What in Tech

The 8 Best 1440p 240hz Monitors of 2026

Kaelum Ross — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 11:52:12 +0000

The 8 Best 1440p 240hz Monitors of 2026

By
Kaelum Ross

Updated April 10, 2026

1440p and 240hz? What a time to be alive!

For those after the best gaming display possible, this combination hits an incredible sweet spot between resolution and refresh rate, perfect for competitive and immersive titles.

Today’s feature is here to break down the best 1440p 240hz monitors available for your setup.

Top Picks

Overall Best 1440p 240hz Monitor: Alienware AW2721D
Best Budget 1440p 240hz Monitor: Omen X 27” 240 Hz 1ms Monitor
Best Curved 1440p 240hz Monitor: SAMSUNG 32-inch Odyssey G7
Best Ultrawide 1440p 240hz Monitor (High-End Choice): SAMSUNG 49-inch Odyssey G9
Second Best IPS 1440p 240hz Monitor: Acer Nitro XV272U Xbmiipruzx
Lowest Latency 1440p 240hz Monitor: AOC AGON AG273QZ

Best 1440p 240hz Monitor Alternatives

Best 1440p 155hz Monitor: Dell S2719DGF
Best 240hz Monitor: ASUS TUF Gaming VG279QM

Upcoming 1440p 240hz Monitors

Eve Spectrum 1440p 240hz

Quick Word on Availability/Where to Buy 1440p 240hz Monitors

This technology is new to the market. Therefore there are, unfortunately, some issues with availability.

Amazon has by far the best selection as it stands, but we will also be including any upcoming 240hz 1440p monitors that may be worth considering and are regularly updating this list to ensure it’s as accurate as possible for availability/pricing.

Hopefully at least one of our top picks (which are all worthy of a high-end setup) are available for you. But if not, we’ve finished the list with some alternatives if you have no luck finding this spec of monitor available. Now, without further ado…

Overal Best 1440p 240hz Monitor: Alienware AW2721D

Arguably one of the most powerful gaming displays on the market today in any category at its price-point, this Alienware IPS QHD 240hz monitor is a beast.

We previously listed it as our top high-end pick. But over time, Alienware has lowered the price of this offering so it’s actually only slightly more expensive than the other mid-range choices (despite it offering significantly better specs in certain areas). You really feel like you’re getting a premium choice for a deceptively low price with the AW2721D.

Boasting Vega DisplayHDR 600, 1ms GTG response time, and a gorgeous IPS display, this offering has everything we would hope for to accommodate the beast-like 2560 x 1440 240hz leading the monitor’s specs (in other words, you don’t feel like you’re buying a monitor just for 240fps and QHD, the picture quality and latency matches the demands of a premium gaming/e-sports setup).

But let us specifically call out where this Alienware pick excels over the mid-range options below:

Up to 600-nits brightness is a fantastic feat with everything else the monitor offers; combined with HDR and the monitor’s contrast capabilities, you’re going to get some fantastic blacks/whites.
98% DCI-P3 color coverage – an insane spec for a monitor focussed on resolution and framerate. You can expect a very vibrant, colorful picture.
One of the best build qualities of any gaming monitor on the market – with a beautiful, sturdy design, reliable tilt/swiveling options, and one of the best HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB output setups on the list.

We love how all of these specs have been built on an IPS panel. We would expect, with its clear quality across the board in color, contrast, and latency, for this Alienware offering to be on a TA/VN panel.

But that’s the beauty of this pick; it doesn’t feel like any corners have been cut.

If you’re in the market for the perfect display for esports, immersive gaming, or another type of high-end setup, we think this is the one for you.

At an incredible price for the way it balances refresh rate, picture quality, response time, build and design; this is, without doubt, the best 1440p 240hz monitor on the market today.

Best Budget 1440p 240hz Monitor: HP Omen X 27” 240 Hz 1ms Monitor

Update note: While this HP Omen choice is usually going to be one of the cheapest 240hz 1440p monitors available for you, be sure to check the prices of our top overall, curved, and second-best IPS options, as these are all occasionally on discount.

Ranking consistently as one of the top picks through all of our updates, this cheap 240hz 1440p HP monitor is fantastic, and our favorite TN panel choice.

The Omen X’s screen still boasts a lot of what gamers will look for in such a high-spec display, including:

1ms response time: perfect for avoiding ghosting on hud-based games and blur on fast-motion titles
AMD Radeon Freesync 2 HDR & G-sync compatibility
With 90% DCI P3 color spectrum and up to 400 nits brightness, you’ll be getting fantastic color accuracy for TN.

Although the specs aren’t as good as our top pick, you can still expect a great picture quality for competitive gaming, immersive titles, media, and general use.

While a lot of people prefer IPS over a TN panel, the monitor still demonstrates sharp colors, blacks, and decent viewing angles.

With its low latency (1ms) and high refresh rate, this is one of the best monitors for Fortnite, PUBG, and readers who take competitive gaming/esports seriously but can’t stretch their budgets any further.

Having a reliable low input lag is, in our opinion, the most important quality in choosing the best budget 1440p 240hz monitor, so we’re pleased to see this pick retains that despite being one of the cheapest picks on the list.

The one notable downside of the Omen X is its stand/mount. While it looks fantastic, it’s disappointing that for this price-range, HP hasn’t included a rotatable/tiltable stand or easy cable routing/management options in the back.

