Best 1440p Monitor: Our favourite mid-range displays

For those after an excellent 1440p monitor for office duties, we recommend the HP E27d G4.

During testing, we found the image quality here to be good for everyday working, as backed up by the 281 nits of measured brightness, alongside a decent contrast ratio of 1003:1. 99% sRGB coverage also means this HP panel will render everyday colours well, although the 73% Adobe RGB and 78% DCI-P3 colour coverage we measured means this isn’t the best panel for more sensitive work.

On the point of office work, the E27d features a 60Hz refresh rate, as well a 8-bit colour depth and a response time of 5ms. This HP monitor isn’t designed for gaming applications, so those figures are perfectly alright for a monitor of this stature, given it’s an office workhorse.

In line with this, the port selection here is particularly great, with HDMI, USB-C, USB-A, DisplayPort, Ethernet and audio jack connections all featuring. Such vast connectivity provides the chance to connect up plenty of devices, as well as the ability to charge a laptop if you so wish.

We also thought the design here was sleek and purposeful with slim bezels around the front, as well as there being some great options for adjustment around the back, including tilt, swivel and 150mm of height adjustment. With that being said, the plastic frame used here means build quality is only mediocre.

Reviewer: Mike Jennings
Full review: HP E27d G4 review

The Dell S3220DGF is a favourite 1440p monitor of ours, especially for those after some great value for money.

For the asking price, you’re getting a smooth 165Hz refresh rate, complete with a 4ms response time that we found to work well for more competitive gaming. You can, of course, get better than this, but expect to pay an awful lot more. Alongside this comes a larger 32-inch panel, which, with that 1440p resolution, will be especially good for more cinematic gaming experiences.

During testing, Dell’s great value 1440p panel also offered some excellent contrast, which we measured to be 4616:1, and alongside this came some great black levels, too. This is also backed up by some fantastic peak brightness, which we measured to be 462 nits with our trusty colorimeter in hand. In addition, the colour accuracy for mainstream coverage proved to be stellar with 95.5% sRGB present here.

We also thought the S3220DGDF was a good-looking monitor with some great build quality thanks to its plastic frame and especially sturdy metal stand, alongside a gunmetal colour scheme. Adjustment here also proved to be rather good with pivot, height and tilt available, although unlike on some other monitors, you can’t put it into portrait mode.

Reviewer: Mike Jennings
Full review: Dell S3220DGF Gaming Monitor review 

The Alienware AW2721D represents an exemplary choice for those after a 1440p gaming monitor.

We thought its design was sleek and modern during the review process and it is classic Alienware with a big and bold frame comprised of black and white matte plastic. Bezels are slim and there isn’t any flex in the chassis. In addition, the adjustment here is great with 130mm of height adjustment, as well as swivel and tilt, alongside portrait mode functionality, too. Do note though, at 10.9kg, this is quite a hefty beast.

In addition, the AW2721D’s 240Hz refresh rate is superb in our view, and during testing we found it to offer a top notch experience for both single player and more competitive, multiplayer titles. There’s also VRR support with Nvidia G-Sync here to eliminate screen tearing, which is useful. The fact this is a 2560×1440 monitor means you’ll need a serious set of hardware to get the best performance possible out of the AW2721D – around an RTX 3070 is advisable, given you’ll be able to comfortably get 240fps out of most e-sports titles.

On the point of image quality, during testing, Alienware’s 1440p candidate impressed with solid performance from its IPS panel, as represented by the 1022:1 contrast ratio, and 99.8% sRGB colour space coverage which means colour should be presented rather accurately during games with good depth.

In addition, a peak HDR brightness of 663 nits offered up some decent vibrancy with some noticeable improvements in HDR over SD content, although at times, we did find the HDR performance to be clumsy, but better overall than most gaming monitors. Samsung’s Odyssey G7 will give you better results in that area, it must be said.

Reviewer: Mike Jennings

Full review: Alienware AW2721D review

1440p monitors don’t just have to come in the form of standard 16:9 configurations, as the MSI MPG Artymis 343CQR demonstrates, being the best widescreen 1440p monitor we’ve tested.

