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Best Monitor Under $200 in 2024

Get a quality monitor even on a tight budget
Last Updated on February 15, 2024
best monitor under 200

Whether you’re working or you’re gaming, having a great monitor is essential. You need something with a great display that can show you everything that you’re doing in fantastic clarity. Something that will stand the test of time, something reliable.

Of course, the biggest concern here is whether it’s possible to buy something so good if you’re on a budget. If you’re limited in your budget, sometimes you may have to skip on having some of the premium features of a more expensive monitor. Well, you will be pleased to know that actually, you can get a range of fantastic monitors under $200 that will serve you well, no matter the task. Read on to find out about our picks of the best monitors under $200. For good measure, we’ve also thrown in a buyer’s guide to help you to narrow down your decision.

Products at a Glance

How We Picked

We’ve put a lot of thought into this, since without a good monitor your experience is going to be pretty poor, no matter what you’re doing. We’ve considered a few different things when making our decision. First, the size – you need a monitor that’s big enough so you can see everything that you need to see. We’ve also considered the resolution of the monitor since you want to be able to see everything with fantastic clarity while you’re working or gaming.

We’ve also considered a few extra things – what’s the refresh link, is the monitor compatible with certain gaming consoles? We’ve taken some time to assess other customer reviews as well as our own to give you a truly comprehensive overview. Finally, we’ve thought about the price and whether it’s worth it for the product that you’re getting.

Our Recommended

Product Reviews

1
PROS
  • Good value for money
  • FreeSync
  • Quick response and low input lag
CONS
  • Stand is tilt only

There are very few monitors out there for under $200 that can come close to comparing with the LG 24GL600F. This monitor is perfect for so many purposes, whether you’re in the office or enjoying a gaming session with your friends. This 24-inch monitor has a lot of fantastic features that you are sure to enjoy.

This monitor was primarily designed to be a gaming monitor, and so it’s ideal if you’re an FPS gamer. You won’t get very much lag with this monitor, you’ll have a very fast response time, and it’s also compatible with FreeSync. The monitor comes with a fantastic On Screen Display menu, and there’s even a joystick on the bottom of the screen which makes navigation that much easier.

The monitor features a tilt-only stand, so perhaps it isn’t quite as ergonomic as we would like. This is an issue that’s fairly easily rectified by getting a separate monitor stand, though this monitor is VESA mount compatible. The monitor has a few connectivity options, including DisplayPort 1.2, a headphone jack, and two HDMI 2.0 ports. Overall, you are most certainly getting your value for money with this monitor. The stand is the only real problem with it.

2
PROS
  • Ideal for gamers
  • Lots of connectivity options
  • Versatile
  • Affordable
CONS
  • It looks a little bit cheap, though still functions admirably well

For such a low price you may not expect to get anything particularly fantastic from your monitor. Well, you will be pleasantly surprised with the ViewSonic VX2457-MHD. This monitor ticks all of the main boxes and more.

So, what do you get when you buy this monitor? Well, for starters, it measures 24 inches and features 1920 x 1080p resolution. For the gamers out there, you will be pleased to know that it has a 75Hz refresh rate which makes it great for a range of games. The monitor is relatively thin at 1.8 inches, so it will fit right in with any office or gaming environment.

The monitor comes with a stand that’s already installed, and thankfully it’s super easy to put together. It only tilts though, so again, you may need to get a separate monitor mount if you want something with better ergonomics.

The monitor comes with a range of connectivity options, including HDMI, VGA, and DisplayPort. It even comes with two speakers. It has a TN panel, and features AMD FreeSync. This means you don’t need to worry about any tearing while you’re gaming.

Of course, it isn’t without its pitfalls. Namely, this particular monitor does look somewhat cheap due to the plastic construction. This isn’t necessarily a game-changer though, as it still works admirably well for a budget laptop. It’s just something that’s worth keeping in mind.

3
PROS
  • Full HD resolution
  • Decently sized
  • Very affordable
CONS
  • Not the best for gaming

If you’re on a very tight budget, then you will love the AOC E2270SWHN. This 21.5-inch monitor is perfect for a wide range of different tasks, and it tilts and can be mounted on the wall too!

