June 21 2019

Best 1080p Gaming Monitor

Most questions in the tech world have no definitive answer. Different personal preferences and circumstances contribute to indecisiveness surrounding fun gadgets. Figuring out whether an SSD is better than the best gaming HDD is really difficult. Even agreeing on what the optimal GPU temperature is near impossible thanks to different factors and opinions. However, for us at least, it’s pretty easy to tell which 1080p monitor is the best.

A 1080p monitor is a display that can produce FHD (Full HD) images. Characterized by the 1920×1080 resolution, 1080p monitors can display 1920 pixels horizontally, and 1080 pixels vertically.

Is this good for gaming?

Yes, it is.

Let’s take a look at the best 1080p gaming monitors currently available on the market. If you’re interested in something more expensive or if you just want to see a broader range of picks, check out our list of the all-around best gaming monitors.

Best Choice: BenQ ZOWIE RL2460S

Pros & Cons

  • HDMI for streaming
  • Ergonomic and adjustable
  • Many different presets
  • Underwhelming fighting mode
  • A bit expensive for 24” 1080p
  • Not great quality of sound

Key Features:

  • Ergonomic Design
  • Anti Eye-Strain Technology
  • High-Quality Display

Specifications:

  • Screen size: 24-inch
  • Аspect ratio: 16:9
  • Resolution: 1920 x 1080 (1080p) Full HD
  • Refresh rate: Up to 75 Hz
  • Response time: 1ms
  • Connection ports: dual HDMI, DVI

BenQ ZOWIE RL2460S Review

Overall, the BenQ ZOWIE RL2460S is a phenomenal gaming monitor. With its dual HDMI ports, it is equally great for both gaming PCs and consoles. This monitor has a lightning-fast response time and offers a lag-free display that provides a truly beautiful gaming experience.

The BenQ ZOWIE RL2460S is completely flicker-free, which reduces eye strain and improves comfort for those marathon gaming sessions. The awesome color vibrancy and black equalizer technology improves color representation and generally enhances the gaming experience.

Even though this isn’t a major issue for most gamers, there is one slight downside to this monitor. Its refresh rate tops out at 75Hz, but that’s still pretty good.

One great thing about the monitor is that the setup is completely ergonomic. The 1080p gaming monitor from BenQ is VESA-compatible and highly adjustable so it can accommodate any gamer. A wide variety of customization options allows you to adjust the display angles for any gaming or work preference. This makes the BenQ ZOWIE RL2460S an overall excellent monitor for its price.

 

Premium Pick: ASUS VG278Q

Pros & Cons

  • Ergonomic adjustable stand
  • Eye care technology
  • Fast response and refresh rate
  • FreeSync support
  • Sound is not exceptional
  • TN panel can be inconvenient

Key Features

  • Marathon-ready with ASUS eye-care technology which minimizes eye fatigue
  • Ergonomic and adjustable stand, movable in any direction
  • Compatible with G-SYNC and Adaptive Sync for a tear-free gaming experience
  • Viewing Angle (CR≧10): 170°(H)/160°(V)
  • Flicker-free with Game Visual & Game Plus functions
  • Built-in speakers

Specifications:

  • Screen size: 27-inch
  • Aspect ratio: 16:9
  • Resolution: 1920 x 1080 (1080p) full HD
  • Refresh rate: up to 144 Hz
  • Response time: 1ms
  • Connection ports: HDMI, DVI

ASUS VG278Q Review

While it’s not exactly cheap, this gaming monitor is one of the best 1080p monitors you can buy. With a stunning 144Hz refresh rate, you are definitely getting your money’s worth.

One thing we’d like to mention is the screen size. A 27-inch screen with such a high refresh rate is usually much more expensive. I’d call this ASUS one of the best gaming monitors under $300. The VG278Q has an enhanced gaming display with G-SYNC and eye-care technology designed for gaming marathons. It comes with an ergonomic stand that can be tilted in any direction.

Last but not least, the ASUS VG278Q is VESA-compatible which increases the number of gaming options. The 1ms response time and an industry-leading refresh rate are bound to satisfy the demands of just about any gamer.

Overall, the VG278Q has only one thing that we weren’t thrilled about. It’s expensive for a 1080p monitor. Otherwise, I recommend getting this screen before it goes out of stock.

