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If you want to improve your computer experience by getting a best cheap monitors, you’ve come to the right place. If you’re on a tight budget and want a cheap monitor, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to find one that works well for you. Even though budget monitors are usually smaller, have simpler designs, and have less extra features.
Also, 4k monitors are starting to get cheaper, so if you like clear text, you can find a 4k display that doesn’t break the bank. Even if you’re looking for a cheap gaming monitor, many of them have gaming features like variable refresh rate support or higher refresh rates. Considering all of these things, we’ve put together a list of the best cheap monitors you can buy.
Why look for Cheap Monitors?
Not everyone can afford expensive high-end monitors with lots of options. People on a tight budget can save money by buying cheap TVs.
- Basic Computer Needs: A cheap monitor can be good enough for basic computer chores like web browsing, word processing, and casually watching videos or TV shows.
- Basic Computing Needs: Beginners or people who have never used a computer before might choose a cheap monitor to get started without having to spend a lot of money.
- Secondary Monitor: Some users may want a second monitor so they can do more than one thing at once or make their display bigger. A cheap monitor can be a good secondary choice that won’t break the bank.
Best Cheap Monitors Comparison Table
Even though cheap monitors might not have all the bells and whistles of high-end models, they can still be a good choice for users with different wants and budgets. To find the best monitor for each person’s needs, it’s important to find a good mix between price and features.
| Model | Display Type | Refresh Rate | Aspect Ratio | Dimensions (in) | Weight (lbs) | Latest Deal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asus VP228HE Monitor | LED | 60 Hz | 16:9 | 21.6 x 15.8 | 5.1 | Check Price |
| HP X24IH Monitor | IPS | 75 Hz | 16:9 | 21.3 x 16.1 | 6.8 | Check Price |
| Acer R240HY bidx Monitor | IPS | 60 Hz | 16:9 | 21.3 x 7.3 | 6.4 | Check Price |
| ViewSonic VP2458 Monitor | IPS | 75 Hz | 16:9 | 21.2 x 14.5 | 10.5 | Check Price |
| Dell S2721QS Monitor | IPS | 60 Hz | 16:9 | 24.1 x 14.3 | 10.8 | Check Price |
Asus VP228HE Monitor
| Specification | |
|---|---|
| Screen Size | 21.5 inches |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| Refresh Rate | 75 Hz |
| Response Time | 1ms |
| Panel Type | TN |
| Connectivity | HDMI, VGA |
| Check Price |
The Asus VP228HE is a great monitor for light gaming or streaming media that doesn’t cost a lot of money. Even though it’s “only” 1080p, you’ll still get a great screen with sharp color contrast and a clear picture. And let’s not forget the extra features that come with it, like GamePlus Technology and EyeCare Technology.
Yes, it only refreshes at 60Hz, but the 1ms response time and flicker-free screen keep everything moving along smoothly. At less than $200 or £200, it will be hard to find something as impressive as the Asus VP228HE. This is one of the best Cheap Monitors that you can buy.
The Good
- For a smooth gaming experience, you need a fast response time.
- Affordable price point
- Setups with small screens save on space.
The Bad
- Because it is a TN panel, it has limited color accuracy and viewing angles.
HP X24IH Monitor
| Specification | |
|---|---|
| Screen Size | 23.8 inches |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| Refresh Rate | 75 Hz |
| Response Time | 5ms |
| Panel Type | IPS |
| Connectivity | HDMI, VGA |
| Check Price |
Even though it’s not the cheapest monitor deal on the market, we recommend the HP X24IH to gamers on a budget. For the price, this 24-inch model is blazingly fast and has a ton of really impressive specs. The 1ms response time and 144Hz refresh rate are the most important specs. These are fast enough to keep up with the most competitive gaming situations.
At this price point, it’s also great to have an IPS panel, which lets you see some really beautiful colors and decent viewing angles. The only problem with the HP X24IH is that it only has 1080p resolution, which, depending on your setup, may not be enough for some people. 1080p still looks great on a 24-inch monitor, though, and it lets you use specs that you won’t find on 1440p gaming monitors for anywhere near this price.
The Good
- High-quality IPS panel for true colors and wide viewing angles
- Slim bezel design for a sleek look
- Fit for watching movies and playing casual games
The Bad
- For fast-paced games, a moderate response time might not be the best.
- Lower refresh rate than some of the other monitors on the list. Only HDMI and VGA ports, so not many ways to connect.
