There's something of a sweet spot in gaming monitors, and it's 27 inches. At the typical distances you'll find yourself from a monitor on a desk, a 27-inch display does a good job providing plenty of space without completely overtaking your field of view. And, when you pair that display area with a 2,560 x 1,440 resolution, you can get a strong balance of size and clarity. In smaller rooms, a 27-inch monitor can even make a decent substitute for a TV when you a pair it with a good set of speakers.
The existence of that sweet spot is probably part of the reason there are so many 27-inch, 1440p monitors on the market. You'll find high-speed models that can let you game with buttery-smooth frame rates and variable refresh rates as well as some models that support HDR. There are budget options with TN panels and premium models with speedy IPS panels – even QLED technology is on the table.
We've rounded up our top picks to make your selection process easier. Whether you want an affordable contender or the best of the best, you'll find it here — or click here to find it in the UK. See certified refurbished computer monitors on eBay for a bit more savings too.
TL;DR: These are the Best 27-inch Gaming Monitors:
- Viotek GFI27DBXA
- Gigabyte Aorus FI27Q-X Tactical Gaming Display
- ViewSonic Elite XG270Q
- Asus TUF Gaming VG27AQL1A
- Samsung Odyssey G7
- Alienware 27 Gaming Monitor (AW2721D)
- Gigabyte M27Q
- LG 27GN950-B UltraGear
1. LG 27GL850-B UltraGear
Best 27-inch Gaming Monitor
A 27-inch monitor might seem like a trade-off as some bigger monitors try to take center stage, but the LG 27GL850 (read our review) is so good that it'll help you forget about all those larger displays. This monitor strikes a great balance with a 1440p resolution and 144Hz refresh rate, giving you a solid performance target for your system to get both sharp and smooth game visuals.
The LG 27GL850 boasts some nice extras to make that picture even more enjoyable as well. With a 350-nit peak brightness from its Nano IPS display and support for a 10-bit color depth and HR10, you can dip your toes into HDR visuals. You'll get to keep your frames clean on PC and console alike, as the display also supports both FreeSync and G-Sync. All that, and the LG 27GL850 even manages excellent response times, making for a reliable picture even in fast-paced games. This amazing display comes at just $500, but you can sometimes find it going for even less, making it a hard monitor to pass up.
2. Viotek GFI27DBXA
Best Budget 27-inch Gaming Monitor
It wasn’t long ago that we could have considered a fairly basic monitor offering 1440p and 144Hz for close to $300 a great budget option. The Viotek GFI27DBXA shows just how much this segment and the technology in these monitors has come in just the last few years. For just $350 (or $320 with the current deal), you get a speedy 1440p monitor, but you’re not settling for basic specs across the rest of the board.
The Viotek GFI27DBXA goes extra fast with a 180Hz refresh rate. OK, so that means it has a cheap TN panel, right? Wrong. Viotek opted for a fast IPS panel to deliver those speeds and even extensive color — we’re talking 10-bit color depth support. The display isn’t dim either, offering a 600-nit peak brightness to go alongside its HDR support. What more could you want out of an affordable gaming monitor, a flexible stand? It has that, too, and the option to use a VESA mount instead.
3. Gigabyte Aorus FI27Q-X Tactical Gaming Display
Best FreeSync 27-inch Gaming Monitor
27-inch gaming monitors get some of the most love from manufacturers, and that's as true as ever with the Gigabyte Aorus FI27Q-X. This gaming monitor is excellent for gamers in need of FreeSync support, and given the specs, you'll likely be relying on that FreeSync more often than not. That's because the display panel has both a high resolution of 1440p and an astronomical refresh rate at 240Hz. Even on higher-end rigs, getting 240fps at 1440p will likely prove challenging in modern games, so the FreeSync on deck can help keep your visuals unharmed.
Gigabyte also ensures you get a stunning picture out of each frame by including powerful enough backlights to hit 450 nits and using an IPS panel that supports a 10-bit color depth. This is enough to get you a taste of HDR that you might not get from other 240Hz esports monitors. And, to top it all off, you have the option to switch over to G-Sync in the future without needing a new monitor, so you won't be locked into an AMD platform if a new Nvidia GPU strikes your fancy.
4. ViewSonic Elite XG270Q
Best G-Sync 27-inch gaming monitor
Go bigger, go brighter, go sharper, and go faster — these are all things the ViewSonic Elite XG270Q will let you do over a more baseline gaming display. And, with G-Sync compatibility, it’ll let you do so while enjoying an experience free of screen tearing or stutter.
The ViewSonic Elite XG270Q puts a sizable 27-inch display on your desk, making it that much easier to spot enemies in the distance or smaller details that might have been lost on a 24-inch gaming monitor. It bumps up from 1080p to 1440p to keep visuals crisp on the larger display. And, for the HDR era, it’s also offering a bright IPS panel that can hit 400 nits while providing a 10-bit color depth for a more vibrant experience from your games. That 95% coverage of the cinematic DCI-P3 color space is really nothing to take lightly. You’ll get to enjoy all that visual fidelity at high speeds as well since this monitor can run at a 165Hz refresh rate.
5. Asus TUF Gaming VG27AQL1A
Best G-Sync Compatible 27-inch Gaming Monitor
The Asus TUF Gaming VG72AQL1A gives you an upgrade in just about every department over what you'd see from a traditional 1080p gaming monitor. This bad boy features a 1440p display with an IPS panel that can support both FreeSync and G-Sync, giving PC and console gamers alike something to take advantage of.
