Esports has come a long way, and Counter-Strike as a franchise has been there since its inception.
From the golden age of CRTs to today, we have mice that weigh less than 50 grams to give the players an edge in their game.
Every little bit one can squeeze from their peripherals counts when it comes to competitive video games. So it’s no surprise that the best players usually have the most quality monitors, mice and keyboards.
A good monitor would eliminate most problems like ghosting, where a player model is stretched on the screen, making it hard to hit your opponent.
All peripherals play a part in the player’s performance, just like a Football player’s shoes or a cricket player’s bat; the better the quality, the better the player’s performance.
Additionally, there’s no universally best monitor, and the best monitor varies from player to player, so it’s essential to pick the best fit with which you are the most comfortable.
When it comes to discussing monitors, specifically the best monitor for counter strike global offensive, there are a lot of variables to consider starting with the specs of your PC.
For example, no use going for a 240Hz monitor when your PC is incapable of pushing 240FPS; basically, it’s essential to work within the boundaries of your setup and budgetary constraints.
- What to Look For When Selecting the Best Monitor for CS: GO?
- In A Hurry? Here Are My 7 Top Picks
- 1. Asus VP228QG
- 2. BenQ ZOWIE XL2411P
- 3. ASUS VG278QR
- 4. BenQ Zowie XL2540K
- 5. GIGABYTE M27Q
- 6. ASUS TUF VG27AQ
- 7. LG Electronics UltraGear 27GN750-B
- Know your PC | Detailed Buying Guide
- Know Your Desk
- Know Your Cables
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
What to Look For When Selecting the Best Monitor for CS: GO?
When buying a monitor, the most important thing is ensuring that it’s the perfect fit for your setup.
Everything from the desk space to the PC specs counts; CS: GO is not the most demanding game out there, and there’s an equal population of players with a high-end and a low-end PC.
If you have a PC that hits 100 FPS tops, there’s no point in buying a 144Hz monitor, and the opposite can also be true, so it’s a good idea to play the game once and get a note on your Average FPS etc.
The gaming monitors in the list come in various shapes and different specs. So no matter your PC, there is a monitor here that’ll suit your needs.
If you’ve been using a budget office monitor, you’ll undoubtedly notice a difference in the quality of the image performance of your gameplay.
Standard monitors are usually only 60Hz and have a lot of screen-tearing issues if the game runs at higher frames; this will be the most noticeable difference other than the superior color gamut of some of the monitors and various manufacturer technologies that enhance darker images improving the player’s visibility.
In A Hurry? Here Are My 7 Top Picks
1. Asus VP228QG
| Resolution | 1920×1080 |
| Refresh Rate | 75Hz |
| Panel Type | TFT-LCD |
| Pixel Response Time | 1ms (GTG) |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 |
| Adaptive Sync | AMD FreeSync |
Overview
For those looking to go for an easy on the wallet option, the VP228QG features a 21.5″ LCD panel supporting 1080p@75hz; it’s not the best option for gaming, but it’s still better than any non-gaming monitor out there.
I wouldn’t recommend using external speakers for CS: GO, but the monitor sports 1.5Watt stereo speakers; if you rock a small setup, it’s a great choice.
Again, it’s not the most desirable choice, but if you have a rather old PC, I don’t see any reason to splurge money on the more expensive options.
I’d recommend this monitor to anyone with a low-end PC who can’t push a lot of frames out of the game.
However, the monitor would be a wasteful purchase if you get more than 100FPS. Therefore, it’s essential to get a monitor that fits perfectly with the specs of your PC.
Things I Like
2. BenQ ZOWIE XL2411P
| Resolution | 1920×1080 |
| Refresh Rate | 144 Hz |
| Panel Type | TN |
| Pixel Response Time | 1ms (GTG) |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 |
| Adaptive Sync | No |
Overview
You can’t go wrong with BenQ. The XL2411P is a solid choice to go for without breaking the bank.
It’s a 24″/27″ with 1080p@144hz display, not a wrong choice to go for, especially if your rig is more of a mid-tier.
It’s a gaming monitor first and foremost, though, and while it serves its purpose all too well, I wouldn’t recommend buying this one if you have other priorities as well.
The monitor looks best when playing a game, the frames are buttery smooth with no ghosting issues, and the patented Black equalizer works very well for exposing enemies in dimly lit areas of the maps.
However, it’s an entirely different experience outside of CS: GO; the colors, for one, don’t work well when watching movies; thankfully, color profiles are adjustable to a certain extent.
Again, I’d recommend this one if gaming is a priority for you over other computer uses. The monitor otherwise looks excellent and has a more minimalistic approach on the sides, ensuring players can focus on the screen.
