Technically inclined buyers like numbers, just like a fantasy football league player likes his team stats. For the rest of us, number laden specs quickly cause confusion. For simplicity’s sake, think of a 1440p 144Hz gaming monitor as a semi-affordable buy that straddles the full HD to 4K market. It’s higher than HD but not as pixel dense as an ultra HD screen. The refresh rate, at 144Hz, maintains smoother, frame tear-free gameplay, much superior to standard 60Hz.
It’s still a lot of numbers to throw at an unsuspecting readership, but at least some kind of explanation has been tagged on to each, letting buyers know just where they stand. You’ll also see these gaming screens called Quad HD or WQHD (Wide Quad High Definition). As for the 144Hz part of the label, the gaming world hasn’t felt the need to tag this figure with a name, although you might find it on a monitor box just marked High Refresh Rate Gaming Monitor. Just know that, as well as looking smooth, high refresh rates give you a competitive edge, letting you spot enemies and then react faster. It’s exactly what you need if you want a tech advantage, along with a low-latency internet connection.
Mission accomplished, and it wasn’t even vaguely impossible, all the key descriptive elements have been unpacked for your benefit.
Refresh Rate Note: Two refresh rates are quoted on some of these models. To clear up any confusion, their native refresh rate is indeed 144Hz when connected via an HDMI cable. That figure then jumps to 165Hz if DisplayPort is used.
Our top suggestions today – Best 1440p 144Hz Gaming Monitors commonly picked at every budget!
Gigabyte G34WQC 1440p Gaming Monitor
What we liked – Game immersing 1500R curvature. 34-inch screen. DisplayHDR certification. AMD FreeSync Premium. Non-glare glass. 178° viewing angle. 1ms response time. Ultrawide 3440 x 1440 resolution. 144Hz refresh rate.
The Gigabyte G34WQC 1440p gaming monitor falls under the category of a UWQHD display. To explain, the UW (Ultrawide) initials have been smushed together with the QHD (Quad HD) label to create a longer, more descriptive acronym. Basically, we were looking at a panel that was both 1440p and ultra-wide. Add to that the 1500R curve, and we had an elegantly sweeping screen that was perfect for gaming within 3D realms. At 34-inches, human eyes naturally felt sucked into games, the silky smooth 144Hz refresh rate amping up that illusion.
The display credentials attached to the screen were, to say the least, stellar. But we prefer to take note of box or website marketing figures, reserving the right to put monitors through our own battery of tests. For those tests, the edge type backlighting made the HDR400 visuals really pop, and blacks on the dirty streets of Night City in our battered copy of Cyberpunk 2077 looked as dark as the night itself, with impressive contrast that drew us deeper into the game’s dystopian world, courtesy of a 3000:1 contrast ratio. A wide color gamut 90% DCI-P3 rating didn’t hurt, either.
Adaptive sync technology and AMD FreeSync Premium upheld game stated frame rates, immediately eliminating any signs of frame tear, and the 1ms response time worked marvellously when game views swung quickly towards an enemy Arasaka Corporation soldier, keeping motion blur to a minimum. As a result of all of this screen techno-magic, our test gamer felt dragged deep into the gameplay. His only ding in the review was the use of a ghost-prone VA (Vertical Alignment panel), as opposed to more modern IPS offerings. Connector-wise, two HDMI ports and two DisplayPort connectors had our cable needs covered.
What didn’t click – Weak pair of 2W speakers. Could be brighter, with 350 cd/m2 coming across as a distinctly average screen luminance. Older VA technology.
Acer Predator XB271HU 1440p Gaming Monitor
What we liked – 2560 by 1440 WQHD display. IPS panel. 144Hz refresh rate. nVidia G-Sync screen tear cancellation. Overclock refresh rate of 165Hz. 100% sRGB. Predator GameView. Built-in USB hub. Implements Tobii eye-tracking technology.
Another monitor with 350 cd/m2 brightness, the 27-inch Acer Predator BX271HU applies its 144Hz refresh rate with great success. We tested that feature with our finger-flexible gamer loading up Counter-Strike 2. His quick reactions and the monitor’s 4ms response time gave him a distinct edge, taking out AI enemies with pixel-perfect aim, thanks to GameView. Other tactical FPS games were tested, too, with G-Sync coming to the rescue when we needed to quickly pivot our player avatar to take out concealed targets without some weird frame tear causing a shot miss or an immersion breaking visual hiccup.
The IPS panel was flat, so no curves swept around our player to suck him in, but a lack of curves is sometimes a good thing, allowing for more traditional editing on productivity programs when the games are packed away for the night. It’s still a widescreen display, though, still equipped with a 16:9 aspect ratio and that QHD rated 2560 by 1440 WXHD pixel resolution, plus the capability to overclock from a 144Hz refresh rate to a smoother 165Hz. Just as a side note, the wide frame left room for the side-mounted dual 2W speakers and a rear panel filled with ports that supported both HDMI and DisplayPort connectivity.
