Do you want a large expanse of usable display space, but without the hassle of setting up dual monitors? An ultrawide monitor is the ticket. Ultrawide monitors have a wider display panel that provides an immersive experience and far more screen real-estate than your average widescreen.

I’ve tested a bunch of ultrawide monitors in order to name the best picks in various categories ranging from those optimized for gaming to those suited for professional use. Below you’ll find a curated list of my favorites in each category. I describe my evaluation process for monitors at the bottom of this article.

Why you should trust PCWorld for monitor reviews and buying advice: It’s in our name! PCWorld has been covering PCs since 1983. That includes dozens of monitors every year, from all the top brands. All of our recommendations have been tested hands-on and vetted by our expert reviewers, who’ve applied not only performance benchmarks but rigorous usability standards.

Other widescreen monitors we like

• Acer Predator X34 X0: A Mini-LED monitor that delivers a vivid picture and good contrast for less than $500.
• Dell Pro 34 Plus USB-C: A decent choice if you want an ultrawide with lots of connectivity but the monitor’s image quality fails to impress.
• BenQ PD2730S: Will call to creative professionals with its 5K display, but some will find its connectivity and special features just as alluring as its eye-catching image.
• HP Omen Transcend 32: Pricey even for a 32-inch 4K OLED monitor, but makes up for that with great USB-C connectivity and top-tier SDR image quality.

What to look for in an ultrawide monitor

Ultrawide monitors are a favorite of PC enthusiasts, but remain a niche within the larger monitor market. This leaves shoppers with fewer options. Most ultrawide monitors have a 34-inch panel with a resolution of 3440×1440, and similar connectivity.

Still, these monitors can differ in several key areas. Here’s what to look for.

Panel type is a big deal

Ultrawide monitors offer less choice in some regards but that script is flipped when it comes to panel type. Ultrawide monitors come in a variety of panel types: IPS, VA, and OLED.

IPS panels are common in mid-range and premium ultrawide monitors. This panel type delivers great color performance, high maximum brightness, superb sharpness, and good motion performance. It’s weak in contrast, however, which can disappoint when viewing TV shows or movies.

VA panels are typically a budget option, though some are found in premium ultrawide monitors. They have better contrast than IPS panels and deliver similar color performance and brightness—however, budget VA panels tend to be merely okay in these areas. Most VA panels fall short in motion performance and may look blurry when playing fast-paced games.

OLED is king of the hill. It leads in color, contrast, and motion performance. Sharpness is often slightly reduced compared to IPS and VA, but most people will find it a minor downgrade. OLED also is the best choice for HDR.

In general, OLED is better than IPS, and IPS is better than VA. However, some people might prefer VA over IPS because it has a better contrast ratio and looks darker in dark content.

A height-adjustable stand is a must-have

All the monitors on this list provide an ergonomic stand that adjusts for height, tilt, and swivel. This is a must-have feature, but one that isn’t found on the least expensive ultrawide monitors.

As tempting as it may be to save money on a budget model without a height-adjustable stand, you would regret it.

Ultrawide monitors are bulky and tend to require a larger, heavier stand, which in turn makes them more difficult to place on an elevated platform. The old college trick of sticking a monitor on a shoe box won’t work.

Look for USB-C, but don’t expect it

USB-C compatibility is an excellent feature, and USB-C hub monitors can clear away tons of clutter on your desk. Unfortunately, many ultrawide monitors don’t support USB-C yet, or have limitations that detract from the USB-C port’s usefulness.

Asus’s ProArt PA348CV, our favorite ultrawide for professionals, is one exception. It has a USB-C port with up to 90 watts of Power Delivery, and the port drives a USB-A hub with four downstream ports.

Dell, HP, and BenQ also offer ultrawide monitors with USB-C. Most of these lack an enhanced refresh rate, however, and they’re typically more expensive than the Asus.

Pricing is important—and can swing wildly

Monitor pricing is always important, but it’s key for ultrawide monitors. Although very expensive at MSRP, ultrawide monitors routinely see huge price cuts during seasonal sales. They also receive major semi-permanent price cuts later in their life.

The LG Ultragear 34GN850-B is an example of this. Originally sold for $999.99, it’s now routinely available for $699.99, and went as low as $599.99 during Amazon’s Black Friday sale. That’s a 40 percent reduction in price! Waiting for a deal can save you hundreds.

Don’t buy an ultrawide for console gaming

A quick word of warning: You should not buy an ultrawide monitor if you plan to connect a game console frequently.  

Game consoles don’t support ultrawide aspect ratios, so you’ll see black bars on either side of the image. That’s unattractive and wastes the monitor’s potential. It’s best to stick with a widescreen monitor if console gaming is a priority.

If you’re still on the fence about whether an ultrawide is the right choice for you, see PCWorld’s article on whether ultrawide monitors are worth it to have all your questions answered.

Price When Reviewed

$699

Best Prices Today: Alienware AW3226Q

I’ve been waiting for ages for an OLED monitor like the Alienware AW3226Q.

Not because it’s the fastest OLED monitor I’ve ever used. It isn’t. Not because it’s the cheapest, either. I reviewed Alienware’s shockingly affordable $350 AW2726DM earlier this week, and that 1440p OLED actually hits a much faster 240Hz.

The AW3226Q is special because it’s the first OLED I’ve used that feels truly uncompromised as an everyday PC monitor.

I’m a writer. I spend most of my working life staring at Word documents, web browsers, spreadsheets, Slack, and all the other decidedly booooring things people actually do with their computers. Traditional OLED gaming monitors have always come with an asterisk for that sort of work: Their unusual subpixel layouts can create visible color fringing around text.

Then, when the workday ends, I’m an intensely competitive gamer who regularly slays noobs at 240Hz and beyond.

Those two sides of my PC life have traditionally wanted different monitors. I’m a filthy monitor pervert who actually swaps out several different models depending on what I’m working on or playing.

But the 32-inch, 4K Alienware AW3226Q finally makes me want the same display for both. At $699, that’s a hell of an accomplishment.

RGB stripe is the real breakthrough

When Alienware announced the AW3226Q, I immediately zeroed in on its new RGB-stripe Tandem OLED panel. I had already seen LG Display’s new RGB-stripe technology at CES, and while improved OLED brightness and other technical advancements are always welcome, this seemingly boring change was the one that really grabbed my attention.

Why? Text.

Most OLED gaming monitors don’t use the conventional red, green, and blue subpixel arrangement that Windows expects, which can result in colored fringes around fine text. Higher pixel densities help mask the effect, and some people are more sensitive to it than others. But once you notice it, it’s hard to stop noticing it.

I notice it.

I certainly noticed it on Alienware’s $350 AW2726DM earlier this week. That monitor is an absolutely killer value for gaming, but between its dimmer panel and visible text fringing, I wouldn’t want to use it as my primary work display.

