Smart Savings on Next-Gen Refresh Rate Panels for Games

For eSports and competitive gamers, a high refresh rate monitor can make the difference between a few kills and getting that winner-winner chicken dinner.

Investing in a 240Hz monitor can give you a competitive advantage in games that require lightning-quick reflexes, like first-person shooters, sports, and racing games.

Unlike 144Hz monitors, those with a 240Hz refresh rate are slightly on the higher end. Fortunately, the prices have dropped in the past few years, making it a great time to upgrade your battle station with a high refresh rate monitor.

These are the best cheap 240Hz monitors available right now.

AOC C27G2Z

Best Overall
$180 at Amazon

Acer Nitro XV272U W2bmiiprx

Best 1440p
$250 at Amazon

Sceptre C255B-FWT240

Most Affordable
$140 at Amazon

ASUS TUF Gaming VG279QM

Best Performance
$282 at Amazon

Sceptre E275B-FWD240 Gaming Monitor

Best Design
$200 at Amazon

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AOC C32G2ZE

Big Screen Gaming
$200 at Amazon

Our Picks for the Best Budget 240Hz Monitors in 2023

Best Overall

AOC C27G2Z

Best budget 240Hz gaming monitor

The AOC C27G2Z proves you don’t need to spend big bucks getting an excellent 240Hz gaming monitor. This affordable 1080p monitor offers a 240Hz refresh rate, an impressive 0.5ms response time, and FreeSync Premium—all the features you need for smooth, responsive gameplay without breaking the bank.

Pros

• Incredible value
• Excellent motion handling
• Supports FreeSync Premium VRR
• Brilliant contrast and curved for more immersion

Cons

• Not the sharpest display

$180 at Amazon $200 at Newegg

The AOC C27G2Z is an excellent value for competitive gaming. Behind the 240Hz refresh rate, it boasts a lightning-quick 0.5 ms pixel response time and FreeSync Premium VRR, which combine to deliver an ultra-smooth and responsive gaming experience. In addition, it has excellent motion handling and low input lag, which is great for highly competitive shooters and racing games.

The downside is that it uses a VA panel instead of an IPS, so you may see a bit of dark-level smearing. But on the upside, the VA panel has deeper blacks, which, combined with the curved 27-inch panel, deliver a more immersive viewing experience in games and movies. The stand is fully adjustable, and you get rich connectivity, including HDMI and DisplayPort.

Best 1440p

Acer Nitro XV272U W2bmiiprx

Best budget 1440p 240Hz monitor

$250$400 Save $150

If your gaming rig can handle 240Hz at 1440p, consider the Acer Nitro XV272U W2bmiiprx. It’s the first truly affordable 240Hz 1440p monitor, and it offers an excellent upgrade for gaming performance and image quality at a much more reasonable price.

Pros

• Sharp and vibrant display
• Smooth and responsive in games
• Excellent motion clarity
• VESA DisplayHDR 400 certified
• Excellent viewing angles

Cons

• HDMI supports up to 144Hz only

$250 at Amazon

The Acer Nitro XV272U W2bmiiprx is a 2023 model that replaces the Nitro ED271U Xbmiipx, our previous choice for the best budget 240Hz 1440p monitor. It’s one of the cheapest 1440p monitors with a 240Hz refresh rate. Despite the lower price, this monitor delivers a powerful gaming experience and consistent picture quality similar to premium options.

ASUS combined the 240Hz refresh rate with AMD’s FreeSync Premium and a lightning-fast 0.5m rapid response time to offer a fast and responsive panel that makes it easier to evade enemy fire or hit shots when playing competitive multiplayer FPS games. In addition, the Nitro XV272U W2bmiiprx uses an IPS panel, so colors are accurate and uniform at every angle, which is good for local co-op gaming.

At 27 inches, the 1440p resolution produces sharper and cleaner images than 1080p. Combined with its vibrant colors, the Nitro XV272U W2bmiiprx is an excellent option for not only gamers but also content creators as well. In addition, you can turn on HDR to bring your games and movies to life with vibrant colors and enhanced contrast.

Most Affordable

Sceptre C255B-FWT240

Affordable 24-inch 240Hz monitor

$140$155 Save $15

The Sceptre C255B-FWT240 is a perfect choice if you don’t have space for a big monitor or want the cheapest 240Hz monitor for competitive gaming.

Pros

• Incredible value
• Solid gaming features: 240Hz, 1ms, and FreeSync
• Built-in speakers
• Excellent connectivity

Cons

• Not height-adjustable

$140 at Amazon

As far as cheap 240Hz monitors go, you can’t get a better deal than the Sceptre C255B-FWT240. It’s only 24 inches, but the smaller size works in its favor as the 1080p resolution produces sharper and crisper images than on 27-inch or larger monitors. Sceptre packed this monitor with plenty of gaming goodies on top of the 240Hz, including FreeSync and G-Sync compatibility, a fast 1ms response time, and multiple game modes for improved accuracy and visibility.

The Sceptre C255B-FWT240 performs well in competitive games and has a curved screen that wraps around your field of view for added immersion. The smaller size ensures you see everything at once without having to constantly pan around, which eliminates distractions and keeps you focused on the game.

Of course, Sceptre had to cut some corners to lower the price, so you get a VA panel here instead of an IPS. However, viewing angles won’t be an issue for such a small display, and it actually offers a more immersive viewing experience with deeper blacks.

