Best Pick: LG 27UK650-W
LG has finally released a 27-inch G-Sync monitor and it’s quite possibly the best monitor for gaming and ultrawide gaming available today. Despite being somewhat pricey, the LG 27UK650-W offers NVIDIA G-Sync, FreeSync and a 178-degree ultra-wide viewing angle for playing ultrawide games and movies.
In addition to G-Sync, the monitor supports AMD FreeSync over HDMI. The monitor can easily support at least one game across multiple displays, meaning you can play games with friends on one display while they play on a different display.
The 27″ monitor has an ultra-wide 3840 x 2160 resolution, a 200Hz refresh rate, 2ms response time, and an 1800R curvature. The monitor is also adjustable, offering four height options (100mm, 175mm, 210mm, and 270mm) and five tilt options (80/100/120/150/200).
A single HDMI port is xtra-extended for G-Sync support (up to 1080p), which will run the monitor with an ultra-low persistence rate (the minimum amount of time for a second of blur to appear on screen). This gives you far more comfortable sight-blurring and motion-blur in contrast to high-refresh rate monitors, so those without G-Sync can enjoy their video games without so much as a slight blip.
This is a good basic screen if you want a nice clear and fast experience, or one that will boost your 4K / UHD movie output for the couch. You can make it boost quality via LG’s Color-Sync function, or boost resolution on the fly by using DisplayPort 1.2.
FreeSync is an optional premium feature that we would highly recommend you try out. It’s quite a few years old, but all the bigger screens you can now get it built in too. With a proven track record, we have high hopes for the flagship 27-inch panel in the LG 27UK650-W.
Regarding connectivity, the 27UK650-W is one of the most solid 2-way monitors we have ever seen. The monitor’s integrated hub supports 1x DisplayPort, 1x HDMI 1.4, 2x DVI-D, and a full suite of other 4K or HDCP 1.4 compliant ports. It comes with several ergonomic features like a adjustable stand and a stand base that allows you to move the display around 360°. Additionally, the HDMI 2.0 and DL-DVI-D port can be used to connect a monitor or two to a PC to deliver high resolutions without scaling artifacts.
Regarding overall performance, this LG product is excellent, making it the best gaming monitor with FreeSync support. However, its forte is its decent and detailed picture quality, which is actually comparable to those of some of the best monitors in this category. Still, you can easily achieve great image quality with more affordable solutions, especially if you do not need to game at such a high resolution.
Even if you know it comes with FreeSync, you might still feel uneasy because you don’t want to turn it off if you don’t have to. This helps keep the price a bit lower since it requires two inputs, one for each monitor you want to run.
The 27UK650-W is also a suitable display for productivity. It can easily handle multitasking and can even be used for broadcasting. The curved design of this display offers some serious visual appeal as well. The good resolution and size of the monitor also make it ideal for viewing movies in their native resolution, which is great for those who need the utmost in quality.
Bottom Line:
An excellent picture quality display with a wonderful IPS screen. You can adjust the brightness of the display and more, and it has a very wide viewing angles. However, it’s questionable whether it is worth buying if you do not need FreeSync over HDMI (which is best avoided).
Best Budget: ViewSonic XG2402
The XG2402 in 24-inch size features overclock-friendly hardware and the ability to push the refresh rate up to 165 Hz with a three-way NVIDIA G-Sync capable switcher. The monitor is also one of the first monitors to use NVIDIA Adaptive-Sync technology, which eliminates screen tearing when the GPU and screen are up to the task of cranking out the frames. ViewSonic even pushed back the response time a full 25ms in the realm of the VGA and HDMI inputs to bring it up to par with competing models.
For the price range, this was the best overall monitor in our list. It earned our Editors’ Choice award for its specs and productivity, as well as its superb image quality, comfortable design, and impressive specifications for the price. With its super-fast response time, it delivered some of the best input lag in our tests.
A 24-inch TN monitor, the ViewSonic XG2402 is the best product for the money, offering a big screen, great refresh rate and not a lot of costs.
Featuring an extremely fast response time, a very low input lag, and a wide FreeSync range, the ViewSonic XG2402 from ViewSonic delivers near-perfect colour reproduction, and the 4ms G2G response time means this screen will be a great option for use with fast gaming. There’s also no flickering backlight at all which is a huge plus for gamers. If you require high refresh rate support, then the XG2402 should be on your shortlist of best monitors. The display itself is quite a bit larger than the Acer Predator X34 and Samsung KS8000 models, and so if you need a bigger screen to play your games you’ll need to splurge for one of these.
