A 4K gaming monitor is the ultimate way to experience your favorite PC games. The enhanced resolution provides incredible sharpness that brings out details you’d miss at a lower resolution. Distant objects that were once a blurry mess become clear as day.
Buying a 4K gaming monitor is an investment, however, as most models are at least $500. You may spend several times that for a high-refresh 4K gaming monitor that supports both AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync. We’ve compared dozens of options to find the best 4K gaming monitors available right now – and click here to find them in the UK.
TL;DR – These are the Best 4K Gaming Monitors:
- Acer Nitro XV282K
- Gigabyte M28U
- Dell S2721QS
- Samsung Odyssey G70A
- Asus ROG Swift PG32UQ
- Asus ROG Swift PG32UQX
- Gigabyte Aorus FV43U
- LG C1 OLED 48-inch
1. Acer Nitro XV282K
Best 4K Gaming Monitor
The Acer Nitro XV282K is an easy recommendation among the current crop of 4K gaming monitors. It hits a value sweet spot by providing a high maximum refresh rate, multiple HDMI 2.1 ports, and great image quality for less than $1,000. This is an IPS monitor with a refresh rate that can overclock up to 170Hz. Motion clarity is excellent and AMD FreeSync is supported. G-Sync support is not official, though we tested the monitor with G-Sync and found it worked without flaw.
The monitor’s contrast ratio is high for an IPS panel. A wide color gamut and great color accuracy provide a vivid, lifelike picture. It’s a bright display, as well, with a sustained peak of 400 nits. Most games look stunning. Build quality is modest, though fine. The stand looks unimpressive but adjusts for height and keeps the display stable. Around back you’ll find two HDMI 2.1 ports and DisplayPort, while USB-A ports are available for adding wired peripherals.
2. Gigabyte M28U
Best Budget 4K Gaming Monitor
The Gigabyte M28U is perfect for gamers who don’t have a ton of cash but still want a 4K monitor with a high refresh rate. It offers both a price far lower than most alternatives.
On top of being cheap, the M28U has a colorful, accurate image with excellent sharpness. The 144Hz refresh rate and IPS panel hold up in fast-paced games. The catch? Brightness. At 300 nits sustained, the M28U could seem dim when used in a bright room.
Build quality is acceptable. The Gigabyte M28U looks basic, but inoffensive, and includes a height-adjustable stand. It supports HDMI 2.1, USB-C, and has three USB-A ports, features that aren’t found on some more expensive alternatives.
3. Dell S2721QS
Best Ultra-Cheap 4K Gaming Monitor
Want a 4K gaming monitor for about $400, or less? Dell’s S272QS is a general-use monitor that’s also suitable for gaming. Image quality is excellent. The monitor’s sharpness, brightness, contrast, and color accuracy are all comparable to the Acer Nitro XV282K. Its color gamut is not as wide as most monitors on this list, but it’s still fine for gaming.
This is a 60Hz display and the IPS panel lists a typical response time of 5 milliseconds, so gaming will not feel as smooth as a 144Hz alternative. FreeSync is supported, at least. Build quality is good. The white-and-silver finish fits in a typical home office setup. A height-adjustable stand is included. Ports are limited, though, with only HDMI and DisplayPort available.
4. Samsung Odyssey G70A
Best 4K FreeSync Gaming Monitor
Samsung’s Odyssey G70A is an often overlooked 4K gaming monitor. It has a 144Hz refresh rate and good motion clarity at an affordable price. The Odyssey G70A delivers performance similar to other 4K IPS gaming monitors. It has mediocre contrast but makes up for that with vivid, accurate color, decent brightness, and excellent sharpness.
This is a 144Hz monitor with official support for AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, making it a great pick for AMD video cards. The monitor claims G-Sync support, but it’s not on Nvidia’s official list of compatible monitors. Build quality is adequate, though the monitor’s design is brash. The stand can adjust for height. HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort, and USB-A ports are included.
5. Asus ROG Swift PG32UQ
Best 4K G-Sync Gaming Monitor
The Asus ROG Swift PG32UQ is among the few 4K gaming monitors with official G-Sync support. It’s a solid gaming display with awesome HDR performance. Image quality is better than average. The monitor supports a wide color gamut and has high color accuracy. It beats most competitors in brightness, hitting up to 600 nits in HDR mode. This provides punchy visuals when playing HDR games.
Motion clarity is great thanks to the 144Hz refresh rate and official G-Sync compatibility. Unlike many competitors, this monitor is listed on Nvidia’s website as officially certified. Build quality is a highlight. This is a large, sturdy monitor that looks and feels durable. The height-adjustable stand is among the most stable you’ll find. The monitor supports HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort, and has two USB-A ports.
6. Asus ROG Swift PG32UQX
Best 4K HDR Gaming Monitor
The Asus ROG Swift PG32UQX is a nearly unbeatable gaming monitor. It serves up 4K sharpness with a dynamic Mini-LED backlight with 1,152 zones that can turn on and off independently. This helps the PG32UQX deliver a contrast ratio four times better than an average gaming monitor with an IPS panel. It can also hit a peak brightness of 1,400 nits and sustain about 600 nits, making it a killer HDR display. Color gamut and accuracy are class-leading, too.