Acer R240HY bidx Monitor
| Specification | |
|---|---|
| Screen Size | 23.8 inches |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| Refresh Rate | 60 Hz |
| Response Time | 4ms |
| Panel Type | IPS |
| Connectivity | HDMI, VGA, DVI |
| Check Price |
The Acer R240HY bidx monitor has a rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars on Amazon, which we think is pretty close to perfect. This 23.8-inch beauty is one of the best monitors of 2023 because its bezels are very thin and its design is sleek. It also has beautiful, bright colors and a wide viewing angle.
Users said that the Acer R240HY bidx was a great choice for connecting to a gaming console and using as an external monitor. The Acer monitor is great because it has 178-degree wide viewing angles, an impressive 72% color gamut coverage, and a low-blue light feature for people who stare at a monitor for long hours at work (Acer Vision Care).
The Good
- High-quality IPS panel for true colors and wide viewing angles
- Slim bezel design for a modern look
- With HDMI, VGA, and DVI ports, there are many ways to connect
The Bad
- For fast-paced games, a lower refresh rate might not be the best choice.
ViewSonic VP2458 Monitor
| Specification | |
|---|---|
| Screen Size | 23.8 inches |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| Refresh Rate | 60 Hz |
| Response Time | 5ms |
| Panel Type | IPS |
| Connectivity | HDMI, DisplayPort, VGA, USB Hub |
| Check Price |
The ViewSonic VP2458 Professional, which has a screen size of 24 inches, is the best cheap monitor for people who want a monitor with bright and accurate colors. The Delta E score for this ViewSonic color is less than 2. The closer to zero the score is, the better it is. Delta-E tells you how accurate the colors will be on your monitor.
So you can be sure that ViewSonic’s color accuracy will be good enough for you to enjoy watching. It’s likely that graphic designers and other digital artists will like the ViewSonic monitor. The ViewSonic VP2458 Professional, which has a screen size of 24 inches, is also a great budget monitor for productivity users.
The Good
- High-quality IPS panel for true colors and wide viewing angles
- There are many ways to connect, such as HDMI, DisplayPort, VGA, and USB Hub.
- Ergonomic design and an adjustable stand make it easy to watch.
The Bad
- For fast-paced games, a lower refresh rate might not be the best choice.
Dell S2721QS Monitor
| Specification | |
|---|---|
| Screen Size | 27 inches |
| Resolution | 3840 x 2160 pixels |
| Refresh Rate | 60 Hz |
| Response Time | 4ms |
| Panel Type | IPS |
| Connectivity | HDMI, DisplayPort, Audio Out |
| Check Price |
The Dell S2721QS is the best low-cost monitor we’ve tried. Its main purpose is to be a monitor for the office, and for the price, it does that job very well. There aren’t many 4k monitors that are affordable, so the S2721QS is a good choice in this price range because it has a high resolution for a low price.
The 4k resolution helps make the text sharp, which is great for getting work done because you won’t have any trouble reading the text. The 27-inch screen is also big enough to let you do more than one thing at once. You can put two windows next to each other. It’s a good choice for a well-lit room because it has a high SDR peak brightness and handles reflections well.
The Good
- High-resolution screen for sharp and clear images
- High-quality IPS panel for true colors and wide viewing angles
- There are many ways to connect, such as HDMI, DisplayPort, and Audio Out.
The Bad
- For fast-paced games, a lower refresh rate might not be the best choice.
- In fast-moving scenes, a camera with a moderate response time may cause motion blur.
LG 32GN650-B Monitor
| Specification | |
|---|---|
| Screen Size | 32 inches |
| Resolution | 2560 x 1440 pixels |
| Refresh Rate | 165 Hz |
| Response Time | 1ms |
| Panel Type | IPS |
| Connectivity | HDMI, DisplayPort, USB Hub |
| Check Price |
If you want something bigger than a 27-inch screen, there aren’t as many cheap options because bigger screens naturally cost more. There are still a few good choices, and if that’s what you want, you might want to look at the LG 32GN650-B. If you want a bigger screen but want to keep the price down, you’ll have to give up on resolution.
This is the case here, as the LG has a lower 1440p resolution than the Dell S2721QS. This means that text doesn’t look as sharp, but since you have more screen space, you can still do more than one thing at once. The main thing that makes it better than the Dell monitor is that it has a higher refresh rate of 165Hz, which makes it better for gaming.
