Let’s be honest; 4K gaming is an expensive proposition. Not only are these high-resolution gaming monitors expensive on their own, you also need a powerful graphics card and processor that can run modern AAA games at an Ultra HD resolution.That said, once you’ve experienced such high-resolution graphics and detail, there really isn’t any going backtrust me. Not to mention 4K gaming monitors also feature the latest HDR and local-dimming technology available to computer monitors right now. If you’re ready to take on the cost, I’ll set you on the right path of finding the best 4K gaming monitor so you don’t end up wasting your money. I’ve tested and poured over all the Ultra HD screens to ensure you only find the best 4K gaming monitors.TL;DR These are the Best 4K Gaming Monitors:
1. Acer Predator XB273K
Best 4K Gaming Monitor
Screen size: 27″ Aspect ratio: 16:9 Resolution: 3,840 x 2,160 Panel type: IPS G-Sync Brightness: 400cd/m2 Refresh rate: 144Hz Response time: 4ms Viewing angle: 178(H)/178(V) Contrast ratio: 1,000:1 Color support: 90% DCI-P3, 87% ARGB, 100% sRGB Inputs: 1 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x DisplayPort 1.4 x Weight: 15.85 pounds Size: 24.76″ x 21.3 x 12.09″
This premium 27-inch 4K IPS panel (see our review) boasts a bright picture with gorgeous colors along with gaming goodies such as a 4ms response time, 144Hz refresh rate, and G-Sync. With 400-nit brightness, it meets the HDR400 specification for a more dynamic image. For gamers, this primarily means greater details in shadows. This spendy panel pairs well with a spendy GPU that can power games a 4K and 144Hz.2. LG 27UL500
Best Budget 4K Gaming Monitor
Screen size: 27″ Aspect ratio: 16:9 Resolution: 3,840 x 2,160 Panel type: IPS FreeSync Brightness: 300cd/m2 Refresh Rate: 60Hz Response time: 5ms Viewing angle: 178(H)/178(V) Contrast ratio: 1,000:1 Color support: 99% sRGB Inputs: 2 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x DisplayPort 1.2 x Weight: 11.24 pounds Size: 24.5″ x 18.1 x 8.24″
The LG 27UL500 is a great IPS 4K monitor made for gaming. It’s pretty much as standard fare as these Ultra HD screens get with a 60Hz refresh rate and 5ms response time, plus minimal HDR10 support with a 300nit brightnessbut that’s exactly how this monitor sells for a little more than $300. It features great color reproduction. You also get a pair of HDMI 2.0 ports that support 4K at 60Hz, so you can plug in your PS4 Pro or Xbox One X and get a full Ultra HD gaming (but not HDR) experience.3. Acer Predator X27
The Best 4K G-Sync Monitor
Screen size: 27″ Aspect ratio: 16:9 Resolution: 3,840 x 2,160 Panel type: IPS G-Sync HDR Brightness: 1,000cd/m2 Refresh rate: 144Hz Response time: 4ms Viewing angle: 178(H)/178(V) Contrast ratio: 1,000:1 Color support: 97% DCI-P3, 99% sRGB Inputs: 1 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x DisplayPort 1.4 Weight: 17.42 pounds Size: 24.8″ x 17.5 x 14.75″
4K G-Sync gaming monitors are few and far in between but this tiny category includes some of the most amazing displays you’ll ever see. The Acer Predator X27 is a G-Sync Ultimate gaming monitor that offers a 4K resolution, breathtaking HDR colors, an 1,000-nit peak brightness, and local dimming across the entire screen. Oh, and a 144Hz refresh rate to top all of that off.In a nutshell, G-Sync Ultimate gaming monitors are all about giving you everything that makes modern 4K Gaming TVs amazing, but in a much smaller size without any of the input lag issues. Of course, all this greatness comes at a hefty price of at least $1,500significantly less than its initial $2,000 launch price. The only other thing to keep in mind about this gaming monitor is the fact that Asus has announced an even better Asus ROG Swift PG27UQX monitor that also features mini LED technology.