The included stand is also larger than the standard Samsung’s, but it is adjustable so it’s more or less a given that the monitor can be tilted. Furthermore, the stand includes built-in adjustment holes, but this is relatively rare to find, as it’s one of the more used features.
Featuring a 144 Hz refresh rate, this ViewSonic monitor has a 1080p resolution and a PWM FreeSync feature. It’s as good as it gets from a FreeSync monitor. The disadvantages are a 120 Hz refresh rate and the lack of NVIDIA ULMB support. Compared to our top pick, it’s a bit more stylish and looks more like a gaming monitor, ̶but this beautiful and inexpensive CSeries 23.8″ screen also features an IPS display so it is best-suited for high-resolution gaming.
Now, with 24″ qHD (1,920 x 1,080) resolution and triple-streaming support (up to 3 monitors at once), you can easily get a sense of the game you are playing. We also really like the narrow black bezel which, along with the flicker-free LED backlight helps reduce eye fatigue in just one hour of gaming.
The screen has an anti-glare coating while the bezels are slim. The stand is a nice height of a 5mm and can go from a casual desk viewing position to some decent vertical height, at least in our tests. The screens real problem is its low native contrast ratio at 940:1. Sadly you can’t really see it when you use the screen with normal colours or images. From what we’ve read the manufacturers don’t use PWM dimming in these new UltraWide models as it is prone to flicker and is more prone to inaccuracies than PWM dimming anyway. Gamma was great in practice but became consistently disappointing in low-light.
On average I saw 33 FPS in my tests with the one hour brightness and backlight sitting in the middle of the scale. Despite high gamma and zero fall off in dark gaming I really didn’t like that particular display, despite its 1440p 144Hz display and MST feature.
Color gamut was the more noticeable downside here, even using the display’s supposed variable brightness setting. It was fully saturated but ultimately darker than it should have been even without this monitor’s very impressive gaming performance. Colors were very flat and lacked vibrancy and depth, which are characteristics that many gamers will find especially problematic in a 21:9 monitor. The viewing angles were also subpar for wide field of view, and colored shifts occurred on different parts of the screen which made your viewing experience erratic.
Yet, this monitor managed to display extremely crisp and precise colors and remained extremely cool to the touch, and is a great budget option that offers great features. However, the lack of front facing audio or Blu-ray was a downgrade, and it’s certainly not the one to buy if you really want to watch movies and TV shows at home. The XG2402 features a fully adjustable stand so it can be used without a monitor clamp. For those who want a little bit more height or a little bit more flexibility, you can use this monitor to enable VESA wall mounting on your wall. The XG2402 also features a few other nifty features including eye-tracking and FreeSync.
In addition, it has two USB 3.0 down ports and an extra HDMI port, for display daisy-chaining to the three other devices. Our criteria for this one were that it needs to deliver a strong performance with gaming-related monitors that support FreeSync over HDMI and that the price was around $400. It’s a bit expensive, but the ViewSonic has proven its ability to deliver strong performance on its own and has since been updated to include a 120Hz refresh rate with G-Sync support. Other than that, the monitor has everything we wanted with a very affordable price.
Bottom Line:
The ViewSonic XG2402 is the first monitor that lets you run up to 60 Hz in a truly full-range, 144 Hz wide-screen at a competitive price-point. It offers a wide range of adjustments, a great color gamut, and excellent passive 3D performance. At the moment, this is one of the most powerful mid-range graphics cards on the market, and it’s definitely going to be able to game at 4K or the next 4K ultra HD resolution without being a bottleneck. You won’t be able to do it at 60 Hz, but you will definitely have a great gaming experience at a wide range of refresh rates.
Best Value: Dell S2719DGF
The Dell S2719DGF is not only the most affordable FreeSync monitor in this list, but it’s the only one in the top 5 with FreeSync functionality, delivering long-term reliability with high-quality, gaming-grade image quality. With up to a 2ms response time, and support for NVIDIA’s G-Sync variable refresh rate technology, this monitor doesn’t just get the job done on a budget, it excels above and beyond what many similar monitors can do for you. Although the monitor has a TN panel, it performs quite well as a FreeSync monitor and is currently one of the best choices when looking for a TN monitor.
