Best Budget Monitors: I Found 3 Impressive Screens Under $200 (2026)

I’ll beryllium honest. Testing retired the latest OLED gaming monitor oregon eye-popping 6K show is simply a batch much amusive than the inexpensive stuff. But I'm not delusional. I cognize that erstwhile it comes to machine monitors, astir radical conscionable privation thing affordable that gets the occupation done. Not miserable to look astatine oregon use. But besides not expensive.

The information is, I don't travel crossed arsenic galore affordable monitors arsenic I'd like. They're not the hottest and astir breathtaking happening that show manufacturers privation to speech about. So I had to bash a spot of hunting to find inexpensive monitors that are actually good.

The Best Monitors Under $200

When you're buying successful the “budget” tier for monitors, you're looking astatine thing nether $200. And successful today's landscape, monitors nether $100 volition inactive ever beryllium 1920 x 1080 resolution. These are usually 23.8-inch oregon 27-inch size options, portion adjacent the cheapest 32-inch monitors volition outgo you implicit $100. (For much information, cheque retired our How to Choose a Monitor guide.)

I volition get to this little terms constituent successful a second, but I deliberation astir radical should purpose to commencement somewhat higher. Here's wherever you find tons of antithetic options that springiness you flexibility to commercialized higher solution for a USB-C hub oregon higher refresh complaint oregon amended adjustability. Here are a fewer options successful $100-$200 scope that I was truly impressed by.

I person to commencement with the Dell 27 Plus (S2725HSM). I had a feeling I would similar this monitor, arsenic I'm a large instrumentality of the 4K model, which remains astatine the apical of my database for best wide monitor. This cheaper mentation has everything I liked astir that model, including the highly adjustable stand, the sleek achromatic design, and the truly coagulated representation quality.

For $175 (or sometimes connected merchantability arsenic debased arsenic $140), it has truly coagulated colour show and hits 300 nits of brightness. The astir important diagnostic the Dell 27 Plus has is its stand. You tin set the tallness and swivel, with a built-in VESA mount, which would marque it a precise applicable summation to your existent workstation. The biggest happening it's missing is ports. It lone has 2 HDMI ports, truthful you'll request to plug accessories straight into your laptops oregon into a USB hub. Still, erstwhile it comes to full-featured 1080p monitors, the Dell 27 Plus ranks among the champion for the price.

The 1 show that compares to the Dell 27 Plus, lone with a built-in USB hub, is the Samsung Essential Monitor S4. I haven't seen it successful idiosyncratic yet, but it's besides 1080p and has tallness adjustability astatine the aforesaid price. It has a little claimed brightness arsenic the Dell 27 Plus, though, astatine lone 250 nits.

But similar I said, if you're buying betwixt $150 and $200, you're not needfully stuck with 1080p. I tested retired the MSI Pro 27 (MP273QW E14), which has a 2560 x 1440 solution and sells for $190. Not lone does this MSI show connection much pixels per inch, it besides has truly fantastic representation quality, astir truthful bully it could beryllium utilized for contented creators and photographers. For a show of this price, that's beauteous incredible. It's besides brighter than immoderate different show I've tested successful this range, reaching each the mode up to 427 nits.

The main drawback is the adjustability and ports. No built-in USB ports for connecting peripherals and nary quality to set the tallness oregon swivel. The built-in basal is successful a static position, truthful if the tallness isn't perfectly suited for your desk, chair, and body, you'll request a show stand. And portion it technically supports VESA to link it to a show arm, it doesn't travel with an included mount.

The Best Cheap Gaming Monitor

Another show I came crossed successful my travel done inexpensive displays was the Lenovo Legion R27fc-30. This would my prime for the champion fund gaming show and truly amazed maine with its representation quality. I'm utilized to having to kick astir the janky screens connected inexpensive gaming laptops, but this acold exceeded my expectations. Brightness is implicit 300 nits, and colour show is conscionable arsenic bully arsenic the MSI Pro 27.