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Best 500Hz monitor guide: truly ridiculous refresh rates

Covering both IPS and OLED panel options available in 2025
Aaron Ritchie
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Best 500Hz monitor guide: truly ridiculous refresh rates
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2025 looks to be the year of the 500Hz gaming monitor. Although the very first of these ultra-high refresh rate displays was released a couple of years ago, it was limited in terms of resolution and panel technology. CES 2025 however saw the unveiling of 500Hz 1440p OLED monitors from a number of brands, each claiming to be the ‘first ones' in classic fashion, but all essentially using the same QD-OLED panel produced by Samsung – a direct competitor to the 480Hz WOLED panel produced by their arch-rivals LG.

Many of these new 500Hz OLED monitors haven't quite hit the shelves at the time of writing, however within a couple of months we should see the first of them available to buy. We were fortunate enough to get a preview of these new monitors so we could put together this guide, however the true verdict will have to wait until their release, when the first proper reviews with in-depth testing roll in. At that point, we will update this guide accordingly – watch this space!

How we chose the best 500Hz monitors

As discussed, many of the monitors listed below haven't yet been reviewed, however we were lucky enough to go to Computex 2025 in Taipei and get hands on with all the QD-OLED displays we've listed below. Based on this, plus an analysis of the specifications, we've put together what we consider to be the best 500Hz monitors at the time of writing, however the ranking may be subject to change once the first reviews come out.

Given almost all of our picks are 27-inch monitors that use the same Samsung-made QD-OLED display, the differentiating factors between them are less about the panel, and more about the other features that they come with, plus the build quality, aesthetics and the like.

The best 500Hz monitors in 2025

MSI MPG 271QR X50 (QD-OLED) monitor

Specifications
  • Refresh rate: 500Hz
  • Screen Size: 27″
  • Resolution : 2560 x 1440
  • Panel type: QD-OLED
  • I/O ports: DisplayPort 2.1, USB-C (98W power delivery), 2x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm headphone jack

Our top pick wowed us when we saw it at Computex: the MSI MPG 271QR QD-OLED X50 is the first of two monitors from the company on this list, and is the more premium option. The display comes with the most advanced AI features we've seen on a monitor, specifically a new AI care sensor that comes within their updated OLED Care 3.0 suite. The sensor detects when the user leaves from in front of the screen and uses this time to turn on pixel refresh and other OLED care features, stopping them when the user returns, meaning maximum time efficiency and limited time lost when working without risking damaging the display. 

The screen comes with DisplayPort 2.1 meaning much greater bandwidth, and an impressive 98W power delivery through its USB-C port (plus a couple of other USB sockets besides). In addition to this you get all the other benefits of the Samsung Display QD-OLED panel, including a 0.03ms G2G response time and 10-bit colour depth, plus an average deltaE color accuracy of less than 2.0.

MSI MAG 272QP X50 (QD-OLED) monitor

Specifications
  • Refresh rate: 500Hz
  • Screen Size: 27″
  • Resolution : 2560 x 1440
  • Panel type: QD-OLED
  • I/O ports: DisplayPort 1.4, USB-C (15W power delivery), 2x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm headphone jack

The MAG 272QP X50 is essentially a stripped down, more affordable version of the MPG above, for those who primarily care about the core performance of the display, and aren't too fussed about the additional functionality. You still get USB-C power delivery, but it's limited to 15W and other USB ports are non-existent; you get DisplayPort 1.4, rather than 2.1; OLED Care tech is to the 2.0 standard, rather than 3.0, and lacks the AI sensor of the above model.

Like the MPG variant it comes with 99% DCI-P3 color gamut coverage, 10-bit colour depth, and VESA DisplayHDR TrueBlack 500 certification. The SDR brightness is limited as with virtually all OLED panels, to around 250 nits.

Acer Predator X27U F5 (QD-OLED) monitor

Specifications
  • Refresh rate: 500Hz
  • Screen Size: 27″
  • Resolution : 2560 x 1440
  • Panel type: QD-OLED
  • I/O ports: DisplayPort 1.4, USB-C (65W power delivery), 2x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm headphone jack, 4x USB-A

The Acer Predator monitor lineup comes with another heavy hitter this year in the form of the X27U F5. Again the core panel specs are the same as the other QD-OLED models listed here in terms of response time, color replication, and brightness. This particular monitor comes with FreeSync Premium Pro VRR to help combat screen tearing.

The spec list on this particular monitor suggests a max SDR brightness of 300nits, which is higher than those above and is perhaps thanks to additional tech Acer are using to get more out of the panel. Connectivity includes DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.1, and USB-C with 65W power delivery, plus four other USB ports, which is nice to see.

Acer monitors tend to be priced fairly competitively compared to some of the competition, so we're looking forward to seeing what MSRP this model comes with.