The new Alienware AW3226Q is different, and you can see its difference in the screenshots above — the left image is Alienware’s new display, while the right image shows text fringing on the otherwise excellent Corsair Xeneon Flex from a couple years back. The Alienware’s traditional RGB stripe makes text look crisp and clean in a way I’m simply not accustomed to seeing from an OLED gaming monitor. Text fringing is all but eliminated. I’ve spent hours working on the AW3226Q, and Word documents and web pages just look right.

That matters more to me than another hundred hertz ever could.

OLED monitors have already conquered gaming. Their perfect blacks, luscious colors, and virtually instantaneous pixel response make them phenomenal for it. Making it just as good for the boring stuff you do between sessions? That’s been the real challenge.

Alienware finally cracked it.

And the image quality is glorious

Don’t let all this talk about Microsoft Word give you the wrong impression. The AW3226Q absolutely rips when it’s time to play. It’s jaw-dropping in action.

The glossy 4K Tandem OLED panel is bright, vibrant, and bursting with contrast. Colors leap off the screen against OLED’s wonderfully deep blacks. Games look sharp at 4K across the 32-inch display, and everything has the sort of visual punch that makes going back to a conventional LCD difficult. Playing around with Alan Wake 2 on this do-it-all beast is simply magnificent.

It’s especially striking after spending time with Alienware’s $350 OLED. I love what Alienware accomplished there, but you can see some of the compromises required to hit that price. Its panel runs darker than I’d like, while the AW3226Q is playing in another league. Everything just has more punch here.

And 4K across 32 inches is a fantastic match. Games look razor-sharp, while the large, high-resolution screen provides plenty of room to spread out when you’re actually getting things done.

The AW3226Q isn’t merely a great gaming display that I can tolerate for work. It’s excellent at both. Finally.

About that 165Hz refresh rate

There’s one obvious objection to calling the Alienware AW3226Q a no-compromises monitor: Its refresh rate tops out at 165Hz.

That’s substantially slower than the 240Hz OLED I reviewed earlier this week, never mind the 360Hz, 480Hz, and even faster displays available to esports diehards these days.

And I can tell the difference.

I’ve become accustomed to 240Hz-and-faster monitors for competitive gaming. Dropping back to 165Hz isn’t some imperceptible distinction that exists only on a spec sheet. If you’re the sort of person who tunes every graphics setting for maximum frames and minimum latency, there are better monitors for that specific job.

For everybody else, 165Hz is fantastic.

OLED’s lightning-fast pixel response keeps motion crisp, and 165Hz is plenty fast enough to make everything from shooters to sprawling single-player adventures feel wonderfully smooth and responsive. It’s also worth remembering what we’re talking about driving here: 4K games at up to 165 frames per second. Even today’s monstrous graphics cards can have their hands full trying to do that in cutting-edge games.

Would I prefer this exact monitor at 240Hz? Of course.

Would I pay substantially more or sacrifice the things that make the AW3226Q so good everywhere else to get it? Nope.

A compromise can exist on a spec sheet without meaningfully compromising the experience. Alienware nailed the balance here.

Alienware compromised in the right places

You can see the same philosophy elsewhere.

The AW3226Q doesn’t have built-in speakers. DisplayPort tops out at 1.4 rather than DisplayPort 2.1. You don’t get the sort of elaborate USB-C docking setup found on productivity-focused displays.

None of that bothers me. Give me the fantastic panel at a great price and cut the extras.

Alienware seems to be settling into a compelling strategy with its latest OLED monitors: Spend the money on the screen and ruthlessly attack the price everywhere else.

The $350 AW2726DM is the extreme expression of that idea. Strip things down, accept some compromises in brightness and desktop use, and deliver the core OLED gaming experience at a price I would’ve considered ludicrous not long ago.

The $699 AW3226Q takes that philosophy upscale. You get a spacious 32-inch 4K Tandem OLED panel with a glossy finish, crisp RGB-stripe text, excellent gaming responsiveness, HDMI 2.1, and a three-year warranty that covers OLED burn-in.

Alienware skipped some luxuries, but it didn’t cheap out on the parts of the monitor I actually care about. I’ll take that trade every time.

Bottom line: The Alienware AW3226Q is what I wanted OLED monitors to become

A year ago, I couldn’t buy this combination.

We’ve had spectacular OLED gaming monitors for years. Fast ones, cheap ones, gorgeous ones. But none I’d happily use for both work and play.

The Alienware AW3226Q changes that.

During the day, I get a large, sharp 4K desktop with crisp text that doesn’t constantly remind me I’m using an OLED. When work ends, I get the deep blacks, vibrant colors, stunning contrast, and instantaneous response that make OLED gaming so sublime.

For $699!

There are monitors better suited to specific niches. I’d pick something faster if competitive gaming was my only priority. Someone building an elaborate one-cable laptop workstation may care more about connectivity than I do.

But I don’t need the AW3226Q to be the best monitor for every niche. I need it to be excellent at everything I actually do. Fantastically, it is.

And for the first time with an OLED, I could put one monitor on my desk and stop thinking about what I’m giving up. This will be my new primary display until Alienware makes me ship it back. No rush, Alienware.

The right monitor can turn any mid setup into one you love using day in and day out—and you don’t have to pay much for it. Whether you’re looking for an extra display for your multi-monitor workstation or just wanting to step up your cheap 1080p to 1440p on a budget, this Asus TUF gaming monitor is a solid pick. You can grab it now for $199 at Amazon, down from its usual $269 and only a few bucks more than its all-time lowest price.

The Asus TUF VG27AQM5A has a modest 27-inch diagonal with a crisp 2560×1440 resolution, which is a big improvement over the fuzzy 1080p displays of yesteryear. Even nicer is the 300Hz refresh rate, allowing you to experience up to 300 frames per second for ultra-fluid motion. And with the 0.3ms response time and Nvidia G-Sync compatibility, you end up with super low blurring and extra sharp gaming visuals.

Just note that you’ll need a machine capable of pumping out that many frames per second to take full advantage of the refresh rate. But even if you can only manage in the 100s, this monitor is still a solid choice—those frames will look great and you’ll have room if you ever upgrade.

Other trade-offs to consider with this monitor: the stock stand only supports basic tilting and swiveling with no height adjustments, so you’ll probably want to mount it on a VESA 100×100 arm; the built-in 2W speakers are tinny and terrible; the brightness is weak at 300 nits and color depth is unimpressive; and it’s slow to wake from sleep.

If none of that bothers you, this 1440p/300Hz monitor for just $199 is a great deal. If you aren’t fully sold on it, check out our picks for the best gaming monitors for more options.

Price When Reviewed

$350

Best Prices Today: AW2726DM

Alienware’s $350 AW2726DM OLED monitor is the ultimate PC upgrade for 2026 — and it’s exactly the sort of upgrade PC gamers need this year.

Memory and storage prices are ugly. Graphics cards remain painfully expensive, and whispers say they’re only going to get worse. Meaningful CPU upgrades often drag new motherboards and memory along for the ride. Building or substantially upgrading a gaming PC is harder to justify than usual, even if you’ve got money burning a hole in your pocket.

So don’t. Upgrade the thing you’re staring at instead.