This monitor doesn't settle for a 120Hz or even a 144Hz refresh rate either. Instead, it can cruise at up to 170Hz. And, while a lot of monitors that focus on speed can fail to emphasize visual quality in other areas, the Asus TUF Gaming VG27AQL1A actually goes the extra mile to display a 10-bit color depth and shine with a 470-nit peak brightness. That combination will let you enjoy a hint of HDR in your games. So, if you want sharpness, speed, HDR, rich color, and variable refresh rate, you can't go wrong with this monitor, especially as it costs less than $500.
6. Samsung Odyssey G7
Best Curved 27-inch Gaming Monitor
Samsung has an exciting new entry to the 27-inch monitor field as well as the curved gaming monitor market. The Samsung Odyssey G7 delivers a 27-inch display but with a 1000R curvature that's a lot tighter than many of the other curved displays you'll find, giving you some extra immersion when you're close the screen.
This display also offers higher-spec features that make it much more compelling. For one, you're getting premium VRR (variable refresh rate) support with both G-Sync compatibility and FreeSync Premium Pro to offer a smoother experience on the 240Hz display. You also get a high-quality picture, as this monitor is using a QLED panel with a 600-nit peak brightness and 10-bit color depth. That means you can start to enjoy some HDR content with rich colors, strong contrast, and brilliant highlights.
The Samsung Odyssey G7 also has some neat extras. It offers two USB 3.0 pass-through ports, letting you keep your desk tidier with fewer cables running to your computer. It also has Infinity Core Lighting to provide some stylish backlighting effects at the rear of the monitor.
7. Alienware 27 Gaming Monitor (AW2721D)
Best 27-inch, 240Hz Gaming Monitor
Everyone and their next-door neighbor has a 1440p monitor with a 144Hz refresh rate. Maybe that's because of how wholeheartedly these monitors get recommended for their excellent balance of high clarity in both motion and resolution. But, with the latest graphics cards pushing ever faster frame rates while barely breaking a sweat with 1080p and 1440p, maybe it's time to think about something even faster. The new Alienware 27 Gaming Monitor (AW2721D) is ready for the high-performance future by combining a 27-inch, 1440p panel with a blisteringly fast 240Hz refresh rate.
This monitor pushes just about everything forward from the standard 1440p/144Hz gaming monitor of the last five or so years. Not only are you getting a super-fast IPS panel, but you're also getting a high peak brightness of 600-nits alongside a 10-bit color depth. The means you'll get the premium combination of high speeds, high resolution, and high dynamic range all at once. Alienware even wraps it all up with G-Sync Ultimate.
8. Gigabyte M27Q
Best 27-inch 1440p Gaming Monitor
If you want a modest 27-inch monitor that will stay particularly sharp thanks to a 1440p resolution while also being easier to run at high frame rates than a 4K display, then you're going to want the Gigabyte M27Q. This gaming monitor is competent all around. It may not be as stunning as some of the other 1440p monitors on this list, but it pairs commendable specs with an enticing price point.
You get a colorful IPS panel with a decent brightness level and support for HDR. You also get a solid uptick in speed over the typical 144Hz monitors you'll find, as the Gigabyte M27Q can actually hit a 170Hz refresh rate. It also delivers a 0.5ms response time. Gigabyte supports FreeSync Premium on this monitor, so tearing won't be an issue. You'll also get connectivity for three display sources, two over HDMI and one over DisplayPort. At this price, it's also surprising to see USB passthrough with two USB-A ports and even a USB-C port.
9. LG 27GN950-B UltraGear
Best 27-inch 4K Gaming Monitor
We know we said 1440p was the sweet spot, but if you're rocking a computer that just has too much muscle and you need to flex it, you can make the jump up to 4K with the LG 27GN950-B UltraGear and not miss out on speed. This 4K gaming monitor delivers up a 144Hz refresh rate so you can game right along with the best of your 1440p-bound compatriots (you'll just need to use DisplayPort with Display Stream Compression).
This display has plenty of perks beyond its resolution and refresh rate. For one thing, it offers up FreeSync Premium Pro and G-Sync compatibility to keep your gaming experience free from tearing, which will be a risk since not a lot of computers can hit a constant 144fps at 4K. You'll also be able to enjoy beefed up visuals thanks to 10-bit color support and a 650-nit peak brightness that helps this monitor serve up HDR visuals.
Where to Get the Best 27-Inch Gaming Monitor in the UK
What to Look For in a 27-inch Gaming Monitor
If you're already set on buying a 27-inch gaming monitor, you've already settled the big question of how large of a display is right for you. With that in mind, the biggest thing you need to consider is what resolution is right for you. At this screen size, it's worth looking only into displays that are sharper than 1080p as the pixel you get from a Full HD resolution panel are starting to spread out too far on a display this large.
Once you get into 27-inch monitors, it's best to start looking at displays with at least a 2,560 x 1,440 or Quad HD resolution. 4K isn't exactly necessary with a display this large, but it's also not necessarily a waste as the 3,840 x 2,160 resolution will still look sharper. Just be aware as you go up in resolution so will the price of the gaming monitors you look at.
Kevin Lee is IGN's Hardware and Roundups Editor. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam
Mark Knapp is a regular contributor to IGN and an irregular Tweeter on Twitter @Techn0Mark
