When you hear the term PC upgrades, what do you imagine? — probably a GPU, CPU, SSD, RAM, or motherboard (in that order). At least, that's how I think about PC upgrades. Although I haven't made any major upgrades to my PC in almost 3 years, I never thought about upgrading my monitor in all that time. My existing monitor is an LG 27GL850, a 27" 1440p 144Hz IPS display that I purchased back in 2021.

Whenever I'm gripped by marketing hype or a random itch to spend money on my PC, I usually imagine buying a new GPU, upgrading from AM4 to AM5, or installing additional RGB fans and cable extensions. Buying a new monitor just doesn't feature in my imagined upgrades, despite it being a great time to buy a 4K monitor. It turns out there are 4 big reasons why.

4 Honestly, I'm satisfied with my monitor

Not the best gaming monitor for nothing

Despite being a 2019 model, my current monitor is absolutely fine in 2025. Thanks to the medium-high refresh rate (144Hz), great resolution (1440p), plenty of screen real estate (27"), and a superb Nano IPS panel from LG, my monitor does everything for my gaming needs. Perhaps that's one of the biggest reasons I don't feel like upgrading it any time soon.

In the 4 years that I've used it, I haven't had any complaints from my monitor either — dead pixels, sluggish response time, or any abnormal behavior. Even the somewhat low contrast ratio and IPS glow aren't too distracting since I can easily control the lighting in my room. I prefer playing in the dark, and the monitor still looks great whether I'm playing games with dark or bright scenes. The 27GL850 was one of the best monitors when it launched, and stayed that way for a good few years. Six years later, it's still a great gaming monitor by any standard.

3 Upgrading other components is more exciting

The monitor market feels boring

For better or worse, I feel that almost every other PC upgrade is more exciting than a new monitor. I know a brand-new display will feel great for a while, but I'm worried that I'll grow used to it pretty quickly. On the other hand, a more powerful GPU will keep me entertained for longer as I start clearing my backlog of some of the most demanding games that I have been delaying for far too long. Similarly, a new CPU and platform make me look forward to AMD's Ryzen X3D CPUs, DDR5 RAM, and PCIe 5.0 SSDs.

Besides the core components, even visual additions like extra RGB fans or cable extensions seem cooler than dropping money on a new display. I feel the impact per dollar on my PC experience is far greater with a GPU, CPU, or RGB components, compared to a new monitor. Moreover, the monitor market in 2025 is more boring than ever, with almost every decent display from a reputed manufacturer featuring the same handful of panels, and performing much the same.

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2 I haven't upgraded my GPU in years

What's the point of a new display?

As I said, I haven't made big upgrades to my PC in a long time, which is why I don't see the point of investing in a new gaming monitor. A new graphics card is often the biggest motivator to getting a new display as well, since people usually go for a massive GPU upgrade, which necessitates a comparable jump in the display hardware to make full use of the graphical horsepower. A GPU upgrade isn't on the cards for me right now, making a new monitor almost pointless.

You might think that a higher refresh rate isn't the only thing a new monitor can bring to my gaming experience. I could upgrade for a better panel, ideally OLED, or a superior HDR experience, or a larger screen size (preferably an ultrawide). These features, together, are easily capable of transforming my PC experience without switching to a new GPU, but the price for such a game-changing upgrade is too high, which is what I address in the next section.

1 The displays I truly want still cost a bomb

The wait goes on

My wishlist for the ideal monitor features isn't too elaborate. All I want is an OLED display, preferably a 32:9 ultrawide panel, and a 240Hz refresh rate. I consider these upgrades necessary since, without them, I wouldn't exactly be investing in a gaming experience too different from my current one. However, a combination of these features doesn't come cheap, despite monitor prices falling significantly in the last few years.

If I limit myself to brands like Samsung, LG, Asus, Dell, and other similar brands, the starting cost for such a model is still around $1000 — only when you find one at a discount. I don't see a point in making a temporary upgrade to a compromised model while I wait for my dream monitor to come down in price. The way gaming monitors are going, anything I buy right now will become significantly cheaper in a few months. I'd rather just wait and make the ultimate monitor upgrade in a few years.

Are you upgrading your monitor soon?

Personally, I see myself using the same monitor for another 2 to 4 years before investing in a new one. The current market doesn't have an exciting price proposition for me yet, and my existing monitor does everything I need already. What about you, though? Are you eyeing a new gaming monitor for your PC this year? The best gaming monitors have a lot of standout options in the $500-$700 range if you have an old monitor you want to get rid of.