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Disclosure: We may earn money from the products mentioned in this post.
With technology constantly improving, gamers are always getting better bang for buck as each year goes on.
With the oversaturation of the monitor market, we wanted to make it a little bit easier for gamers who are on a budget to find the best gaming monitor.
It's also worth noting that there is a stark contrast between your everyday monitor that a business would use and a gaming one. To make things simple, we've also included a small glossary at the bottom of the page for any technical terms that are referenced throughout this article.
Without further ado, let's crack on and find out what the best gaming monitors under $100 are.
Best Budget Gaming Monitors Under $100
1. Acer VG220Q
| Technical Specifications | |
| Screen Size | 21.5″ |
| Refresh Rate | 75Hz |
| Response Time | 1ms |
| Panel | IPS |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
Sitting in our top spot, the very best sub-$100 gaming monitor we've found, is the Acer Nitro VG220Q. Simply an astounding feat of technology that has a very affordable price tag for the features you get.
Starting off with the essentials, you are presented with a full-HD IPS monitor that provides a rapid 1ms response time along with an aesthetic design that will look great with any gaming setup.
This monitor also comes packed with AMD's FreeSync technology which syncs your monitor's frames with your graphics card, providing a smooth and tear-free experience.
Finally, the ‘zero-frame' design from Acer means that you can easily use it in a multi-monitor setup and you won't have any issues with thick bezels ruining your gaming experience and that's why this is the best gaming monitor.
2. AOC G2260VWQ6
| Technical Specifications | |
| Screen Size | 21.5″ |
| Refresh Rate | 75Hz |
| Response Time | 1ms |
| Panel | TN |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
Now we are moving into a new pedigree of PC gaming monitors that really start to take it up a notch without affecting the price range.
Starting off with some of the impressive tech specs, you get an impressive 1ms response time which is essential for any dedicated gamer. You also get a 75Hz refresh rate tagged with FreeSync which will provide you with a lag free and smooth experience.
The TN panel might make certain viewing angles limited but as it is designed to be used primarily as a gaming monitor, you shouldn't have an issue.
The overall specs leave you wanting more and can be construed as a bit tacky but it gets the job done. It's even VESA compatible so if the monitor base doesn't flow well then simply mount it on your wall and you're good to go.
It also comes with flicker-free technology and an anti-blue light feature, pack those two in with the rest of the features provided and you have an almost perfect gaming monitor under $100.
3. Acer SB220Q
| Technical Specifications | |
| Screen Size | 21.5″ |
| Refresh Rate | 75Hz |
| Response Time | 4ms |
| Panel | IPS |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
Moving up through our best gaming monitor list brings us to one of the best-looking displays, the Acer-SB220Q. This is the first IPS monitor in our list and the first monitor that takes the response time down below 5ms to a more gamer friendly 4ms.
This gaming monitor also features AMD's Freesync technology, which combined with the 75Hz capabilities should allow you to game without any input lag or stuttering issues. The 0.24-inch thin monitor can easily blend into any PC setup with its incredibly sleek design.
A good point to mention is that due to the IPS (In-Plane Switching) technology you will be able to view this monitor at all angles with no colour difference. One small consideration is that this gaming monitor only accepts HDMI and VGA input so be sure to have those cables ready to hand.
Due to the design of the monitor, it's also not compatible with a VESA wall mount, but apart from that, there's really no complaints from our end.
This screen is another fantastic sub-$100 gaming monitor that shouldn't be overlooked. It really is bursting with gamer-prefered features.
4. ViewSonic VA2246M
| Technical Specifications | |
| Screen Size | 22″ |
| Refresh Rate | 60Hz |
| Response Time | 5ms |
| Panel | TN |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
Another solid entry in the sub-$100 gaming monitor bracket is the ViewSonic VA2246M 22 inch LED monitor.
This monitor packs similar features to the Sceptre with regards to the 1080p resolution, the in-built speakers and the industry standard 5ms response time.