There were also four USB 3.0 connectors back there. One was an upstream port, for connecting the monitor to a computer, and the other three were downstream configured, functioning as a USB hub for connecting peripherals. As for the speakers, they provided basic audio output, but they weren’t anything special—fine for system sounds or casual YouTube videos but lacking the depth and punch needed for immersive gaming or hi-fidelity media consumption. Basically, this was flawless gaming performance, but we felt the lack of HDR when switching to media editing.
What didn’t click – 4ms is a slow gaming response time. No HDR. Lacks USB-C connectors. Weedy dual 2W speakers. Getting a little long in the tooth for 2025.
MSI Optix MAG342CQR 1440p Gaming Monitor
What we liked – Total game immersion 1500R display curve. 144Hz refresh rate. A 1ms response time. UWQHD 3440 by 1440 resolution. Adaptive Sync. Inbuilt HDR technology. Rear RGB lighting. Night Vision detail enhancer. Narrow bezel build.
With their design engineers determined to pair up brand components, the MSI Optix MAG342CQR 34-inch gaming monitor has clearly been built to work seamlessly with MSI’s computer ecosystem. Even if that’s not the case, its 3440 by 1440 panel is a great choice for gamers, curving subtly to deliver a 3000:1 contrast ratio at a speedy 144Hz refresh rate. We set it up late one afternoon, attaching it via fast DisplayPort 1.4 to our gaming machine, which was equipped with a powerful MSI GeForce 4070 GPU. Let the benchmarks begin.
The 1ms response time and Adaptive Sync built into the panel had the Baja California Circuit in Forza Horizon 5 unfurling without losing any frames. Cars skidded around tight corners, competitors spun off, all while 92.57% DCI-P3 color prevented vehicle paint jobs from looking unrealistic. The whole event looked gritty and real, even more so with HDR turned ON. As the sun set on a track, we tried out Night Vision to see if the details on the popular Barranca de Venados street circuit would look better as we passed under street lights. The whole experience radiated true-to-life color and luminance, capturing the driving action in all its neon-lit glory.
Connectors on the rear of the MSI Optix MAG342CQR don’t vary much. There’s a high speed DisplayPort and two HDMI connectors, but there are no USB connectors. Other than that, there’s an audio out. Fair enough, it’s good for gaming when a roommate or partner wants silence, but anyone buying a gaming monitor in 2025 is going to expect more, like one or two USB-C connectors, for instance. However, this drawback is mitigated by an edge-to-edge panel, RGB lighting, and a 178° viewing angle. Swinging back to the cons, there are no speakers and the panel is a VA (Vertical Alignment) screen. Good for contrast, ghosting issues might be a problem with this display type.
What didn’t click – Lack of USB ports limits expandability. No inbuilt speakers whatsoever. Average out-of-the-box color accuracy. Reports of VA smearing.
BenQ EX3410R MOBIUZ 1440p Gaming Monitor
What we liked – Vibrant DisplayHDR 400. Big 34-inch WQHD gaming. Smooth 144Hz refresh rate. Responsive AMD FreeSync Premium Pro. 1ms response time. 1000R curve. Mobiuz Color Shuttle presets. Powerful 2.1 audio. 21:9 aspect ratio.
With access to a monitor manufacturer creating waves in the productivity sector, we drafted in the BenQ EX3410R MOBIUZ. Just like its big brother video editing displays, this screen impressed our staffers with a whole slew of features. The big 34-inch panel curved subtly around the scruffy head of our tester this time, using a sleek 1000R curve to showcase its WQHD, 21:9 aspect ratio. For those into numbers, that’s 3440 by 1440 pixels on a high-contrast VA panel. Cyberpunk 2077 was loaded again, Night City neon signs and wetted back alleys rendering the HDRi tuned visuals with lush depth and realistic tones.
A monitor review isn’t much good if it doesn’t convey dynamic gaming action. The BenQ monitor did an outstanding job of shifting millions of gameplay pixels, its 1ms response time and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro GPU motion optimizer projecting chaos as we weaved through city traffic in a Rayfield Caliburn. The wheels spun and screeched, letting us know audio reproduction wasn’t an afterthought in this screen. To the contrary, a 2.1 channel speaker setup, complete with 5W woofer added a nice side of rumble to our FPS gaming. Connectivity options were good as well, using two HDMI plugs and a single DisplayPort 1.4 connector. USB is also back there, ready for peripherals.
