The 10 best monitors of CES 2025

CES 2025 did not disappoint monitor enthusiasts. Samsung, LG, Asus, MSI, Acer, and HP (among others) all came to the show with fresh monitors that push resolution and refresh rates to new heights. OLED once again stole the show, thanks to new 5K2K ultrawides and 4K 27-inch widescreens. But the show also brought new 6K options for content creators and an oddball 27-inch portable monitor from LG.

These are the best monitors at CES 2025.

LG UltraGear 45GX990A

The LG Ultragear 45GX990A is a 45-inch OLED ultrawide but, unlike most ultrawide monitors, it ups the resolution to 5,120 x 2,160. Despite that, it also has a refresh rate of 165Hz. If that refresh rate feels a bit slow, the “Dual-Mode” feature can reduce the resolution to 2,560 x 1,080 to achieve a refresh rate of up to 330Hz.

It’s a nice upgrade from previous 45-inch ultrawides like the Corsair Xeneon Flex (which had a resolution of 3,440 x 1,440). And like the Xeneon Flex, LG’s 45GX990A is flexible. The OLED panel can bend with a radius of up to 900R or be used flat. But unlike the Xeneon Flex, which asked users to wrestle the panel using handles on each side, the LG Ultragear 45GX990A uses a motor to do the flexing for you.

The LG Ultragear 45GX990A debuted at CES 2025, but pricing and availability remains to be announced.

Asus ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM

Matt Smith/Foundry

CES 2025 saw the debut of several new 27-inch 4K OLED monitors. Each has a QD-OLED panel and a maximum refresh rate of 240Hz, which makes choosing between them difficult. Still, I think the Asus ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM is the top pick.

Image quality is exceptional. The monitor delivers the contrast and color vibrance of past OLEDs alongside a noticeable upgrade in sharpness. What sets the Asus apart from its competition, however, is its connectivity. The monitor’s DisplayPort 2.1a and HDMI 2.1 connections are joined by USB-C with Power Delivery, which is perfect for connecting and charging a mid-range laptop. The monitor’s stand also includes the tripod mount found on other ROG Swift monitors, which can be used to add a camera, ring light, or other accessory.

Asus also looks set to bet its competitors to market. The monitor is announced to retail at $899.99 and will go up for pre-order on January 21.

MSI MPG 272QR QD-OLED X50

MSI

The 27-inch 4K OLED monitors that arrived at CES 2025 were joined by several new 27-inch 1440p monitors that up the refresh rate to a beautiful 500Hz. All of them provide a buttery-smooth gaming experience you really have to see to believe, but one option stands out: MSI’s MPG272QR QD-OLED X50.

In addition to DisplayPort 2.1 UBHR 20, which is also supported by MSI’s competitors, the MPG 272QR QD-OLED X50 has a USB-C port with up to 98 watts of Power Delivery and a KVM switch. That makes the MSI option a better choice if your gaming den is also your home office. The monitor’s design isn’t half-bad, either, though its rivals (especially the Samsung Odyssey OLED G6) are also attractive.

Pricing remains to be announced, and it’s expected to hit stores in the first half of 2025.

Samsung Smart Monitor M9

Matt Smith/Foundry

Smart monitors—monitors with a built-in OS that can access services like Netflix or Nvidia GeForce Now—were a trend at CES 2025, and the Samsung Smart Monitor M9 is the best of the bunch. It’s a 32-inch 4K OLED monitor with Samsung’s Tizen OS (the same used by the company’s televisions) and a remote control. It’s basically a small smart television, though it does lack a TV tuner.

The monitor also has a pair of AI features. AI Picture Optimizer detects content on-screen and adjusts image quality as appropriate (it can increase color saturation when displaying a game, for example). The monitor also has 4K AI Upscaling Pro, a feature that upscales the quality of lower-resolution video sources. Televisions have offered AI image upscaling for well over a decade, so it’s great to see it finally trickle over to monitors.

Pricing and availability for the Samsung Smart Monitor M9 remains to be announced.

Acer Predator XB323QX

Acer

The Acer Predator XB323QX is among the more unique monitors to break cover at CES 2025. It’s a 5,120 x 2,888 IPS monitor with a refresh rate of 144Hz. It also supports Nvidia’ G-Sync Pulsar, a new G-Sync technology that first debuted at CES 2024 but didn’t ship in any monitors last year.

