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5 Best Сurved Gaming Monitors Under $300

Best Сurved Gaming Monitors Under $300

Most recommended
AOC CQ27G2AOC CQ27G2
  • 27″ 2K QHD Curved
  • Rapid 1ms (MPRT) response and 144Hz refresh rate
  • AMD FreeSync Premium

A good choice too
Philips 272E1CAPhilips 272E1CA
  • 27″ 2K QHD Curved
  • 1920×1080
  • Height adjustable stand for optimum ergonomics

A good choice too
MSI Optix G27C2MSI Optix G27C2
  • 27″ 2K QHD Curved
  • 1920 x 1080p
  • 144 hertz refresh rate

Samsung CJG56Samsung CJG56
  • 27″ 2K QHD Curved
  • 2560 x 1440p
  • 144Hz refresh rate

AOPEN 27HC1RAOPEN 27HC1R
  • 27″ 2K QHD Curved
  • 1920 x 1080
  • Refresh Rate: 144 Hertz Using Display port


Choose the Best Сurved Gaming Monitor Under $300

Customer’s Choice: the Best Rated Сurved Gaming Monitors Under $300

11 users answered this survey. Please help us improve this review!

72.73% of users selected AOC G2590FX, 9.09% selected Samsung, 18.18% selected MSI Optix G27C4, 0% selected Acer Nitro XV272U and 0% selected MSI 27” FHD. Every month we analyze your answers and change our rating.

The cheap monitor for gaming is not always the worst variant. You can even get a curved monitor for $300 for a deeper immersion in the game. Of course, it may appear less complicated and versatile or the screen may not be as big as in other more expensive devices but you will receive a great gaming experience anyway. The technological companies nowadays strive to produce monitors under $300 with a higher resolution and quicker response time so you can even get lost in that huge variety of options.

We have tested over 160 gaming monitors under $300 from different manufacturers and picked out the most high-quality and technological ones. In this article, you will find the detailed description of our five choices and general tips on how to buy a cheap gaming monitor for your complete satisfaction.

Therefore, let us have a closer look at the monitors that will suit well to your gaming needs.

AOC C227G2 27” Super Curved Frameless Gaming Monitor – An Appliance That Provides the Complete Immersive Effect

This AOS curved monitor features the 2560×1440 resolution, 1 ms response time, and the refresh rate of 144Hz. It uses the FreeSync Premium technology, LowBlue Mode, and FlickerFree technology.


The sRGB color gamut allows for producing the distinct colors with the 120% coverage of the area. The monitor features 1 500R super curve, a frameless design for the three sides, narrow borders, and a stand with an adjustable height.

Performance

This curved monitor is great for the most immersive gameplay ever. It is smooth and fast with 1 ms response and 144 Hz refresh rate.
The stand is very ergonomic and it is conveniently adjustable for your needs and characteristics.
The appliance is equipped with the two DisplayPort and HDMI 2.0 VGA inputs. The cable for the convenient audio line is included. The monitor can be mounted on the wall because of its compatibility with VESA technology.
The VA panel allows for different angles of viewing and bright colors. You will not experience any image tering or stuttering with the Premium technology of AMD FreeSync.

Pros
  • The size of the screen is perfect for gaming.
  • The quality for the price is excellent.
  • The monitor comes securely packed without any issues with delivery.
  • The pixel density is fine for all gaming needs.
  • The build quality is great and quite reliable.
Cons
  • The monitor sometimes needs more brightness.
  • The colors are not sharp enough.
Here are some notes that allow for a better use of this monitor. The screen size helps enjoy movies and films in their initial size. The GPU and monitor’s refresh rates are easily synchronized. It decreases blurring, and the LFC does not allow the images to stutter when the framerate is lower than the refresh rate.
However, the monitor does not have the built-in speakers, so its audio connector is outside and you can use it for connecting external speakers if you need them. All in all, it is not the biggest problem so this monitor can be strongly recommended to gamers.


Philips 272E1CA 27” Curved Frameless Monitor – An Item That Is Easy to Install and Pleasant to Use

This 27-inch monitor from Philips features the full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution and LED technology. The VA panel is curved with the curvature of 1 500R. The coverage of the color gamut is sRGB with the dynamic 100% contrast ratio of MEGA Infinity technology.


The AMD FreeSync supports 75 Hz refresh rate.
The monitor is equipped with the VGA and HDMI DisplayPort, the external audio connections, the cable, and stand for wall mounting.