We were impressed by the contrast ratio at 3367:1, which is triple the average IPS panel, alongside 99.1% sRGB coverage and a practically perfect colour temperature of 6518K. This helped games in SDR to look bold and punchy. Turning things up to HDR mode impressed even more with a peak brightness of 578 nits and an immense black level of 0.03 nits, which makes this one of the best mainstream HDR monitors money can buy. The only way to get better is to shell out on a Mini LED or OLED panel, which will cost a bit more.

Its 1000R curve is arguably the best out there for more immersive gaming, and a measured pixel density of 109ppi means images will be pleasantly crisp on what is a 34 inch 1440p panel.

A 165Hz refresh rate is decent for both single player and more competitive eSports titles, too, and will provide some smooth output. Support for AMD FreeSync is also welcome to eliminate stuttering and tearing and while there isn’t Nvidia G-Sync, this monitor will work perfectly well with Nvidia’s cards. All of this combines to make this an outstanding gaming monitor, even if you will need a top end card to get the best out of this behemoth.

We also think the Artymis 343CQR looks fantastic thanks to that 1000R curve, which comes alongside wide legs and a smattering of RGB if you want it. This is also quite the well-built monitor with some good heft – at 9.2kg, it isn’t exactly light, and with a depth of 315mm, you will need quite a decent sized space in order to use it.

Reviewer: Mike Jennings

Full review: MSI MPG Artymis 343CQR review

The AOC AGON AG274QZM is an expensive monitor, but it does come with a lot of high-end features. Starting with the most notable, it has a great HDR performance. It comes with Mini-LED technology, which delivered extra depth and nuance compared to conventionally backlit IPS screens. This allowed it to achieve brighter highlights and a broader array of colours, so you can play games and watch video content with a lot of detail. 

During our testing, we found the display to reach a huge 581 nits of brightness in SDR mode, with that number reaching 1041 nits in HDR mode. These scores meant that we could experience bold imagery in any gaming or media situation, with the impressive black point of 0.2 nits in HDR mode allowing for deep, inky blacks. 

The refresh rate sits at 240Hz and works with both AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync. Combine that with the 1ms GtG response time and that’s more than enough pace for most eSports titles. If a great refresh rate is high on your list of requirements then you should take a look at the 240Hz Samsung Odyssey Neo G8, which also boasts a 4K display. 

Connectivity also shines, with the inclusion of two HDMI 2.1 ports, a DisplayPort 1.4 connection, four USB 3.2 inputs and a USB-C port to boot. We did note that positioning these ports on the side of the device rather than the rear would be more accessible but either way, you’ll still be able to connect up another monitor as well as any gaming consoles you desire. 

All in all, the AOC AGON AG274QZM is a great choice for gamers who are looking for an accurate HDR performance. The high refresh rate makes it more than serviceable for almost any triple-A game, and the vast amount of ports opens up a ton of options in terms of connectivity. 

Reviewer: Mike Jennings
Full Review: AOC AGON AG274QZM (2023)

Getting a monitor that’s comfortable to use for extended periods of time is going to be key, and for our money, the LG UltraWide Ergo 34WN780-B is the best 1440p monitor in terms of ergonomics that we’ve tested.

The image quality here proved to be solid enough for office working, with a measured contrast ratio of 856:1 and sRGB colour space coverage of 97.6%. With that being said, the measured brightness of 231 nits will be totally fine for office use, especially given you won’t be needing to experience any HDR content. Figures in the mid-seventies for both Adobe RGB and DCI-P3 colour spaces mean this won’t be the best monitor for more sensitive workloads.

With that being said, the 34WN780-B is quite the versatile customer, being an IPS panel with some fantastic viewing angles, and a 75Hz refresh rate that gives a little boost for smoother than usual motion. We also found the port selection here to be pretty good for most people, with HDMI, DisplayPort and USB all represented. The fact they face outwards is also especially useful.

The actual monitor itself, as well as the integrated arm, feel sturdy and robust, which is reflective of the 34WN780-B’s higher pricing. It should come as no surprise to anyone that the adjustment on offer here is exemplary with 280 degrees of swivel alongside 25 degrees of tilt and 130mm’s of height adjustment, too.

Reviewer: Mike Jennings
Full review: LG UltraWide Ergo 34WN780-B