Talking of first person shooters, thoughtful extras have been built into the display to please aficionados of the genre. The dark warehouses in Escape to Tarkov were used for this benchmark. FPS Mode activated, dark shadows gained detail, exposing hidden enemies. Rainbow Six Siege was equally fun, the Kanal industrial works proving no good for terrorist cover when we could enhance visibility and drop input lag, streamlining gameplay when it was set to hardcore levels. DisplayHDR 400 did the rest, saturating colors, using HDRi smarts to finetune terrain tones. Of some interest to our tester, Mobiuz Color Shuttle makes a number of color profiles available, curating popular presets.
What didn’t click – Reports of backlight bleed. A scattering of VA panel smear user complaints. No Nvidia G-Sync support. The sound could be a little louder.
Alienware AW2725DF 27-inch 1440p Gaming Monitor
What we liked – Outstanding 0.03ms response. Dual refresh rates, 144Hz on HDMI and 360Hz with DisplayPort. Superb QD-OLED display and color. True Black 400. Color performance 99.3% DCI-P3 and Delta<2. AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and Nvidia G-Sync frame rate consistency. Plenty of connectors. Anti-reflective panel.
Monitors with a clear bias towards gaming dynamics have nothing to hide behind. They can’t masquerade as a productivity display or a casual office screen. On setting up the Alienware AW2725DF monitor, the 27-inch screen is obviously built for one job—that of generating high-octane game graphics at blistering speeds. We had Call of Duty: Warzone loaded and raring to go. The 1440p panel and its 144HZ refresh rate dropped screen response times down to a tiny 0.03ms, giving our player a huge edge over the opposition as we crept stealthily through the Verdansk map on a special ops mission.
Leaning back from the action for a moment, the HDMI cable we were using did create smooth views of FPS gameplay. If we’d used one of the two DisplayPort 1.4 connectors, we could’ve upped that refresh rate to a mindblowing 360Hz. Again, this felt like the hardware engineers were thinking about gamers. And there were various inbuilt gaming tools to support that stance. The built in crosshairs, enemy exposing Night Vision and Chroma Vision, every tool and setting seemed like it was designed to help gamers beat down opposing forces. That includes FreeSync and G-Sync, naturally.
Exacting color accuracy has always been a heavily in-demand feature among media professionals. With 99.3% DCI-P3 and Delta<2 true-to-life color fidelity, the Alienware monitor fits that description and could’ve easily doubled as a studio workstation, but it also made for a next-level gaming monitor, making environment hues pop, effects dazzle, and lighting bright. Instead of banding around an object that went from dark tones to bright luminance values in unrealistic stages, rich colors and subtle gradations between object boundaries kept everything real and accurate. The QD-OLED panel helped, of course, eliminating any and all bleeding or outline halos.
What didn’t click – It’s expensive. Oversaturated OLED colors hurt the eye. The 250 cd/m2 SDR screen luminance could be brighter.
Samsung G5 Odyssey 1440p Gaming Monitor
Samsung G5 Odyssey 1440p Gaming Monitor
What we liked – Odyssey 1000R curve. Immersive 16:9 WQHD aspect ratio. Fast 144Hz screen refresh rate. Quick 1ms response time. AMD FreeSync Premium. A deep 2500:1 contrast ratio. Uses QLED display technology. Adaptive Sync.
The electronics giant lands in our review list with a bang. It’s the Samsung G5 Odyssey 1440p 27-inch gaming monitor, model number LC27G55TQWNXZA that we unboxed for our gamer, connecting the 16:9 quad HD chassis via a high-quality spare HDMI cable. That was one of the only complaints we could find, by the way, a lack of ports. One HDMI, a single DisplayPort, and one USB connector suggested limited connectivity. Still, the wide 1000R curve and 1ms response time suited the lightning fast reflexes of our resident office game reviewer, and the 144Hz refresh rate massaged the eye, avoiding any signs of nasty vision fatigue.
While QLED colors were bright and game edges were crisp, we couldn’t find any mention of color space accuracy, so this is definitely built for gamers, less so for media editors or photographers. Some reports of substandard HDR (High Dynamic Range) came in from users, but we found that the QLED panel provided perfectly adequate game hues, even when HDR was turned OFF. We will say that the contrast ratio and brightness, 2500:1 and 300 cd/m2 respectively, were both solid if a little muted in terms of punch compared to higher-end models. Same as the port selection, the screen was amazing but not enough thought had gone into the details.
Loading Shadow of the Tomb Raider, all settings configured at max for 1440p testing, the rocky granite textures in the city of Paititi flashed past without frame shearing as Lara Croft made her run. The jungle foliage and shadowy lighting therein also came alive, AMD FreeSync Premium smoothing the sway of leaves and radiant sun rays. We really felt wrapped up in the jungle environment, the HDR10 highlights popping while shadows deepened to create drama and menace. And if there was any doubt over some obscure graphical setting on the monitor, we used a tactile button to call up the Game Style UI, checking for frame rate issues or screen mode changes.
