rate and NVIDIA Reflex Latency Analyzer to measure the latency of each source in your setup, helping identify which causes the most delay.
Besides those extra features, this monitor offers impressive gaming performance with a fast response time at any refresh rate, especially at its max refresh rate, so there's minimal motion blur. Unlike the AW2523HF, it has a backlight strobing feature to reduce persistence blur, but it doesn't work at the same time as VRR.
See our review
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Best Budget 1080p Monitor
ViewSonic XG2431 4
Gaming
8.4
Size
24"Pixel Type
IPSMax Refresh Rate
240 HzNative Resolution
1920 x 1080See all our test results
If you want to save money and don't mind getting something with a lower refresh rate, check out a budget model like the ViewSonic XG2431. There are trade-offs for getting something cheaper, and in this case, the ViewSonic has a lower 240Hz refresh rate than the Dell Alienware AW2524H. It doesn't have native G-SYNC support like the Dell either, but it's still G-SYNC compatible and has FreeSync support, so its VRR support works with any type of graphics card.
This monitor is better than other budget-friendly monitors because of its versatile backlight strobing feature to reduce persistence blur. You can adjust the backlight strobing flicker to your liking, which isn't something all monitors can do. However, like many monitors, this feature doesn't work simultaneously with VRR. Besides that, it has a fast response timeand other useful gaming features, like black stabilization, so it's easier to see your opponents in dark scenes.
See our review
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Best 1080p 144Hz Monitor
ASUS TUF Gaming VG249Q1A 8
Gaming
7.9
Size
24"Pixel Type
IPSMax Refresh Rate
165 HzNative Resolution
1920 x 1080See all our test results
If you want a cheap and basic monitor with a 1080p resolution, there are a few good options with a 144Hz refresh rate, like the ASUS TUF Gaming VG249Q1A, and you can even overclock its 144Hz native refresh rate to 165Hz. While this isn't as good for competitive gaming as the ViewSonic XG2431, it's still very good for PC gaming, especially if you're on a limited budget and are building your first gaming setup. It has incredible motion handling, and fast-moving objects look fairly crisp, even at lower refresh rates. Like the ViewSonic, it also includes a backlight strobing feature to reduce persistence blur, but it isn't as customizable.
It's rather limited in features, which is expected of a cheap gaming monitor. However, you can still add virtual crosshairs to give you a competitive advantage, as your game's anti-cheat tool won't detect it.
See our review
Notable Mentions
- ASUS ROG Swift Pro PG248QP: The ASUS ROG Swift Pro PG248QP is a premium 1080p competitive gaming monitor with a slightly higher 540Hz refresh rate than the Dell Alienware AW2524H. However, it usually costs more and has worse picture quality. The Dell is the better choice unless you need the highest possible refresh rate. See our review
- ASUS VG246H: The ASUS VG246H is a cheap 1080p monitor that's useful if you need something for work, as it has better ergonomics than the ASUS TUF Gaming VG249Q1A. However, it's harder to find and has fewer gaming features than the VG249Q1A. See our review
Recent Updates
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Jun 05, 2024: Moved the ASUS VG246H to the Notable Mentions as it's becoming harder to find.
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Apr 17, 2024: Confirmed that our picks are available and updated the text to ensure proper information is provided about each product. Replaced the Acer Nitro XF243Y Pbmiiprx with the ASUS ROG Swift Pro PG248QP in the Notable Mentions.
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Jan 31, 2024: Added the ASUS VG246H as 'Best Cheap' for consistency with other articles; removed the ASUS ROG Swift 360Hz PG259QN from the Notable Mentions because it's hard to find.
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Nov 23, 2023: Replaced the Acer Predator X25 bmiiprzx with the Dell Alienware AW2524H for consistency with other articles; replaced the Acer Nitro XF243Y Pbmiiprx with the ASUS TUF Gaming VG249Q1A because the Acer is hard to find.
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Sep 29, 2023: Made sure that the monitors are still available to purchase and updated text for clarity.
All Reviews
Our recommendations are based on what we think are the best monitors with a native resolution of 1080p that arecurrently available, including the best 1080p gaming monitors. They are adapted to be valid for most people in each price range. Rating is based on our review, factoring in price and feedback from our visitors.
If you would prefer to make your own decision, here is the list of all of our 1080p monitorreviews. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. Most monitors are good enough to please most people, and the things we fault monitors on are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.