I’ve been testing Alienware’s AW2726DM, a 27-inch 1440p OLED monitor running at 240Hz, and it’s astounding for $350. We’ve watched OLED monitor prices tumble over the last couple of years, especially during sales, but Dell is planting a flag here with an everyday price that finally pushes OLED out of luxury territory and into the mainstream.

Alienware helped kick off the OLED gaming monitor revolution with the legendary AW3423DW, which launched for a whopping $1,400 just a few years ago (and still earned an Editors’ Choice award for its dominance). Now the company is selling a 27-inch, 1440p QD-OLED display with a 240Hz refresh rate for just $350. What a time to be alive!

The AW2726DM’s QD-OLED panel is the star

The AW2726DM’s QD-OLED panel delivers the stuff that makes OLED special: perfect blacks, phenomenal contrast, vibrant colors, and near-instantaneous pixel response. Combine that with a crisp 2560×1440 resolution and buttery 240Hz refresh rate and games simply look and feel fantastic. Dark scenes have actual depth instead of the gray haze you get from typical IPS panels, while motion stays razor-sharp when you’re whipping around in fast-paced games.

It’s the sort of upgrade you notice constantly rather than in benchmark charts. A faster graphics card might turn 90 fps into 115 fps. This monitor changes how every one of those frames looks — and they look oh-so-delicious. This is a wonderful gaming monitor.

What about when you’re not actively gaming? OLED’s infamous text fringing is still here if you look closely enough at fine lines on stark backgrounds. It’s not something that bothers me much while gaming, but I can see it around text during desktop use, and I’d think harder about this monitor if I spent eight hours a day staring at spreadsheets and Word documents on it. Mixed work-and-play users should know what they’re getting into.

Brightness is another weakness. The AW2726DM isn’t particularly bright in either SDR or HDR, especially compared to some pricier modern OLED monitors, so don’t buy it expecting retina-searing highlights or a display that can overpower a sun-drenched room. The OLED contrast still makes games look fantastic, but this isn’t an HDR showcase monitor. It works best in darker rooms than brightly lit environments — close the curtains during your midday gaming sessions if you can.

A $350 OLED monitor with smart compromises

Dell also stripped the connectivity down to the bone to hit this price. You get DisplayPort 1.4 and a pair of HDMI ports, but those HDMI connections top out at 120Hz rather than the panel’s full 240Hz refresh rate. You’ll want to use DisplayPort with a gaming PC. There’s no USB hub or USB connectivity whatsoever, either, and no built-in speakers.

Normally, I’d complain more about that stuff. At $350? Eh.

Give me the fantastic panel and cut the extras. I already use a gaming headset or dedicated speakers anyway — duh — and I’d happily trade a USB hub and fully featured HDMI ports for a meaningful reduction in the price of the glorious OLED panel I’m actually looking at. The brightness limitation is harder to shrug off, but even that doesn’t outweigh the quality of the overall gaming experience at this price.

The AW2726DM isn’t a $1,000 flagship OLED that Alienware somehow decided to sell for $350. Dell clearly made choices to get here. You can see those compromises in the brightness, connectivity, text rendering, and bare-bones feature set.

But Dell compromised in the right places.

The 1440p, 240Hz QD-OLED panel at the heart of this thing is tremendous, and $350 makes those compromises much easier to swallow. Rivals are already discounting their OLED monitors aggressively enough to chase Alienware into this territory, and that is exactly what I want to see. OLED is finally becoming something ordinary PC gamers can reasonably consider rather than a decadent display upgrade.

In a year where everything that has to do with the innards of your PC is brutally expensive, Alienware’s $350 OLED is the upgrade PC gamers need. If you’re more of a gamer than an all-day computer worker, don’t hesitate to snatch up this monitor — it’s fantastic and an exceptional value.

I turned 39 a few weeks ago. And using Samsung’s high-end monitor makes me feel it, right in my eyeballs. 

The Samsung Odyssey G80HF is a 27-inch, 5K2K gaming monitor. If that sounds a little weird to you, yeah, I think it is — 27 inches is pretty small for the stunning resolution, 5120×2880 at its highest. And frankly, I can’t see details at that size and resolution. Not at just 27 inches, not even from a couple of feet away. 

But wait, this monitor doesn’t have to be just sharp. At its native resolution it pushes 180Hz, which is impressive — more than the somewhat meager Steam Machine can push in most 3D games, for example. But this is also Samsung’s latest dual-mode panel. If you need speed more than you need resolution, you can bump it down to 2560×1440 and go for 360Hz. 

That’s great — a more usable resolution that my hardware can definitely hit. Here’s the problem: I can’t actually tell the difference between 240Hz on my primary, personal monitor (at a similar density, 34-inch, 1440p) and 360Hz on the Samsung in its faster mode. My eyes, which have never been very good, just cannot see anything but a barely perceptible increase in speed on the Samsung. 

This isn’t Samsung’s fault. It’s not my fault, either — there’s nothing I can do about my crappy eyesight except make sure my prescription is up to date. But it does mean that $950 for this monitor, or even the more reasonable $700 it goes for more frequently, just doesn’t make sense to me. It might work for someone younger, or just blessed with better eyeballs. But for me, a $300 QHD monitor at around 240Hz is fine. 

Playing Fortnite in Old Man Mode

This isn’t the first time I’ve had my techy interest intersect with the way my deterioration is proceeding apace. I first picked up Fortnite during the pandemic. I enjoyed it a lot, good movement mechanics, fun weapons. The setup for the Battle Royale mode was wholly unoriginal, of course, but combining it with the building mechanics was novel. There’s just one problem: I can’t build for shit. 

There’s something about the two very different feelings of shooting in a 3D multiplayer game, and building massive, amorphous towers at lightning speed at the same time, that makes Fortnite break my brain. I’ve seen people — younger people, I assume — switch between building and fighting seamlessly. It’s like they’ve been doing it all their lives. But I simply can’t. I’m either building or shooting, not both. 

For the first year or so I’d look for weapons and tools to counter building, like the Star Wars lightsaber to rapidly demolish structures, or Spider-Man web-shooters to quickly gain height, and I’d do okay. But when Epic made no-build mode a permanent fixture to the game, I hopped on it. In my head I call it “Old Man mode,” with no shade intended. 

(Incidentally, I haven’t played Fortnite in over a year. There are too many good games made by real people coming out to waste time with slop.)

It’s possible that this is why I don’t care about adjustable actuation keyboards, which allow for some dazzling moves in online multiplayer shooters. I lack the reaction time and dexterity to actually use “snap tap,” or bind multiple keys or macros to a single button and hit them effectively. And that’s too bad, because these keyboards are all the rage at the moment…to the point where it’s getting harder to find a new, nice keyboard that uses standard MX-style switches. 

I don’t need 8000Hz polling in my keyboard or mouse, either. I suppose it’s possible that a human could tell the difference between a mouse that refreshes its connection to the PC eight thousand times a second versus four thousand times a second, but that human isn’t me. To my knowledge, it never was, not even when I was a teenager who could count frames in Smash Bros. Melee. 

