Welp MagazineLooking for a new monitor but don’t want to break the bank? You’re in luck! There are plenty of great monitors available for under $300, and these are the very best. Whether you’re a gamer, a productivity-focussed business type, or just looking for a good all-around monitor, there’s something for everyone in this article. We’ve taken a look at the best monitors under $300 and considered factors such as resolution, refresh rate, response time, color gamut, and – most importantly – price to help you find the perfect monitor for your needs.
So whether you’re looking for a new monitor for your gaming rig, the centerpiece for your cosy work-from-home setup, or just to stream and binge movies and TV, read on for our picks of the best monitors under $300 in five key categories.
Product Comparison Table: Best Monitor Under $300
| Title | Price | Rating (Amazon) | Best in class | Buy | |
 | ASUS TUF Gaming VG27VH1B 27” Curved Monitor | $$$ | 4.5 stars | Best for Gaming | Amazon |
 | ASUS VA27DQSB 27” Monitor | $$ | 4.5 stars | Best for Home Computing | Amazon |
 | HP M27fwa 27-in FHD IPS LED Backlit Monitor with Audio | $$$ | 4.5 stars | Best for Streaming | Amazon |
 | ASUS ProArt Display 24.1” 16:10 Professional Monitor | $$$ | 4 stars | Best for Creatives | Amazon |
 | ASUS BE27ACSBK 27” 1440P Video Conference Monitor | $$$ | 4 stars | Best for Business | Amazon |
ASUS TUF Gaming VG27VH1B 27” Curved Monitor
Gaming setups can quickly get extremely costly. That’s where the ASUS TUF Gaming VG27VH1B 27” Curved Monitor comes in. The ASUS TUF Gaming VG27VH1B 27” Curved Monitor is our best gaming monitor under $300 for several key reasons: a 165Hz refresh rate, a 1ms response time, FreeSync technology, a curved display, and a variety of ports are a few.
The VG27VH1B’s 165Hz refresh rate is important because it provides smooth and fluid gameplay, and the 1ms response time eliminates ghosting and motion blur. FreeSync technology synchronizes the monitor’s refresh rate with your graphics card, making the VG27VH1B the best monitor under $300 for gamers who want a smooth, immersive, and tear-free gaming experience – that won’t leave you out of pocket.
Pros
- Fast refresh rate and response time
- Curved display
- Specialised for gaming
Cons
- No HDR support
- No built-in speakers
Verdict
Even though you’re on a budget, you can complete an impressive setup with a great panoramic monitor like the ASUS TUF Gaming VG27VH1B 27” Curved Monitor, our best monitor under $300 that’s specialised for gaming. It’s not a top-of-the-range Alienware beast of a monitor, but it’s a massive improvement on the other budget gaming monitors we tried!
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ASUS VA27DQSB 27” Monitor
We use our home computer for everything and anything, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a good one on a budget! The best monitor under $300 in this category had to be a good all-rounder, and that’s what the ASUS VA27DQSB 27” Monitor is. The VA27DQSB’s 27-inch frameless Full HD (1920 x 1080) LED backlit display with IPS 178° wide viewing angle panel boasts a 75Hz refresh rate, complete with Adaptive-Sync technology to eliminate tracing.
Most importantly, it’s easy on the eye for everyday use. Screen use being the leading cause of eye strain and damage, All ASUS ‘Eye Care’ labelled monitors feature TÜV Rheinland-certified Flicker-free and Low Blue Light technologies, which we found the most genuinely comfortable out of any eye care monitor tech – especially under $300. It also looks great in each of the four blue-light level settings.
Pros
- A great all-rounder
- Comfortable ASUS Eye Care tech
- Wide variety of ports and features
Cons
- No built-in speakers
Verdict
The ASUS VA27DQSB 27” Monitor is not only our best monitor under $300 for everyday desktop computing at home, but it’s also our best monitor under $300 from a health perspective: the eye-care features are second to none. Particularly helpful is the Rest Reminder function, reminding you to take a brief rest from the screen at regular intervals.