With that said, the important thing here is the quality of the picture and response; and boy does the Omen X smash this department at a price we would not expect this to be achieved in.

Not only is this the best cheap 1440p 240hz monitor, but if it’s a very respectable alternative to our top Alienware pick, and worth picking up if that model is out of stock or your price range.

Best Curved 1440p 240hz Monitor: SAMSUNG 32-inch Odyssey G7

We know that for many gamers, having a curved monitor is an important factor (if you’re never used one before, it’s hard to describe the additional immersion it can add in words).

If that describes you, then this Samsung QHD display is a fantastic choice and comes in at a very impressive low price-point (that often rivals our cheapest 1440p 240hz display picks).

With a choice of the usual 27″ size or a gorgeous large 32″ display, the Odyssey G7 comes with up to 600-nits brightness, 1ms grey to grey response time, and decent color accuracy. In other words, the Odyssey G7 still meets many of the specs integral to a premium gaming monitor.

The 1000R curve is stunning too. The angles from the curvature provide a unique, immersive bonus that suits what we think most people will be looking for.

This Samsung offering is a VA 1440p 240hz display; this panel type is good at balancing viewing angles/display quality and reliable response times at a lower price.

So with all that said, why isn’t this our top overall/budget choice? Well it is a close one to call, but the Odyssey G7 has a couple of slight cons:

While the picture quality and brightness on this monitor is still great by most gaming display standards, the other main choices on this list come out slightly ahead in providing a very vibrant picture (especially the Alienware pick).
Some users report G-sync issues in regards to flickering (though using this software isn’t a necessity for a great display and an overwhelming majority of users appear to have no issue)
The package doesn’t include the high-quality cabling you’d expect for a premium monitor. To get the full potential of your picture, you’ll need to pick up some VEGA-certified cabling (it’s not a big deal, just a bit disappointing for a monitor of this caliber).

Now don’t mistake us; this is still a fantastic display.

The build quality/design is beautiful (as you’d expect from Samsung), the curvature is fantastic and nearly all the specs are very impressive for being one of the cheapest choices on this list.

If a curved gaming monitor is important to you, we think the Odyssey G7 is a great choice.

Best Ultrawide 1440p 240hz Monitor (High-End Choice): SAMSUNG 49-inch Odyssey G9

What an incredible display this is.

Let’s start by being clear; this is the most expensive monitor choice on the list by far and is a very premium offering.

But if you have the budget, what you are getting is a pick that excels across the board and offers an unparalleled gaming/work screen real estate.

Let’s start with the obvious, and re-iterate; this is a 49″ super ultrawide 240hz monitor.

The “super” isn’t just a marketing term, this means the monitor extends beyond the usual UWQHD resolution of 3440×1440 (21:9) and is instead a whopping 5120×1440 (32:9).

Doubling the width of the standard 16:9 aspect ratio, what you are getting in the Odyssey G9 is essentially 2 traditional 1440p monitors in 1.

Reaching this as QHD alone is impressive, but with 240hz too? This display is simply stunning and alongside its very deep 1000R curvature, offers incredible levels of immersion during gaming, and a wonderful space for productivity/general use

We’re pleased to say that this monitor excels in its other main specs too, with up to 1000 cd/m^2 and a 2500:1 contrast ratio, the blacks/whites and brightness on this display are breathtaking (especially with HDR1000 content).

Color-wise, you’re getting a 125% typical SRGB coverage, 0.95 DCI color gamut, and 92% Adobe RGB coverage. The panel is VA, but between these specs and the QLED backlighting/quantum-dot technology the display runs with, the monitor is still able to offer the kind of picture vibrancy you expect from a high-end choice.

We’re happy to still see a 1ms GTG response time here too, making the odyssey G9 a great choice for ultrawide gaming/esports, as well as ensuring minimal complications with ghosting/blur.

The G9 also boasts support for Radeon FreeSync Premium Pro, one of the latest monitor software technologies for gaming on very high-end displays.

Between all these specs, you can expect the gaming/general use experience to be one of the best you can find on the market.

Now, let’s talk build quality.

Samsung is usually pretty decent at providing beautiful, durable monitors, but this is one of our favorites from them in a while.

With a heavy, sturdy stand, the monitor certainly feels built to last, which is important for something with this aspect ratio and curvature.

Design-wise, I’m sure the pictures of the monitor speak for themselves; looking like it came out of Star Wars or the Avengers Tower, the G9 boasts a slick black/white aesthetic and a wonderfully unique (and customizable) RGB “infinity core” that tastefully lights the back of the machine.

This is definitely one of the best-looking monitors we’ve come across and perfectly suits the high-tech nature of what the product accomplishes.

What else is there to say? This is the most expensive monitor on the list, but you’re getting what you pay for with the G9.

If you want the best, and ultrawide appeals to you, we think you’ll love this pick.

Second Best IPS 1440p 240hz Monitor: Acer Nitro XV272U Xbmiipruzx

Don’t be deceived by the “second best” accolade; this Acer WQHD 240hz monitor is a fantastic offering and worthy of your consideration.

At one point our pick for the best 240hz 1440p display, the XV272U offers a lot of power at a very respectable price-point.

Built on an IPS display that uses agile-splendor technology to reach 0.5-1ms response times, the display manages to avoid the usual big disadvantage that a lot of gorgeous IPS screens have (i.e. higher latency than TN and VA panels). 0.5-1ms makes this extremely responsive and one of the best 1440p 240hz gaming monitors under $1,000.

