The 4 Best 4k Gaming Monitors - Summer 2024 Reviews

The best 4k gaming monitor we've tested is the Dell Alienware AW3225QF. It's a class-leading display with a QD-OLED panel and a 4k, 240Hz refresh rate. Gaming feels incredible, as it has an outstanding response time for incredibly sharp motion. The monitor also supports all common VRR formats to reduce screen tearing and has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, so it can take full advantage of modern gaming consoles and graphics cards.

While you'll need a very high-end graphics card to reach the max refresh rate at 4k, the monitor performs extremely well even at lower refresh rates. Its picture quality is outstanding as it displays extremely vivid images alongside deep and inky blacks without any blooming, and HDR highlights get bright enough to truly pop. This is the main advantage of getting a high-end QD-OLED display, and it has a few extra features, like Dolby Vision and eARC support, to connect a compatible soundbar, but you need to update it to the latest firmware for each of those features to work properly.

If you find the Dell Alienware AW3225QF too much out of your price range, the Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85 is a great alternative that you can get for less. It has a 240Hz refresh rate like the Dell, but the main trade-off is that it doesn't have a QD-OLED panel. This means it doesn't display the same deep blacks without any blooming like on the Dell, and colors are less vivid, too. That said, it still has good picture quality in HDR with decent Mini LED local dimming, and it makes small highlights stand out.

Although the Samsung monitor doesn't deliver the same near-instantaneous response time as the Dell either, motion still looks sharp thanks to its fast response time across its VRR range. It also has features you'd expect to find in a gaming monitor, like VRR support and HDMI 2.1 bandwidth. Its high refresh rate is ideal even for competitive gaming, but if you don't need such a high refresh rate, the Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 S32BG75 is a good alternative that you can find for a bit less with a lower 165Hz refresh rate.

If you're looking for a cheaper 4k gaming monitor in the mid-range price category, check out the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx instead. It has a lower refresh rate than the Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85, but that only makes a difference if you have a high-end PC gaming setup that can take advantage of such high refresh rates. However, it has similar picture quality to the Samsung because it also has Mini LED backlighting, but it has a lower native contrast ratio, so blacks don't look as deep if you don't use local dimming.

That said, it's still a good gaming monitor that has a fast response time, and even though its response time is a bit slower at lower refresh rates than the Samsung, motion still looks sharp. It also supports any type of VRR format, and with HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, you won't have any issues using it with gaming consoles and modern graphics cards. The main downside is that it has increased input lag at 60Hz, but that isn't an issue if you start gaming at higher refresh rates and use VRR to go down to 60Hz.

There are a few options you can choose from if you're looking for the best budget 4k gaming monitor. Although entry-level 4k monitors with gaming features tend to cost more than other simple 4k monitors, like those meant for office use, they're getting cheaper and are still worth getting as lower-cost 4k displays have worse gaming performance. If that's what you're interested in, the LG 27GR93U-B is a good choice, but there are a few trade-offs versus the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx. The main difference is that it doesn't have Mini LED backlighting or even a local dimming feature, so the picture quality is a lot worse, but that's what you have to expect for a budget-friendly monitor.

Besides the difference in picture quality, it's still good enough for gaming with a fast response time at any refresh rate. Although it also has a slightly lower 144Hz refresh rate than the Acer, it's still good enough for most gamers and supports HDMI 2.1 bandwidth. Its 27-inch screen also delivers an immersive experience; if you want something bigger, the LG 32GR93U-B performs similarly but costs more.