by If you have an AMD graphics card made in the last couple of years, like the AMD Radeon VII or AMD Radeon RX 5700 and you dont have a FreeSync gaming monitor, its time to upgrade. Once you experience the smoothness and responsiveness of a variable refresh rate monitor, theres just no going back.Gamers with AMD graphics cards in their gaming PCs owe it to themselves to upgrade to a FreeSync gaming displaythe difference is truly striking. These are our picks for the best FreeSync monitor at every price range, size, and resolution.TL;DR These are the Best FreeSync Gaming Monitors:
1. Gigabyte Aorus FI27Q Tactical Gaming Display
Best FreeSync Gaming Monitor
Screen size: 27″ Aspect ratio: 16:9 Resolution: 2,560 x 1,440 Panel type: IPS FreeSync Premium, G-Sync Compatible Brightness: 350cd/m2 Refresh rate: 165Hz Response time: 4ms Viewing angle: 178(H)/178(V) Contrast ratio: 1,000:1 Color support: 95% DCI-P3, 100% sRGB Inputs: 2 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x DisplayPort 1.2, 1 x 3.5mm audio Weight: 17.64 pounds Size: 24.2″ x 14.6″ x 9.33″
Gigabyte has kept up its game with this series of monitors. The Gigabyte Aorus FI27Q improves upon the already excellent Aorus AD27QD (read our review). With it, you’ll get a super-smooth 165Hz refresh rate to go alongside a crisp 1440p display. Better still, the monitor uses an IPS panel, so you’re not sacrificing viewing angles to get that refresh rate. It even maintains a speedy 1ms response time.Naturally, this monitor supports FreeSync, but it also meets the FreeSync Premium specification, so it can include low framerate compensation when your system struggles to keep up with demanding titles. And, if you later decide to switch to an Nvidia graphics card, this monitor is G-Sync Compatible to top it all off.
2. ViewSonic Elite XG240R
Best Budget FreeSync Gaming Monitor
Screen size: 24″ Aspect ratio: 16:9 Resolution: 1,920 x 1,080 Panel type: TN FreeSync Brightness: 350cd/m2 Refresh rate: 144Hz Response time: 5ms Viewing angle: 170(H)/160(V) Contrast ratio: 1,000:1 Color support: 16.7M Inputs: 1 x HDMI, 1 x DisplayPort 1.4 Weight: 14.8 pounds Size: 22.3″ x 17.1″ x 9.4″
The Viewsonic Elite XG240R gives you a surprising amount of gaming monitor for its $260 price. Despite its low, low price, it has a fast 144Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time thanks to its snappy TN panel. The Viewsonic Elite XG240R even has RGB lighting alongside a few HDMI and USB ports for those that like to use their monitor as a sort of desk hub.Just to remind you again, this monitor only costs $260. Thats way cheaper than most 144Hz FreeSync monitors. If youre on a tight budget, theres no need to settle for a paltry 60Hz monitor. You can still enjoy super-smooth high refresh rates.
3. ViewSonic XG3220
Best 4K FreeSync Monitor
Screen size: 32″ Aspect ratio: 16:9 Resolution: 3,840 x 2,160 Panel type: VA Freesync Brightness: 300cd/m2 Refresh rate: 60Hz Response time: 5ms Viewing angle: 178(H)/178(V) Contrast ratio: 3,000:1 Color support: 99% sRGB Inputs: 2 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x DisplayPort 1.2 Weight: 18.3 pounds Size: 28.6″ x 18.1″ x 10.3″
The Viewsonic XG3220 (read our review) is the biggest and best looking 4K FreeSync monitor on the market (for now). Unlike most other monitors in its class, it’s 32-inches rather than 27-inches, and it utilizes a VA panel rather than TN or IPS.Basically, this grants you great color reproduction with visuals that are nice and bright. Despite having a peak brightness of 300-nits and only 8-bit color, the ViewSonic XG3220 can pull off an HDR mode using software and its startlingly convincing.