Performance

The curved panel is great for the immersive gaming experience and color contrasting technology for receiving deep blacks, and the bright color gamut adds much to the stunning gameplay. The gaming performance is smooth and stuttering-free with the great abilities for sound reproduction, cable management, compatibility, and connection.
The item also features the LowBlue Mode that reduces the harmful effects of blue light on your health as well as the FlickerFree technology to adjust the screen brightness and make it less tiresome for your eyes.

Pros
  • The monitor is reasonably priced and the quality corresponds to it.
  • The setup is very easy.
  • The ISP screen is quite applicable to all needs.
  • The HDMI audio port is very convenient to use.
  • The color reproduction is bright and viewing angles are great.
Cons
  • The set of instructions should be a bit clearer.
  • The wall mounting may cause some problems.
This monitor is truly great for gaming. There are some things to consider, of course, such as the ease of the wall mounting, the use of extra audio speakers (the built-in ones are not for all the models), and the instructions that are sometimes not too detailed.
The switch for on/off and mode selection is multi-functional. It is located at the lower part of the monitor’s back panel. This switch should be used for selecting specific functions of the monitor and making necessary adjustments.


MSI Optic G27C2 27”Full HD Curved Gaming Monitor – A Multipurpose Device with Great Characteristics and Brand-New Technologies

The MSI curved monitor features the full HD of 1920 x 1080 with the 16:9 aspect ratio. It uses the AMD FreeSync technology with the refresh rate of 144 Hz. The response time is 1 ms and the wide-angle screen of 178 degrees are meant for seamless gaming experience.


The display is frameless with the sRGB wide gamut of colors with 250cd/m2 brightness. It uses the Anti-flicker technology. The appliance can be connected via one DisplayPort, DVI, HDMI, or an audio combo jack. The cables do not go with the kit.

Performance

The curved monitor provides the highly immersive gameplay and the in-game support and screen customization options. The FreeSync technology allows for matching the refresh rates of the monitor and the GPU of your computer. It provides lag-free images without stuttering and tearing. The sync option is adaptive and requires the AM graphics card.
The monitor can be mounted on the wall with the VESA technology with the help of the MSI wall-mount adapter that can be bought separately.
THe AV LED panel allows for playing the fast-speed games, for example, racing, fighting, shooting, real-time strategies, and sport simulators. The screen is anti-glare so you can view it comfortably from any position. The display is frameless so you can use the multi-monitor setups if needed for the game because the bezel is ultra-narrow. The wide gamut of colors provides vivid visuals and the Anti-Flicker technology reduces the eye strain.

Pros
  • The refresh rate provides the absence of ghosting.
  • The panel is quite suitable for VA with great viewing angles and contrast options.
  • The monitor uses FreeSync for better customization.
  • The item falls between great performance for gaming and high quality for everyday use.
  • The pictures are crisp and vivid from any view angle.
Cons
  • The pixels can be more noticeable than in other models.
  • The monitor does not have a fully adjustable stand and a VESA stand.
This curved monitor could be well-recommended to gamers, designers, photographers, and office workers. It provides a good size and curve. The VA panel even outperforms the TN and IPS types that are often slower and less comfortable for viewing.
Remember that you need to buy some additional connectors to mount the panel on the wall. Have a close look at the instructions to choose the best ones for your needs. The holes for such mounting are located on the back of the monitor.


Samsung LC32JG56QQNXZA 32” Curved Gaming Monitor – The Most Suitable Appliance for Smooth and Victorious Gaming Due to Its Speed and Synchronization Options

The Samsung curved monitor features the full resolution of 2 560 x 1 440 p with 3000:1 contrast ratio. It uses the 144 Hz refresh rate with 300 cd/m2 brightness. It is capable of connecting multiple input sources via HDMI 2.0 that is fully compatible with Xbox and PS4. The viewing angle is 178 degrees for both horizontal and vertical positions.


The AMD FreeSync ™ technology and the low-input lag mode allow for synchronizing the graphics card of your computer with the monitor so you will not experience any stuttering or tearing of images. There is no delay while using the keyboard, mouse, and joystick. The CJG 5’s Game Mode optimizes the levels of black, sharpness of colors, and contrast ratios.
The item also has the OSD dashboard menu for your continuous overview of all settings.

Performance

This curved monitor is perfect for gaming. Its WQHD resolution allows for the most detailed views of gaming characters and scenes. A wider view helps detect all the nemies around and get rid of them quickly. The flawless and smooth gaming is provided by the refresh rate of 144Hz and you can optimize it to 60-120 Hz for better performance if needed.
The 3000:1 contrast ratio provides great opportunities for enjoying the bright white and deep blacks for clearer views of gaming and movie scenes. The CJG 5’s 1800R curvature helps immerse completely into the action.