Best Value: BenQ GL2460HM

Pros & Cons

  • Flicker-free and eye care technology
  • Very good price-to-quality ratio
  • Easy to set up
  • Good picture and color quality
  • Speakers aren’t great
  • Shorter viewing angle

Key Features:

  • Zero-flicker and eye care technologies improve comfort and reduce eye strain at all brightness levels
  • Reduces harmful blue light to reduce eye fatigue
  • Built-in speakers
  • VESA compatible

Specifications:

  • Screen size: 24 in.
  • Aspect ratio: 16:9
  • Resolution: 1920 x 1080 (1080p) full HD.
  • Refresh rate: 60 Hz
  • Response time: 2 ms
  • Connection ports: HDMI

BenQ GL2460HM Review

Right now, you might be asking yourself, “How can a monitor this cheap be so good for gaming?”

Well, BenQ manufactured it. Also, they cut down the size just a bit. In my eyes, that’s a great trade-off for the amazing build quality.

But seriously, for $100, this is one of the best budget gaming monitors you can find. The refresh rate is fine at 60Hz, and the 2ms response time is nothing to laugh at. Although most gamers prefer monitors that have a 144Hz refresh rate, I almost never notice the difference.

I can’t imagine a gamer who would call a full HD monitor with a 1920 x 1080 resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio, and a response time of 2 ms “bad.” It comes with built-in speakers, has a sleek-looking gloss finish, and it is compatible with most wall mounts.

Its eye-care technology, blue light filters, and flicker-free display reduce eye strain and fatigue. This makes the GL2460HM perfect for long gaming sessions. The best part of this product is its price, which, in light of its features, makes it affordable and worthwhile. All of this makes the BenQ GL2460HM one of the best gaming monitors under $200.

Best Curved: Sceptre C248B-144R

Pros & Cons

  • Great gaming performance
  • AMD FreeSync
  • Gamer-oriented features
  • Narrow viewing angles
  • Lack of USB ports

Key Features:

  • AMD FreeSync for synchronization between monitor refresh rate and GPU frame rate
  • Anti-flicker technology
  • Anti-eye strain technology
  • Smooth curved display

Specifications:

  • Screen size: 24-inch curved
  • Aspect ratio: 16:9
  • Resolution: 1920 x 1080 (1080p) full HD
  • Refresh rate: up to 144 Hz
  • Response time: 4 ms
  • Connection ports: HDMI, DVI, DisplayPort

Sceptre C248B-144R Review

A curved, full-HD monitor that’s also affordable? Now, that’s something that we don’t see every day. While some of its features aren’t really top-tier (we’ll talk about that in a moment), it’s still a great gaming monitor. (If you’re specifically in the market for a great curved monitor for gaming, we’ve got a guide for that too.)

The Sceptre C248B-144R is an excellent gaming monitor with 1080p resolution and a fast refresh rate of 144 Hz. It has customizable presets for game genres (RTS and FPS) and anti-flicker technology that makes it eyeball-friendly.

It also features AMD FreeSync, which synchronizes the frame rate of your GPU and the refresh rate of your monitor. AMD’s software makes the gaming experience better and the picture smoother. If you’re a proud owner of one of the best AMD graphics cards for gaming, this might be the perfect monitor for you.

There are two downsides to the Sceptre. First of all, the 4ms response time isn’t the best. In theory, everything below 5ms is good enough. Still, most gaming monitors have 1-2ms, even at low prices. The second and third cons are a narrow viewing angle and a stand that does not allow for much adjustment. This monitor compensates for it with its affordable price.

Best for Consoles: BenQ ZOWIE RL2755

Pros & Cons

  • Lag-free
  • Easy to set up
  • Great performance
  • Custom gaming modes
  • Sound quality is not exceptional
  • Potential inverse ghosting

Key Features

  • 27-inch 1080p display
  • 1ms response time eliminates input lag
  • Black eQualizer and Color Vibrance improve color representation and overall picture quality
  • Adjustable display area size for different purposes, preset customized display modes for different game genres (RTS, fighting, FPS)
  • Bezel frame and flicker-free technology reduce eye strain and fatigue
  • Adjustable stand, VESA compatible
  • Compatible with any console or PC
  • Dual HDMI connectivity
  • Built-in speakers

Specifications:

  • Screen size: 27-inch
  • Aspect ratio: 16:9
  • Resolution: 1920 x 1080 (1080p) full HD
  • Refresh rate: 60 Hz
  • Response time: 1 ms
  • Connection ports: dual HDMI, DVI

BenQ ZOWIE RL2755 Review

This is definitely one of the best monitors for console gaming. What makes it so good is the 27-inch 1080p full-HD display with a rapid response rate. Not only does it eliminate lag and enhance the gaming experience, but the size still works for 4+ people playing a couch co-op game in the same room.