The screen also boasts HDR400 & a great color gamut of 99% Adobe RGB. Tied with the IPS panel, you can expect gorgeous colors and sharp blacks/whites for gaming, watching media, and general use (if you’re after a higher nits monitor, then our top Alienware/Samsung picks are ideal, but 400-nits is a decent balance between price and brightness).

With the ability to use AMD FreeSync Premium (or Nvidia G-Sync if desired) the monitor is able to effectively minimize stuttering and screen-tearing which can be a worry for some higher refresh rate displays.

Speaking of refresh rates; while this Acer screen stands tall at 1440p 240hz, there is the option to overclock your display up to 270hz if using DisplayPort or USB Type-C. We’d recommend this monitor as highly even if it didn’t have this capability, so it’s a nice bonus-add and makes it the highest refresh rate 1440p monitor available.

The XV272U also boasts a great build quality. With very thin bezels on the sides and top, the nice screen-to-body ratio makes the Nitro work well in a multi-monitor setup. It comes with decent tilt, swivel, and height adjustment capability too.

Is there anything we don’t like about the XV272U Xbmiipruzx? Well, the model name is horrific, but we won’t drop points for that!

We’re floored by how this monitor manages to tick all the boxes for gaming, esports, and much more. It has a great build quality, gorgeous colors/brightness, a fantastic response time that is uncompromised by its beautiful IPS panel.

The only real issue is that some of its competition is just that much better; with the Alienware display reducing price slightly over time.

But if the top Alienware pick is out of stock, or the specs of this offering resonate more with you, then know it’s still one of the best 1440p 240hz monitor available today.

Lowest Response Time 1440p 240hz Monitor: AOC AGON AG273QZ

This TN 1440p 240hz monitor was one of the first major offerings on the market in its category.

It’s worth noting for one specific feature; a 0.5ms MPRT response time.

This is an impressive spec and really the single crowning feature of the monitor. It puts the offering in a good place (alongside Freesync) to be great, on paper, at ghosting/flicker reduction.

Alongside this are other respectable features like 400-nits brightness/HDR and fantastic build quality (even offering great rotation options for vertical monitor alignment).

So, why is this towards the bottom of our top picks?

Well, while the AG273QZ is a great monitor in its own right, the competition for the best 1440p 240hz monitor is fierce, and this offering is let down in some areas:

Even for a TN panel, the contrast ratio (745:1) is really disappointing on this screen, especially for its high-end price tag. The contrast on our other choices will (largely) look notably better.
While the other monitors on this list are mass-produced, the availability of the AG273QZ is fairly low (unless you’re in the UK/Europe, which has a better listing) – For the U.S., this results in some pretty heavy inflation/price gouging most of the time, and we expect our other choices will nearly always represent a better value for money.
Despite the fantastic MPRT response time, some users have noted issues with flickering on this monitor, which is disappointing given this should be the problem the AG273QZ is best at avoiding.

Finally, the monitor has a 1ms GTG response time, the same as a majority of our top picks. It’s also a little less obvious to find this spec next to the constantly advertised 0.5ms MPRT, which we find a tad deceiving. Yes, with the MPRT latency, this can still be considered a very responsive monitor, but in 2021, fast IPS technology has really narrowed the gap between the practical difference between TN and IPS.

It’s a controversial opinion, but thinking TN is better than IPS for gaming is becoming an outdated view (at least at the highest price-ranges), pro players across pretty much all genres are happy with 1ms GTG/MPRT.

Even if your concern is exclusively competitive, the argument could be made that the improved contrast/picture quality of something like our top Alienware pick would serve you better in identifying surroundings on screen as quickly as possible. While the difference between 0.5 and 1ms is technically noticeable for humans, it’s just not as big a deal compared to the myriad of other effects once we get to this level.

With all that said, if having the lowest response time monitor is the most important thing to do, then know we still gave it a spot on the list for a reason.

The AG273QZ is a great 1440p 240hz monitor if you can live with its shortcomings.

Honorable Mention: Porsche Design AOC Agon PD27

While we don’t give the PD27 one of our “top spots”, it’s worth your consideration if the other monitors are out of stock/price gouged (or if you happen to be very aesthetic focussed).

Boasting many of the same specs as the Odyssey G7 (likely because this display was built on a very similar Samsung panel), the PD27 comes with a great 1000R curve, decent color accuracy (119.76% sRGB), a VA panel, and HDR400.

The PD27, like the AOC display above, also boasts a 0.5ms MPRT response time (this is great to see, but we won’t repeat why we think it’s not as important as you might think as we cover that in the pick directly above).

One stand out feature, as you would expect from a Porsche collaboration, is a gorgeous, very sturdy metal frame. There’s no denying this is a beautiful monitor, we appreciate the craftsmanship and know that some of our readers may get a bit of a vanity kick from the slick Porsche Design logo running across the front (don’t worry, we’re not judging you!).

These are pretty decent features for a QHD 240hz monitor, but there are a couple of reasons why we don’t rank it quite as highly as our other picks.

In a lot of ways, this feels like a head-to-head pick with the Odyssey G7. The G7 offers a notably improved HDR600 over the Porsche’s HDR400 and is usually around 10% cheaper.