The monitor is great if you want to watch movies or play games, thanks to the Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080p. Every image that you see on this monitor is displayed in crystal clear clarity for you and the whole family to enjoy. It also has low blue light, and this helps to prevent you from straining your eyes or getting headaches after long periods of use.

The monitor is VESA mount compatible, and has a 60 Hz refresh rate. It also has a 16:9 aspect ratio. It is great as far as budget options are concerned, though it certainly isn’t groundbreaking in terms of use for gaming.

4
PROS
  • Great value for money
  • Built in sensor that alters brightness based on external conditions
  • Great connectivity
CONS
  • Doesn’t come with AMD FreeSync

If you’re on a budget and you’re looking for a high-quality monitor for your home office, you should certainly try the BenQ GL2480. This monitor has a great performance, price, and display, so you can be sure that you will be getting your money’s worth when you purchase this monitor.

The monitor features an AH-IPS panel, 250 peak brightness, a 60Hz refresh rate, and a 1000:1 contrast ratio. This means that you can be sure that you will get great performance every time you use this monitor. It also has an input lag of 10ms, so it’s not going to be too troublesome if you want to use it for gaming either.

What’s especially cool about this monitor is that it features a built-in sensor. This sensor will change the brightness of the screen based on the lighting in the room. This is important as it’s better for your eye health and it also helps to make the quality of the image that much better. If you don’t want this feature though, you can turn it off or change how sensitive it is just by going to the OSD menu.

The monitor is VESA mount compatible with 100 x 100 mm patterns, and it connects with HDMI 1.4, DisplayPort 1.2, and VGA. This is pretty impressive for a monitor of this price! The only real issue is that it doesn’t come with AMD FreeSync, which may be a bummer for the gamers out there.

5
PROS
  • Ergonomic stand
  • Fantastic value for money
  • 178 degree viewing angles
  • Colors are accurate
CONS
  • Doesn’t come with AMD FreeSync

Eye comfort is essential when it comes to monitors, especially if you’re going to be staring at them for quite some time. With this in mind, it’s always important to think about ergonomics. Thankfully, the HP 24MH monitor can give you great ergonomics all for a bargain price.

For starters, the monitor features an IPS panel that will give you 178-degree viewing angles. This means you don’t need to crane your neck to look at the monitor at a certain angle. The monitor has a peak brightness of 250 nits which works admirably well so long as you’re in a room with normal lighting. It may not work quite so well if you have very bright lights in the room, so you may want to dim the lights a little before using this monitor!

The input lag of the monitor is around 10 ms, which means it’s suitable for gaming. The monitor has an ergonomic stand, and it comes with high-quality integrated speakers. It doesn’t come with AMD FreeSync, however, which is something to be mindful of. Otherwise, it’s certainly worth your money if you’re looking for a high-quality budget option both for work and gaming purposes.

Things To Consider

Sure, you’re on a budget. That doesn’t mean that you need to buy the equivalent of a potato for a monitor. You can still buy a quality monitor for less than $200, it’s just about knowing what you’re looking for.

Now, before we get into this, here’s something to consider. What exactly are you going to be using it for? The answer to this question will determine what monitor you buy. For instance, if you plan on using the monitor for gaming then things like fast refresh rates and lower response times are going to be vital for avoiding the dreaded lag. On the other hand, a professional would be better off prioritizing color accuracy. You may not need to think so hard about your needs if you’re using the computer casually at home to check up on your friends over Facebook, but you should be getting a high-contrast VA panel at the minimum.

With that in mind, here are some of the key things that you should think about when buying your monitor.

Screen Size and Shape

First and foremost you should think about the size of the screen. With a larger monitor, you can see a lot more, which is good if you struggle with your eyesight. It also means that you can keep your 90 Google Chrome Tabs open – perfect for when you want your coworkers to look at something but simultaneously want to annoy them. It should be noted though that it isn’t necessary to buy the largest screen imaginable. Sometimes something around 24 inches is suitable for most tasks. The size will also have an impact on the monitor’s portability too – this may not be an issue if you tend to stay in one place, but if you move offices a lot it can be a little tiresome.