The monitor offers 1ms response time and 144Hz refresh rate with a Low Motion Blur of less than 0.07 percent. The monitor comes with NVIDIA G-Sync Technology and a range of color levels and contrast ratios to suit a variety of users and gaming setups. Display Ports can also be used to daisy chain up to four screens together for improved productivity.
The S2719DGF is a 27-inch display with a 1440p 1920 x 1080 resolution, G-Sync, FreeSync, and built in AMD FreeSync over HDMI connectivity. This monitor has a higher native resolution than the Dell S2716DG, but if you need the high resolution then the Dell 27 inch monitors with G-Sync are a better option for the same money. It offers the best gaming experience for its size and price.
As with other Dell monitors, the controls are located on the base of the monitor. While all the other Dell displays have base and stand mounts available, the S2719DGF has only a clamshell mount. This type of mount is best suited for professional use or portable use where you don’t have to carry a large monitor with you. The S2719DGF’s stand is also fairly simple to set up with the optional Dell ClearView mounting brackets. You will need a screwdriver and a wrench to attach the stand, but it can be a bit of a hassle if you are the DIY type.
The Dell S2719DGF features a fast and flexible display that will surely meet any needs of a gamer’s or PC’s graphics card requirements. Both of its high refresh rates and response times are of particular interest to users. It features an internal hybrid DP / HDMI interface and is designed to eliminate the potential for resolution pin-jumping for that extra high display refresh rate support.
The S2719DGF has the similar form factor and weight as compared to Dell UltraSharp monitors, but sports the highest refresh rate (144Hz) for any 2560×1440 screen we’ve tested. The 29-inch Dell is also the only competing model on the list with FreeSync support out of the box. This gives you a way to get the ultra-smooth performance you want without paying the ultimate upgrade price.
One of the audio out jacks on the S2719DGF, in addition to being rather good, provides a whopping 165Hz refresh rate. This means if you’ve got a decent graphics card, and you have a 60Hz monitor, you can get an easy 144Hz refresh rate. This is solid for almost everyone who wants to enjoy smooth gaming. Of course you’ll still need to use the monitor’s full 150Hz refresh rate, but it’s there for those who just want to go for the 180Hz refresh rate. Out of four USB down ports, two are HDMI and the other two are DisplayPort. While a few displays offer mixed HDMI/DisplayPort ports, this usually brings more cable clutter than the other two options, plus there is no DisplayPort function built in to the device. Since the Dell is in the number one price spot, it stands to reason that it comes with the best display options of the bunch.
No Built-in Speakers found on this Monitor. This is a notable flaw in a 21.5″ (33.7 cm) screen. Unfortunately, this is actually a good thing since this screen is meant to be used in a cubicle environment. Gaming and web browsing sessions will likely be performed in a smaller area and this monitor’s size, being very wide, makes it difficult to work at with a full-size keyboard. The default preset modes are perfect for small to medium users who need to press a keyboard or mouse button to interact with the display.
We recommend the ‘S View’ preset with overclockable and ‘Game Mode’ with ULMB turned on. This screen comes with one DP 1.2 input and one HDMI 2.0 input so it works nicely with external speakers. We’d recommend the I/O plan to maximize productivity on this model as it is another high quality display.
It offers two configurable stand modes, a Game Mode that gives you more comfortable viewing, a Sports Mode that gives you a more controlled experience, and a Flicker Free mode to give you a better experience in those situations when your eyes start to fatigue. The display is powered by a 21:9 widescreen aspect ratio, which means you get more of your screen to fill up than most monitor models. The Dell UltraSharp S2719DG uses IPS panel technology for spectacular performance and fantastic color. It is equipped with 2ms response time, so you get a crisp and clear picture.
The monitor has a slim look and while not as tall as other monitors on the market, it still manages to look substantial. The stand is black plastic so it doesn’t stand out and keep viewers from seeing the screen properly. The monitor is quite bright and well lit. It is perfect for users who are concerned about eye fatigue and tired from constant working. Although a 2560×1440 panel with 1920×1080 resolution is cheaper than the IPS type monitors, it’s not as good as the IPS monitor. If sure you need something less powerful than a 144Hz monitor and more focus, the Dell S2719DGF may be the best possible solution, thanks to the ability to play back in native 144Hz mode.
