The Cheapest 4k Monitors From Every Major Brand

As graphics cards become more powerful and high-end monitors receive massive price cuts, high-fidelity displays are quickly becoming more common in the average household. The first 4K displays that also had a high refresh rate were originally priced at a staggering $2,000 for anyone in the U.S., but those specs are now possible to get at less than half of the cost. While 1080p is still the most popular monitor resolution, getting a picture with nicer quality doesn't have to break your bank account. In fact, most major brands have at least one 4K monitor priced under $500.

While there is a difference between 4K and UHD, most monitors make no distinction between the two labels, with pretty much all of them simply having the latter's resolution at 3840x2160. That's the resolution this article will focus on for simplicity and clarity, without considering extra variables like ultrawide or curved displays. Those types of monitors are usually more expensive anyway, especially at higher resolutions, making them a poor choice for budget-minded buyers. MSRP will also be what defines the cheapest monitor for each brand, but if other monitors are known to get even lower thanks to sales, they'll be mentioned as well.

Asus is a major PC brand with a focus on marketing products to gamers, which remains true when looking at its cheapest 4K monitor. The TUF Gaming VG289Q1A provides a great baseline for what you should expect from inexpensive displays that still boast high resolutions. Boasting a color range of 90%, a 5ms response time, and a refresh rate of 60Hz, it really is the bare minimum of what you should expect. Yet it still has some essentials like a perfectly acceptable IPS display and built-in speakers, making this TUF Gaming monitor a worthy competitor against other inexpensive options.

The TUF Gaming VG289Q1A is currently priced at $239 on Amazon. Considering how the monitor launched with an MSRP of over $300 just a few years ago, you'll find a lot of bang for your buck if you decide to go all-in on it. However, you shouldn't jump the gun on this choice too quickly, as other brands have also managed to push their prices to competitive levels. Depending on special deals, the cheapest 4K Asus monitor might end up being one of the most expensive displays on this list.

Normally, Dell's cheapest 4K display — the S2721QS — is found at a price of around $280. However, deals for the monitor on the company's website and other storefronts have helped bring its price down. In fact, the Dell S2721QS can be found on Amazon for around $230. It even manages to outperform the Asus VG289Q1A in some areas, boasting an impressive color range of 99% and offering various modes to decrease its response time. If this lower prices manages to stick by the time you're ready to make a purchase of your own, you're unlikely to regret going for it.

We've previously ranked this display as one of the best 4K monitors to take your gaming to the next level. However, it only really manages to stay competitive with the lowered prices from sales. If you want to stick with Dell but you find this display only going for its list price of around $300, you might as well spend an extra $10 on the Dell S2722QC. On top of having a better stand this other monitor also has an integrated USB hub, which is an uncommon feature at this price range. 

The MSI MP273U might be the cheapest 4K monitor you'll find on this list. Even without sale prices on the official MSI website and Amazon knocking an additional $20 off, its list price is only around $200. Even with this lower price, MSI's monitor has a few specs that push it even further above some competitors, including a response time of just 4ms and a color range of 95%. For those who only care about getting a trustworthy 4K monitor at the cheapest possible price, there aren't many better choices than this.

It should be noted that the list price of this monitor also applies to another option from MSI. You can often find the MSI MD271UL for around $200 as well, and this alternative has even better color range alongside a USB-C port that you can use for charging. You're going to end up with a worse stand as a result, but the MP273U's isn't much better outside of an accessory slot to put your phone into. Either way, unless your budget is willing to go above $250, MSI's fine-tuned features make it a deadly foe against other cheap 4K displays.

Without any sale prices to consider, the cheapest 4K monitor you can get from LG is the 27US500-W. Amazon currently doesn't offer any sort of special deal on it, so the monitor's performance can honestly seem quite poor in comparison to others on this list. It has comparable color range and response time to the display from Asus while being priced at $250 normally, not offering a lot on its own to justify the increased cost. Pretty much all previous monitors are able to achieve or outperform its results, often doing so at much less expensive price points.

If you're willing to rely solely on sale prices, though, LG isn't out of the competition just yet. The 27UP600 4K monitor might be around $350 normally, but it's been able to find sales that have lowered its price all the way down to $200. This comes with the benefit of a much higher color range, though other features stay mostly the same. This alternative monitor also has quite a few negative reviews on the company's official website, so you should be wary of taking the risk unless its current price is just too good to beat.

Acer's baseline 4K monitor is a bit pricier than previous options, but it manages to justify its cost very well. At a baseline price of around $280 and a sale price of $250, the Acer CB272K boasts 4ms response time alongside 99% color accuracy. An additional USB-C port also puts its features above Dell's S2721QS, and the stand is surprisingly versatile for a budget monitor. It's worth checking out if you can handle the extra cost, but it's also not the only cheap choice from Acer to consider.

With an MSRP of $300, the 32SB2QK has gone on remarkable sales before, going as low as $180 on Acer's official website. It shares the response time of the CB272K while having a much larger screen size, as it is one of the few monitors mentioned here bigger than 30 inches. All of this comes at a different cost, however, as the display has a far worse color range and uses a VA panel instead of an IPS one. These panels are one feature to look out for when buying gaming displays, as their black colors tend to smear when objects move onscreen, leading to eye-strain. In the end, you'll probably better off with the CB272K even if sale prices might suggest otherwise.