4. Asus ROG Strix XG279Q
Best 1440p FreeSync Monitor
Screen size: 27″ Aspect ratio: 16:9 Resolution: 2,560 x 1,440 Panel type: IPS Freesync HDR Compatibility: DisplayHDR 400 Brightness: 350cd/m2 Refresh rate: 170Hz Response time: 1ms Viewing angle: 178(H)/178(V) Contrast ratio: 1,000:1 Color support: 125% sRGB Inputs: 2 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x DisplayPort 1.2 Weight: 15.43 pounds Size: 24.1″ x 16.2″ x 10.6″
Sure, 1440p at 144Hz may be the sweet spot, but why not push it a little further with the 170Hz refresh rate of the Asus ROG Strix XG279Q. You’ll be able to enjoy crisp game visuals smoothly and without stutter. This monitor also offers up a FreeSync Premium and G-Sync Compatible experience, so you don’t have to stuttering or screen tearing while you game.The display uses an IPS panel that’ll deliver wide viewing angles and excellent color accuracy. That’s only further improved with HDR support, as the monitor meets the DisplayHDR 400 specification. So, if you’re looking for a killer 1440p gaming monitor with FreeSync, you need look no further.
5. Alienware 27 Gaming Monitor
Best 1080p FreeSync Monitor
Screen size: 27″ Aspect ratio: 16:9 Resolution: 1,920 x 1,080 Panel type: IPS FreeSync Brightness: 350cd/m2 Refresh rate: 240Hz Response time: 1ms Viewing angle: 178(H)/178V) Contrast ratio: 1,000:1 Color support: 1.67M Inputs: 2 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x DisplayPort 1.2 Weight: 28.24 pounds Size: 24.12″ x 22.02 x 8.5″
Here’s where we would normally feature one of the many models of 25-inch Full HD 240Hz gaming monitors you’ve probably seen a dozen times over. But it seemed much more fitting that the Alienware 27 Gaming Monitor (AW2720HF) should be our best pick for a FreeSync 1080p display. It’s still a gaming monitor tuned Esports with a 240Hz refresh rate, but it comes with a larger 27-inch panel.What’s more, it’s an IPS panel so it produces great colors and very good viewing angles over the usual TN panels that 240Hz gaming monitors use. Don’t think this pretty Esports monitor slow you down either, it’s has a quick 1ms response time to keep up with the best competitive displays.
6. Samsung C32HG70
Best Curved FreeSync Gaming Monitor
Screen size: 32″ Aspect ratio: 16:9 Resolution: 2,560 x 1,440 Panel type: VA FreeSync2 HDR Brightness: 600cd/m2 Refresh rate: 144Hz Response time: 1ms Viewing angle: 178(H)/178(V) Contrast ratio: 3,000:1 Color support: 125% sRGB, 92% Adobe RGB, 95% DCI P3 Inputs: 2 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x DisplayPort 1.4 Weight: 21.16 pounds Size: 28.51″ x 24.48″ x 14.98″
If you’ve ever felt yourself getting a little wall-eyed looking at a big gaming monitor, a curved FreeSync display might just be the thing you need. The Samsung C32HG70 (read our review) is a curved FreeSync gaming monitor designed to wrap its display around your peripheral vision for a more relaxed and immersive experience.What’s more this big display sports a 1440p panel that reaches a peak 600-nits and 144Hz refresh ratethe latter of which is further smoothed out by the FreeSync technology onboard.
7. LG Ultragear 34GK950F-B
Best Ultra Wide FreeSync Monitor
Screen size: 34″ 1900R Aspect ratio: 21:9 Resolution: 3,440 x 1,440 Panel type: Nano IPS FreeSync 2 HDR, G-Sync Compatible Brightness: 400cd/m2 Refresh rate: 144Hz Response time: 1ms (MBR) Viewing angle: 178(H)/178(V) Contrast ratio: 1000:1 Color support: 10-bit (8-bit + FRC), 1.07b Colors Inputs: 2 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x DisplayPort 1.4 Weight: 17.42 pounds Size: 32.3″ x 18.2″ x 11.3″
The LG UltraGear 34GK950F-B is a true beast of a display. At 34 inches, it’s ready to sprawl across the width of your desk and give you tons of screen real estate. The 3,440 x 1,440 resolution keeps the picture sharp despite the large screen size. And that picture is a major step up from your run-of-the-mill monitors.The Nano IPS panel employed in the 34GK950F-B is capable of producing over a billion colors thanks to its support for a 10-bit color depth. A partner to that color is brightness, as the monitor can pump out 400 nits, earning it VESA DisplayHDR400 certification. All that, and the LG UltraGear 34GK950F-B also offers up a speedy 144Hz refresh rate paired with FreeSync 2 HDR support and G-Sync compatibility to boot. If you want FreeSync on a wide display, it doesn’t get much better than this.