4. ViewSonic XG3220
Best 4K FreeSync Monitor
Screen size: 32″ Aspect ratio: 16:9 Resolution: 3,840 x 2,160 Panel type: VA Freesync Brightness: 300cd/m2 Refresh Rate: 60Hz Response time: 5ms Viewing angle: 178(H)/178(V) Contrast ratio: 3,000:1 Color support: 99% sRGB Inputs: 2 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x DisplayPort 1.2 Weight: 18.3 pounds Size: 28.6″ x 18.1″ x 10.3″
Are you ready for some pleasant sticker shock? You can get a 32-inch, 4K monitor with FreeSync for just $465, much cheaper than what a 4K G-Sync display will cost you. The ViewSonic XG3220 (read our review) monitor uses a VA panel that offers great color accuracy, wide viewing anglesthough with a fairly pedestrian 60Hz refresh rate and 5ms response time. It also comes with a pair of HDMI 2.0 ports that support 4K at 60Hz, so you can also plug in a pair of game consoles and still have a DisplayPort 1.2 leftover for your gaming PC.There are some caveats with this reasonably priced 4K gaming monitor though, namely HDR is underwhelming due to a lack of true 10-bit color. High-speed, action-packed scenes also don’t do so well on this display with some obvious blurring and ghosting. But for a large 4K monitor, the ViewSonic XG3220 Gaming Monitor is a great starting point for users who just bought a powerful enough gaming PC on a budget or one of the latest consoles.
5. BenQ EW3270U
Best 4K G-Sync Compatible Gaming Monitor
Screen size: 32″ Aspect ratio: 16:9 Resolution: 3,840 x 2,160 Panel type: VA FreeSync2 HDR Brightness: 300cd/m2 Refresh rate: 60Hz Response time: 4ms Viewing angle: 178(H)/178(V) Contrast ratio: 3000:1 Color support: 10-bit, 1.07b Colors Inputs: 2 x HDMI 2.0, 2 x DisplayPort 1.4 Weight: 16.53 pounds Size: 28.6″ x 20.6″ x 8.46″
If youre willing to give up higher refresh rates for higher resolutions at a somewhat reasonable price, the BenQ EW3270U is a solid contender (Read our review). Its massive 32-inch screen size means youre making the most of all those pixels, and its VA panel provides darker blacks than its IPS cousins (plus HDR to boot). Its unfortunately limited to a small FreeSync range of 40Hz-60Hz, so if your games drop below 40 frames per second, youll experience tearing.Thats pretty typical for 4K monitors, except for the aforementioned Acer Nitro, so youll have to decide whether its worth the tradeoff. This monitor hasnt been certified by NVIDIA, but other folks have found it to work just fine with graphics cards from Team Green. If you prefer IPS monitors for their better viewing angles and response times, LGs 27UD68-P is a decent 27-inch 4K alternative that, like the BenQ, isnt certified but should work with NVIDIA cards.
6. ASUS ROG Swift PG27UQ
Best 4K HDR Gaming Monitor
Screen size: 27″ Aspect ratio: 16:9 Resolution: 3,840 x 2,160 Panel type: IPS G-Sync HDR Brightness: 1,000cd/m2 Refresh rate: 144Hz Response time: 4ms Viewing angle: 178(H)/178(V) Contrast ratio: 1,000:1 Color support: 97% DCI-P3, 99% sRGB Inputs: 1 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x DisplayPort 1.4 Weight: 20.28 pounds Size: 24.96″ x 17.2 x 10.55″
If you’re looking for a feature-packed gaming monitor, one that also costs a whole lot of money, then the ASUS ROG Swift PG27UQ is for you. This display actually preceded Nvidia’s 20-series cards, so before they released, it didn’t make a whole lot of sense to try and squeeze 144 fps out of your 4K games. With all the 20-series and 16-series cards out now, and powerful, the world is your oyster when it comes to frame rates. No matter which graphics card you end up using, the ASUS ROG Swift PG27UQ is an incredible monitor and a true sight to behold. If you have the money and the hardware, it’s worth a look.7. Acer Nitro XV273K
Best Budget 4K HDR Gaming Monitor
Screen size: 27″ Aspect ratio: 16:9 Resolution: 3,840 x 2,160 Panel type: IPS FreeSync2 HDR Brightness: 400cd/m2 Refresh rate: 144Hz Response time: 4ms Viewing angle: 178(H)/178(V) Contrast ratio: 1,000:1 Color support: 100% sRGB, 90% DCI P3 Inputs: 2 x HDMI 2.0, 2 x DisplayPort 1.4 Weight: 8.8 pounds Size: 21.8″ x 16.6″ x 8.0″
4K HDR monitors usually break the bank, but the Acer Nitro XV273K (read our review) is the one good display we’ve seen going for under a grand. Not only does this screen render sharp details at a 3,840 x 2,160 resolution, it’s also HDR 400 certified, so it hits a 400-nit peak brightness and displays 10-bit color too.That’s all pretty spectacular for $900 and beyond looking great on paper, this 4K monitor wow with the ability to show the tiniest details like individual grains of sand in Assassin’s Creed Origins. There are some unfortunate shortcomings like oversaturated colors outside and cloudy black levels outside of HDR mode, but I’d happily overlook these small issues for all the resolution you’re getting.
