You want an OLED gaming monitor. I know you do. I see the traffic reports for PCWorld’s deal posts and I can’t blame you because OLED monitors kick ass. But OLEDs are expensive—you aren’t going to find a new one for under $400—so if you’re looking for a gaming monitor that counts as “budget” without a qualifier, you gotta check this one out: 27 inches, 1440p, IPS, 180Hz, all for just $98.99. Dang.
If you’re waiting for the catch, it’s that it’s refurbished. But coming from the “official Acer certified store” via eBay, it’s about as good as refurbished deals get: direct from the manufacturer and coming with a two-year Allstate warranty. For a pretty solid gaming monitor under $100 (that’s a cool $150 off the original price), I think it’s worth it.
This Acer Nitro KGB271U comes with a 27-inch 2560×1440 panel, which is the current sweet spot for PC gaming, offering extra sharpness without the performance hit of 4K. And with an IPS panel, you get extra color accuracy over VA (good enough for editing photos, and I should know). The 180Hz refresh rate isn’t the fastest on the market, but at triple the standard 60Hz, it’s still plenty speedy for online multiplayer.
The rest of the design is pretty basic, with only DisplayPort, double HDMI, and a headphone jack ’round the back. But it does have a standard VESA mount for a monitor arm. If this one isn’t striking your fancy, then check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best monitors.
Get a 27-inch 1440p IPS gaming monitor for just $99