To get improved HDR/typical brightness for a lower cost sounds like a good deal to us. Of course, some of you may consider the cost/reduced HDR a worthy trade-off for the sleek design of the PD27.

And if that’s worth it to you, that’s totally fine! We just already like the design of the G7 and its build is not lacking in sturdiness, therefore it feels like the better pick for a majority of setups.

We dislike that there are not too many user experiences for the PD27 to confirm if there are any issues after some medium-term usage too (the Amazon reviews are all for a different 120hz UW model).

With all that said, this 240hz 1440p monitor is still a great product, and have included it for a reason. We only rank it a little lower because of the quality of its peers.

If the design/brand speaks deeply to you, or you were after the G7 and happen to catch a rare point where the PD27 is cheaper, then by all means go for this monitor, it’s still a great choice for a high-end setup.

Alternative Options

Unfortunately in the world of 1440p 240hz displays, we’re occasionally seeing these great screens without any availability.

If that is the case for you, don’t fret! The below 2 options are great alternative choices should you want to complete your setup and the above aren’t available.

Alternatively, we have monitor features on 4k 144hz, 1440p 144hz ultrawide and the highest refresh rate monitors available which are all suitable for a premium gaming setup.

Best 1440p 155hz Monitor: Dell S2719DGF

Capable of a fantastic picture and still boasting an excellent refresh rate, the S2719DGF is a perfect compromise between achieving smoothness and resolution you can’t get in 60hz and 1080p

Best 240hz Monitor: ASUS TUF Gaming VG279QM

If your focus is more on ensuring you have a 240 fps monitor (e.g. if you’re a competitive gamer or simply value high refresh rate over anything else), the VG279QM is the best we’ve found in the full HD range

How we chose the best 1440p 240hz Monitors

Considering this technology is brand new and targetted for gamers after the best setup possible, this list has focussed on picks that specifically tick nearly all the boxes, as we don’t expect someone wants to pay for a high-end monitor without a decent, responsive picture and reliable build.

With that in mind, the top picks have been ranked based on:

Panel type – When considering VA vs TN vs IPS monitors, some publications/gamers may favor choosing TN options for the perceived low latency. While this is a sensible choice at lower price ranges, the technology available for these premium monitors means that IPS displays, with their typically improved color vibrancy, also offer comparably low response times even for the likes of competitive gaming. Therefore we consider IPS (especially our Alienware pick) the best choice for most readers (if you like VA or TN however, the Samsung Odyssey and HP Omen monitors are respectively great choices and perfect for lower budgets).
Black vs white sharpness – With consideration to the average and maximum nits brightness availability, as well as HDR features and contrast ratios to ensure the top picks have a deep image.
Color vibrancy – With attention paid to the various color gamuts used to measure the top picks (as well as IPS panel superiority in a majority of cases).
Response time – Respecting that many readers are after the best esports/competitive gaming monitor, we’ve ensured our top picks are weighed against their low latency capabilities. This includes consideration for GTG versus other latency recording methods; all of our top picks are extremely responsive, with our top Alienware choice shining in this regard (impressive considering its IPS panel use).
Supporting Software – Technology like AMD Freesync, Nvidia G-Sync (and Freesync 2 and G-Sync Ultimate for some of our premium choices), ensuring our top picks have suitable software in place to reduce risks of stuttering and screen tearing at high refresh rates.
Port availability – Our top picks have decent DisplayPort, HDMI, and USB outputs available as you would expect in high-end picks for PC gaming.
Build quality – Monitors were ranked with consideration for their durability, stand quality, and designs; with nearly every monitor excelling in all of these areas (save perhaps the HP Omen’s stand, which makes up for it with its low price).

And of course, all of these factors have been tallied up against each respective model’s price.

We’re pleased to report that for this technology, we were expecting a majority of the choices on this list to be even more expensive than what they are in reality. Yes, these are pricey displays, but you’re really getting some immense, future-proofed value for a premium setup.

Final Word

And there you have it! After deliberating against our criteria, the above options are easily the best 1440p 240hz monitors available today for gaming, media, and general use.

While we will continue to update this article regularly (already having gone through several iterations), we would say that if you’re in the market now; it’s a great time to buy.

The best options have remained relatively stable for some time, and no upcoming choice looks to significantly rival the quality of our favorite choices.

So with that said, whether you’re going for our top pick, on a budget, or considering the premium option, we think you’ll love picking up one of these 2K 240hz screens as your future main display.

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About the author

Kaelum Ross

Kaelum Ross, BSc is the Lead Writer at What in Tech and a leading authority in PC hardware and software. With a career as a senior IT professional, Kaelum has led multi-million dollar projects covering everything from bespoke software development to complex Windows hardware upgrades. Today, Kaelum uses his expertise to serve What in Tech's readers and has been featured in numerous global publications including New York Magazine and Lifewire.

The 4 Best Car Stereos with HDMI Input / Output in 2026

Kaelum Ross — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 11:51:25 +0000

The 4 Best Car Stereos with HDMI Input / Output in 2026

By
Kaelum Ross

Updated April 10, 2026

We've reviewed the options: here are the top picks

2026 update: We run availability checks on the products we review regularly and notice that some of the offerings in this feature have been running low on stock. We’d recommend checking out each option as an alternative. If everything is out of stock, we’ve typically seen most choices available again a few weeks later.

