Best Budget Monitors: 3 Impressive Screens Under $200

New York: I’ll be honest – testing cool new 6K monitors is more fun than cheap ones. But I know most people want something that works well without costing too much money. Finding good cheap monitors takes work because they’re not what companies want to show off.

When shopping for budget monitors, you look at anything under $200. Today, monitors under $100 are always 1920 x 1080 resolution and usually come in 23.8-inch or 27-inch sizes. Even the cheapest 32-inch monitors cost over $100.

For most people, it’s better to spend $100-$200 instead of going super cheap. This range gives you choices like USB-C hubs, faster refresh rates, or better stands that let you adjust height and angle.

I really like the Dell 27 Plus monitor. It costs $175 but sometimes goes on sale for $140. It has great colors, bright screen at 300 nits, and a stand you can move in lots of ways. The main problem is it only has two HDMI ports for plugging things in.

Another good option is the Samsung Essential Monitor S4. It has a built-in USB hub which the Dell doesn’t have. They cost the same, but the Samsung is less bright at 250 nits.

The MSI Pro 27 costs $190 and has much sharper picture with 2560 x 1440 resolution. The image quality is so good it could work for photos and videos. Plus it’s super bright at 427 nits. But you can’t move the stand around and it has no USB ports.

For gaming, try the Lenovo Legion monitor. It surprised me with how good it looks. Better than most cheap gaming screens. It’s bright and colorful like the more expensive ones.

Remember: good cheap monitors exist if you’re willing to look around and maybe give up some features you don’t need.