Pros
  • The monitor is high-quality with a good color range and excellent black levels.
  • There are no dead or stuck pixels.
  • The screen of 32 inches is wonderfully immersive for any kind of game.
  • The colors are terrific and highly vibrant.
  • FreeSync is working perfectly with NVIDIA graphics cards.
Cons
  • The images are a bit distorted when seen from different angles.
  • The grey-to-grey response of the monitor could be a bit better.

This curved monitor is a perfect choice for gamers owing to its highly technological characteristic features.
The item is equipped with different types of HDMI ports and other connecting features for your convenient use. Choose the way of connecting to your devices that fits them properly. To enable the FreeSync options, you need to adjust the settings on the monitor’s dashboard first and then you will be allowed to open the NVIDIA control panel to continue synchronizing and customization.


AOPEN 27HC1R 27” Curved Gaming Monitor – The Most Perfect Device for Multiple Gaming Options and Winning

The AOPEN curved monitor features the Full HD of 1 920 x 1 080 p with the VA AMD Radeon FreeSync. The display is fully compatible with the NVIDIA G-Sync.


The refresh rate is 144 Hz while the response time is 4 ms. The monitor uses the bLueLight Filter and Flickerless Technology. It is equipped with one DisplayPort, one HDMI, and one DVI port for multiple connections.
The monitor has a zero-frame design and 16:9 curved display with the screen tilt of -5-15 degrees for more comfortable viewing from any angle.

Performance

This monitor is specifically designed for receiving high-quality gameplay. It provides crisp and vivid colors due to its full HD resolution to enjoy the complete immersion into the game from the comfort of your home. The broader picture view from any angle is ensured by the curvature of the monitor, its frameless design and tear-free compatibility with any graphics card. The motion scenes are delivered rapidly owing to the lower input lag. There is no ghosting or smearing at all. Every corner of the screen is located at the equal distance from your eyes ensuring the absence of blind spots. The eye strain is reduced completely by the Flickerless technology and Bluelight Shield.

Pros
  • The item is extremely good value for money.
  • The fast refresh rate improves the gameplay experience tremendously.
  • Colors are vibrant and true-to-life.
  • The monitor is incredibly easy to install in any position.
  • The three-point stand looks good and is stable enough.
Cons
  • The wall mounting could be a bit easier.
  • The power button does not always work properly.
The monitor is a perfect option for gamers. They can use all its brand-new characteristics for receiving the most stunning and fully immersive gaming experience ever.
The item comes with the DisplayPort wire and the connection works perfectly. The monitor also has a 3.5 mm audio jack so you can plug in any good external audio system and enjoy the audio coming directly from the HDMI or DisplayPOrt. However, there are no built-in speakers in this device.


How to Choose the Best Gaming Monitor Under $300 – Buyer’s Guide

We have collected the most important factors that can influence your choice of a gaming monitor under $300. You should not focus on the price only if you want to get an appliance of your dreams and never to regret your decision.

If you follow the tips highlighted in our list, you will get exactly what you need. These unique characteristics will distinguish the items you would like to use from many others. We have made an attempt to explain them to you in more detail for making a better choice.

Screen Resolution and Size

The quality of gameplay very often depends on the size of the screen. It is also about the screen resolution that you need to consider. Even a 45-inch screen can perform poorly if its resolution is low. And moreover, you need to stay under a $300 budget that makes your task a bit more complicated. Our advice is a screen size of about 30 inches. Its resolution can be 1920 x 1080 or even a bit lower or higher for your pleasure and enjoyment from the game.

Response Time

The lower the response time the better quality of gameplay will be. You can get the response time of 1ms with the monitor using the TN technology. If you still insist on the IPS panel, remember that its response time is 4 ms and it may not be good for the best competitive gaming.

AdaptiveSync Technology

You are sure to get the monitor with this technology if you feel it is too difficult to raise the fps rate to 60. The gameplay will be smoother and more immersive. The game will never be interrupted by unclear visuals or tearing of the screen. This is still more important for curved monitors that have to provide the true-to-life experience.

Pixels Per Inch (PPI)

This characteristic has a specific formula you should be aware of. When you have, for instance, the 24-inch monitor, its PPI will be 92. It is an ideal combination. If the density is lower, you may find it difficult to watch the overall gaming process, especially, when you need to do it from some distance.

VRR Technology

The VRR mode technology should be present in the curved monitors to prevent image blurring, tearing, or ghosting. It will help improve the input lag of the gaming interface and all the processes.

Refresh Rate

This is about how many times per second the monitor is able to refresh the image to make it flawless. For curved gaming monitors under $300, the most acceptable figure is 144 Hz, though you can opt for a bit larger or smaller characteristics.

