Why Cyber Monday Is Perfect For A Gaming Monitor Upgrade
Cyber Monday and the following Cyber Week have become some of the best times of the year to upgrade your PC gaming monitor. If you have just dropped cash on a new GPU or finally built a fresh rig, pairing it with the right display can transform your experience far more than most small component upgrades.
Today’s deals cover everything from budget 1080p esports panels to gorgeous 4K and OLED displays. Refresh rates have climbed massively in the last few years, so even cheap monitors now hit 144 Hz or higher. At the same time, 1440p has become the real sweet spot for PC gamers, and 4K monitors are finally dipping into sensible price territory.
Below is a breakdown of the main categories you will see in these Cyber Monday gaming monitor deals and what type of gamer each is best suited for.
Choosing Your Resolution And Refresh Rate
Before you click buy on a discounted display, it helps to match your monitor to both your GPU and the games you actually play.
Here are the main options you will see in the deals list and what they are good for.
- 1080p gaming monitors These are still the budget and competitive choice. You will see loads of 24 inch panels around 100 to 250 Hz, with 1 ms response times and either IPS or VA panels. At this resolution it is much easier for your GPU to push very high frame rates, which makes sense for esports style titles like Valorant, CS2 or Fortnite. If you want pure speed and are not worried about pixel density, a cheap 1080p 165 Hz or 240 Hz screen is ideal.
- 1440p gaming monitors This is the current sweet spot for most PC gamers. A 27 inch 2560 x 1440 monitor looks noticeably sharper than 1080p but is still manageable for mid range GPUs. Cyber Monday deals include 1440p panels from 100 Hz all the way up to 240 Hz, often with 1 ms response times. For a mix of single player eye candy and smooth competitive play, a 1440p 165 Hz or 180 Hz display is arguably the best all round option.
- 4K gaming monitors Once a luxury, 4K has become far more approachable. There are 27 and 32 inch 4K monitors hitting 144 Hz or 160 Hz at prices we used to see for mid range 1440p. These are best suited to high end GPUs that can push modern games above 100 fps at higher settings. Some “dual mode” panels can run at 4K 144 Hz for immersive play and switch down to 1080p at very high refresh rates for esports.
Refresh rate is just as important as resolution. Moving from 60 Hz to 100 or 144 Hz makes everything feel smoother and more responsive, and high end panels now push 240 Hz, 280 Hz, or even 520 Hz for extreme competitive use.
Panel Types, Form Factors And Standout Deals
Besides resolution and refresh rate, the big differentiator is panel technology and form factor.
- IPS panels These are the general purpose champs. IPS monitors tend to have better color accuracy and viewing angles than VA, and modern IPS gaming panels still hit 1 ms or better response times with refresh rates up to 240 Hz. Many of the best value 1440p deals are IPS based and sit around 165 to 180 Hz, which is excellent for everyday gaming.
- VA panels VA screens usually offer deeper contrast and better black levels than budget IPS, but with slightly worse response times and some potential smearing in dark scenes. Many of the cheapest high refresh monitors in both 1080p and ultrawide formats use VA to keep prices low. If you want a big 34 inch ultrawide at 1440p 165 Hz or 180 Hz on a budget, you will likely end up with a VA panel.
- OLED and QD OLED panels This is where games start to look unreal. OLED and QD OLED monitors deliver near instant response times around 0.03 ms, essentially perfect blacks, and incredible color. Cyber Monday has pushed several 27 and 34 inch OLED gaming monitors to much lower prices than before, including 1440p 240 Hz and ultrawide 165 to 240 Hz options. They still cost more than IPS or VA, but if you care about image quality as much as frame rate these deals are very tempting.
Form factor is another big choice.
- Standard 24 and 27 inch 16:9 Panels in this range are the simplest to set up and ideal for desks with limited space. For most players, a 27 inch 1440p 165 Hz IPS panel is the best balance of clarity and smoothness.
- Ultrawide 34 inch 3440 x 1440 These monitors deliver a very immersive field of view in supported games, which is great for racing titles, simulators, and modern shooters. Many deals match high refresh rates such as 160 or 180 Hz with curved VA or OLED panels to wrap the image around your vision.
- Super ultrawide and mega sized There are also 49 inch and even 57 inch monsters that are basically two monitors fused into one. These run at resolutions like 5120 x 1440 or even dual 4K and offer refresh rates up to 240 Hz. They demand serious GPU muscle but deliver an outrageous desktop and gaming experience if you have the space.
Across the deals, adaptive sync support such as AMD FreeSync and often Nvidia G Sync compatibility is common. This tech synchronizes the refresh rate of your monitor with your frame rate, reducing tearing and stutter, which is especially helpful if your fps fluctuates around the refresh rate.
Buying Tips And What To Expect From Cyber Week
Most of the monitors highlighted around Cyber Monday will remain at similar prices through Cyber Week, with some models selling out at the very best discounts. It is always possible that prices will drop further, but many of the current offers are already aggressive enough that waiting could just mean missing out on a specific model or size you wanted.
When choosing, think about your PC and your priorities:
- If you play mainly competitive titles and have a mid range GPU, a 1080p 165 Hz or 240 Hz screen is a great value choice.
- If you want an all rounder for single player and multiplayer, aim at 27 inch 1440p around 165 to 180 Hz with an IPS panel.
- If you own a high end GPU and like cinematic visuals, look at 27 or 32 inch 4K 144 Hz IPS or one of the newer 4K OLED or QD OLED options.
- If immersion is your thing, consider a 34 inch ultrawide 1440p or one of the super ultrawide 49 inch displays, but be sure your desk can handle it.
Cyber Monday has essentially blended into a full Cyber Week, and many retailers run similar discounts across Amazon, Newegg, Best Buy, and others in the US, with equivalent deals in the UK. The main difference this year is how far high end tech has come down in price. You can now pick up 4K 144 Hz IPS screens for the kind of money that used to buy a basic 1440p panel, and OLED is finally edging into mainstream budgets.
If you have been putting off a display upgrade while focusing on GPUs and CPUs, this Cyber Monday window is one of the best opportunities to seriously level up your gaming experience without rebuilding your entire PC.
Original article and image: https://www.pcgamer.com/cyber-monday-gaming-monitor-deals/