Gaming gerontology

I realize that this may come off as a bit “old man yells at cloud.” And that at least a few of you are thinking that 39 isn’t that old, shut up, kid. Fair. But I have to assume that everybody has to face these sorts of things eventually with their hobbies. The average age of a professional e-sports player is 20-25, with 30 being considered well past retirement age — reflexes and intense schedules give these competitors a shorter peak time than most Olympians. 

So if you’re old enough to rent a car without a co-signer, it might be time to give up any dreams you have of being a professional video game champion. 

Whether or not you can actually utilize the tech you buy is always a good thing to consider. I could drop the price of a pretty good used car on a new PC setup, and feel really good about it for a few weeks. But would it actually enhance the experience beyond my merely “pretty good” Ryzen 7800X3D + 5070 Ti setup? Probably not. Considering my experience with this Samsung monitor, I question whether I’d even be able to tell the difference most of the time. And since any hardware on the inside of a gaming PC is becoming wildly expensive, it’s worth thinking about.

People played video games before I was born, of course. My parents played games while they were dating. But the people who were 5 when video game arcades first started getting popular around 1980 are now looking at retirement. (Or perhaps hoping that retirement will still be a realistic goal in ten years.) By the time my generation is old enough to theoretically retire, we’ll have lived our entire lives with games, even if they weren’t the driving medium for all that time. 

What will a world of greying, wrinkled gamers look like? Will I be huddled around a TV in a retirement home, struggling to pull off a Falcon Punch on my fellow residents? That seems optimistic, for a lot of reasons. But my grandma — almost 90 — got really into Balatro a couple of years ago. So anything’s possible.

Cool stuff from around the web

• Don’t bully your Steam Controller, it’ll scream: The new Steam Controller has a little speaker inside. If you drop it, it might just let out a very familiar-sounding scream. I’ve tested this (yes, I’m a monster), it works.
• A full-sized revival of the Atari 800XL from 1983 is on its way: You get a real mechanical keyboard, a cartridge slot that can play the original games, and 25 built-in titles, including Asteroids, Centipede, and Missile Command, as well as a modern HDMI port. It costs $220, coming out in April.

• AMD-powered handhelds are getting access to FSR 4: The newest in upscaling tech is coming to at least some of the popular, pricey handhelds on the market. Previously it was limited to discrete GPUs from the last couple of generations.
• This case can move its intake fans to point cool air where it’s needed: A neat idea, especially if you’re absolutely obsessive about your internal temps.
• An update to File Explorer will make the tilde key useful: The newest update will let you hit the ~ key to get instant access to your user folder.

Game pick of the week: Wildermyth

Maybe it’s just because my D&D group broke up, but I’ve been craving some turn-based role-playing…and I’ve abandoned too many Baldur’s Gate III runs. If you want something a little more manageable, then you absolutely need to check out Wildermyth. It’s a turn-based fantasy RPG, but the procedural generation randomizes pretty much everything. You won’t ever get the same run twice.

Wildermyth’s combat and other systems are simplified, more of a bite-sized snack of tactical RPG stuff than a full meal. The real treat comes from the way that your party members grow and interact with each other in unpredictable ways. If you play through multiple stories — each an hour or so long — you might find intergenerational threads, or old heroes from previous campaigns coming back in surprising ways.

The game does have a limit to its bag of tricks, so the stories aren’t literally infinite. But for a smaller game that you can play on almost anything, and in shorter chunks, it hits the spot. It’s $25 on Steam.

That’s all for this week. To get my editorials, news picks, and game recommendations delivered straight to your inbox, you can sign up for Boost Mode on the PCWorld Newsletter hub. Also check out The Full Nerd for more enthusiast-focused goodies, Prompt Mode for AI tips, Safe Mode to keep your PC and gadgets secure, and Smart Mode to boost your productivity.

Tired of feeling cramped on your cheapo 1080p monitor? It’s likely affecting your productivity, which means it’s time to upgrade—and if you hop on it now, you can save a lot of cash. Amazon is selling the Samsung ViewFinity S65TC for 50% off, bringing it down to just $399.99. Yup, Prime Day ended yesterday, but some deals still abound.

Going from your tiny 21- or 24-incher to this 34-inch beauty will redefine how much you can get done and how quickly you can do it. And it’s not just 34 inches with a 16:9 aspect ratio—the S65TC is an ultrawide. That means a glorious 21:9 that actually lets you stack app windows side by side and have room to spare. It also has an aggressive 1000R curve that wraps around your eyes, letting you see everything without even turning your head, minimizing eye strain and bumping up immersion when you watch shows and movies.

Three other standout features. First, the Thunderbolt 4 port with 90W of power delivery means you can connect it to a laptop and it’ll stay charged, freeing you from a separate power tether. Second, you can then plug your keyboard, mouse, and external storage drive into the monitor and access from your laptop—the monitor effectively becomes a dock. Third, it has a built-in KVM switch. If the monitor is hooked up to your laptop and desktop PC, you can use one set of keyboard/mouse for both.

The rest comes with caveats. HDR10 is nice for richer-looking movies and images, but the S65TC lacks the color accuracy needed for professional content creators. Its 100Hz refresh rate is smooth enough for productivity tasks, but combined with the VA panel, it’s not good enough for serious gaming. The aggressive screen curve will distort lines, so it’s bad if you’ll be doing artwork or CAD drafting. And if you aren’t going to take advantage of Thunderbolt 4, you’re paying the premium tax for no benefit.

If none of those caveats filter you out, you’ll come out ahead if you snag the Samsung ViewFinity S65TC for $399.99 while you can. But if it’s still too pricey for you, see PCWorld’s picks for the best ultrawide monitors.

You’ve heard all of the stories about skyrocketing laptop and PC component costs. You’re trying to limit your tech expenses. Is there any way you can improve your workstation in 2026 that’s not completely going to bust your budget?

There is. The one upgrade that you can and should make without hesitation right now your monitor — or monitors. A 27-inch 4K monitor can now cost less than many individual PC upgrades.

You’ve probably heard this argument before: invest in something you’ll use for hours at a time. At night, you should sleep for (hopefully!) eight hours on a comfortable, supportive mattress. During the workday, you constantly touch a keyboard, but you’re always viewing the fruits of your labors on a display or two in front of you. Though some people might still work from just a laptop, I’m betting that the 2020 pandemic prompted you to set up a home office with at least a single external display. Let’s dig into why it’s time to upgrade your monitor.

Big is better

You may have heard that more displays equal more productivity; larger displays do, too. A study (funded by NEC) found that 20-inch monitors returned an 18 percent improvement in performing tasks than an 18-inch monitor.

And that makes sense, given that a 27-inch 16:9 display has about 3.5 times the display area of a 14-inch 16:10 laptop screen. You can simply see more.

