When you think of PC upgrades, you usually picture a new graphics card or platform upgrade linked to a new CPU. Some people might consider the switch from a hard drive to an SSD as the biggest upgrade they have ever made. If you ask me, the upgrade from a 22" 1080p 75Hz monitor to a 27" 1440p 144Hz model was the biggest in my two decades of PC building. The immersion that my new gaming monitor provided was unlike anything I've gotten from a PC component. Four years later, I still don't see myself upgrading my monitor anytime soon.

I got a true gaming monitor only in 2021

A way overdue upgrade

While you could say that I already owned a "gaming monitor" way back in 2017, that would be quite generous. Despite being a value-for-money IPS display from LG, my previous monitor lacked in multiple areas. By 2021, its 22-inch 1080p display had started to feel too small and outdated. The 75Hz refresh rate was more or less the same as 60Hz, something that any monitor, gaming or not, was capable of. Hence, I decided to finally pull the trigger on the LG 27GL850, one of the best gaming monitors of its time.

In 2021, the LG 27GL8750 was already two years old, but you wouldn't know that if you used it. The 27-inch 1440p IPS panel completely changed my definition of what a gaming monitor should be. I had upgraded to the GTX 1660 Ti two years prior, and desperately needed a display that wouldn't be left behind. Although 1440p high-refresh-rate gaming wasn't a cakewalk for the GTX 1660 Ti, it was enough for me to experience around 90–100 FPS in many titles. And I finally knew what I had been missing all this time.

The seemingly routine upgrade that overdelivered

I wasn't prepared

Despite my effusive thoughts about my new gaming monitor, I wasn't as enthusiastic when I ordered it on Amazon. At the time, I felt that I was already late to the party, and that I was buying the bare minimum by 2021 standards. Sure, it was one of the best-reviewed monitors of its era and cost over $400 in my country, but it wasn't a particularly high-end display with any cutting-edge tech. To my surprise, however, the monitor single-handedly elevated my PC experience.

I took some time to adapt to the extra screen real estate, crisper resolution, and buttery smooth refresh rate. It feels like a cliché, but I finally felt like I had upgraded to the future — gaming felt like how it was supposed to be. Even outside of gaming, the superior image quality and faster refresh rate made me enjoy working on my PC a lot more than before. I wasn't saturating the 144Hz refresh rate with my Ryzen 5 1600 and GTX 1660 Ti at the time, but once I got my new PC with the RTX 3080, it allowed the display to stretch its wings.

The 5-inch difference between my older and newer monitors translated into an experience so different that I couldn't have anticipated it. The transition from 1080p to 1440p was genuinely game-changing, and using my older 1080p monitor became impossible after that. I swiftly sold it to get some of my investment back.

The right monitor takes your PC from good to great

It matters more than people think

A powerful graphics card and CPU are essential for a satisfying PC experience, but without a great monitor, all of that power goes to waste. Your monitor is the device that allows you to experience all the goodness of your gaming PC. If it isn't up to snuff in terms of the screen size, resolution, refresh rate, and other areas, you're effectively bottlenecking your PC. You might not feel held back before you experience what you're missing out on, hence it can sometimes be hard to prioritize a monitor upgrade over everything else.

In 2025, the state of gaming monitors looks much different from what it did in 2021. 1440p high-refresh-rate displays have dropped below $150, and 240Hz models are fast becoming the new standard for gaming enthusiasts. Even 4K monitors have dropped significantly in price, and more people than ever are considering buying their first OLED monitor. If you're still stuck with a monitor with a TN panel, 60Hz refresh rate, or 1080p resolution, you're missing out.

You might be overdue for a monitor upgrade

A monitor might not be one of the core components of a PC, but it's undoubtedly one of the most critical parts of any gaming setup. Without a great display, you can't expect to fully appreciate the performance of your high-end GPU and CPU. You should prioritize a monitor upgrade if you're using an ancient model, and have the budget to switch to a modern unit. Upgrading to a better monitor might bring you more enjoyment than buying a new graphics card or processor.