The additional Color Vibrance options also help improve visibility in the game, and it would undoubtedly be helpful to recalibrate your CS: GO settings for maximum visual fidelity; speaking of, I’d also recommend taking advantage of the pre-loaded configurations that players can enable via a simple hotkey.
This monitor is easily an excellent option for someone with a mid-range PC.
Things I Like
3. ASUS VG278QR
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
| Refresh Rate | 165hz |
| Panel Type | TN |
| Pixel Response Time | 0.5ms (GTG) |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 |
| Adaptive Sync | Nvidia G-Sync compatible |
Overview
A slightly more expensive option, this monitor offers a 1080p@165hz LCD with a claimed 0.5ms response time.
This 27″ monitor features a great base that supports plenty of viewing angles thanks to its adjustable base; furthermore, this monitor is wall-mountable, providing even more flexibility for your setup.
I’d recommend this to people with a more high/mid-range setup as this monitor sports up to 165Hz. That’s an optimal refresh rate in my experience; anything over this would be nothing short of overkill.
The monitor also features Extreme low motion blur that rids the game of any ghosting issues, a significant problem for players with cheaper monitors.
Again, I don’t recommend playing CS: GO with external speakers, but this monitor provides 2Watt in-built speakers.
For a 27″ monitor, ASUS has handled the design very well; the base is small and compact, while the overall monitor follows a robust form factor; it looks very sturdy and built to last.
In addition, Asus’ ELMB technology paired with the 0.5ms response time and 165Hz provides an excellent experience and will undoubtedly help you in any competitive FPS game.
Things I Like
4. BenQ Zowie XL2540K
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
| Refresh Rate | 240 Hz |
| Panel Type | TN |
| Pixel Response Time | 1ms |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 |
| Adaptive Sync | AMD FreeSync Premium |
Overview
This 240Hz beast might not make your wallet happy, but it’ll make your teammates happy.
The XL2540K features a 24.5″ LCD screen running at 1080p, and while at this price point, one could expect a better resolution.
Still, BenQ more than makes up for it with its sturdy build quality and a plethora of options to calibrate the monitor to reproduce good colors. This monitor is an all-rounder; it looks great and plays great.
The only short-sight is that for this price range, you’re not getting an IPS panel but a TN panel, still; if this is your first experience of a high refresh rate or you’re just looking to game on a more professional level, you can’t go wrong with this one.
The monitor is an easy recommendation to CS: GO players, but people who have other priorities might want to look at other monitors.
I am not one of those guys, but often I see players, especially professionals, who like to stick their face very close to the monitor, too close for comfort, in my opinion.
However, if you’re one of those kinds of players, this monitor is easily a perfect choice since the smaller screen size ensures you can get as close as you like.
In addition, this model also features a special kind of LCD panel (Fast Liquid Crystal) that provides crisp image reproduction.
Things I Like
5. GIGABYTE M27Q
| Resolution | 2560×1440 |
| Refresh Rate | 170Hz |
| Panel Type | IPS |
| Pixel Response Time | 0.5ms (MPRT) |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 |
| Adaptive Sync | AMD FreeSync Premium |
Overview
The Gigabyte M27Q features a 27″ screen running at 1440p@170hz and a 0.5ms refresh rate.
This monitor is a great all-rounder; whether you want to play CS: GO or watch a movie, the colors come crisp without any calibration, and the 1440p resolution doesn’t hurt.
It’s a great monitor, and while it’s not the most cost-effective, the features offered here are a rarity at this price point.
On top of all that, the monitor has an outstanding IO with two additional USB 3.0 ports.
Finally, like BenQ, Gigabyte has a Black Equalizer that comes in handy at the darker corners of the map.
Overall it’s a stylish looking monitor, and the fact that it’s wall-mountable makes it even more accessible if you’re looking to save on desk space.
Additionally, the monitor comes with its OSD software to allow players to use hotkeys to change their monitor settings, which is helpful during setup.
M27Q also claims to be the first gaming monitor to support KVM. A technology that allows a user to control multiple devices using the same set of mouse and keyboard.
It’s a neat little ability, seamlessly switching to a docked tablet or mobile phone with a click of a button.
Things I Like
6. ASUS TUF VG27AQ
| Resolution | 2560 x 1440 |
| Refresh Rate | 165Hz |
| Panel Type | IPS |
| Pixel Response Time | 1ms (MPRT) |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 |
| Adaptive Sync | Nvidia G-Sync compatible |
Overview
For the sake of variety, here’s another 27″ 1440p@165Hz monitor but from a different manufacturer.
The ASUS TUF series has been relatively popular among gamers, especially the mid-rangers; this product, though, is anything but mid-ranged.