Likewise, an 18-study meta-review in 2021 also found that users uniformly preferred using at least two displays, and there was moderate evidence that they reduced desktop interactions, improving efficiency. So there’s evidence that buying more, larger displays works. A display with a 60Hz refresh rate is standard, but a higher refresh rate is easier on your eyes — if you can afford one, I think they’re worth it.

My workspace includes a pair of Acer 4K 160Hz (XV275K P3) 27-inch displays (provided by Acer) that I use for testing the 4K capabilities of Thunderbolt 5 docks. They’re excellent for testing the high-end capabilities of I/O hardware, but they’re absolutely overkill for the average home office. Even two 27-inch displays can take up a great deal of desk space, which is why I rotate one into a vertical or portrait mode.

New features for the same price?!

So there’s an argument to be made for buying an upgraded display just on the numbers alone…but there’s more to it than just that.

In 2024, IDC found that the average price of a display actually decreased. That was the result of “normal” market forces. Then 2025 arrived, and…display prices were hit again? Absolutely. Because the price of memory and storage skyrocketed, display prices benefited — laptop makers were desperate to find some place to save a buck, and displays were the answer. Panel makers pushed prices down. Obviously rising memory costs overshadowed that, at least for notebooks. However, the cost of IPS panels (and IPS displays) remained relatively flat, according to reports.

Meanwhile, OLED displays entered the picture. In 2023, laptop makers like Samsung started building in self-emissive OLED displays into laptops like the Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360, amazing everyone (me included) with their high-contrast displays, making video content pop. Quickly, however, they began adding the features IPS display buyers had become used to: higher and higher refresh rates, plus a greater number and diversity of I/O options, such as USB-C/Thunderbolt I/O.

Ideally, given what I’ve just recommended (about 27 inches, 4K, 60Hz refresh rate or better) we would simply add OLED to the mix to create what’s approaching (at least for me!) the perfect productivity monitor. We’re not quite there yet, unfortunately. While 4K, high-refresh-rate OLED displays exist, they’re typically considered to be gaming monitors like this Samsung 32-inch Odyssey OLED G7 ($749.99 at Amazon, 32% off at press time). Great display! I’d love to have it! But it’s still a little rich for my blood.

Instead, if you’re willing to drop down a notch, consider this 27-inch Samsung Odyssey OLED or this Acer Predator 26.5-inch 240Hz OLED for $314.99. Both are 1440p displays, rather than true 4K, so there’s an unfortunate compromise. Still, doesn’t that seem a lot more affordable than a new PC?

In my opinion, monitor prices have not only held steady throughout the past year or two, but they’ve shown continual improvement by adding new features and technologies. Something tech-related that’s improved while holding prices constant? Is that actually possible in 2026?

So what should you buy?

Remember, monitors typically fall into one or two categories: gaming and office productivity. I would recommend that you review our recent recommendations for productivity displays to see if in any deals are in effect. We list the current prices, so you’ll be able to check for deals.

If you’re seeing this the day I published it, my colleague Michael Crider recently saw a 27-inch, 240Hz OLED gaming monitor on sale for $300 at Best Buy, at 1440p resolution. Snag it if it’s still there!

Productivity in the news

• Speaking of OLEDs, how about a review of Samsung’s recent 4K Odyssey OLED monitor, too?
• Michael Crider has an app suggestion that straddles productivity and personalization: Wallpaper Engine.
• Here’s a quick way to test your Internet speed — right from your taskbar?
• Two websites one tab: it’s Firefox getting creative, again.

Productivity on camera

• Remember my earlier newsletter in managing OneDrive? This is a more opinionated take. Much more.
• AI transcription is awesome, but expensive. Microsoft Word (yes, Word!) can save you money.

Productivity tip for the week:

AI is such a controversial subject these days, and I generally avoid it in favor of my own knowledge and expertise. But AI tools are certainly tempting, especially for cutting out some of the busy work. Cal Newport reminds me of this report from The Wall Street Journal earlier this year, where using AI tools required constant supervision — and supervision meant a loss of focus. That’s something for both you and me to think about, I think. Feel free to drop me a line on Bluesky or Twitter/X if you have any ideas.

Thanks for reading!

Thanks for tuning in to this edition of Smart Mode, PCWorld’s newsletter devoted to helping you make the most of your life, smartly. Sign up and have it sent to your inbox every Thursday!

There’s a sweet spot I look for when I want to have some fun, a little bigger than standard without being unmanageable. Just enough to enhance the experience, not so big that you can’t fit it into the space available. I am, of course, talking about PC gaming monitors. And absolutely nothing else. For Prime Day, Alienware’s 34-inch OLED gaming monitor is just $630. Nice.

The AW3426DW is an upgrade to Alienware’s already popular 34-inch designs, keeping the semi-standard 3440×1440 resolution (also a “sweet spot” for PC gaming) while boosting the speed up to 280Hz. That should satisfy almost everyone who plays multiplayer games, and/or put your PC through its paces when you’re in a single player and drinking in the visuals. The Penta Tandem panel upgrade also makes text more legible.

This newer model officially supports AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync, but like previous Alienware OLEDs, skips extras like USB video. You do get a couple of USB ports (one of them is C with 15 watts of charging) to help with accessories. Otherwise it’s a little barebones, making this display a good companion to a desktop PC but less so for a monitor, unless you have a good dock.

At $629.99, this monitor is a fantastic deal. It’s $170 off the regular list price, and $70 cheaper than you can typically find a 34-inch OLED even on sale, while being slightly faster. If you’re looking for something smaller or more affordable, be sure to check out our Prime Day monitor roundup.

If you’re looking for deals on PC gaming hardware… well, good luck. Even during a big sale event like Amazon’s Prime Day, gaming desktops, laptops, RAM, and storage are nearing unattainable levels of expense. So it’s a good time to upgrade your accessories and external gear instead. Right now, Best Buy is selling an AOC 27-inch OLED monitor for just $300, a fantastic upgrade. Get it soon—I doubt it will last long.

We’ve seen this model, the Q27G41ZDF, before. It’s about as simple as they come in terms of extra features, but with a 2560×1440 panel and speedy 240Hz refresh rate, it’s hitting the sweet spot for PC gaming at the moment. That should be sharp enough and fast enough for most fans of online multiplayer gaming. Otherwise, you get a single HDMI and DisplayPort, plus a headphone jack. It also has a VESA wall mount, so you can use a more flexible, ergonomic monitor arm with it.

This price is about the lowest I’ve ever seen for a new, not-refurbished OLED gaming monitor, and it’s a little surprising that it’s coming from Best Buy. At least a few locations in the US have stock in their retail stores, but those seem to be going fast at this price. My nearest store is already out, and others nearby are spotty. If I were looking to buy, I’d grab one quickly—the same monitor is listed for $320 on Amazon.

If you’re looking to save even more, there’s another AOC model for just $279.99, but that one’s using an older 144Hz panel. For now, Best Buy is, indeed, the best buy. If you’re looking for something bigger or more practical, see our roundup of the best Prime Day monitor deals.