Type of Panels

Every type of monitor has its specific panel technology. Gamers will tell you that IPS is the best panel technology among many options. Though, VA and TN are also applicable to the games which do not need a high resolution and fast reactions.

Reproducing Colors

The colors should be clear and distinct, of course. If there is some mess in them, the quality of your gameplay will be lower. You will be completely immersed in the game if the colors are true-to-life and vibrant. So, the way of reproducing colors is one more essential factor to consider if you choose your low-budget monitor.

Matte or Glossy?

The choice is between matte and glossy screens. The glossy screen can produce bright colors and vivid images. It’s great but for many nasty reflections that are so tiresome. Matte screens do not produce them at all, no matter at what kind of angle the light falls on the screen. The choice is quite personal, of course. However, we recommend one thing here – the contrast ratio of the monitor should be as high as possible. Only with certain figures for it, you will receive a clear and deep image in black color that will be free from any additional shining and bad distortions. Never opt for the highest brightness, though, because it will be useful only if you play in a sunlit room. If you choose a curved monitor in the shop, the lights could be different and the first impression will be wrong, so remember about it.

Brightness and Contrast

Yes, the quality of visuals depends much on the brightness of the monitor. You should opt for 250 cd/m2 or even 300 cd/m2 for the most comfortable gaming. If the brightness is higher, your eyes can suffer. However, high brightness can always be lowered by using certain settings on your monitor.

As for the contrast options, they should be higher. It is especially useful for games with dim backgrounds, such as horror or thriller variants.

Speakers

If you do not have any already, you can opt for a monitor with the speakers that are built-in or with the headphone socket. The options are limited , of course, but you can still find certain models with such additional advantages.

Connectivity

This is a very important factor to consider. Check whether your chosen monitor has all the necessary inputs that are compatible with the outputs of your computer. The video cards or laptops of the latest generation have the HDMI output. You may need an adapter, however, if your device uses DVI or VGA outputs. Sometimes,  you may need to buy them separately.

 

Nowadays there are many different gaming monitors to choose from and which one is best depends on what kind of game you like.

If you prefer fancy adventure games like Devil May Cry V or Sekiro: Shadows The Twice, you probably want a screen with 4k resolution and HDR, but if you are interested in e-sports, you want the highest possible refresh rate and a low response time. This is because every millisecond counts here if you don’t want to lose to your opponents.

It can be difficult to find the right one among all the features and specifications, but luckily we have created a list of our five favorite curved gaming monitors under $300 we have tested over the past year. Here there should be an alternative that suits you, like the glove.

A large screen on your desk, either connected to your desktop PC or docked to a laptop, is often overlooked, but it’s such an important part of everyday life. It’s the one you stare at for days on end at work and spend hours at home before. So, of course, it should be of high quality.

There are also many formats and solutions. In-office environments, we see people expanding a cramped workspace by connecting an additional monitor and hanging it next to each other. It’s an easy way to add a few extra browser windows and programs at the same time.

But it is not a very intelligent and versatile solution. You get an ugly edge in the middle of the workspace and a rather cumbersome arrangement on the desk with additional cables to keep track. When you watch a movie or play a game on it, you quickly become aware of the practical limitations.

Two Screens in One

So investing in a true widescreen curved display instead may be a much smarter alternative. They’re the same height as a regular computer screen, so they’re wider, giving you a continuous, extra-long desk.

Here we have tested eight such screens in the same format, 34 inches diagonally (35 inches in some cases) and with an aspect ratio of 21:9, which means they are just over 2.35 times longer than they are wide, making it possible to place two screens side by side in the classic 4:3 format. This is the most commonly used widescreen format. There are also single curved gaming monitors in 32:9 format, i.e., two 16:9 screens side by side. But they are still rare.

All screens have a resolution of 3440 pixels in width and 1440 pixels in height. It really gives you workspace. Not quite as much as a 4k screen, but not as far away. The total number of pixels is almost five million, compared to just over eight million on a 4k screen.

Curved Screens Only

Another special feature of the monitors is that they all have a curved screen surface. A few years ago, there was a television trend, but it has become less common since then. But on desktop computer screens it survives and works better.

The difference is that there are often many people standing in front of a television set who want to watch it from different angles. But on a curved screen, it only looks right if you sit directly in front of it at a reasonable distance. It is easier to control on a desk for one person. Then you get a screen that gives you the right viewing angle both straight ahead and in the corners, and a more cinematic feel for movies and games.

Getting the best picture from a screen of this type places demands on your computer. If you want to play games, you need a really powerful graphics card. This is far beyond the usual 1080p monitors on which a player would normally want to maximize the frame rate, and as I said, much closer to a 4k screen in terms of the number of pixels.

