Any seasoned gamer should be all too aware of the benefits that an exceptional and dependable gaming monitor can provide. The monitor setup—likely the most crucial component of any gamer’s experience—is where it all begins. Having a poor monitor can completely alter the course of your gaming experience, while a fantastic and efficient monitor can make your life that much easier. And with astonishing new developments and features, 2023 has brought some incredible new monitors to the market, however, it might be challenging to ensure that you’re getting the best of the best with such a variety of great options.
And it certainly was challenging, with a stream of gaming monitors going through CGM, it was difficult to pick which one stood out amongst the rest with brands such as MOBIUS, Razer, NZXT, and ViewSonic and putting out some great products. However our top 5 nominees certainly earned their spot, delivering exceptional performance, and with our winner of 2023—you’re definitely not going to be disappointed.
Here are CGM’s nominees for Best Gaming Monitor 2023:
BenQ MOBIUZ EX3210U 4K 32-inch Gaming Monitor
Writer: Khari Taylor
Score: 8.5
Price: $1349.99
In a well-lit environment, the BenQ MOBIUZ EX3210U’s HDR display is a stone-cold stunner, particularly when viewing 4K HDR content. During my time with this panel I’ve viewed quite a selection of streaming and physical media on it, with resolutions mostly ranging between 1080p and 4K, and whether I was streaming 4K or Full HD content from Netflix, watching a 4K Blu-ray or playing a game on my Xbox Series X, in its default mode the monitor’s results were pleasantly consistent overall.
The BenQ MOBIUZ EX3210U is a premium gaming monitor that puts speed, response time, functionality, design, and quality of life features first, opting to sacrifice pricey HDR performance for a less elegant, but “good enough” implementation of the tech that gets the job done. The EX3210U’s wealth of extras such as its remote and various modes liken it closer to that of a unique HDTV/Monitor hybrid, showcasing many convenient options that its competitors lack and making the higher price point easier to swallow for those seeking a complete, console-gaming-friendly package.
The BenQ MOBIUZ 32-inch EX3210 delivers on every key feature a hardcore gamer could want out of a gaming monitor, and although its HDR presentation leaves much to be desired, its speed, performance, and quality-of-life feature more than make up for it.
Razer Raptor 27 Monitor Review
Writer: Brendan Frye
Score: 8.5
Price: $799
Razer has delivered a fantastic monitor with the Razer Raptor 27. It delivers a crisp and clear 2,560×1,440 picture in a package that feels premium and well-thought-out. While a minor annoyance, my gripes with the cables do not take away from the look and feel of the display, and the 165Hz refresh rate keeps things looking good, even when you load up your favorite games on your new Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080. One of the more expensive 165Hz 1440P monitors, if you are in the market for a display that is uniquely Razer, the Raptor 27 is a monitor that is sure to impress.
If that were not enough, Razer boasts a 1-millisecond pixel response, but that is in Motion Blur reduction mode, giving even more features that are tailor-made with the gamer in mind. The Razer Raptor 27 also manages to have one of the most accessible OSD (on-screen display) I have tested in a long while. It is simple to navigate, gives a clear indication of what the settings do and where they are placed, and stays out of the way when you don’t need it, thanks to the rear control stick placement.
While expensive, the Razer Raptor 27 is a 165Hz 1440P display that is sure to turn heads for both gaming and productivity.
NZXT Canvas FHD 27F Monitor
Writer: Brendan Frye
Score: 9
Price: $269.99
Once everything is turned on, the real fun starts and the Canvas FHD 27F shows what it can do. The IPS delivers a fantastic picture that brings out all the detail of some of today’s best games. Playing some of our favourites, the panel delivered a quality picture that was crisp and clear, with enough vibrancy to make games pop. The 240Hz display made everything feel buttery smooth, even on more intense games, and the 178 degrees ultra-wide viewing angles and DCI-P3 89%, and sRGB 99% give enough color accuracy to make sure games look and feel the way the developers intended.
the NZXT Canvas FHD 27F monitor offers up an incredibly fast and well-designed gaming display built for gamers. With vibrant colours and an incredibly fast 240Hz refresh rate, you would be hard-pressed to find a better-performing monitor for the price. To top things off, the NZXT CAM software made the process and setup trivial, getting you into the games faster, the way they are meant to be played.
Boasting impressive specs, a fantastic look, and software that makes set up a breeze, the NZXT Canvas FHD 27F is a gaming monitor that delivers where it matters most.
ViewSonic VX2718-PC-mhd 27” Curved Gaming Monitor
Writer: Chris De Hoog
Score: 9
Price: $324.99
The VX2718-PC-MHD is a 27” curved gaming monitor, part of ViewSonic’s VX Entertainment Series and thus a more casual alternative to their XG line for gaming diehards. After a couple of weeks of prolonged use and occasional readjustments, I had forgotten that the VX2718-PC-MHD was curved at all. The display is totally natural now, looks great from any angle, and truly does stress my eyes less. With my vision, a couple of hours of staring at traditional computer monitors would have me running for my glasses, but not with ViewSonic’s modern display.
After months of use in everyday situations and gaming, I can only highly recommend this monitor for those with more modest GPUs. It feels like one of the most impressive components of my new gaming PC setup, from its capable output to cherry-on-top bonuses like the extra inputs and speakers. It achieves a lot of power and convenience at a respectable price point, which should serve the majority of gamers pretty well.
ViewSonic’s VX2718-PC-mhd is an excellent entry-level PC gaming monitor, offering a lot of power and convenience in one fairly-priced, curved display.
WINNER: Best Gaming Monitor 2023 ViewSonic Elite XG271QG Monitor
Writer: Joe Findlay
Score: 9
Price: $899
The ViewSonic Elite XG271QG monitor has an IPS non-glare display that offers a viewing angle of up to 178 degrees. It also has 99% adobe colour coverage, giving it incredibly accurate colours no matter what you are doing. It has been given a VESA Display HDR 400 certification. Built into the monitor are a bunch of great features, starting with the bottom of the monitor, where a small joystick serves as your menu navigation tool, a vast improvement from blindly feeling around the monitor to figure out which button performs which function.
The video quality of this monitor is fantastic. As someone who spends a great deal of his day in front of monitors for my day job, content creation, and everyday gaming, it’s important to have something that is adaptable to all three purposes and looks great no matter what I am doing, despite it being marketed as a gaming monitor. The features that add to the price are geared towards gamers, so if that is not a part of your plan, finding another monitor without the proprietary G-Sync will save you some dollars.
The ViewSonic Elite XG271QG checks all the boxes for gamers (particularly those in an Nvidia gaming environment) and adapts to be great for all types of users. The price tag is the only thing that would/should stop a non-gamer from investing in this particular display.