Most tech enthusiasts are already aware of HP's the wide variety of computers and laptops, but the company's 4K monitor options aren't quite as expansive. The cheapest you'll find on its website is the E27k G5, which has a price of around $430. This makes it one of the most expensive monitors you'll find on this list, even with the ones receiving mentions only due to sale prices. Unfortunately, there also aren't very many reasons that allow HP's display to justify its incredible cost.

On one hand, the E27k G5 has multiple USB ports and a great color range of 99%. It also has a decent level of brightness at 350 nits, which is a rating shared by Acer's CB272K — putting their light levels above most other cheap 4K displays. This is where the good news ends, as everything else about the E27k G5 — from its 5ms response time to its 60Hz refresh rate and 27-inch size — is unimpressive at its current price point. Its visuals and connectivity might help it out, but there's not much else to justify its cost without a higher refresh rate or a larger screen.

There's technically a cheaper 4K monitor from HP in the form of the 27f. However, this monitor doesn't even appear on its official website, which means that the HP 27f is only available from Amazon and other resellers. It's also still close to around $400 from those stores while lacking the extra visual niceties or USB options of the E27k G5, so there isn't a whole lot you can get out of it.

A base price of $340 puts the Samsung ViewFinity UJ59 on the higher end of our list, but sale prices as low as $220 help make it competitive — despite the fact that it relies on a VA panel. This is because it's one of the only other 4K monitors in this article to reach a size of 32 inches, which allows it to make full use of its high resolution and shockingly good contrast ratio. The lack of built-in speakers or a higher brightness rating might hurt this monitor in the long run, but its 4ms response time helps make up for those shortcomings.

An alternative monitor from Samsung to consider is the ViewFinity S70D, whose MSRP is just $10 higher than the UJ59. It lacks the fantastic contrast ratio, faster response time, and impressive size, but it uses an IPS panel that manages to get greater overall brightness. Of all the things to know before buying a new monitor, you should definitely consider the benefits and downsides of VA panels compared to IPS. If you want a greater focus on static visuals rather than the quality of moving images, the UJ59 might be one of the best 4K monitors available under $400.

While ViewSonic has previously launched a 24-inch 4K monitor — a display that you'd probably think would be their least expensive option — their actual cheapest UHD display is the VA2756-4K. On both the official ViewSonic website and Amazon, you can find this monitor selling for around $250. Of all monitors you'll find at this price point, it has the highest brightness capabilities at 400 nits. This makes it an easy top pick if you're most concerned about how well your monitor can light up your room.

Outside of the brightness, the VA2756-4K is a mixed bag when it comes to specifications. The 5ms response time and a lack of USB connectivity put it under similarly-priced options, but its color range and contrast ratio both manage to excel more often than not. It's a competitive monitor that makes trade-offs in the right places for buyers who want a mix between top-tier visual quality and general usability. Even if it lacks the popularity of its rivals, you should give some serious consideration to the VA2756-4K.

AOC's budget 4K monitors aren't exactly friendly to those wishing to rest their wallets. The cheapest option from the company is the AOC U27G3X, which is priced from $450 to $500 on Amazon. It's not exactly a monitor that you would want to consider if you're specifically looking for the cheapest 4K displays, considering how high the cost is compared to perfectly acceptable alternatives mentioned previously. Thankfully, the U27G3X goes much further than acceptable with its performance.

This monitor from AOC is one of only two on this list to actually have a high refresh rate, as it managing to reach 160Hz, which is higher than all the others choices on our list. Its color range goes beyond almost every other aforementioned monitor, as well, on top of having a blistering fast 1ms response time. The U27G3X is the no compromises option, targeting anyone willing to expand their budget beyond reasonable limits. If you happen to be one of those people, there isn't much reason not to pull the trigger on AOC's display.

Lenovo makes some surprisingly expensive products, with displays like its ThinkVision 27 3D monitor reaching a price of around $3,000. Its cheapest 4K offering doesn't cost nearly as much, thankfully, but the E28u-20 still has a staggering list price of over $350. Sale prices should put it at under $250 instead, but the monitor is out of stock on the official company website and on Amazon, leaving other stores like B&H Photo to stick with the higher cost. Outside of a decent color range and a slightly larger size of 28 inches instead of 27, everything else about the monitor is just average, making it another hard choice to justify without deep discounts.

Alternatively, you could target the Lenovo L32p-30 instead. Its list price is even higher at around $420, but current deals put it at a much more attractive cost of just $335. It can even somewhat justify the higher price point thanks to a larger size of around 32 inches and some extra USB-C connectivity, complete with an included cable. Unless the E28u-20 can be found at a price comparable to offerings from Asus or Acer, the L32p-30 has much more worth in a lineup of budget 4K monitors.

The Gigabyte M28U, similarly to the U27G3X, is only a budget 4K monitor under its company's branding. Its list price puts it even higher than AOC's offering at $600, but it's received discounts from Amazon before that put it as low as $380. Its specs are also remarkably similar to the U27G3X, having comparable color performance and a slightly lower refresh rate. The difference between 144Hz and 160Hz isn't exactly massive, so it's not like you'll be missing out on much from Gigabyte's option.

The M28U is also the only monitor on this list to feature a KVM switch, which lets you control multiple devices at the same time. This can be especially helpful if you find yourself needing to use several devices at once, though the audience for this sort of bonus is understandably niche. The monitor also has compatibility with specialized software from Gigabyte, providing you with an app that lets you change monitor settings with your keyboard and mouse. The M28U is far from the cheapest 4K monitor you'll find, but it's arguably one of the most convenient.