ASUS ROG Strix XG27AQDPG (QD-OLED) monitor

Specifications
  • Refresh rate: 500Hz
  • Screen Size: 27″
  • Resolution : 2560 x 1440
  • Panel type: QD-OLED
  • I/O ports: DisplayPort 1.4, 1x USB-C, 2x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm headphone jack

As you'd expect ASUS are releasing their own 500Hz monitor as part of their ROG Strix line of premium gaming products. Once again it's a 27-inch, 1440p display that uses the same Samsung QD-OLED panel. ROG Strix monitors have some of the best stands around when it comes to adjustability, and this particular model comes with the brands latest ROG OLED Anti-Flicker 2.0 technology. Connectivity comes in the form of DisplayCal 1.4 (with Display Stream Compression) and HDMI 2.1.

No release date has been confirmed by ASUS at this stage, but publications like techENT believe July, 2025 looks likely, which brings it in line with most of the other monitors on this page.

Alienware AW2524H 500Hz gaming monitor

Specifications
  • Refresh rate: 500Hz
  • Screen Size: 24.5″
  • Resolution : 1920 x 1080
  • Panel type: IPS
  • I/O ports: DisplayPort 1.4, 2x HDMI 2.0, 4x USB-A, 1x 3.5mm headphone jack

One of the original 500Hz gaming monitors released back in late 2023, the Alienware is limited to a 1920×1080 resolution, along with an IPS panel, meaning the image quality you get, particularly in terms of contrast ratio and HDR performance is considerably more limited than the OLED options here. Color accuracy is pretty great however, at least within the sRGB space and the matte screen does give it very good reflection handling, plus the max SDR brightness is higher than you'd get in an OLED: around 390nits.

In terms of gaming performance you get good response time and low input lag, along with native G-Sync support. The screen size is on the smaller side, at 25-inches, although it is cheaper as a consequence. In terms of ports you get DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.0 only, four USB-A sockets plus a 3.5mm audio out.

Honourable mentions

Besides the options mentioned above there are other monitors soon to be released that use the same 27-inch QD-OLED Samsung panel. 

The most obvious of these is the actual Samsung monitor that uses it: the Odyssey OLED G6 G60SF. This come switch much the same core specs as the rest but with its own ‘Glare Free' tech that promises to improve reflection performance in well-lit environments. It's also Pantone Validated and comes with VESA DisplayHDR TrueBlack 500.

Additionally the Gigabyte AORUS FO27Q5P promises much the same as the above displays, with a focus on Black Frame Insertion and Anti-flicker Features in the marketing. We don't know the pricing of this particular model yet, but Gigabyte monitors do tend to be more affordable than those from other brands.

The Gigabyte AORUS FO27Q5P at Computex 2025

Can you buy 500Hz monitors?

The first 500Hz monitors, like the Alienware AW2524H listed below, have been available to buy since late 2023. These early models were limited to IPS panels however, and it's only in 2025 that we've seen the first 500Hz QD-OLED monitors unveiled, and many of these still aren't available to buy at the time of writing, though they're expected to start hitting the shelves around July 2025. 480Hz WOLED monitors however have been available to buy since 2024, and in virtually all practical scenarios, it's very unlikely you'll be able to tell much difference between the two in terms of refresh rate, as 20Hz difference at this level is insignificant.

500Hz QD-OLED panels vs 480Hz WOLED panels

There are two main types of OLED panels: QD-OLED aka Quantum Dot Organic Light-Emitting Diode (solely produced by Samsung) and WOLED aka White Organic Light-Emitting Diode (solely produced by LG) – these panels are then sent off to other monitor brands to tweak and base their designs around. QD-OLEDs are capable of greater brightness and more vibrant colors, thanks to their quantum dot technology, whereas WOLED panels tend to have slightly better contrast and reflection handling, plus are often slightly cheaper.

There are other subtle differences which we won't go into here, but the key point as far as this guide is concerned is that WOLED panels are currently limited to 480Hz refresh rate, which was until 2025 the highest an OLED panel was capable of. The QD-OLED tech has now leapfrogged ahead ever so slightly though, being able to reach that 500Hz mark – effectively a negligible difference but still technically the fastest OLED displays.

Are 500Hz monitors worth it?

For the vast majority of gamers, 500Hz will be overkill when it comes to the maximum refresh rate of your monitor, and you'd be better off spending your money on other features, or just buying a cheaper display with a lower refresh rate and spending it elsewhere on your gaming rig. That being said, if you are a hardcore competitive player who likes to play fast-paced shooters and other titles, squeezing every last drop out of your tech to improve your in-game performance could be your passion. For the true e-sports enthusiast then, a 500Hz refresh rate display does make sense, if this is your primary goal.

Is 500Hz the highest refresh rate for a monitor?

Until fairly recently, 500Hz was indeed the highest maximum refresh rate available in a monitor, however it's recently been superseded by the preposterously fast 610Hz ASUS ROG esports gaming monitor. How much higher will this specification go over the coming years? Who knows.

About the Author

Aaron Ritchie

Aaron's laptop knowledge makes him the go-to guy on PC Guide. But he still finds time for features, deals and much more.