Best Prices Today: Samsung Odyssey G8 G80SH 27”

When I tested OLED monitors last spring, I didn’t include any of Samsung’s monitors. Their Odyssey monitors are primarily aimed at gamers, and at the time, the new models I was interested in were too expensive for me to consider.

So when Samsung got in touch in late summer and asked if I’d like to test one of their monitors, I thought it was a good opportunity to try out the Odyssey G8 G80SH.

Samsung Odyssey G80SH: Perfect for editing work

This monitor is available in 27- and 32-inch sizes–I tested the smaller one. By no means is it means inferior, though. It delivers 4K resolution from a high-quality QD-OLED panel with perfect contrast, a color gamut covering 99 percent of the DCI-P3 standard, and Pantone validation for professional-grade color accuracy, including additional Pantone validation for skin tones.

This makes it excellent for creative editing work. The 4K resolution also provides plenty of workspace, allowing you to keep a broad overview of complex projects and toolboxes.

Samsung Odyssey G80SH: More guidance and options for gaming

But Samsung does a good job of hiding this, thanks to the Odyssey series’ gaming focus. Almost everything in the settings menus and documentation relates to features and settings for optimizing the experience for gaming.

You get pre-set profiles tailored for RPGs, RTS, FPS, and sports, as well as the more general Entertainment, Eco, and Original profiles. Most of these have a slightly cool white balance.

There’s a Graphics option that offers more neutrally balanced colors. Unfortunately, it’s not clear whether this is what delivers Pantone-accurate colors, but I’d guess that’s probably the case. In any event, it looks excellent with the test photos and videos I’ve shown.

You don’t get a great deal of control over the image detail, and the compact interface doesn’t exactly make it easy. However, it’s controlled via a four-way button on the back, so it’s not entirely impossible to navigate. You can also download the Samsung Display Manager app and access exactly the same settings on your computer.

Samsung Odyssey G80SH: A matte finish on an OLED screen?

For media, the screen is very pleasant, with its rich colors, sharp contrast, spot-on dynamic range, and good HDR support, delivering both high brightness peaks, pitch-black blacks, and fine nuances in light and dark areas.

What really sets it apart from other OLED screens I’ve tested is its semi-matte finish, which does an excellent job of diffusing the reflections that glossy screens suffer from. It’s the same solution used in Samsung’s recent OLED TVs, and it has the same pros and cons. Mostly pros, with reflections almost completely eliminated. The slight drawback is that if you’re sitting in a room that’s too bright, you’ll never get that true black in the dark parts of the picture that OLED is known for.

When the monitor is connected, it becomes my computer’s primary audio source. However, I choose to disable this, as there are no built-in speakers–just a headphone jack that doesn’t sound particularly great. Things are better when it comes to video inputs: dual HDMI 2.1, a large DisplayPort, and a USB-C port with DisplayPort Alt Mode and 98 watts of power, perfect for plugging a laptop into.

Samsung Odyssey G80SH: It updates quickly and syncs correctly

That way, you’ll also get USB data through that port and can use the monitor’s two USB-A ports for a mouse and keyboard, for example. Unfortunately, that’s the only USB port, so you won’t get any KVM functionality. On the other hand, this isn’t a monitor you’d use for office work. You’ll probably only be running one computer at a time.

Like most high-end OLED monitors, it’s great for gaming too. After all, that’s what it’s primarily marketed for. A 240 Hz refresh rate at 4K, a response time as low as 0.03 ms, and support for both G-Sync and FreeSync Premium Pro–not much to complain about there.

There are also a few small extra features for gamers, such as a virtual crosshair in the center of the screen and the option to control adaptive sync. It should also be able to upscale low-resolution video signals to 4K. I’ve never been able to activate this, no matter what settings I use on my computer or connecting to other video sources. The option is there, but it’s greyed out.

Samsung Odyssey G80SH: There’s light effects on the back

On the back of the otherwise understated monitor, there’s also a ring of RGB LEDs that you can set to any color, as well as various lighting effects. You can also switch it off completely if you prefer a more subdued environment. The monitor’s design is really elegant, with slim bezels and a grey back panel with a matching grey stand.

However, I only really enjoy admiring the build from a distance. When I need to grip it to adjust the height or position, I’m quickly reminded of just how flimsy it feels. The height-adjustment mechanism feels painfully stiff, requiring a bit of effort. Pivoting it to portrait mode is the exact opposite–it’s too unstable. It doesn’t take much for the screen to end up at an angle, like a picture frame that constantly needs straightening.

Should you buy it?

The Odyssey G8 is a very capable monitor that delivers excellent image quality and plenty of workspace. I’d like to see a better stand, and the lack of built-in speakers is a bummer.

That said, for the right price (if it goes on sale for about $700, for example), it’s an attractive all-rounder. At full price, its shortcomings are harder to overlook.

If you’re still stuck on a cruddy 1080p monitor and want to level up your gaming and workflows, stepping up to a 1440p display can be one of the best upgrades you can make. And right now, the Samsung Odyssey G55C is on sale for just $190 ahead of October Prime Day—that’s a big drop from its original $330 and matches the lowest price it’s ever been.

This 32-inch monitor delivers a 2560×1440 resolution and a fast 165Hz refresh rate, which will make your games look sharp and smooth. Its 1ms response time could be faster, but it’ll suffice for all but the fastest and sweatiest esports games. And it has a moderate 1000R curve that adds real immersion as it wraps around your field of view, plus helps to reduce eye strain when doing work or watching movies.

It’s a pretty standard monitor as far as features go, but sometimes that’s all you need in a monitor. Why pay more for extra bling when you don’t need it? This is a good workhorse type monitor for gamers and workers, hitting a sweet spot with its 32-inch 1440p specs while staying affordable.

At $190, the Samsung Odyssey G55C is an easy upgrade for a home workstation on a budget. If it’s not the one for you, check out PCWorld’s picks for the best gaming monitors. And if you want to score more deals ahead of October Prime Day, see our roundup of early deals to score.

Any monitor can be used for PC gaming, but a display built for productivity will likely leave you underwhelmed. Limited contrast, blurry motion, and slow refresh rates still hold basic productivity monitors back in games. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of excellent gaming monitors available at a wide range of price points—and the best of them embrace cutting-edge technology unavailable in any other PC display. 

The following are the best gaming monitors we’ve tested throughout this year and last. If you want to learn more about what we look for in a good gaming monitor and how we test them, scroll further down the page.

Why you should trust PCWorld for monitors reviews and buying advice: We’re PCWorld, after all. We’ve been covering PCs since 1983, and we now review dozens of monitors every year. All of our recommendations have been personally tested and vetted by our expert reviewers, who’ve applied not only performance benchmarks but rigorous usability standards.