Overall The Dell S2719DGF provides a comfortable image with wide viewing angles. It can output a true 120 Hz refresh rate and you can easily configure the screen to operate at 165 Hz.
Its native resolution is 2560 x 1440 and this makes this model the maximum resolution for a 27″ screen at the time of writing. The 3,440 x 1,440 maximum brightness is decent for a display and you have a wide range of adjustment options from the stand. The added screen of 1.07 billion colour depth allows you to have the finest details seen on the screen and works very well with the content. Unfortunately it doesn’t look as good in direct sunlight and the viewing angles are quite variable, particularly on the horizontal axis. In low-light the dark being darker and the screen being darker.
Bottom Line:
The S2719DGF is a great value for people who want 4K UHD gaming at a very affordable price. The IPS panel is fantastic and has a noticeable dark transition from black to dark, and a black text option to increase contrast. This is a nice IPS display to save a few bucks.
Best Value: Samsung CFG73
Best Value is a category dedicated to monitors that are inexpensive and still deliver the exact same experience they did at the beginning. If you are looking for a new monitor for the budget, Samsung’s CFG73 is a great option. The 60Hz refresh rate is super fast, but it sacrifices a lot in terms of colors. At that price point, however, it is still an amazing monitor, especially when you consider the spec. The gaming performance is also decent, with AMD FreeSync technology.
Slightly smaller than the 34″ U34KG, the 34″ CFG73 has a pixel density of 350ppi, which is 2pp more than the U34KG. It also has the same 30Hz refresh rate as the U34KG (while requiring a different VESA standard). Of course, the 34″ U34KG is actually slightly larger at 39.1″ wide x 27.5″ high, but its 144Hz refresh rate is ideal for gaming, while the CFG73 offers a slightly lower 60Hz refresh rate, which is perfect for movie watching. If you’re going to be buying only one monitor, the CFG73 is the one to get.
The Curved 27-inch C27HG70 is a monitor with a wide display angle, and in particular the curved edges are positioned to eliminate glare in the desired way (instead of making you look like you’re looking through a window).
Its wide viewing angle allows you to view the screen from the angle of a pro while still being able to look around the image; for example, it is perfect for streaming HD content to your gaming PC while you work or do other stuff. The bigger curved monitor also has a curved glass stand that offers the maximum viewing experience for your display as well.
In our review, we found that the curved screen of the CFG73 was great for gaming, yet not so great for watching movies. With a small curvature, images still look good at an angle, but if you’re watching your film in a straight line, you will see some slight color branding. Nevertheless, Samsung continues to bring the features that consumers have been asking for. Besides its much more powerful than entry level CES 27″ model, the CFG73 also has 4K support and access to the NVIDIA G-Sync technology.
Unlike the Dell S2719DGF, the panel isn’t an IPS panel with NVIDIA G-Sync support. The good news for Samsung is that this monitor is 1ms response time, 4ms dynamic contrast ratio and comes with FreeSync. However, there are a couple of drawbacks compared to a Dell monitor with G-Sync. First of all, the curved resolution is a great benefit in terms of entertainment and performance.
Samsung CFG73 has built-in AMD FreeSync Technology and wide refresh range and wide 144Hz refresh rate means you can play competitive games and watch movies at a smoother frame rate with no stuttering. Overall, it has the right specs to be a very good gaming monitor, though you might have to buy two if you buy this model at the same time as a Samsung CFG73 with FreeSync over HDMI as the newer model comes with a wider 120Hz refresh rate.
Bottom Line:
The CFG73 has a very low price point and it can also work with an 144Hz monitor. But do note that it only has HDMI and not DisplayPort.
Verdict
FreeSync must be able to drive CRTs when paired with a TN Film panel with minimal overshoot. The AMD FreeSync technology does work fine with almost any TV when you pair it with a TN Film panel. This means that it can drive fast 120Hz+ (144Hz+ if you want to go to 240Hz) and pretty much any older model. It also tends to work better with non-Black Friday ones that don’t refresh as often. This mostly applies to more expensive Korean displays though, since with those you may want to be running at 60Hz for 240Hz, rather than 60Hz for 120Hz, since the FreeSync range may be limited by the panel.
