Avid gamers know the discomfort of wearing overhead headphones for long hours. Apart from sweaty ears, most headphones also feel heavy on the ears and head. Thankfully, gaming monitors with speakers come to the rescue. While they do not belt out high-fidelity music, they act as the perfect carrier of sounds for a short time until you get your headphones back.
The best part about these gaming monitors is that they are affordable and are available for below $400.
So if you are looking for affordable gaming monitors below $400, here are our top recommendations. But first,
- Reduce the noise during games with these cool noise-canceling gaming headphones
- Here are the best headphones stands that you can buy
1. BenQ Mobiuz EX2510S
- Resolution: 1920×1080 | Size: 25-inch | Refresh rate: 165Hz
- Ports: 2x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort 1.2, 1 x 3.5mm audio out
The BenQ Mobiuz EX2510S is one of the affordable monitors on this list. But for its price, this 25-inch monitor packs a bevy of good features. It has a bright HDR panel that delivers accurate colors and supports 165Hz refresh rate for smooth and stutter-free gaming. Moreover, the AMD FreeSync support means you can enjoy tear-free gaming when paired to a system with an AMD graphics card.
Expect a higher pixel density and sharper visuals. Switching on HDR kicks the brightness to around 400 nits. However, HDR performance is a little finicky, and games can lose their shadowy details.
This BenQ monitor integrates two 2.5W speakers that deliver a decent audio output. These speakers backed by BenQ’s own Trevolo technology to feature enough bass for enhanced overall sound output. If you plan to use the speakers sparingly during your gaming sessions, the Mobiuz EX2510S ensures that you can do so without investing in dedicated speakers.
When it comes to connecticity, you can make the best of the HDMI and DisplayPort connectors. If you want an ultra-affordable gaming monitor with speakers and if the size is not a priority, then the BenQ Mobiuz EX2510S is a good pick.
2. ASUS TUF Gaming VG259QM
Resolution: 1920 x1080p | Size: 25-inch | Refresh rate: 240Hz
Ports: 1x DisplayPort 1.2, 2x HDMI 2.0, 1 x 3.5mm audio out
If speed is your foremost priority in gaming, you can’t go wrong with the ASUS TUF Gaming VG259QM monitor. It bundles a native resolution of 240Hz and supports Adaptive-Sync. Also, you can overclock this ASUS monitor to up to 280Hz.
You can use Adaptive-Sync and ELMB (Extra-Low Motion Blur) at the same time. Both combine to give you tear-free and blur-free gameplay, and that’s the high point of this monitor. The folks at Tom’s Hardware put this monitor through its paces and found it to stand tall through all the tests. Gaming graphics appeared sharp and detailed with no or minimal blur. Furthermore, your could game on it for hours without issues.
Like the model mentioned above, this monitor sports a bright panel, which can go up to 400 nits with HDR. The 2W speakers are decent to watch YouTube and movies at times. But they aren’t the best if you value quality audio output. However, if your system cooler kicks in while gaming, then the audio might get lost.
On this monitor, you’ll get a HDMI and DisplayPort. This gives you the flexibility of connecting the panel to two systems, if required.
3. Dell S2722QC 4K USB-C Monitor
Resolution: 3840 x 2160 | Size: 27-inch | Refresh rate: 60Hz
Ports: 2 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x USB-C PD(65W), 2 x USB 3.2, 1 x 3.5mm audio
If you believe that the days of FHD gaming are over, then you must have a peek at the Dell S2722QC monitor. It boasts a 4K panel and USB-C ports. The 4K panel delivers sharp and detailed picture quality and is apt for games, movies, and regular work. For the record, it covers 100% of the sRGB colors spectrum. And hey, the response time is around 10ms.
However, this Dell monitor is not for the avid gamers. Though supports FreeSync and G-Sync, the 60Hz refresh rate might be the roadblock to play modern games. It’s suitable as a high-res monitor for regular usage. The 3W speakers are decent for the price, but they tend to distort when pushed to their maximum limits.
As noted earlier, one of the major advantages is its 65W USB-C port. It can channel support as display for compatible laptops and also charge them.
The Dell S2722QC is more expensive than its counterparts above. But you get a quality screen and a sharper picture quality.
4. Gigabyte G34WQC Curved Gaming Monitor
- Resolution: 3440×1440 | Size: 34-inch | Refresh rate: 144Hz
- Ports: 2x HDMI 2.0, 2x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x 3.5mm audio out
Last but not least, we have the Gigabyte G34WQC. This gaming monitor with speakers checks off several boxes. It’s one of the few ultrawide curved gaming monitors below $400. And well, it bundles several cool features such as a high refresh rate of 144Hz, 1440p resolution, Adaptive-Sync support, and a wide panel.
The wide 34-inch screen gives you enough berth to enjoy your favorite (compatible) games. The pixel density is a tad lower (owing to the wide panel), but that doesn’t dampen the sharp and detailed picture quality. Also, the VA panels ensures higher contrast levels compared to the IPS screen above. The VA screen translates into deep blacks, which enhances the overall gaming experience.
Being a gaming monitor, it comes with its share of DisplayPort and HDMI ports. So you can connect a gaming console and a gaming PC. However, the video output of HDMI ports are limited to just 100Hz.
If you are up to spending a couple of bucks extra and do not want to compromise on the speed, the Gigabyte G34WQC will prove to be a clever buy. Besides gaming, this widescreen monitor also doubles up for work.
Game On!
These were some of the affordable gaming monitors that you can buy. The speakers in these panels are not enough to let you enjoy soul-crushing music, but they get the work done until you are ready to put back your headphones.
If you want to save on money and want the best bang for a buck deal, the BenQ monitor should serve your purpose fine. If not, you can always consider the one by Gigabyte.