In the world of car stereos, nearly every head unit chooses to take the cheaper route of only having composite inputs/outputs available as your video solution.

This can be frustrating, as a head unit with input (or even just an output) can open up doors to screen mirroring, a second display for your HDMI device/laptop/games console, and of course, HD visuals from anything you’re sharing.

Thankfully, there are a few great options amongst the many composite head units to do just this.

So today’s feature on What in Tech will take you through the best double din car stereos with HDMI inputs (or output only for cheaper choices).

Overall Best Car Stereo with HDMI

Kenwood Excelon Reference DMX1057XR

Our Rating: 9.5/10

Read Review

Runner-Up Pick

Pioneer AVH-W4400NEX

Our Rating: 9/10

Read Review

Best Cheap Car Stereo with HDMI

XTRONS TQ700L

Our Rating: 9/10

Read Review

Honorable Mention

LINKSWELL Gen IV

Our Rating: 8.5/10

Read Review

Overall Best Car Stereo with HDMI Input: Kenwood Excelon Reference DMX1057XR

Kenwood is one of the best head unit manufacturers in the business. It was not a surprise to see that they’re one of the only brands to produce an excellent double din with HDMI input.

Lead by its gorgeous, bright, and large HD touchscreen and decent sound; the DMX1057XR has all of the quality of life features you need in a car stereo system (from Bluetooth to advanced audio customization options).

The unique crowning feature of this car stereo system is, of course, its HDMI input port. With the potential to act as a secondary screen for movies, your computer, or even a games console, its great to see this capability on a head unit when this technology so often settles for just A/V composite connection.

Source: riverboatwilliams

Compatible with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, this system can act as a great navigation device for either of the main 2 mobile platforms, with great UI attached to each of its main software pieces (from vehicle information to dashboard camera views, with up to 4 camera connections available).

The build quality is top tier as you would expect for a premium head unit It also boasts a sleek, glossy design to match, with subtle LEDs illuminating the main buttons of the unit.

What else is there to say? Kenwood has created a fantastic product in the DMX1057XR.

Yes, it is an expensive offering, but if you’re after the best HDMI head unit today, this is easily our top choice.

Our Rating: 9.5/10

Runner-Up Best Car Stereo with HDMI Input: Pioneer AVH-W4400NEX

Pioneer, another classic car stereo brand, has created the cheapest car head unit with an HDMI input that we’ve seen with good availability.

Boasting many of the same features that make our top Kenwood pick great, the AVH-W4400NEX has a decent screen and audio, built-in wi-fi/Bluetooth, good compatibility with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and of course, its HDMI input. This head unit is more than capable of acting as a decent navigator for all of your typical demands from a car system.

Source: stevoisboss

The AVH-4400NEX is an excellent device and was very nearly picked as our overall top winner. If your budget for a car stereo with HDMI is closer to this than the Kenwood pick, there’s no shame in picking this device up instead. We gave the top pick to the Kenwood head unit because that offering, for its big price tag, feels like a premium unit in every way; the screen is more vibrant, the UI/quality of life features/connection capabilities are slightly better and many other elements are just a touch above the Pioneer head unit.

But perhaps the biggest difference is the smaller screen size, with the Kenwood’s 10.1″ display being notably larger than the Pioneer’s 7″ screen. The smaller size might work better for your car, we just imagine most people after a head unit with HDMI will be intending to screen mirror/use their screen for HD video, and a larger screen can really help improve that experience.

But we’ll restate; for a mid-range price, you won’t get a better HDMI car stereo than this Pioneer offering. If your budget can’t stretch to Kenwood, we think you’ll love this pick.

Our Rating: 9/10

Best Budget Car Stereo with HDMI: XTRONS Android 10 TQ700L

Now if you’re after a very cheap head unit with HDMI, this XTRONS stereo may sound too good to be true with its incredibly low price-point.

But there’s a big caveat; it’s HDMI capability is an output only.

This means you won’t be able to plug in a device (like your phone/PC). The purpose of the XTRON’s HDMI is only to output to another screen.

So, if your idea of having HDMI in your car was only important to allow you to mirror what is on your main car stereo to another screen (say, mirroring a movie to the backseat for other passengers to watch) then this might be all you need.

Source: XTRONS

We imagine most readers had other ideas in mind, and if that’s you, you’ll need the above picks to satisfy that.

Other than the HDMI capability, the XTRONS Android 10 is a good head unit considering its very low price. With GPS navigation, Bluetooth, Android/iOS screen mirroring capabilities, and a decent HD touchscreen, it’s a surprisingly decent offering.

Yes, the brand isn’t as large as our top picks, but many users have been pleased with the XTRONS Android 10.

It really all comes down to if you need the HDMI input. If you can live without it/would rather save the money, this is an incredibly cheap HDMI car stereo.

Our Rating: 9/10

Best Head Unit with HDMI Honorable Mention: LINKSWELL Gen IV

Linkswell, another decent head unit manufacturer has also thrown their name into the HDMI double din game.

With its enormous 12.1 vertical aligned screen, the Linkswell Gen IV feels like more of a traditional nav panel, which if you’re not interested in watching movies, actually provides a really nice user experience. The software for car navigation, music, and screen mirroring a phone all feel more aligned with a vertical orientation.

Elsewhere in the features is everything you’d expect from a premium head unit; GPS, Bluetooth, wi-fi, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and decent UI. Not to mention a solid, durable build quality.