Okay, so what about the shape? This can have a big impact on your user experience too. You can get a flat, standard-looking monitor or you could get a curved monitor. Curved monitors are pretty handy and are designed to give you a more intricate experience as you can see more. Some also say that curved monitors result in less strain on the eyes. Unfortunately, they can sometimes have flare so you’ll need to be careful about where you put the monitor. A curved monitor will usually be pretty wide, measuring 30 inches at the minimum. As such, they also tend to cost more money. A standard monitor should work just as well though so don’t feel obligated to buy a curved monitor for the sake of it!

Resolution

The next thing to think about is the resolution of the screen. Stay with us – this can get a little complicated if you aren’t massively into tech. To put it simply though, the resolution of a screen refers to the number of pixels – essentially, a bunch of tiny dots – that will create an image on the screen. If you have more pixels on the screen then you are likely to get a much clearer image. This is especially important if you’re gaming or you’re working with images on a regular basis. The resolution of a screen will be displayed in two numbers such as 1920 x 1080. The first number is the number of pixels horizontally while the second number represents the number of pixels vertically.

So what sort of resolution should you be looking for? At a minimum, you should be looking for a resolution of 1920 x 1080 which is Full HD Resolution. If you get anything lower than this then you may end up having fuzzy images on the screen, which is pretty irritating. If your screen is pretty large then you may need more than this as the size can influence the resolution of the screen.

Connectivity

A monitor is pretty redundant if it can’t connect to anything! It’s very important to ensure that your laptop has plenty of ports so that it can be properly connected to your console or laptop otherwise you may find yourself hopping back on Amazon to invest in an adaptor.

The vast majority of monitors currently on the market come with a few key ports – HDMI, DVI, and VGA. These will likely be present on cheaper models as well as the more expensive ones. Check that your laptop or computer can connect to the monitor using one of these ports. Ohm and it’s also good to keep in mind that not all HDMI monitors come with HDMI cables so it’s possible that you may have to buy one on its own if you don’t have any lying around your home.

There are also some laptops that come with USB-C ports. Not all monitors can connect with these, so you may need to have an adaptor for USB-C to VGA or HDMI.

Additional Considerations

There are a few other things that you can think about when buying a monitor too.

For instance, does the monitor have an adjustable stand? This feature can be very useful as it will allow you to set the monitor to the height that you need. It’s not a game-changer if the stand isn’t adjustable as you can get plenty of affordable adjustable monitor stands online, but it’s certainly helpful.

You should also see if the monitor has things like USB hubs. This is a great feature if you want to do things like charge your phone and mouse.

Some monitors also give you the ability to work in portrait mode which is very beneficial if you work with creative projects or in coding. You can turn some of them at 90-degree angles too!

Finally, portability. We touched on this briefly before, but we don’t all have a great deal of space for a huge monitor. In this case, it’s worth looking for a smaller monitor, or one that comes with a case and stand built-in. This is handy if you need to move from one location to another on a frequent basis.

What is the best big monitor under $200?

Honestly, it’s difficult to find a 32-inch plus monitor for under $200 that delivers the complete package, so we’d always say you’ll get the most bang for your buck if you head towards the smaller screens. The LG 24GL600F is good all-round choice for most people and has a 24-inch screen.

Can you get a 4K monitor for under $200?

Again, it’s rare, but it is possible if you hunt around in the sales. What you may find, however, is that the monitor may be lacking any form of HDR. While that may not be a big issue for most, we’d say it’s worth going a level up in budget if you want 4K on a budget. $300 – $400 should be more than enough.

Our Verdict

The winner is the LG 24GL600F! Finding the best monitor under $200 doesn’t need to be difficult – it’s just a matter of knowing what you’re looking for. These are just a few of the best monitors out there for when you’re on a budget, so hopefully, with the help of our guide, you can find the perfect monitor for you.