One immediate drawback which can be seen in the cons table above is that there doesn't appear to be an HDMI input for this monitor. This could be a slight deal breaker for those with no other option.
However, for the gamers who are willing to look past that minor setback, they will find a fantastic gaming monitor that is backed by a 3-year warranty! Better still, there is also an energy efficient ECO mode that allows the monitor to function effectively whilst consuming a lot less power.
This monitor is an all-around solution for beginners, intermediates and experts in PC gaming that provides excellent picture quality and an environmentally friendly ECO power option.
A quick note: with in-built speakers, it's always good to remember that they shouldn't ever be a long-term solution for audio. Our recommendation will always be to have an external set of speakers attached to any monitor, as simply we haven't yet found any good ones that come out of the box.
5. Sceptre E248W
| Technical Specifications | |
| Screen Size | 24″ |
| Refresh Rate | 75Hz |
| Response Time | 5ms |
| Panel | TN |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
Finishing off our best gaming monitor list is a less-known brand and it is the Sceptre E248W. This 24″ gaming monitor comes with a surprisingly large number of features seeing its sub-$100 price tag.
There are a few drawbacks such as the budget TN panel which is used in this monitor. This is typically not a deal breaker for a gamer on a budget. The bezels are relatively thin for a monitor of this size and price tag, so that's a great win for anyone who is looking for a multi-monitor setup.
Unfortunately there isn't a Freesync option on this budget PC monitor and the response time isn't necessarily the fastest but at 5ms it's by no means slow either. In terms of design, it's a very stylish and desirable monitor that would sit well within even the more advanced PC setups.
In terms of connectivity, the Sceptre E248W features the following inputs:
- HDMI
- DVI
- VGA
For anyone who's a fan of getting the most out of their money, you'll be pleased to know that it also features built-in speakers, a 5,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and it's even VESA wall mount ready!
Whilst it might not have the most mind-blowing tech specs on the market, it is a unique 24 inch sub-$100 gaming monitor which can output at 1080p. All things considered, it's a pretty amazing gaming monitor.
That sums it up for our top 5 PC monitors under $100. As we mentioned at the beginning of the article, we've included a glossary below for technical terms. If we've missed any, make sure to add a comment below!
If you have any other questions please let me know in the comment section below and we'll be sure to answer ASAP.
Glossary
What is refresh rate?
You may have noticed throughout the article, that we refer to the refresh rate of a monitor, but what exactly is it?
To put it simply, the refresh rate of a monitor refers to how many times the picture on your screen updates. If a gaming monitor had a refresh rate of 60Hz, it means that the picture will refresh 60 times per second. The most important thing to note is that the higher the refresh rate, the smoother the gaming experience.
What is the difference between a TN or IPS monitor?
TN (Twisted Nematic) panels were the original choice for monitors before IPS (In-Plane Switch) technology was created. The most important thing to note is that IPS monitors will usually provide you with a better viewing experience/. This is due to the fact that they aren't affected by viewing angles whereas TN panel screens are.
It's also common to see TN panel monitors having worse colour reproduction compared to their IPS monitor counterparts.
However, the one disadvantage of IPS monitors is that they typically have a higher response time compared to TN panels.
What is response time in a monitor?
The response rate is merely how long it takes for a pixel to change colour on your monitor. The lower the response time, the better your gaming experience. This is because there is less of a delay between the things happening on your display.
What is resolution?
Resolution refers to the number of pixels that are on your monitor. A typical resolution is 1920 x 1080. This means that there are 1,920 pixels along the width of your monitor and 1,080 pixels down the side.
The higher the resolution, the more detail that your monitor is able to display whilst gaming.
If you found this post helpful, then why not check out our other posts:
– Best Budget Gaming CPU 2019
– Best Graphics Card 2019 Under $100
– Best PSU 2019 Under $100
– Best PC Case 2019 Under $100
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