Connection

Even if you are just surfing and running regular programs on your computer, you need to check what your computer is capable of. Performance is probably not a problem, but the screen connection may have limitations. You should make sure that you have the HDMI 2.0 port on your computer.

With an HDMI 1.4 connection, which is still widely used, there is a risk that your frame rate will be limited to 24 or 30 frames per second. There is a hard experience on the screen. If you have a display port output, we recommend using it instead. All screens in the test support the display port. If your display port output is not extremely old, up to 4 KB at 60 frames per second or more is supported.

Most monitors in this class also support two image inputs, so you can connect an additional computer or game console and display both on the screen at the same time. There are two ways to do this. The simplest is called picture-by-picture, which means that the screen is divided into two parts and each image source requires half. Another option is called picture-in-picture. Then the second image source becomes a small recessed box on the big screen. You can read about differences here.

High Minimum Image Quality

Only one of our tested monitors does not support this. One thing that almost everyone has is built-in speakers, again with one exception. This can be useful if you do not want to have separate speakers on your desktop. Unfortunately, the quality of these varies a lot and is one thing that really sets screens apart.

Some of the curved gaming monitors are based on exactly the same two variations of the screen field. Therefore, the difference in the picture experience is due to the way the built-in processors and software handle the picture signal and the self-customization and usability options in the settings menus.

None of the screens here belong to the professional class, although some of them come a little closer to their own screen. You have to pay a little more for that. For the vast majority of users, however, they provide a sharp picture and a monochrome experience.

How Tested

The screens were tested individually and connected to a laptop with HDMI 2.0 and Intel UHD Graphics and a desktop gaming computer with display port 1.4 and Geforce GTX 1080ti. The monitors’ image quality was evaluated with standard settings and standard profiles and after manual adjustment of brightness and color temperature. The test steps included high-resolution widescreen video playback, various recent PC games and daily work in Microsoft Word, browsers and Adobe Photoshop.

FAQs

  1. Can 75Hz be good for my gaming?

Sure. Even 60 Hz is applicable for gaming, especially, if you opt for a budget monitor. However, you may equally look for a 144 Hz monitor to get a higher quality of gameplay because of advanced technologies that are introduced by many companies and a low price for them due to a bigger competition on the market.

  1. Should I use FreeSync or G-Sync to make images better?

These both are considered to improve the quality of images on the monitor. Though, G-Sync is a bit more efficient. It can reduce the image tearing or stuttering to a greater extent. The other factor that influences the quality of images is a refresh rate. FreeSync does not produce any obvious changes, however, if the monitor uses its initial refresh rate.

  1. Does it make any difference when your monitor has 60 Hz, 144 Hz, or 240 Hz refresh rate?

Yes, sure. The Hz indicator stands for the refresh rate. It shows how often the monitor can refresh the images on the screen. So, the figures stand for the speed of refreshing. 240Hz means the highest speed of refreshing, of course, so the quality of your gameplay will be superb. However, most players use 144 Hz and feel quite satisfied with it. 60 Hz is a very low refresh rate and the images of some high-speed games may be a bit distorted. You can use this rate for gaming, of course, but only with certain types of common games that are not very dynamic.

  1. How should I choose the size of a monitor correctly?

First of all, you need to consider your budget. If you have some special preferences and your budget allows for them, you may opt for a larger screen. Your gaming experience will be much better on such a screen. However, consider the compatibility of your computer and the requirements of the games you paly most often. Many games do not demand large screens, so the medium size will alway be a good choice.

  1. Why is IPS better than TN for gaming?

Most gamers prefer IPS because of its more distinct color reproduction. The view angles are also bigger here. Though, consider some drawbacks of IPS before making the final choice. The prices are always higher for this type. So, if you are a single player without any need for spending extra costs, a TN panel is right for you, even if you are quite competitive-oriented.

Video Review: AOC CQ27G2

Conclusion

All our tips and recommendations provided here are based on making the best choice of a curved gaming monitor under $300 for your high-quality and competitive gaming. The ratings of any monitor are based on their prices, technical characteristics, functionality, and reviews received from the other users. If you want to make the right decision on your own, you can either follow the tips given here or try to search for some other variants on Amazon.com, other reputable online retailers’ websites, or in your nearest brick-and-mortar technology supermarkets and stores. 

The price of under $300 is quite affordable and optimal for the best options you can find among a great variety of gaming monitors that are available on the market today.

The curved monitors presented by us in this article will perform their functions perfectly to please you as a gamer. Consider all the options with their pros and cons to make the best choice.