5 Best Cheap Computer Monitors For Under $200 On Amazon, According To Experts – BGR

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If you’re in the market for an affordable computer monitor that delivers exceptional picture quality and comes with other necessary features, you’ll be pleased to know that there are more than enough options out there. However, scouring the internet for that one monitor that best suits your needs, especially once all the specs sound the same, can get awfully tedious. It’s overwhelming, really.

There are curved monitors, widescreen ones, 4K monitors, and that doesn’t include the different sizes and refresh rates. Even when isolating your search to a single website like Amazon, it can still feel like you’re drowning in options. So we dug deep to find the most versatile, price-friendly products that everyone from casual PC users to everyday gamers with powerful rigs will be able to purchase on Amazon.

Featuring options from known PC brands like Samsung, LG, and Philips, as well as some lesser-known monitor makers, let’s dive into our selections to unpack what makes all these screens so great for so little.

It can be tough to find a solid gaming monitor for less than $200, but the LG 24-inch UltraGear Full HD IPS Gaming Monitor is an excellent choice for gamers who don’t mind losing out on 4K resolution. According to our friends over at Digital Citizen, “the LG UltraGear 24GN650 monitor is a good choice for people with entry-level gaming computers, running AMD Radeon graphic cards.”

The 23.8-inch IPS panel delivers up to 1080p HD, which is what many previous gen PC games are capped at. Then there’s the UltraGear’s HDR10 and 99% sRGB color gamut expression, which ensures you’ll be treated to vivid colors.

We’re glad to see that LG also included some advanced picture features and overlays, including a black stabilizer for brightening up darker scenes, a crosshair for aiming precision, as well as an FPS counter for staying on top of your frame rate. Speaking of which, the UltraGear has a native 180Hz refresh rate and a super-fast 1-millisecond response time, so you can expect smooth and stutter-free gameplay.

It also comes with an ergonomic stand with tilt, height, and pivot adjustments, along with HDMI and DisplayPort connectivity. Once you factor in its borderless design, this 24-inch gaming screen easily goes toe to toe with models much higher than its price. For less than $200, the LG 24-inch UltraGear should be at the top of every gamer’s list.

If you want to keep your monitor purchase under $100, one of the best screens for the job is the Philips 221V8LB 22-inch Full HD Monitor. Our pals at PCMag gave this Philips screen 4 out of 5 stars, and summed the product up by saying, “the Philips 221V8LB is remarkably affordable even for a budget monitor. Add its ultra-high contrast, 100Hz refresh rate, and Adaptive Sync support, and you get an exceptional value.”

Whether you’ll be using the screen for simple web browsing or watching HD videos, its 1080p HD resolution and VA panel deliver great visuals for the price. The Philips 221V8LB also has a number of picture presets you can use to customize your monitor experience, including SmartImage, EasyRead, and LowBlue Mode, which helps reduce eye strain.

The monitor’s native 100Hz refresh rate and Adaptive Sync technology bring smooth-looking visuals to the table, which bodes well for casual gamers who don’t want to deal with screen tearing during action sequences. While we wouldn’t call it a gaming monitor, it’ll definitely get the job done for more casual users — at least as far as frame rate is concerned.

The Philips 221V8LB comes with a tilt-capable stand and features HDMI and VGA connectivity. You’ll also be treated to a 178-degree viewing angle, so you won’t lose much picture detail when looking at the screen from the sides.

No one wants to deal with a bulky PC monitor hanging out on their desk or work surface, which is why the Acer IPS Ultra-Thin Zero Frame Computer Monitor is a good option for budget-minded shoppers. Our friends at PCMag gave this monitor 3.5 out of 5 stars, and said, “The Acer SB220Q is a 21.5-inch monitor, priced to fly off shelves, with a quality IPS panel and a basic feature set.”

Acer’s Zero Frame design translates to a bezel that’s only 0.24 inches thick and a 178-degree viewing angle. There’s just a slight bump-out at the bottom rear of the chassis for speakers and inputs, which include HDMI and VGA.

As far as pixel count goes, it delivers up to 1080p HD and has a native refresh rate of 75Hz. The monitor’s 250-nit peak brightness is bright enough for basic web browsing, viewing spreadsheets, docs, and other light tasks. Because of the lower refresh rate and average brightness levels, PC gamers and those looking for a vibrant display will want to look elsewhere.

That said, the Acer Zero Frame does have a fairly quick 4-millisecond response time and supports AMD Radeon FreeSync for reduced stuttering and tearing. Priced at $117, the monitor offers a decent package with 100,000,000:1 contrast ratio, as well as a number of picture presets for homing in on the visuals that work best for you.

Curved monitors provide a level of immersion that’s difficult to achieve with a traditional flat screen. One of the best examples of this type of display for less than $200 is the Samsung 23.5-inch CF396 Curved Computer Monitor. Take it from the experts over at Display Ninja, who gave the Samsung screen 3.6 out of 5 stars, “The Samsung C24F396 is an affordable curved monitor which thanks to its high contrast ratio provides an immersive viewing experience.”

The CF396’s 1800R curvature delivers a bold visual experience that envelops the viewer, making it a great choice for everything from casual gaming and light creative projects to everyday web browsing and HD video playback.

Resolution-wise, this Samsung monitor supports up to 1080p HD, and the VA panel does a great job at channeling deep contrast levels (the monitor has a 3,000:1 contrast ratio) for enhanced visuals during darker scenes. It also has a 60Hz refresh rate and a 4-millisecond response time, which aren’t premium gaming specs by any means, but are good enough for a sub-$200 screen. However, the Samsung CF396 does support AMD FreeSync, so you won’t have to contend with as much screen tearing and stutter.

Connections include HDMI and VGA, and Samsung’s built-in Eye Saver Mode helps to cut down on blue light emissions. And even with the curved display, the bezel is only 0.5 inches thick, making it a feasible addition to most workstations. The monitor is VESA-compliant, too, so you’ll be able to mount it to a wall or universal desktop stand.

Who says you can’t take a monitor on the go for less than $200? If you’re looking for a brilliant mobile workstation, the Arzopa Z1RC Portable Gaming Monitor should be at the top of your list. We here at BGR were able to test this screen out, and reviewer Christian de Looper said, “the real draw to these low-cost portable monitors doesn’t have a whole lot to do with display technology, necessarily. It’s much more about versatility and ease of use. And that’s an area where the Arzopa Z1RC shines.”

Delivering up to 2,560 x 1,600 resolution at 60Hz, the Arzopa Z1RC nails all the basics of crisp-clear picture quality, and even manages to squeeze in 123% coverage of the sRGB color space. Its USB-C and Mini HDMI connectivity make it super-easy to hook up to a game console, phone, or tablet, and the built-in kickstand can be adjusted to best suit your viewing needs.

We here at BGR have been writing about monitors and other display technologies for a long time, covering everything from budget screens to high-end gaming setups. For roundups like this one, we go out of our way to highlight the best options for all shoppers, with an extra emphasis on overall value. We also do our best to stick with recognizable brand names and products that are well-reviewed by users and tech-oriented critics.