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HP M27fwa 27-in FHD IPS LED Backlit Monitor with Audio
Most people these days use their monitors for streaming movies or TV, whether bingeing Netflix or just surfing Youtube on your lunch break. So, we figured we need to find the best monitor under $300 that delivers for streaming. For the habitual streamers, casual watchers and big-time bingers, we present the HP M27fwa 27-in FHD IPS LED Backlit Monitor with Audio, our best monitor under $300 for streaming.
The high resolution (1920 x 1080) on the HP M27fwa’s expansive IPS 99% sRGB monitor will make your streams look sharp and clear, ensuring image accuracy and consistency across the ultra-wide 178-degree viewing spectrum. What’s more, it carries the same Eye Safe certification as other ASUS monitors on this list, and integrated speakers mean there’s no need to buy external speakers for great audio.
Pros
- High color accuracy
- Built-in speakers
- Wide viewing angle
Cons
- Screen could be even larger
Verdict
The HP M27fwa 27-in FHD IPS LED Backlit Monitor with Audio is our best monitor under $300 for streaming, and not just for great visuals and built-in speakers. You may be able to afford all those subscriptions, but that doesn’t mean you have to scrimp on a monitor; or maybe it does, which is why this is the best monitor under $300 for you!
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ASUS ProArt Display 24.1” 16:10 Professional Monitor
The ASUS ProArt Display 24.1” 16:10 Professional Monitor is our best monitor under $300 that’s designed with creative users in mind. Wall mountable with QuickFit image grid adjust technology to fit your work perfectly on the screen, this monitor is visually stunning.
The ProArt display delivers professional-standard 100% sRGB and 100% Rec.709 color gamut – best of all, this monitor’s Calman Verified with factory calibration straight out the box. If that’s not good enough, ASUS-exclusive ProArt Preset and ProArt Palette provide adjustable color parameters to make your work look incredibly true-to-life, whether swivelled portrait or landscape. Another feature that makes this our best monitor under $300 for creatives on a budget: the accompanying trial subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud.
Pros
- Calman-verified color
- Perfect for creatives
- QuickFit grid tech
Cons
- Small screen, but larger-screen models get pricey
Verdict
Reproducing incredible colors without the price tag to match, the ASUS ProArt Display 24.1” 16:10 Professional Monitor is truly the best monitor for eye strain reduction that’s focussed on creative tasks. The ProArt is tailored for software Adobe Creative Suite (trial period included), which is a joy to use – with no eye strain, even if Photoshopping that one tricky image takes you hours.
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ASUS BE27ACSBK 27” 1440P Video Conference Monitor
Since the COVID-19 Pandemic, video conferencing tools like Teams, Skype, Google Meet, Webex and Zoom have taken over the business world. For this reason, we’ve found our best monitor under $300 for busy businesspeople: the ASUS BE27ACSBK 27” 1440P Video Conference Monitor. This budget monitor makes Zooming a pain-free experience.
What cinched this business-focussed monitor as our best monitor under $300 in this category is its credentials as a Zoom Certified product. This means the ASUS BE27ACSBK is fine-tuned for conference calls, featuring video conferencing shortcuts, an AI-augmented built-in noise-cancelling microphone, camera and speakerphone, and Face Auto Exposure – which detects your face and fine-tunes the image to make your face look brighter and stand out more – not to mention ASUS’s trademark Eye Care tech to protect your vision.
Pros
- Zoom Certified
- Ergonomic design
- ASUS Eye Care tech
Cons
- Might lead to more time stuck in Zoom meetings
Verdict
Blue light reduction, flicker-free technology and ergonomic design is what makes ASUS our favorite eye-safe brand for the best monitors under $300, so naturally the ASUS BE27ACSBK 27” 1440P Video Conference Monitor wins our business-based approval. You might end up spending more time on Zoom though, which might be a minus.