8. Acer CB281HK
Best 4K Gaming Monitor for FPS Gaming
Screen size: 28″ Aspect ratio: 16:9 Resolution: 3,840 x 2,160 Panel type: TN Brightness: 300cd/m2 Refresh Rate: 60Hz Response time: 1ms Viewing angle: 170(H)/160(V) Contrast ratio: 1,000:1 Color support:1.07B, 99% sRGB Inputs: 1 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x DisplayPort 1.2 Weight: 17.64 pounds Size: 25.9″ x 15.8 x 9.33″
This 4K monitor has plenty of features to entice you into buying: a 1ms response rate, a 60Hz refresh rate, great contrast, and an aggressive style that’s not too aggressive. If you want a gaming monitor with 4K resolution, but you don’t want everyone to know it’s a gaming monitor like with one of Acer’s Predator line, this is a great 4K display. It’s also significantly less expensive than its other Predator siblings.9. Dell UltraSharp 27 4K
Best 4K Esports Gaming Monitor
Screen size: 27″ Aspect ratio: 16:9 Resolution: 3,840 x 2,160 Panel type: IPS Brightness: 350cd/m2 Refresh Rate: 60Hz Response time: 5ms Viewing angle: 178(H)/178(V) Contrast ratio: 1,300:1 Color support: 1.07B Inputs: 1 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x , mDP 1.2 Weight: 13.73 pounds Size: 24.1″ x 16.1″ x 7.9″
This UltraSharp from Dell isn’t a gaming monitor, per se, but it’s a fantastic screen nonetheless. Thanks to its higher contrast ratio and significantly wider color depth, 4K games look stunning on this display. Its response rate is a little on the slow side of 5ms, so you can blame the monitor when you get killed in an FPS, which is a bonus. Best of all, it pops up on Dell’s sales events pretty regularly, so you can often grab this one on the cheap.What you need to look for in a 4K Gaming Monitor
Below I highlight the benefits of a 4K Gaming Monitor and what’s the difference between the two types of Variable Frame Rate technology available today.4K monitors display four times the pixel count of a 1080p or Full HD display, which allows them to render a high-fidelity graphics and more realistic textures. However, you’re probably going to want a large 4K gaming monitor as it’s hard to discern the difference in sharpness between Ultra HD and Full HD on a 24 inch screen. The pixel density (measured in pixels-per-inch) on a smaller screen is so tight that it’s almost impossible to clearly see the individual pixels of your display.
As you move up in screen sizemostly 27 inch and upthe gaps between the pixels becomes more apparent and this mesh-like appearance is called the screen door effect. Once you move up to a screen large enough 1080p (or even 1440p) panels to pack enough pixels into an area to present a crisp, detailed image and you’ll want to start looking at 2160p resolution display.
Don’t expect to see particularly high frame rates when playing at Ultra HD resolutions. For one thing, even the most powerful graphics cards like the Nvidia RTX 2080 Ti can only manage to render some 4K games at 30-45 fps at best on its own. To really achieve 4K 60 and beyond, you may need to invest in two of the most powerful Nvidia Turing GPUs running in SLI.
Also be aware that most 4K monitors come with a 60Hz refresh rate, except for a few pricey 144Hz models. In the end, a 4K monitor is a pricey addition to your rig that usually prioritizes pixel count over speed and smooth gameplay.
G-Sync vs. FreeSync
Normally, your graphics card draws a frame and then has to wait until the monitors refresh cycle before it can display it. When the timing of these two events isn’t in sync, you would see partially-drawn frames on the screen (called tearing). If you have a monitor with a 60Hz refresh rate, and your GPU just barely missed drawing the frame in 1/60th of a second, it momentarily drops down to 30fps instead of something like 57fps, as it waits for the next 60Hz monitor refresh.Variable refresh rate monitors reverse this relationship to refresh the monitor’s display just as the graphics card has drawn a frame. If the game finished drawing that last frame in 1/57th of a second, the monitor will run at 57Hz and the frame will be immediately displayed. VRR makes your games look a lot smoother and gives you more freedom to adjust the visual quality in games without worrying about causing about a jumpy frame rate, or else turning off V-sync and suffering from tearing. This is especially important if you’re an early adopter of 4K gaming since 4k / 60 FPS is still hard for even high-end rigs to achieve.
There are two such technologies right now, and theyre not compatible with each other… sort of. At CES 2019, Nvidia announced it’s testing existing FreeSync monitors for compatibility with G-Sync drivers released after January 15, 2019. So far, just a handful of FreeSync displays are compatible with the G-Sync driver, but with FreeSync almost always being a cheaper option, it might be worth looking into it.
For recommendations on pushing your PC into the 4K era, check out our guide to the best graphics cards. I also have guides to the best desks for gaming, the best gaming chairs, and if 4K is too expensive or your PC can’t handle it, I also have guides for the best cheap gaming monitors, too.