What didn’t click – Limited connectivity. Peak brightness is average. Inconsistent HDR performance. Not ideal for color-accurate productivity tasks. Color shifts at wider viewing angles.
LG 34GN850-B UltraGear 1440p Gaming Monitor
What we liked – High WQHD 34-inch resolution. Wide 21:9 aspect ratio. Nano IPS display. Features Nvidia G-Sync compatibility. Color authentic 98% DCI-P3. Narrow bezels for a near frameless aesthetic. Black Stabilizer. 144Hz refresh rate.
Loading up Digital Combat Simulator (DCS), performance gains while flying an F-16C Viper were nothing short of outstanding when viewed through an LG 34GN850-B UltraGear monitor. The 1440p graphics came off as cockpit-real, viewed through the 1900R curve and reduced frame. The illusion was very real, with 98% DCI-P3 finding another use, besides video or photo editing. We could look for enemy craft coming out of the sun or for ground-to-air missiles, committing to a gut-wrenching maneuver to shake off the danger. The 34-inch chassis also felt like just the right size for this kind of gaming, with plenty of screen real estate left over for instrumentation.
A switch to Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the Blood and Wine DLC installed, had us battling to beat the Blood Prince. The 3440 by 1440 resolution visuals kicked up a few wolves and bandits as well, but no matter how busy the screen became, Nvidia G-Sync kept the frames smooth and free of distracting glitches. The Black Stabilizer came in handy as well here, uncovering two bandits that had taken to the shadows. Geralt wasn’t fooled for a second, cleaving them both in half with his sword. Blood everywhere, 21:9 aspect ratio keeping the gore red and damp all the way to the screen edge, we advanced. A swing to the left and then the right, checking for more bandits and wolves, came fluidly, thanks this time to the 144HZ refresh rate and rapid 1ms response time.
Connectivity on the LG 34GN850-B and its QHD 21:9 panel was suitably strong. Two HDMI connectors are on the recessed rear panel, a DisplayPort connector as well, then there’s a few USB ports to flesh out a full array of ports and connectors. Swinging the tilt stand back around to the display, middling 320 cd/m2 brightness and a typical 1000:1 contrast ratio delivered good to excellent visuals, then there was DisplayHDR 400 to make the most of the light and blacks. Games rendered well under these values, and our gamer didn’t experience any eye fatigue on the IPS type display panel. Overall, it was a solid performer, but we’ve reviewed better.
What didn’t click – Relatively low contrast ratio and brightness for the price. High price. As 1900R is a subtle curvature, it might not be as immersive as some.
It’s a Wrap On the Best QHD Gaming Monitors!
Two factors needed to be central throughout the post. We wanted crisp 1440p visuals moving smoothly at a flicker-free 144Hz. Those were the guardrails for our tests. A few monitors, like the Acer Predator XB271HU and Alienware AW2725DF delivered almost too well in this department. They provided 144Hz visuals, then used overclocking or DisplayPort 1.4 tech superiority to ramp up the game action smoothness even further. We leaned slightly towards the Alienware display, with its 0.03ms response time making our gamers salivate.
The LG 34GN850-B UltraGear is also a fine alternative, our gamers giving it extra points for a subtler curvature on games that don’t benefit from a full wraparound perspective. We only wished it had better contrast. For full multimedia performance, though, we opted for the BenQ EX3410R MOBIUZ, a display that doesn’t skimp on sound. Its 5W woofer, built-in, had us packing away our discrete gaming speakers, releasing desk space to put down a pizza box or a six-pack of imported beer. Finally, of the opinion that it’s hard to go wrong with an iconic motherboard brand, both the Gigabyte G34WQC and the MSI Optix MAG342CQR 1440p gaming monitors hit a very pleasing sweet spot with our reviewers, boasting essential display technologies and modern connector choices.
If 2025 is the year you finally upgrade to a 1440p, 144Hz gaming monitor, you’ve got plenty of great options to sift through. We suggest prioritizing display quality, features like inky blacks and bright whites. Tie in those static visuals with dynamic talents, like excellent refresh rates. Then pull in the extras, the futureproof connectors, adaptive sync and Nvidia G-Sync. Finally, what use is all of this visual candy without a powerhouse computer? Make sure your machine is up to the task, crunching graphics and passing the data stream through a suitable HDMI or DisplayPort connector.
Nothing’s worse than buying a monster monitor only to realize your PC can’t keep up. Futureproof wisely—unless you enjoy watching high-refresh dreams turn into a PowerPoint slideshow. Spoilers: No, you won’t enjoy that. At all.
