Dell is offering one of our favorite 27" curved gaming monitors for just $250. Normally priced around $300, the $50 discount makes this monitor the cheapest of the year, perfect for work and play.

The Dell 27 S2722DGM is a 1440p curved gaming monitor with a VA panel, 165Hz refresh rate, and 2ms response time. While not flashy looking, it is one of the more affordable 1440p gaming monitors, even if it is a few years old.

In our review of the Dell S2722DGM, we noted the display's impressive contrast, especially for a VA panel, which outperforms most IPS monitors. However, if speed is a priority in competitive gaming, an IPS monitor is the way to go. But if you are looking for a productivity monitor that can also handle gaming well, this is a solid choice.

One thing that surprised us about the Dell was that the image quality was excellent for a pure SDR panel. Unfortunately, HDR is not supported. Nevertheless, in our tests, it was not compromised by HDR-enabled games such as Cyberpunk 2077.

This gaming monitor is light on features compared to others in its category, has no USB ports for device connectivity, and is plain in design. It resembles something you would find on the desk of a call center.

If speed is a priority at 27 inches, the AOC C27 is a 1080p curved gaming monitor with a 240 Hz refresh rate and 0.5 ms response time for $200. To take full advantage of these specs, however, you will need a more powerful GPU. I prefer 1440p at 165Hz because it feels like the sweet spot for PC gaming without having to upgrade to an RTX 40-series GPU.

But to take full advantage of these specs, you need a more powerful GPU. I prefer 1440p at 165Hz because it feels like the sweet spot for PC gaming without having to upgrade to an RTX 40 series GPU.

Be sure to check out the other deals we found this week on budget gaming monitors for all sizes and budgets.