Hey everyone! I have been stuck playing Valorant and CS2 on an old 60Hz office monitor for way too long, and I am finally ready to upgrade so I can actually see what I am doing. My budget is pretty tight, around $150 to $200 max.
I am specifically looking for:
There are so many different brands and panel types like IPS and TN that I am getting a bit confused. I just want something reliable that will give me a competitive edge. What is the best budget gaming monitor for competitive FPS right now?
Yo! I totally get the struggle of playing on a 60Hz office screen. Once you switch to 144Hz or higher, it honestly feels like a whole new game. Youre gonna see heads way clearer in Valorant, trust me, its basically a requirement for CS2 if you want to climb. For that 150 to 200 range, you really want to stick with an IPS panel. TN used to be the king for speed, but modern IPS panels have basically caught up in response times and look way better for everything else too. You dont have to sacrifice color for speed anymore. If I were you, Id look at the AOC 24G2SP 23.8 inch 165Hz 1ms IPS Gaming Monitor. I used the older version of this for years and it was rock solid. The colors are great, and it has a height-adjustable stand which is huge for ergonomics when youre grinding ranked for hours. It is easily one of the best values out there. Another really solid choice is the Gigabyte G24F 2 23.8 inch 165Hz 1ms SS IPS Gaming Monitor. It often goes on sale for around 150 bucks and the motion clarity is super smooth. It hits that 165Hz and really minimizes that ghosting you are worried about. Just make sure when you get it that you actually go into your Windows display settings and change the refresh rate to the max. I know so many people who bought a high refresh monitor and played on 60Hz for months because they forgot that one step... it happens to the best of us!
Hey, jumping in here because I have gone through like four monitors in this price range over the last couple of years. Honestly, for $150 to $200, you have some killer options now that wont break the bank.
Saw this earlier and figured id chime in with some technical bits. Tbh, the whole IPS vs TN debate is mostly over for budget builds. Modern IPS panels have basically matched TN in response times but they look way better, so dont worry about losing speed there. If you want the best bang for your buck, Id look at the AOC 24G2SP 24-inch 165Hz IPS Gaming Monitor. It has a great stand which is rare at this price point and the colors are solid. Another sleeper pick is the Gigabyte G24F 2 24-inch 180Hz IPS Gaming Monitor. It is super responsive for CS2 and usually fits right in your budget. Just a heads up, make sure your GPU has a DisplayPort because thats usually the only way to get the full 165Hz or 180Hz without issues. HDMI can be hit or miss depending on the version of the cable and port. Good luck with the climb tho, the difference is gonna be night and day.
Lol I was literally about to post the same thing. Glad someone else brought it up.