Delivering a refresh rate of 144Hz at 5K is remarkable. A resolution this sharp provides a clear boost over 4K and should satisfy even the most critical pixel peepers. If you want a higher refresh rate, however, the monitor has a dual-mode function that can drop the resolution to 2,560 x 1,440 to increase the refresh rate to 288Hz.

Pricing and availability for the Acer Predator XB323QX was not announced at the show.

KOORUI G7

In my CES 2025 monitor preview I said to expect a lack of new super-high-refresh monitors, and that mostly proved true, but there was a notable exception. The Koorui G7, a new 1080p monitor with a refresh rate up to 750Hz (a new record for a display that will ship to consumers).

The monitor achieves that by sticking to an old-school TN display panel. Though not as attractive as IPS, it tends to offer higher refresh rates thanks to lower pixel response times and better transitions.

Refresh rate aside, the Koorui G7’s specifications are typical for a competitive gaming monitor. It has a 24.5-inch panel, can cover up to 95% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and, though it does list HDR support, it only lists “HDR 400” support. Note the lack of VESA in that specification, which implies the monitor is not VESA DisplayHDR 400 certified but only promised to perform similarly.

The Koorui G7’s pricing and availability remains to be announced.

MSI MPG 274URDFW E16M

MSI

The tidal wave of more affordable and capable OLED panels has reduced the appeal of Mini-LED monitors, but there was one notable Mini-LED at the show: MSI’s MPG 274URDFW E16M. You’ll forgive me if I call it “the MSI” for brevity.

MSI’s Mini-LED has a native resolution of 3,840 x 2,160, a refresh rate of 160Hz, and 1,152 dimming zones. These specifications should make it a go-to choice for gamers who want to enjoy HDR games at high refresh rates, and the monitor is VESA DisplayHDR 1000 certified. If you want a higher refresh rate for a competitive game, the monitor’s dual-mode feature can increase the refresh to 320Hz at 1080p resolution.

The MSI’s pricing and availability remains to be announced.

Asus ProArt PA32QCV

Matt Smith/Foundry

The Asus ProArt PA32QCV’s appeal is easy to explain. It has a native resolution of 6,016 x 3,384 pixels and a retail MSRP of $1,249. That’s far less than prior 6K monitors, which typically retail for $2,000 or more.

Resolution aside, the PA32QCV also has a wide color gamut (up to 98% of DCI-P3), an ambient light sensor, a LuxPixel matte display coat, and great connectivity which includes two Thunderbolt 4 ports and up to 96 watts of Power Delivery to charge connected devices.

The PA32QCV’s release date remains to be announced, but it’s expected in the first quarter of 2025.

LG StandbyME 2

Matt Smith/Foundry

The award for “strangest, yet oddly alluring, monitor” goes to LG’s StandbyME 2. It’s a 27-inch monitor with a built-in battery. LG thinks it will have equal appeal as much to people who need a large portable display for conferences as it will to people who want a way to have movie night at a campsite.

LG provides several upgrades over the original StandbyME. The StandbyME 2 increases battery life from one to four hours and bumps the resolution from 1080p to 1440. But the best feature, in my opinion, is the new folio case (pictured above) that effectively converts the display into a super-sized portable office monitor.

Pricing and availability remain to be announced; the original StandbyME, which is still available, has a retail price of $999.99.

HP Omen 27qs G2

HP

The HP Omen 27qs G2 is among the more attractive mid-range monitors to debut at CES 2025. It has a 27-inch IPS Black display panel, a new type of IPS panel that roughly doubles contrast compared to prior IPS panels. It’s also the first IPS Black monitor to achieve a refresh rate of 280Hz at 2,560 x 1,440 resolution.

Make no mistake: the monitor’s image quality isn’t going to rival OLED alternatives. IPS has its perks, however, including higher brightness and better sharpness at 1440p resolution. These improvements will make the Omen 27qs G2 alluring for gamers who want a display for competitive title.

The Omen 27qs G2 will be released in June 2025 at an MSRP of $449.99.