8. Asus TUF Gaming VG27AQ
Best G-Sync Compatible Gaming Monitor
Screen size: 27″ Aspect ratio: 16:9 Resolution: 2,560 x 1,440 Panel type: IPS FreeSync, G-Sync Compatible HDR Compatibility: HDR10 Brightness: 350cd/m2 Refresh Rate: 155Hz Response time: 4ms Viewing angle: 178(H)/178(V) Contrast ratio: 1,000:1 Color support: 8-bit Inputs: 2 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x DisplayPort 1.2 Weight: 12.79 pounds Size: 24.4″ x 14.8″ x 8.31″
If you find yourself constantly jumping between Nvidia- and AMD-powered systems like I do, you need a G-Sync compatible FreeSync gaming monitor. The Asus TUF Gaming VG27AQ is one latest and greatest of this growing display class that lets you take full advantage of both G-Sync and FreeSync to give you a variable refresh rate no matter which platform your playing on.On top of being able to enjoy completely smooth gameplay on the Xbox One and any gaming PC, this monitor serves up a scrumptious QHD picture. You’ll also be able to enjoy high-frame ratesif your graphics card can keep up that isof up to 165Hz. Although the TUF Gaming VG27AQ uses an IPS panel, it’s pretty responsive at 4ms and you get great colors to boot, not to mention HDR 10 support.
9. Samsung Q90R (QN65Q90RAFXZA)
Best FreeSync Gaming Television
Screen size: 64.5″ Resolution: 4K Panel Type: Full-Array LED HDR Compatibility: HDR10, HDR10+, HLG Peak Brightness: 1,300cd/m2 Local Dimming Zones: 480 Refresh Rate: 240Hz Inputs: 4 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x RF
Okay, the 65-inch Samsung Q90R isn’t technically a gaming monitor, but it is the first television to support FreeSync and that’s reason enough to have it on this list. But seriously you won’t find another screen this big that supports FreeSync and certainly not one that looks this good. This 4K TV features a 65-inch QLED screen with a peak brightness of 1,300-nits and 480 local dimming zones, making it one of the best FreeSync displays to experience games in HDR.Even the most expensive gaming monitors money can buy like the Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ and HP Omen X Emperium 65 still don’t get nearly as bright or feature as many local dimming zones as the Samsung Q90R. Just be ready to pony up the cash for its $2,800 price.
What to look for in a FreeSync gaming monitor
FreeSync is AMDs branding for its variable refresh rate (VRR) monitor technology. Its built on top of the open VESA Adaptive-Sync protocol as part of the DisplayPort 1.2a spec. If you have a FreeSync monitor, youll get variable refresh rates with just about any modern AMD graphics card.If youre running an Nvidia graphics card or using another video source (like a game console via an HDMI input), a FreeSync monitor will act just like a normal monitor.
What is VRR?
Basically, a standard monitor is locked to a single refresh ratethats the number of times per second that it changes the color and brightness of the pixels on the screen. Your graphics card draws a frame and then waits until the monitors next refresh to display it.This has the effect of making your game jump frame rate between even multiples of the displays refresh: with a 60Hz monitor, your game will run at 60fps, 30fps, 20fps, 15fps, or 12fps, for example. Disabling vsync will also allow your graphics card to run as fast as possible on any monitor, but it produces an ugly visual artifact called tearing, where the monitor displays partially-drawn frames on top of the previous frame.
With VRR technology, the monitor refreshes whenever the graphics card is done drawing the next frame.
With VRR technology (G-Sync or FreeSync), the monitor refreshes whenever the graphics card is done drawing the next frame. So your monitor might max out at 60Hz and your game at 60fps, but if your game is running at 52fps the monitor will refresh at 52Hz, drawing the frame immediately instead of waiting for the next 60Hz cycle. So youll see the frame rate your graphics card is capable of, not an unnecessary downgrade to 30fps. This also eliminates screen tearing caused by the GPU sending multiple frames to the monitor when it’s still rendering a previous frame.There are two VRR technologies gamers should know about: G-Sync and FreeSync. G-Sync is Nvidia proprietary technology and only works with Nvidia graphics cards. FreeSync is AMDs brand for a VRR technology and only works with AMD GPUs. G-Sync requires extra hardware in the monitor, driving monitors costs up but maintains consistently high quality. FreeSync has no licensing fee and requires no proprietary hardware, and thus monitors are typically cheaper, but quality control is a little less consistent in our opinion.
Kevin Lee is IGN’s Hardware and Roundups Editor. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspamMark Knapp is a regular contributor to IGN and an irregular Tweeter on Twitter @Techn0Mark