Moreover, its cost is justified thanks to HDR support and the IPS display, among other things.
As you would’ve guessed at this price point, the screen reproduces nice colors with great flair and visual detail; the Shadow Boost technology again works well in dark environments, making it easier for the player to spot movement and potentially the enemy.
Again, the monitor supports 2k resolution, as mentioned. While CS: GO is a less demanding title and doesn’t warrant such high-resolution, other games and media will benefit from the higher resolution.
It’s a solid pick no matter what kind of games you like.
Things I Like
7. LG Electronics UltraGear 27GN750-B
| Resolution | 1920×1080 |
| Refresh Rate | 240HZ |
| Panel Type | IPS |
| Pixel Response Time | 1ms (GTG) |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 |
| Adaptive Sync | Nvidia G-Sync compatible |
Overview
This final boss of all monitors, this LG monitor, features a 27″ IPS panel running at 1080p@240hz.
It’s an excellent pick for any competitive video game where a split second could make the difference as the monitor features Dynamic Action Sync that works to minimize input lag while also ridding any ghosting or blur on the screen.
In addition, the screen features a 1ms response time and an incredible screen to go with it, and what’s more, this monitor is HDR-enabled, so this purchase is viable if CS: GO is not the only thing you launch on your PC.
Like other gaming monitors, the UltraGear has thin bezels making it an optimal choice for a multi-screen setup if you’re into that; all that with the Adaptive-Sync and Dynamic Action Sync makes this an easy recommendation if your PC can push the frames.
Things I Like
Know your PC | Detailed Buying Guide
The most important thing to remember is not to buy something that’s over or under-specced for your PC.
Exceptions exist though, if you’re looking to make some upgrades soon, it might be beneficial to invest in a monitor that can accommodate higher frames than your current build.
It might be a good idea to record the average FPS of CS: GO on your PC to make a more informed decision.
Know Your Desk
Keep in mind how much space you have for the monitor and how it fits on your desk. A cluttered setup is a good way to tank your performance in the game.
Some of the options offer wall-mounting options, which are great, especially for CS: GO since half the desk space is dedicated to the mouse; it’s a great way to avoid a cluttered desk and also great for cable management.
Know Your Cables
Most monitors offer different I/O, and not all ports offer the most optimum performance. Therefore, due diligence is required when selecting a monitor and ensure you have the proper ports readily available for the monitor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is a bigger monitor better for CS: GO?
A: Most pros elect to play on 24″ monitors; there are exceptions, however. For the most part, avoid anything lower than 21″ as it might be a bit too small.
Adversely, something like 32″ might also negatively impact your gameplay. Stick between the 22″ and 27″ options.
Q: I get about 200 FPS on average. Which monitor should I go for?
A: There’s no point in buying a 240Hz monitor if you can’t reach 240FPS.
So while the monitor would undoubtedly be superior to the 144Hz options, your PC would be unable to crank the most out of the monitor. So unless you’re planning to upgrade shortly, stick to 144Hz.
Q: I don’t know which size of monitor I’d prefer?
A: If you’re unable to try out a different monitor size readily, I’d suggest sticking with something tried and tested, no reason to fix what’s not broken.
Q: Why do some monitors offer different refresh rates?
A: Some monitors offer various refresh rates to different ports.
For the most part, you don’t have to worry about it; the higher refresh rate is generally on the display port, which is what we want for a PC. The lower refresh rate would be for ports typically used by consoles.
Q: Will buying a new monitor positively affect my performance in CS: GO?
A: It’s hard to say, honestly. However, if your monitor is substandard and has a refresh rate far lower than the FPS your PC generates, you will find an improvement.
Most of these monitors offer great refresh rates and response times; both affect how smooth a game looks on your screen.
To put it simply, if you get high frames, it’s better to have a high refresh rate monitor because you get that much more frames on your screen without ghosting or tearing, allowing you to be precise in the game, especially against moving targets.
Conclusion
Finally, while the monitors I’ve recommended are solely with CS: GO in mind, the more expensive variants have their uses even outside of gaming.
Again, it’s crucial to have a defined budget and know your PC’s capability to make the best decision. There’s no reason to overindulge by buying a monitor that over exceeds its refresh rate.
It’s even worse, however, to get a monitor that has a low refresh rate than what’s required.
So other than buying the best fit for your PC, ensure that you’re comfortable with the monitor size for your comfort and keeping enough space free on your desk for mouse movement etc.
Overall if you’re making an upgrade from a 60Hz monitor, this will definitely up your game.
As someone who recently upgraded their monitor, I strongly recommend getting a gaming monitor if you’re into competitive FPS games especially.