Best Gaming Monitor NZ

Refresh rate and panel type matter more than resolution for most gamers. Here's how to pick the right gaming monitor sold in NZ for your budget and GPU.

Refresh rate vs resolution — what to prioritise

For competitive gaming, a higher refresh rate (144Hz-240Hz) makes a bigger visible difference than jumping from 1080p to 1440p. For single-player, story-driven or visually stunning games, resolution and panel quality (OLED vs IPS) matter more than chasing the highest possible Hz. Match your choice to your GPU too — there's little point buying a 240Hz 1440p monitor if your graphics card can't push those frame rates.

Best budget 1080p: AOC 24G2

The AOC 24G2 IPS monitor runs about $249 at PB Tech and delivers 144Hz at 1080p with good colour accuracy for the price. It's the easy recommendation for anyone building a budget gaming PC and pairing it with an entry-level GPU like the RTX 5060.

Best 1440p sweet spot: Gigabyte M27Q

The Gigabyte M27Q (around $449 at JB Hi-Fi) is a 27-inch 1440p 170Hz IPS panel that remains one of the best value gaming monitors sold in NZ. It suits an RTX 5070-class build well and doubles nicely as a work monitor thanks to accurate factory colour calibration.

Best high refresh: Asus TUF Gaming VG27AQ3

For competitive shooters, the Asus TUF VG27AQ3 pushes 1440p at 240Hz for around $599 at Noel Leeming, giving a genuinely smoother experience in fast-paced games than 144Hz panels, provided your GPU can sustain those frame rates.

Best OLED: LG UltraGear 27GX790A

OLED gaming monitors have come down in price significantly, and the LG UltraGear 27GX790A (around $999 at Harvey Norman) delivers near-instant response times and true blacks that IPS panels can't match. Worth the premium if you play a lot of dark, atmospheric games or do mixed gaming and media use, though burn-in risk with static UI elements is still worth knowing about.

Best 4K: Samsung Odyssey G7 4K

The Samsung Odyssey G7 32-inch 4K at around $899 from Noel Leeming suits buyers with an RTX 5080-class GPU or better wanting genuine 4K detail alongside a 144Hz refresh rate — a demanding combination that needs serious graphics horsepower to actually use.

Panel type cheat sheet

• TN: cheapest, fastest response times, worst colour and viewing angles — mostly phased out now.
• IPS: best all-round colour accuracy and viewing angles, the default choice for most buyers.
• OLED: best contrast and response time, priciest, some burn-in risk with static content.