Multitudes of gaming monitors are marketed as the best gaming monitor for PS4, and we think the BenQ ZOWIE RL2755 deserves consideration for that award, too. I’m personally not a fan of anything below 27 inches when it comes to consoles.

This BenQ monitor has Anti-Flicker technology accompanied by Color Vibrance. Black eQualizer improves the quality of the picture and makes the whole experience relaxing and comfortable. It also dramatically reduces eye strain or fatigue that could be induced by prolonged use.

The BenQ ZOWIE RL2755 is user-friendly since the stand is adjustable in every way. The monitor is VESA compatible which makes it flexible and less space demanding.  Different display presets make this monitor adaptable enough to make every gamer feel like they got what they wanted.

Overall, the RL2755 is a solid gaming monitor like most BenQ screens. The only downside I could think of is the refresh rate. Even though  60Hz is perfectly serviceable, they could’ve gone up to 75Hz for the money.

1080p Gaming Monitor: Buying Guide

The evolution of gaming (with ever-increasing graphics requirements) has incentivized manufacturers to produce better and better monitors. Recently, a huge number of unique features for enhancing gamers’ experience have appeared in new keyboards, GPUs, and other peripherals. It’s only natural that gaming monitors would follow suit.

Every customer can find a bunch of options for their budget. The problem is that all of these new features are not making buying decisions any easier. We’re going to discuss the most critical specifications of a gaming monitor and explain what you should look for when shopping for one.

Refresh Rate

The refresh rate is the number of pictures per second that your monitor shows. Since this value is described as frequency, we measure it in Hz. The minimum refresh rate of most modern monitors is 60 Hz. If you’re unsure about how to check a monitor’s refresh rate, you should read our article that explains that, as well as how to change the refresh rate.

dual 1080p monitor gaming setup

With this in mind, the rule of thumb should be “the bigger, the better.” A higher refresh rate results in a much smoother picture.

Cutting-edge monitors designed explicitly for gaming often come with a refresh rate of 144Hz. The best 1080p gaming monitors can sometimes be considered “dated” in that regard. Most of the products featured on our list have refresh rates of 60Hz to 75Hz; it’s hard to find a cheap 1080p monitor with a 100Hz or 144Hz refresh rate.

Response Time

Response time (measured in milliseconds) is the time interval that your monitor needs to change the color of a pixel from black to white. In the case of GTG (gray-to-gray) response time, it means changing the pixel color from one shade of gray to another.

The less response time, the better. This is especially true for gaming because higher response times result in motion blur when your monitor displays fast motions. Fast motion is pretty common in video games, especially graphically-taxing games.

Nowadays, 5ms is a pretty standard and generally acceptable response time for gaming monitors, while the fastest monitors come with a response time of 1ms.

Screen Size

Screen size is measured in inches diagonally, and it depends partly on the monitor’s aspect ratio. Aspect ratio is a ratio between height and width, and for gaming monitors, it is most commonly 16:9.

However, you should keep in mind that it needs to correspond with a screen resolution to provide an excellent gaming experience. If the screen is over 27in, it should ideally have a 2k resolution or better, because lower-resolution images will look markedly less clear when stretched across bigger screens.

BenQ HT2150 1080p Home Theater Projector Playing Games

Otherwise, screen resolution should be picked based on individual preferences, gaming mode, and overall setup. For example, one of the factors should be the viewer’s distance from the screen. This is a topic we talk about in more detail when discussing the best gaming projectors.

Resolution

Monitors consist of small dots called pixels, and each pixel consists of three subpixels for each color. Your monitor has a number of pixels placed horizontally and a number of pixels placed vertically. These two numbers (horizontal x vertical) are the resolution. The more pixels that a screen can fit on one square inch, the better the resolution. This provides an overall higher-quality picture.

Again, higher is generally better. However, it has to be compared with GPU performance and refresh rate. If your GPU is not strong enough, then a lower resolution is needed to have a higher refresh rate.

The minimum that should be considered for gaming nowadays is 1080p. One thing should be kept in mind: If a very high resolution (such as 5k) is not supported by a powerful gaming GPU, you can encounter a bunch of issues and possibly even damage your peripherals.

Build Quality & Additional Features

Build quality and additional features should definitely not be overlooked. Although not directly influencing the picture quality, some of these traits can strongly influence the gaming experience.

monitor screen resolution

You should think about your overall setup. Where is your monitor standing and does that make you comfortable? There are many adjustable stands and mounts that can significantly improve your positioning and reduce back pain. Take some time to consider that. If you pick a monitor based on your gaming style, it will pay off.