Source: Linkswell

With all that said, why is this an “honorable mention” instead of a top-pick?

Well, unfortunately, the Linkswell Gen IV is quite limited in its compatibility, with each model being made for specific car types.

The linked model is for F150 2015 to 2019 and F250/F350/F450 2017 to 2019. There are a couple more floating around on Amazon that may fit your model if you’re lucky.

But overall, while this is a great head unit with HDMI input if you have the right model, we imagine many of you will have to look at our other picks (which is no bad thing, even head to head vs our Kenwood pick, we would still choose Kenwood for most users!).

Our Rating: 8/10

Alternative Option: HDMI to Composite Conversion with Traditional Head Unit

If, for whatever reason, you’ve looked at the above options and felt that they aren’t right for you (or perhaps aren’t compatible with your system), we wanted to provide one cheap (albeit inferior) alternative to having a double din car stereo with HDMI input.

If your head unit doesn’t have HDMI, chances are it will instead of A/V (composite) inputs (though be sure to check yourself).

If that’s the case, you can purchase this composite to HDMI converter kit that will allow you to plug an HDMI into your A/V car stereo.

So, why do we call this an inferior alternative? There are 2 reasons:

Even with a convertor, an A/V connection will only output standard definition (up to 480p) so you will miss out on HD content.
Stating the obvious but, a bulky converter with extra wires is not a good aesthetic if you’re trying to create a clean dashboard.

With that said, if you can’t afford one of our top HDMI car stereo picks, this is certainly a decent option for the tiny price of a convertor!

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The 5 Best Green PC Cases of 2026

Kaelum Ross — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 11:50:32 +0000

The 5 Best Green PC Cases of 2026

By
Kaelum Ross

Updated April 10, 2026

I updated this feature in April after reviewing the new PC cases of 2026. My top picks remain the same for this feature, but there’s been a couple of great alternatives I’ve added where relevant.

Every popular chassis seems to be black or grey.

What about those after something a little…different?

There’s plenty of options around, be it pink, white, blue or red.

But today’s feature is here to guide you through the best green PC cases available on the market today.

Top Picks

Overall Best Green PC Case: darkFlash DLM22
Runner-Up Best Green PC Case: CUK Mantis
High-End Best Green PC Case: InWin D-Frame

Best of the Rest: Quick-Fire Picks

Best Clear Case for a Green PC Setup: Thermaltake Core P3
Best RGB Case for a Green PC Setup: MUSETEX Phantom 907

Overall Best Green PC Case: darkFlash DLM22 Mint Green

Out of the limited green desktop cases available on the market, this top pick was a bit of a no-brainer.

The DLM22 has been recommended on What in Tech in several previous features for its fantastic value and aesthetic.

Starting with the design: with great SPCC steel build quality, beautiful shape, and a very aesthetically pleasing mint green finish, the DLM22 looks fantastic. Stock photos do not do it justice. With its tinted tempered glass window and fully green interior, any impressive inner hardware is going to shine beautifully through this (we really are impressed that the internal coloring isn’t just black/metal, which many cheaper cases do if they are in a unique color).

This is a green Micro ATX case and strikes a good balance between having great space for hardware while not being too bulky and large for a case clearly designed to look sharp. With room inside for:

GPU clearance up to 350mm (more than enough for mainstream cards)
4 x expansion slots
2 x 2.5″ & 2 x 3.5″ drive bays
Up to 5 x 120mm fans (or 1 x 120mm & 1 x 240mm radiator with room still for 2 fans at the front)

Between this space and the decent airflow in the case, this is the best green PC case for gaming or general production builds at the low-mid tier price range.

We would usually add a cheaper choice in our features, but the DLM22 is really not just the best overall option, but the best budget green PC case (we rarely see a chassis this good & stylish at such a low price-tag).

A small additional nice touch is the tool-free magnetic window on the side. After going through years of clunky doors with screws and other contraptions, this is a really handy, elegant idea.

What’s left to say? The DLM22 is very impressive for its price. With everything that the average gaming/work build needs in a stylish design.

This is, without a doubt, the overall best green PC case available today.

2026 update: The darkFlash DLM22 remains my top green PC case pick; yes there aren’t many chassis’ in this color available in today’s market, but we’re thankful that the DLM22 is a high-quality & budget-friendly solution.

Unfortunately, I have seen it run into stock issues over the last several months. If that’s the case, there is a decent alternative in the Vetroo M03.

Also, if you are an ITX builder, we wanted to point out that a fantastic case, the Thermaltake Tower 100, is now available (limited stock) in green, and is a worthy consideration if you are happy with a small case and can find it in stock.

Runner-Up Best Green PC Case: CUK Mantis

While this is more of a green and black PC case than a straight, clean single color; once the green RGB lighting is up and running, the CUK Mantis shows off a great, unique aesthetic.

The Mantis has an awesome, intriguing design; with raised diagonal panels on the front and top that hide some beautifully subtle green LED lighting. On the main side is a full-length tempered glass window that covers the 6 x included green HALO fans. While the price may seem fairly high, once you count the fact that your cooling and case RGB solution is already fully set up, it’s a great deal.

This is a full tower green case, with room for:

GPU clearance up to 360mm length (enough for nearly all mainstream cards)
7 x expansion slots
3 x 3.5″ & 2 x 2.25″ drive bays

The Mantis has everything you need for a powerful gaming build, and with the included fans, you’ll have a great PC case for airflow too.