Other notable gaming monitors we’ve reviewed

• KTC 27M1: A do-it-all budget monitor that’s suitable for both gaming and productivity.
• Acer Predator X34 X0: A Mini-LED ultrawide for less than $500.
• Alienware AW2725Q: An excellent 27-inch 4K 240Hz QD-OLED monitor, and less expensive than the competition.
• BenQ PD3226G: A monitor for creative professionals, but it’s not bad in PC games, either.
• Asus ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM: A 27-inch 4K QD-OLED monitor delivers gorgeous image quality and a long list of features, though it certainly isn’t cheap.
• MSI MPG 321URXW QD-OLED: An excellent 32-inch 4K QD-OLED monitor — but with the added perk of USB connectivity.
• HP Omen Transcend 32: Offers great USB-C connectivity and top-tier SDR image quality that make this 4K OLED monitor worth its high price.
• Lenovo Legion R27fc-30: At less than $200, this is a good budget gaming monitor with a focus on motion clarity.
• Acer Predator X32 X3: A great 4K OLED monitor that separates itself from the competition on two key points: connectivity and price.
• Asus ProArt Display 5K: Not the best high-resolution display on the market, but it delivers a gorgeous 5K image and long list of features at a reasonable price.
• Gigabyte G34WQCP: A $350 ultrawide that earns high marks in SDR brightness, contrast, and color performance.

How to choose the best gaming monitor

Gamers have unique needs that exceed an average user. Here’s what PC gamers should look for in a gaming monitor.

Resolution

Most widescreen gaming monitors have a resolution of 1920×1080 (1080p), 2560×1440 (1440p), or 4K (3840×2160). A higher resolution improves sharpness and clarity, which helps games look more detailed and lifelike. Increasing resolution also increases demand on your video card, however. Gamers with less powerful hardware may want to avoid 4K. 

Refresh rate

A higher refresh leads to smoother motion by increasing the number of frames that can appear each second. It also reduces input lag, as each frame appears more quickly. A 144Hz refresh rate is a big improvement over the standard 60Hz, and 240Hz is better still. The improvement becomes more difficult to notice after 240Hz, but 360Hz monitors exist for those who want the lowest input lag possible.

DisplayPort and HDMI 2.1

DisplayPort is the best connection for PC gaming. Even DisplayPort 1.4, which is rather old, can support 4K at 144Hz. HDMI 2.1 can handle 4K at 120Hz and is an acceptable connection for PC gaming, though most gamers will use it for a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S game console.

One of the easiest ways to enhance your PC experience is to get a better monitor. It doesn’t require any upgrades for your desktop or laptop (which is good, since they’re all insanely expensive right now), and it shines up the primary way you interact with almost everything: the visuals. Even better, the prices of luxurious models with high resolutions, frame rates, and features like OLED panels have consistently fallen over the year. Now it’s time to take action.

Amazon’s latest Prime Day deal extravaganza is here for people looking to score a new display for cheap, running October 6th and 7th. (Here’s how to get Amazon Prime for free so you can get in on the deep, deep discounts.)

To find deals on Prime Day or other sale days, when prices are often (ahem) less than straightforward, we compare monitors based on their specifications, available reviews, and of course, the value versus the general market. For Amazon in particular we avoid “whitebox” brands, whose after-sale support may be lacking. We also check price history to make sure the sale is actually a sale.

This year we’re focusing on OLED gaming monitors, as that’s a popular choice both for first-time buyers and those who are looking to upgrade an existing setup. On the non-gaming side of things, USB-C monitors are popular upgrades for laptop owners looking to expand their productivity or simplify a work layout.

Deals at a glance

• Best budget OLED monitor deal: AOC 27-inch 1440p 240Hz — $299.99 ($200 off)
• Best OLED gaming monitor deal: Alienware 34-inch 1440p 240Hz — $629.99 ($170 off)
• Best gigantic OLED gaming monitor deal: Samsung Odyssey G9 49-inch — $796 ($504 off)
• Best office monitor deal: LG USB-C ultrawide monitor — $284.99 ($65 off)
• Best budget office monitor deal: BenQ 24-inch USB-C — $79.99 ($50 off)
• Best portable monitor deal: MNN 15.6-inch USB-C monitor — $49.99 (list price)

Best budget OLED monitor: AOC 27-inch 1440p 240Hz ($300 after $200 discount)

Who is this for? 2026 is an absolutely perfect year to upgrade to an OLED monitor, because the tech is now mature, reasonably affordable…and it’s not like most of us can afford any internal upgrades for our gaming PCs. AOC’s budget option is currently unbeatable over at Best Buy for $300, neatly undercutting even the cheapest competition by fifty bucks. Even once Prime Day gets going, I doubt you’ll find a better deal on a basic OLED setup with 1440p resolution and 240Hz speed.

Why is this deal good? This isn’t the monitor for you if you want versatility or lots of inputs. It’s just a great OLED panel and absolutely nothing else. But if that’s all you want — especially if you don’t care about connecting to a laptop, for example, or any web-enabled apps — it’s perfect.

Get the AOC Q27G41ZDF OLED monitor for $299.99

View Deal at Best Buy

Best OLED gaming monitor: LG 34-inch 1440p 240Hz ($700 after $600 discount)

Who is this for? If you want some more premium options for your gaming hardware and your budget can stretch a bit, this $630 Alienware ultrawide monitor is the one for you. The 34-inch, 3440×1440 panel gives you appreciably more space versus a 27-inch monitor, with options for multitasking when you’re not gaming. But with a 280Hz refresh rate, it’s ready to tackle intense online multiplayer too. It’s also packing G-Sync compatibility and some USB ports for extra gadgets.

Why is this deal good? For a 34-inch ultrawide OLED, you generally have to compromise or pay up. But with a $600 discount off the original price of this model, you’re getting name-brand performance at no-name price.

Get the Alienware 34-inch OLED ultrawide monitor for $629.99

View Deal at Amazon

Best gigantic OLED gaming monitor: Samsung Odyssey G9 49-inch ($796 after $504 discount)

Who is this for? Alright buddy, you’re ready to go all-out. I’m impressed. But just because you have a gaming PC that can push all the pixels doesn’t mean you have to pay all the dollars. This 49-inch Samsung OLED is so big it might not even fit on smaller desks, and with as much screen real estate as two 1440p monitors smooshed together, it’ll need a pretty beefy PC to use it to the maximum. That goes double if you want to hit the 144Hz maximum refresh rate.

Why is this deal good? A year or so ago, you couldn’t find a monitor in this size and speed class with an OLED panel for anything under a thousand bucks. But at under $800, this LS49DG910SNXZA model is cheaper than some monitors at about half the size. Just be aware that at this size, and a pretty dramatic curve, it won’t fit into everyone’s desk setup.

Get the Samsung Odyssey G9 OLED 49-inch ultrawide monitor for $796

View Deal at Amazon

Best office monitor deal: LG USB-C ultrawide monitor ($285 after $65 discount)

Who is this for? For a big, multitasking monitor that does more than your typical screen, it’s hard to do better than this LG model. In addition to a 34-inch IPS panel that’s great for reading text or editing photos and videos, you get a built-in USB-C port that makes it a snap to connect laptops (with 65 watts of charging) and add on other accessories.

Why is this deal good? With all that tech built in, this screen is just $285 at the time of writing, a $65 savings off the regular price. For a high-res monitor that doubles as a TV and has a built-in USB hub, that’s fantastic.