The Good
- Large screens let you play games and watch movies in a more immersive way.
- High refresh rate and quick response time make it easy to play games.
- High-quality IPS panel for true colors and wide viewing angles
- There are many ways to connect, such as HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB Hub.
The Bad
- Some monitors with a higher resolution than others may need more powerful hardware to work at their best.
- Larger screen size may require more desk space
ViewSonic VA2456-MHD Monitor
| Specification | |
|---|---|
| Screen Size | 23.8 inches |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| Refresh Rate | 60 Hz |
| Response Time | 5ms |
| Panel Type | IPS |
| Connectivity | HDMI, DisplayPort, VGA, USB Hub |
| Check Price |
The 24-inch, 1080p ViewSonic VA2456-MHD has the best contrast ratio of any budget monitor we tested. It has darker blacks, which make games, movies, and web browsing look a little bit better. The color accuracy of this model right out of the box isn’t good enough for professional photo and video work, but it’s good enough for everything else and better than many of the other models we tested.
The VA2456-MHD has both HDMI and DisplayPort connections, which is unusual for low-cost monitors. It also has a modern design and a stand that doesn’t wobble too much. The built-in speakers aren’t great, but they work fine for YouTube videos or the bleeps and bloops of your operating system. ViewSonic backs the monitor with a three-year warranty and a good replacement policy for panels with dead or stuck pixels.
The Good
- High-quality IPS panel for true colors and wide viewing angles
- There are many ways to connect, such as HDMI, DisplayPort, VGA, and USB Hub.
- Ergonomic design and an adjustable stand make it easy to watch.
The Bad
- For fast-paced games, a screen with a moderate refresh rate and response time may not be the best choice.
- Small screen size might not work for bigger setups.
Acer CB242Y bir Monitor
| Specification | |
|---|---|
| Screen Size | 23.8 inches |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| Refresh Rate | 75 Hz |
| Response Time | 1ms VRB |
| Panel Type | IPS |
| Connectivity | HDMI, VGA |
| Check Price |
If you don’t want a monitor arm but still want to be able to adjust your monitor just right, the Acer CB242Y bir is a 24-inch 1080p monitor with a much better stand and a slightly worse screen than the ViewSonic VA2456-MHD. This Acer monitor doesn’t have as accurate colors out of the box, and its contrast ratio isn’t as good.
This means that its blacks don’t look as dark to the naked eye, but that’s not a problem unless you’re comparing it to another screen while looking at a test pattern. It doesn’t have an HDMI port or built-in speakers, and it doesn’t have a DisplayPort. But its stand is far and away the best of the ones we tried. It can be adjusted in height and can tilt, swivel, and turn 90 degrees.
The Good
- High-quality IPS panel for true colors and wide viewing angles
- For a smooth gaming experience, you need a fast response time.
- Slim bezel design for a modern look
- There are many ways to connect, including HDMI and VGA ports.
The Bad
- Compared to some of the other monitors on the list, it has a lower resolution.
- For fast-paced games, a moderate refresh rate might not be the best choice.
- With only HDMI and VGA ports, there aren’t many ways to connect.
How to Choose Best Cheap Monitors?
Several things need to be taken into account when choosing the best cheap monitor to make sure it fits your needs and works well. Here’s a step-by-step plan to help you make an informed choice:
- Determine Your Goal: Figure out what you will do with the computer. Do you use it for simple office work, games, movies, music, or just to browse the web? How you use it will determine what functions you need.
- Screen Size and Resolution: Think about the right screen size and resolution for you. Larger screens give you more room to work, but they might cost more. For basic chores, a 1080p (Full HD) resolution should be fine, but you might want a higher resolution like 1440p or 4K for gaming or watching videos.
- Refresh rate and reaction time: If you’re a gamer, look for a monitor with a higher refresh rate (like 75Hz, 120Hz, or 144Hz) and a low response time to reduce motion blur and ghosting.
FAQs
How big do you want? 32 inches is a good size for a cheap monitor because it gives you a lot of screen space while still fitting on a desk. Consider 28-inch and 27-inch screens if you don’t need to share the screen. They are common in this price range, and most of the time, they cost less.
The monitors are curved so that our eyes don’t have to work too hard to see everything at once. This is different from flat screens, which, depending on how big they are, can cause eye strain if they are bigger than a person’s natural field of view.