Award-winning 1440p 300 Hz gaming monitor drops to a new all-time low of $269

(Image credit: AOC)

Sometimes, when it comes to setting up a good gaming rig, you need the best of the best. We cover all things gaming hardware here at Tom's Hardware, so we're definitely no strangers to picking favorites. Today we've come across a great deal on one of our favorite gaming monitors—the AOC CQ27G4ZH. It usually retails for around $299, but you can currently find it for just $269.

Check out this deal on Amazon

When we say favorite, we mean it. The AOC CQ27G4ZH received our Editor's Choice label in our review because we thoroughly enjoyed it. This monitor is all specs, forgoing bells and whistles to put features where you want them most—performance. You won't find speakers or a USB hub, but you do get a QHD resolution on a curved panel.

The AOC CQ27G4ZH isn't the largest monitor on the market, but it isn't the smallest either—measuring 27 inches across. It features a VA panel with a QHD resolution of 2560 x 1440px and a curvature of 1500R. The response time can be quite low, with official specs listing it at 0.3ms. This was reflected in our testing, as there was significant black luminance performance paired with a high refresh rate that caps out at 300 Hz.

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The black luminance testing is conducted at 200 Nits, but the AOC CQ27G4ZH is capable of reaching a brightness of up to 300 Nits. There are two input options to choose from, including one DisplayPort 1.4 input and two HDMI 2.1 ports. Although there are no USB ports or internal speakers, a 3.5mm jack is available for connecting audio devices.

The purchase is supported by Amazon's 30-day return policy as well as a 3-year manufacturer's warranty from AOC. We like this monitor, but the best gaming monitor is the one that meets your individual needs. Check out our list of best gaming monitors to see what's leading the market and get an idea of what specs to look out for when shopping.

If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, or CPU Deals pages.

Ash Hill is a contributing writer for Tom's Hardware with a wealth of experience in the hobby electronics, 3D printing and PCs. She manages the Pi projects of the month and much of our daily Raspberry Pi reporting while also finding the best coupons and deals on all tech.