The monitor has a 144Hz refresh rate. It supports AMD FreeSync and G-Sync Ultimate, which means it can provide smooth frame pacing even at low frame rates. Its IPS panel is not the most responsive, though, so you may see ghosting at times.
Build quality is excessive. This is a massive, hefty monitor that’s overkill for most gaming setups. It has unusual extras like a tripod mount for a webcam and a small LCD display that can show extra information like game framerate. Console gamers should note this monitor does not support HDMI 2.1. However, it can achieve 120Hz gameplay on Xbox Series X|S models through a chroma subsampling mode. It can only display 60Hz with a PlayStation 5.
7. Gigabyte Aorus FV43U
Best Big Screen 4K Gaming Monitor
The Gigabyte Aorus FV43U is an easy choice for gamers who want a big display or a television replacement. It delivers attractive image quality at a price similar to many 32-inch gaming monitors. The Aorus FV43U, unlike most displays on this list, has a VA panel with a contrast ratio beyond what IPS can achieve (without a Mini-LED backlight, at least). Color gamut and accuracy are great. The monitor’s maximum brightness of up to 1000 nits adds punch to HDR games.
The Aorus FV43U has a refresh rate up to 144Hz and supports AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, but the VA panel’s response times are modest in dark scenes. This can cause a “smearing” effect behind dark objects in motion so the quality of motion clarity is mixed on this display. HDMI 2.1 is supported, making the FV43U a natural choice for game consoles. It also supports DisplayPort, USB-C, and USB-A for wired peripherals.
8. LG C1 OLED 48-inch
Best 4K OLED Gaming Monitor
The LG C1 OLED 48-inch is the gold standard for console gaming. It combines good sharpness with unmatched contrast and top-tier color performance. Brightness is less impressive than the TV’s other traits but it’s fine for use in most rooms. Motion clarity is excellent thanks to the OLED panel’s lightning-quick response times, which also make ghosting a non-issue. A maximum refresh rate of 120Hz makes the LG C1 OLED an obvious choice for the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync are supported.
PC gamers should note the C1 OLED has an unusual WBGR subpixel layout. This results in lackluster text clarity that can be noticeable when displaying fine text or viewing at short distances. This monitor comes with four HDMI 2.1 ports, three USB-A ports, Ethernet, and a cable connector. It lacks DisplayPort, but the wealth of HDMI 2.1 options makes this easy to forgive.
Where to Get the Best 4K Gaming Monitor in the UK
What you need to look for in a 4K Gaming Monitor
4K is pushing the limit of what’s possible on a typical gaming PC, so 4K gaming monitors don’t support some features found at other resolutions. For example, you won’t find any 360Hz or 240Hz gaming monitors that output at Quad HD. Most models aren’t great at HDR, either, with a few exceptions noted on this list.
All 4K monitors produce a sharp image, so you’re pretty much free to choose a screen size as big as you want and your budget will warrant. Because the pixel density is so tight you generally want to pick a display that’s at least 27 to 32 inches. And if you really want to go big, we generally feel that you can’t see the individual pixels of a 4K screen until you get up to a 65 inch.
Conversely though, sharpness generally improves as the size of a display decreases. The same number of pixels are packed in a smaller space. A 27-inch or 28-inch 4K monitor will be sharper than a 32-inch monitor, which will appear sharper than a 43-inch or 48-inch alternative. The difference is minor but worth considering if image clarity is your top priority.
Most 4K monitors use an IPS display panel that offer a lackluster contrast ratio. The good news is they also sport high brightness, great motion clarity, and accurate color. A rare few alternatives use a VA panel. This type of display boosts contrast ratio and retains good color performance, though often at the cost of motion clarity in dark scenes.
Gamers should keep an eye out for new models with a Mini-LED backlight. This pairs an IPS panel with an array of LED dimming zones to improve contrast. Mini-LED monitors deliver eye-searing HDR, as well. So far, there’s only a handful of Mini-LEDs options on the market, but they’ll become more common in the near future.
OLED is mostly exclusive to the television market for now. A few 4K OLED monitors are available, such as the LG 32EP950-B, but they’re extremely expensive and target professional media production instead of gaming.
Most 4K gaming monitors max out at a 144Hz refresh rate, though some slightly exceed that with an overclocking mode. This might seem disappointing at a glance. 4K gaming places a heavy load on a gaming PC, however, so many games will fail to constantly hit 144 frames per second, nevermind 240 FPS or more.
All the monitors on this list support AMD FreeSync or Nvidia G-Sync, and some support both. Nvidia fans should note that monitors which do not officially support Nvidia G-Sync may still work with Nvidia video cards. If you want a monitor with a G-Sync module, however, check out our round-up of the best G-Sync monitors.