Make no mistake, while we ranked the V22 as our favorite pick, if the Mantis’s aesthetic is more up your alley, then know that we included it for a reason, it’s still one of the best green computer cases on the market.

High-End Best Green PC Case: InWin D-Frame

If you’re looking for one of the most unique PC cases on the market that also does a great job in performance, the D-Frame is one of your best options.

Featured multiple times on What in Tech, this case is a bit of an architectural marvel (not really looking like a chassis at all) and its green version is wonderfully striking. As you’d expect in the price range, you’re getting a top-quality build, with the tubing/base all made of aluminum (the best metal for PC cases) and a thick, tinted tempered glass covering the top of the case.

This is an open-air design, which doesn’t just make it an amazing chassis for airflow, but also gives your parts high-visibility with its clear layout.

It’s not just a pretty case, the D-Frame has won the acclaim is has due to its ability to perform and hold a suitably powerful build inside, with room for:

8 x expansion slots (+ vertical install option)
330mm GPU clearance
3 x 3.5″, 2 x 2.5″ & 1 x 5.25″ drive slots
4 x 120mm case fans
Great facility for cable management despite the large exposure around the whole case.

These specs are really impressive, considering how so much of the case is completely open. While the 4 x 120mm fan allotment may not sound like much for an ATX tower; you really won’t need more than this with the open-air design which compensates with great airflow.

We’re not trying to say you need to go out and spend this much money on a case to have a powerful build.

But if you have the budget, and are looking for the best green PC tower to truly show off your unique side, while retaining excellent hardware specs and performance, the D-Frame is for you.

Alternative Quick-Fire Picks

While the top 3 choices are the only green PC cases on the market right now we’d recommend, we appreciate that there isn’t a massive choice for this stylish color.

So if you’re a little pickier, we’ve included a couple of other options that would be the next best thing for setting up a green PC build.

Best Clear Case for a Green PC Setup: Thermaltake Core P3

The best alternative to a green-colored PC case is getting the best clear chassis on the market, the P3, and letting your green hardware do the talking (things like green fans, PSU cables, and other parts are more than enough to give you a colorful unique build and will look great against the dark base colors of the P3).

Best RGB Case for a Green PC Setup: MUSETEX Phantom 907

If you want your green aesthetic to come solely from fans, a great budget option is the Phantom 907, which includes 6 x addressable RGB fans. This would be more than enough to make your build shine in the unique color (just check a photo or video of the build in action to see what we mean!).

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The 5 Best Gaming Laptops With Touchscreen in 2026

For the creatives & gamers

About the author

Kaelum Ross

The 5 Best Gaming Laptops With Touchscreen in 2026

Kaelum Ross — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 11:49:35 +0000

The 5 Best Gaming Laptops With Touchscreen in 2026

By
Kaelum Ross

Updated April 10, 2026

I updated this feature in 2026 after reviewing the latest options on the market. Unfortunately, traditional touchscreen gaming laptops are few and far between these days, so there are not many models on the market. If none of the below appeals to you, I recommend checking out my feature on dual-screen laptops, which is a type of laptop that is more regularly updated with modern specs and also has a touchscreen in many of the models.

It’s surprisingly very uncommon to see a good gaming laptop with a built-in touchscreen.

Manufacturers instead tend to favor focussing on graphics cards and high refresh rate screens.

This is understandable for many users, but what about the creatives, designers, and touchscreen enthusiasts that want the best of both worlds?

We’ve put together today’s feature to answer just that; we’ll be guiding you through the best touchscreen gaming laptops available today (with a few different budgets in mind).

Top Picks

Overall Best Gaming Laptop With Touchscreen: HP Envy 16 Gaming Laptop 16″
Best High-End Gaming Laptop With Touchscreen: ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo SE
Best Cheap Gaming Laptop With Touchscreen: Lenovo Flex 5

Best of the Rest: Quick-Fire Picks

Best Gaming Laptop For Creatives: ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo
Best Touchscreen Gaming Laptop Mid-Range Alternative: HP Sceptre x360 15T

Overall Best Gaming Laptop With Touchscreen: HP Envy 16 Gaming Laptop 16″

Update: If you like this pick but want it at an even higher spec, HP has a 64 GB RAM 4TB SSD version available. Note that these specs won’t improve gaming much, but good for those after more storage and multi-tasking.

If you’re a designer that demands a touchscreen capable of very fine artistic detail or you’re focused on the most powerful gaming possible, we would instead draw you towards Zephyrus Duo pick directly below.

But if you’re gaming focussed but still demand a touchscreen experience there is no better choice today than the GV301QE.

Led by an RTX 3060 GPU, Intel 14-core i7-13700H, 16GB DDR4 RAM & a 1TB SSD; the Envy 16 is very capable of reaching high settings, resolution, and framerates in most of the latest/upcoming titles (and will comfortably be able to meet the best settings @ 60FPS in competitive games/esports even 120FPS for many of them), not to mention its specs also lend itself nicely to video/other production work.

Boasting a 16″ 120Hz WQXGA touchscreen display, if paired with even a budget stylus, we appreciate the utility this screen can provide to creatives/designers, especially given its fairly decent sRGB color accuracy.