The type of connection also makes a huge difference. If you are thinking about buying a monitor, make sure to consider what kinds of ports it uses. HDMI ports are the most common, but DVI and DisplayPort connections are sometimes needed for higher resolutions and refresh rates.

Display Type

The main LCD monitor panel types are TN (twisted nematic), VA (vertical alignment), and IPS (in-plane switching).

TN is usually the fastest in response time and refresh rate, but it has a low picture and color quality. VA is slowest, but it provides better depth and contrast. IPS is slower than TN, but it gives the best color quality. In gaming, most budget-friendly panels are TN.

Displays are also either curved or flat. Some people consider curved screens to be more immersive. They have a wider field of view and reduce “fishbowl” distortion. On the other hand, flat screens are more flexible to set or mount and generally have better view angles.

curved 1080p gaming monitor sceptre

There are some other additional features that should be considered in a gaming monitor, such as AntiFlicker technology, Color Vibrancy, black eQualizer, and other features that reduce eye strain and improve color quality. FreeSync, AMD Sync, and GSync, which enable synchronization between monitor and GPU, should be chosen according to your GPU to maximize performance.


Best 1080p Gaming Monitors: Frequently Asked Questions

When faced with the decision to purchase a gaming monitor, most customers have questions. Should I get a 1440p monitor instead of 1080p? Will my GPU be able to synchronize with this display? Did I turn the stove off?

I can’t help you with the stove, but I’ll answer the most common questions that come to mind when you’re purchasing a 1080p gaming monitor.

What Is a 1080p Gaming Monitor?

The 1080p monitor is a screen that can display pictures in 1920 x 1080 resolution. It’s also known as Full HD or HD. As of 2020, 1080p monitors are considered low- or mid-range displays because there are better and more modern displays.

For example, 1440p could be considered the standard resolution for gaming, and anything above (like 4K) is high-end. However, 1080p monitors can also be curved, have large screens and cost a fortune. It’s all up to your personal preference and budget constraints.

Is 1080p Good for Gaming?

1080p looks good, doesn’t weigh heavy on your graphics card, and it’s inexpensive. With that in mind, it can be considered ideal for many gamers. Many games today support higher resolutions, but GPUs that can keep up are very expensive.

1080p monitor overwatch genji

For example, a 1440p monitor coupled with one of the best 1080 Ti GPUs will always look better than anything on a 1080p monitor. However, going full HD means maintaining a balance between good picture quality and the amount of work that your graphics card has to do. What does that mean? You save cash.

Gaming Monitor: 1080p vs. 720p

Short answer: 1080p is much better due to a higher number of pixels. Of course, the real answer will depend on your graphics card. For example, if you’re sporting a really old GPU, you may not even get to 1080p. It could cause issues and may be better off getting a 720p gaming monitor.

However, such graphics card are almost extinct, and even budget-friendly modern graphics cards are fully compatible with 1080p monitors.

Gaming Monitor: 1080p vs. 1440p

We already know what 1080p means. Since we’re taking a deep dive into monitors today, you might as well learn that 1440p monitors are the ones with a resolution of 2560 x 1440. They share the 16:9 aspect ratio with 1080p monitors.

Usually, a resolution that high becomes necessary when the screen size goes higher than 27 inches. Having a monitor that sports the 1440p resolution will demand more power from your GPU and that makes a lower refresh rate likely. Unless your budget is fairly large, 1080p is a better choice.

Lenovo Legion Y27gq 1440p 240Hz G-Sync Monitor

Hey, pssst, if your budget is flexible, check out the best 1440p gaming monitor. 😉

Gaming Monitor: 1080p vs. 4K

I don’t recommend going with a 4K gaming monitor for at least the next few years. Sure, tons of people have them and the technology is there. However, it seems like more of a buzzword than an actual useful addon to your gaming rig.

4K is just too demanding for a GPU. According to some sources, even the NVIDIA RTX 2070 struggles to provide a frame rate for this resolution. However, if you own an RTX 2080 or 2080 Ti, knock yourself out and get the best 4K gaming monitor on the market.


Conclusion

If you are looking for a new budget-friendly monitor for your gaming setup, the best 1080p monitors are the ones that provide the best balance of features and price. However, choosing one that’s just right for you isn’t always easy. Your specific demands and gaming style should help you make a choice depending on the monitor characteristics.

If you already own an awesome 1080p monitor that isn’t featured on our list, shoot me a message in the comments. If it’s that good, we might review it and consider including it here.


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Author

Alex Popovic