Best Performance

ASUS TUF Gaming VG279QM

Overclockable refresh rate to 280Hz

$282$299 Save $17

The ASUS TUF Gaming VG279QM is a speedy 240Hz gaming monitor that can be overclocked to 280Hz, offering a more responsive gaming experience than similar 240Hz monitors. It’s a perfect option if you want as much of a competitive advantage as possible.

Pros

• Faster refresh rate with a powerful backlight strobing feature
• Outstanding motion handling
• Good color accuracy and wide viewing angles
• Fully ergonomic design

Cons

• Low contrast ratio compared to VA panel

$282 at Amazon $299 at Newegg $330 at Best Buy

The ASUS TUF Gaming VG279QM sets the bar high for high-refresh rate monitors. It’s a relatively affordable 240Hz monitor, but unlike similar monitors, it can be overclocked to 280Hz to deliver a faster and more responsive gaming experience than any other option on this list. It also has a powerful backlight strobing feature that eliminates motion blur for excellent clarity in fast-moving objects.

The high refresh rate coupled with G-Sync compatibility means screen tearing is a thing of the past. It also has excellent in-game enhancements, from crosshairs to shadow control. Combined, these features create the perfect display for competitive gamers and one that will last a long time as far as high refresh rate gaming is concerned.

Since the TUF Gaming VG279QM runs on an IPS panel, it also delivers great colors. It covers up to 95 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut and supports DisplayHDR 400, so game worlds appear more realistic and immersive. You can get the full 240Hz refresh rate via both HDMI and DisplayPort, and the stand is fully adjustable for improved ergonomics.

Best Design

Sceptre E275B-FWD240 Gaming Monitor

If you don’t want a curved display

$200$230 Save $30

The Sceptre E275B-FWD240 is a perfect alternative for those who prefer not to use curved monitors. It offers a flat 27-inch panel with nice specs for competitive gaming and ambient LED lighting for added immersion.

Pros

• Reasonable price for 240hz
• Low input lag and VRR support
• Lots of input options
• Eye-catching LED lighting

Cons

• Some ghosting

$200 at Amazon $290 at Newegg $329 at Walmart

The Sceptre E275B-FWD240 isn’t the most feature-rich gaming monitor around, but it gets all the basics right, making it a solid 240Hz monitor for gamers on a budget. We’re talking about a 240Hz panel with a 1ms response time that should wow most competitive gamers and FreeSync Premium support that eliminates screen tearing for a smooth and responsive experience.

The resolution is standard 1080p, but it’s still sharp enough for most people at 27 inches. With 99% sRGB, you won’t have any issues with color accuracy, especially if you’re buying this monitor solely for gaming. The only downside is that it doesn’t get bright enough, but even that shouldn’t be a problem in a room with minimal lighting.

With the Sceptre E275B-FWD240, you don’t need to invest in external speakers as it comes with decent built-in speakers. It’s nothing mind-blowing, but they get the job done at no additional cost. The monitor has RGB lighting for more immersion and personalization, and it comes with a fully adjustable stand so you can easily find the best viewing angle.

Big Screen Gaming

AOC C32G2ZE

Go big without hurting your pockets

$279$280 Save $1

With a bigger, curved panel with brilliant contrast and deeper blacks, the AOC C32G2ZE delivers one of the most immersive viewing experiences from a 240Hz monitor. It performs exceptionally well in games thanks to its fast response times, solid VRR support, and low input lag.

Pros

• Bigger, immersive screen
• Excellent gaming features and in-game enhancements
• Great color accuracy

Cons

• No height and swivel adjustments

$200 at Amazon $280 at Newegg

The AOC C32G2ZE is a great option for anyone looking for an affordable 32-inch gaming monitor with a 240Hz refresh rate. It brings a faster refresh rate coupled with incredibly low input and a lightning-quick 1ms response time to give you an advantage in highly competitive games.

AOC also adds some handy in-game enhancements, such as crosshairs and a shadow boost feature that lets you see opponents hiding in dark areas.

The 32-inch curved panel provides a larger and more immersive display. With up to 95.6 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut, the C32G2ZE produces rich and vivid colors, so you can enjoy modern AAA games in all their glory.

However, it’s not as sharp compared to a 24-inch or 27-inch monitor with the same 1080p resolution, but unless you want to do some productivity work, it should be fine for gaming.

What Is the Best Cheap 240Hz Monitor?

The best cheap 240Hz monitor goes to the impressive AOC C27G2Z. Not only does it offer a high refresh rate, but it also features the fastest response times in an LED monitor and packs a set of features to deliver clear and responsive gameplay for both PC and console gamers. If you need better picture quality while staying on a budget, Acer’s Nitro XV272U W2bmiiprx is a good alternative.

While 240Hz monitors used to be considered premium, and they still are, the prices have been trending downwards lately, and monitors like the Sceptre C255B-FWT240 offer excellent 240Hz panels for much less than before. If you’re building a high-performance gaming rig on a budget, you’ll no longer be tied to a low-refresh-rate monitor.

Best Overall

AOC C27G2Z

Best budget 240Hz gaming monitor

The AOC C27G2Z proves you don’t need to spend big bucks getting an excellent 240Hz gaming monitor. This affordable 1080p monitor offers a 240Hz refresh rate, an impressive 0.5ms response time, and FreeSync Premium, all the features you need for smooth and responsive gameplay without breaking the bank.

Pros

• Incredible value
• Excellent motion handling
• Supports FreeSync Premium VRR
• Brilliant contrast and curved for more immersion

Cons

• Not the sharpest display

$180 at Amazon $200 at Newegg

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