1080p is no longer where the most exciting new gaming monitors land, but it is still the resolution that asks the least of your graphics card. That matters in a year when mid-range GPUs cost what flagships used to. RTINGS, which last updated its 1080p guide on 2 October 2026, says the market is now mostly entry-level, high-refresh panels, with a few premium esports screens at the top.
Forge PC has not tested these monitors. The recommendations below come from RTINGS and PC Gamer, with official specifications from the manufacturers and UK prices where we could verify them on 13 November 2026. If you are still choosing a resolution, start with our 1080p vs 1440p vs 4K guide, and see our best 1440p and best 4K lists if you have the GPU headroom.
Is 1080p still worth buying?
For competitive 1080p games, or for a PC that would struggle at 1440p, yes. A 24- or 25-inch 1080p panel has a tighter pixel density than a 27-inch 1080p screen, which is why most specialist guides still prefer the smaller size. A 27-inch 1080p monitor can look chunky on the desktop even when it is fine in a fast game.
If you mainly play single-player games and your GPU can drive 1440p, a good 1440p screen is usually the nicer upgrade. OLED 1440p and 4K panels have also become more affordable; they are a different purchase, not a 1080p substitute, and they bring burn-in caveats we cover in the 1440p and 4K guides. RTINGS also flags a dual-mode option: the ASUS ROG Strix XG32UCWMG is a 32-inch 4K OLED that can switch to 1080p at 480Hz, with softer 1080p image quality than a native panel.
Best overall 1080p: Dell Alienware AW2523HF
RTINGS' best 1080p monitor, and its best 1080p gaming monitor, is the Alienware AW2523HF. Official Dell UK specifications list a 24.5-inch Fast IPS panel, a full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution, 360Hz over DisplayPort (255Hz over HDMI), a 1ms grey-to-grey extreme and 0.5ms grey-to-grey minimum response-time rating, plus VESA Adaptive-Sync, AMD FreeSync Premium and G-SYNC compatibility.
RTINGS says motion looks sharp at most refresh rates, with more blur at 60Hz, and that the screen gets bright enough for most well-lit rooms and handles glare well. It also has a USB hub with four USB-A ports and a stand RTINGS describes as excellent. The usual IPS limitation applies: blacks look grey, and highlights do not pop, which RTINGS says is true of most 1080p displays.
Dell UK was selling the AW2523HF for £254.15 on 13 November 2026, down from a listed £299.00, a saving of £44.85. That price is approximate and from Dell's own store, not a third-party tracker.
Best budget 1080p: LG UltraGear 24GS65F-B
If the Alienware is more than you want to spend, RTINGS' best budget 1080p monitor is the LG 24GS65F-B. LG's official UK page lists a 23.8-inch Full HD IPS panel, a 180Hz refresh rate, a 1ms GtG response-time rating, HDR10, sRGB 99 per cent (typical), and both NVIDIA G-SYNC Compatible and AMD FreeSync support.
RTINGS found a fast enough response time for gaming with minimal blur, but a lower refresh rate than the 360Hz Alienware and lower brightness, so it is worse in a bright room. It also has no USB ports. The stand is ergonomic, text looks sharp, and viewing angles are described as okay, which makes it the more rounded choice if the same screen has to do work as well as games.
We did not find a reliable UK shelf price for the 24GS65F-B on 13 November 2026, so check UK specialists and LG's retailer list rather than assuming it undercuts the Alienware by a set amount.
Best larger 1080p: AOC Gaming C27G4ZXE
If you specifically want a bigger 1080p screen, PC Gamer's best 1080p gaming monitor, in a guide last updated on 29 October 2026, is the AOC Gaming C27G4ZXE. It is a 27-inch curved (1500R) VA panel with a 280Hz refresh rate and FreeSync plus G-Sync Compatible support. PC Gamer praised the price, the factory calibration and the low latency, and listed it at £159 in that guide.
The trade-offs are the ones you would expect. PC Gamer calls the 27-inch 1080p pixel density chunky, says pixel response is mediocre, with smearing unless you raise overdrive and then risk inverse ghosting, and describes the HDR mode as effectively unusable. Treat it as a cheap, fast, curved 1080p screen, not as a rival to a 27-inch 1440p IPS or OLED.
The C27G4ZXE is already in our database. We have not rechecked a 13 November street price, so use PC Gamer's October figure only as a recent published UK price, not as a live quote.
Best competitive 1080p: what the tests say
For esports, two different guides point at two different screens. RTINGS stays with the 360Hz Alienware AW2523HF as its 1080p gaming pick. PC Gamer's best competitive monitor is the KTC 25M1, a 24-inch 400Hz TN panel that it listed at about £400, with strong motion clarity and better sRGB colour than older TN screens, but a narrower appeal if you also watch films or play slower games on the same display.
£400 is a lot of money next to a £254 360Hz IPS Alienware, and we did not verify a current UK listing for the KTC on 13 November 2026. If you play mostly competitive shooters and can confirm UK stock and warranty, it is PC Gamer's tested pick. If you want one screen for everything, the Alienware is the safer recommendation from the sources we used.
Our verdict
For a native 1080p gaming monitor in 2026, buy a 24- or 25-inch high-refresh IPS if you can: RTINGS' winner is the Alienware AW2523HF, which Dell UK had at about £254 on 13 November 2026, and its budget alternative is the 180Hz LG 24GS65F-B. The AOC C27G4ZXE is the option to consider only if you want a 27-inch 1080p screen and accept the softer pixel density and slower VA response that PC Gamer describes. If your GPU can handle it, a 1440p monitor is still the nicer everyday upgrade. We have not tested these screens ourselves; these picks follow RTINGS' 2 October 2026 guide, PC Gamer's 29 October 2026 guide and the manufacturers' official specifications.
