The truth is that I don’t find as many affordable monitors as I’d like. They’re not the hottest and most exciting thing monitor manufacturers want to talk about. So I had to do a little research to find cheap monitors In fact Good.
Best Monitors Under $200
When you’re shopping for a monitor at the “budget” level, you’re looking at anything under $200. And in today’s landscape, monitors under $100 will still always have 1920 x 1080 resolution. These are usually 23.8-inch or 27-inch sized options, while even the cheapest 32-inch monitor will cost you over $100. (For more, see our How to Choose a Monitor guide.)
I’ll get to this low price in a second, but I think most people should aim to start at a slightly higher price. Here you find several different options that let you trade a USB-C hub or higher resolution for a higher refresh rate or finer adjustments. Here are some options in the $100-$200 range that I was really impressed with.
I’d have to start with the Dell 27 Plus (S2725HSM). I thought I’d want this monitor, as I’m a big fan of the 4K models, which top my list for best overall monitor. This cheaper version has everything I loved about that model, including the highly adjustable stand, sleek white design, and really solid image quality.
At $175 (or sometimes on sale for as low as $140), its color is really solid and brightness reaches 300 nits. The most important feature of the Dell 27 Plus is its stand. You can adjust the height and swivel with the built-in VESA mount, making it a very practical addition to your current workstation. The biggest shortcoming in this is ports. It only has two HDMI ports, so you’ll have to plug accessories directly into your laptop or USB hub. Still, when it comes to full-featured 1080p monitors, the Dell 27 Plus is one of the best for the price.
One monitor that compares to the Dell 27 Plus, only with a built-in USB hub, is the Samsung Essential Monitor S4. I haven’t seen it in person yet, but it’s also 1080p and has height adjustment capabilities at the same price. However, it has a lower claimed brightness than the Dell 27 Plus at just 250 nits.
But like I said, if you’re buying between $150 and $200, you’re not necessarily stuck at 1080p. I tested the MSI Pro 27 (MP273QW E14), which has a resolution of 2560 x 1440 and sells for $190. This MSI monitor not only offers more pixels per inch, but it also has really great image quality, almost so good that it can be used for content creators and photographers. For a monitor of this price, this is pretty incredible. It’s brighter than any other monitor I’ve tested in this range, reaching 427 nits.
The main drawback is the adjustability and ports. There’s no built-in USB port for connecting peripherals and no ability to adjust height or swivel. The built-in stand is in a stable position, so if the height is not quite suitable for your desk, chair and body, you will need a monitor stand. And while it technically supports VESA to connect it to a monitor arm, it doesn’t come with an included mount.
cheapest gaming monitor
Another monitor I found during my travels through cheap displays was the Lenovo Legion R27fc-30. This would be my pick for the best budget gaming monitor and its image quality really surprised me. I’m used to complaining about bad screens on cheap gaming laptops, but this one far exceeds my expectations. Brightness exceeds 300 nits, and color performance is as good as the MSI Pro 27.
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