Get the LG USB-C 34-inch ultrawide monitor for $329

View Deal at Amazon

Best budget office monitor deal: BenQ 24-inch USB-C ($80 after $50 discount)

Who is this for? It’s hard to find a cheap monitor with USB-C, but this BenQ model manages it for under $100. Just 24 inches and 1080p resolution, but the 144Hz panel gives it a little extra utility. Note that USB-C connection doesn’t have enough juice to recharge a laptop, but should work for most phones and tablets. Of course it still has standard HDMI and DisplayPort.

Why is this deal good? If you want a flexible, easy-to-connect monitor that makes a great stand-alone screen or an add-on (including VESA mount compatibility) for a multi-monitor setup, this will do it without breaking the bank.

Get the BenQ 24-inch USB-C monitor for $79.99

View Deal at Amazon

Best portable monitor deal: MNN 15.6-inch USB-C monitor ($50 after $6 discount)

Who is this for? I can’t remember the last time I went on a work trip without a USB-C monitor, the easiest way to add multitasking powers to any laptop (or a phone or tablet, if it supports video over USB). This $44, 15.6-inch panel is basic, but includes everything you need thanks to its 1080p resolution. The extra space gives you a dual-monitor productivity powerhouse that fits in a backpack.

Why is this deal good? At under $50 at the time of writing, this monitor actually isn’t on sale, but it’s about as good as you can get for a portable screen. We’ll be keeping an eye out for discounts as Prime Day gets closer.

Get an MNN 15.6-inch USB-C monitor for $50

View Deal at Amazon

Other great Prime Day deals

These aren’t the only Prime Day deals being tracked by the PCWorld team. If you’re looking to supercharge your home setup with the juiciest tech sales, hit the links for only the best expert-curated picks we’ve found.

• Best Amazon Prime Day tech deals: Great sales chosen by experts
• Best Prime Day laptop deals: Gaming notebooks, 2-in-1s, and more
• Best Prime Day mini PC deals: Big savings on tiny computers

October Prime Day (officially known as “Prime Big Deal Days”) is coming next week! If you missed out on June’s Prime Day, this is your chance to snag a bunch of stuff on sale—hopefully stuff that’s already in your cart, waiting for you to pull the trigger.

Prime Big Deal Days runs Tuesday, October 6th to Wednesday, October 7th. But if you have cash to spend right now and you want to score some early deals ahead of the big event, here are some of the coolest tech deals I’ve spotted in the days leading up.

Need a new monitor for your PC? I’ve combed through scores of options to find the best monitors on the market right now. These picks are the result of hundreds of hours spent testing the latest models from Acer, Asus, BenQ, Dell, LG, Samsung, and other major brands.  

While my favorite monitor overall is an awesome choice for most people, I also have alternative options for budget shoppers, gamers, and those seeking the best HDR performance. After all, not everyone needs the same features from a monitor. You can find out more about how I evaluate monitors and what specs matter most below my list of recommendations.

Why you should trust PCWorld for monitor reviews and buying advice: It’s in our name! PCWorld prides itself on PC hardware experience and expertise. We’ve been covering PCs since 1983, and we now review dozens of monitors every year. All of our recommendations have been personally tested and vetted by our expert reviewers, who’ve applied not only performance benchmarks but rigorous usability standards.

Other notable monitors we’ve reviewed

• Alienware AW3426DW: Combines just-the-basics design with an excellent five-layer tandem QD-OLED panel to deliver great image quality at an affordable price.
• LG Ultragear Evo GX9: A big, expensive OLED with a razor-sharp image and plenty of HDR punch
• KTC H27P3: Among the least expensive 5K monitors available, but with decent image quality and excellent sharpness
• Acer Predator X27 X1: A solid choice if you want a 4K QD-OLED monitor at a more approachable price
• HyperX Omen OLED 27q: In many ways a typical budget OLED monitor, but its color performance makes it really stands out
• Dell Ultrasharp 32 U3226Q: A feature-packed, and pricey, 4K QD-OLED monitor with great color performance and a built-in colorimeter
• Gigabyte MO27Q28G: A great entry-level OLED panel
• Samsung Movingstyle M7: Both a portable display with a unique rolling stand and a smart TV
• Dell Ultrasharp 52 Thunderbolt Hub Monitor: Has the size and ports to play a central role in a multi-tasking productivity environment
• BenQ PD2770U: Built for professional content creation
• Asus ROG Swift OLED PG27AQWP-W: Delivers best-in-class motion performance and a long list of bonus features
• KTC 27M1: A good choice if you want a display for gaming and productivity on a budget
• Samsung Odyssey G7 G75F: One of many 32-inch OLEDs today
• Asus ROG Strix OLED XG32UCWG: Competitive in the sea of 32-inch OLEDs that supports dual-mode functionality at 4K/165Hz or 1080p/330Hz
• MSI Pro MP165 E6: A budget portable monitor with a surprising degree of flexibility
• Dell 32 Plus 4K QD-OLED: Delivers great image quality, solid audio, and good motion clarity, at a competitive price
• Arzopa Z1FC: A budget portable monitor that can game
• Alienware AW3425DW: Forgoes extra features to deliver stellar SDR and HDR image quality at an aggressive price
• MSI Modern MD272UPSW: A solid smart TV powered by Google TV OS
• Asus ProArt PA32UCDM: Delivers pro-worthy OLED image quality and high refresh rates, but limited connectivity holds it back

How to choose the best monitor

There are literally hundreds—and perhaps thousands—of monitors to choose from. Choosing one from the crowd can be difficult, but knowing the key traits of a monitor will help you make your decision. 

Resolution

Most monitors are available in 4K (3840×2160), 1440p (2560×1440), and 1080p (1920×1080) resolution. A higher resolution provides a sharper, more attractive image and is generally preferable. There’s nothing wrong with 1080p, however. It remains the baseline and is by far the most popular resolution sold today. 

Connectivity

Look for a monitor with a connection supported by your computer. HDMI and DisplayPort are the most common. USB-C is rising in popularity because it can charge connected devices, such as a laptop.

Refresh rate

Most monitors have a 60Hz refresh rate, but a higher refresh rate (such as 144Hz) will make motion look smooth and crisp. This is most appealing to PC gamers, as improved motion performance is most noticeable when panning the camera in a 3D game. 

Adaptive sync

This technology also improves motion performance. It does so by keeping a monitor’s refresh rate in sync with the video input from your computer. Our guide to FreeSync and G-Sync provides more detail.

HDR

Many 4K monitors support HDR, but often the HDR performance is lackluster. The HDR will function, and may look superior to SDR, but it won’t approach the quality implied by the spec. To ensure a quality HDR experience, look for a minimum of VESA DisplayHDR 1000 certification (or VESA DisplayHDR True Black). See our article on everything you need to know about HDR on your PC to learn more.

Want to know more before you make a decision? Our monitor buying guide explains the nerdy details of monitor specifications.