We’re so pleased to see that ASUS managed to pack in the 120Hz alongside the touchscreen, excellent resolution, and specs; it really makes all the difference for gaming over a traditional 60Hz screen (which most touch options are).

There’s another great perk we want to highlight with this HP gaming laptop; its excellent design/build quality.

Despite being very thin & light relative to many other 16″ gaming laptops, the Envy feels built to last and boasts a gorgeous look, backlit keyboard, and responsive trackpad.

What’s more, while you can never expect much battery longevity from a gaming laptop (especially when the GPU is in high use), the Envy has good onboard software for fan control. This is such a great addition that means if you need to be portable and aren’t gaming, you can expect to last several hours. Many gaming laptops lack such an option.

With its decent specs, pleasant screen, and fantastic build quality, we really appreciate HP’s answer to meeting this massive market gap.

If you’re looking for the best gaming laptop with a touchscreen (and can’t stretch to our dual-screen picks below) then we think you’re going to love the HP Envy 16.

Best High-End Gaming Laptop With Touchscreen: ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo SE

What an incredible offering this is.

Recently featured in What in Tech as the most powerful laptop in any category, the Zephyrus Duo manages to get around the 60hz limitation of touchscreens with a unique, innovative setup.

As you might be able to tell, the Duo is a dual-screen laptop.

Boasting a half-size second screen above the keyboard, this new type of laptop innovation has been designed with everything from creatives to gamers in mind.

You can throw any type of content you want on there, so the possibilities are pretty much limitless; anything from custom UI in your favorite work software to discord/key thermals/twitch stats during gaming.

As we’ve mentioned previously, there is no laptop on the market with a touchscreen above 60Hz, but a high refresh rate is such an integral part of a high-quality gaming experience.

The Duo manages this by making its second screen touch-based, with excellent pressure sensitivity suited for professionals and passionate creatives alike, the panel rotates to a radius that is very comfortable to draw on for long periods of time, while still also being large enough to be suitable for detailed drawing.

One of my favorite things about the updated Duo model: the newest version now boasts a main 240hz 16 inch WQXGA touchscreen display. An amazing screen for gaming and design work, boasting excellent color capabilities, contrast & 3ms response times.

We think ASUS has cracked the puzzle for a perfect touchscreen gaming laptop with the Duo; having the very ergonomic second touchscreen empowers the main monitor to boast a high refresh rate, which is the best monitor combination you can get.

And this is just the screen capabilities, we haven’t even got to the hardware.

Boasting an RTX 4090 GPU, Ryzen 9 7945HX (the best gaming CPU & GPU), 64GB DDR4 RAM & 2x2TB SSD, the specs on this device are incredible.

Quick note: the Amazon listing does offer cheaper variations of these specs. Tighter budget users can opt for 32GB + 2TB SSD which is still excellent for a high spec build.

Not only can you expect one of the best laptops for gaming at high settings, refresh rates, and picture quality, but also a machine that is more than capable of great performance in your production/creativity software of choice.

Finally, it’s worth touching on the superb build quality of the Zephyrus Duo.

It’s nice to see a unique, premium gaming laptop come with the sturdiness and physical longevity we would hope to see; with a gorgeous aluminum build, decent internal thermal design, tactile individually-lit RGB keyboard, and a great size/weight relative to other similar options. It feels like a high-end offering in nearly every sense.

One limitation worth pointing out is battery life; with any high-end gaming machine (not to mention one with 2 screens) you have to expect a life of no more than a few hours when performing demanding tasks; if you demand portability at a specific time, you can easily turn the second screen off temporarily though.

If you are serious about buying the best gaming laptop with a touchscreen built-in, this is the best choice you can get; and we expect the Zephyrus Duo to reign supreme in this category for a while.

Best Cheap Gaming Laptop With Touchscreen: Lenovo Flex 5

If you want a gaming laptop with touchscreen functionality, the top choices all carry expensive price tags.

That said, if your budget is tight and you’re creatively focussed but still want to achieve some light gaming, the Lenovo Flex 5 is a fantastic budget touchscreen laptop and one of the most popular on the market for a reason.

At an incredible price for everything it includes, the Flex boasts a Ryzen 4500U CPU and 16GB DDR4 RAM.

The 4500U is the standout spec here; Ryzen’s 4th gen is easily one of the best for budget processors and tied in with the integrated Vega 6 graphics and generous RAM size (many options at this budget without touchscreen are 8GB!), you’re not going to be able to play the latest titles like Cyberpunk/Red Dead Redemption 2 at acceptable settings.

But if you’re focused on less demanding esports titles or older games like Minecraft/Fortnite, the Flex can still meet decent standards.

If you’re a fan of emulation, it’s also not a bad budget laptop for just that (with emulators tending to be dependent on CPU capability, so the lack of a standalone GPU is less of an issue).

Your main problem using this device for gaming will be storage space; with a limited 256GB size – the kind of games that the Flex 5 can run will usually be smaller which largely mitigates, but if you have any larger titles in mind, you’ll have to be careful with what you keep installed.

Note: There is a brand new iteration of the Flex 5 out with a 4700U processor (even better for budget gaming/work) & up to 1TB in SSD space; we have focussed on the basic model as its more readily available, but if you see the upgraded version available, we recommend stretching your budget a little further to that if you can.

Of course, if you demand to play more titles for under $1,000, you’ll have to look at non-touch gaming laptops, as you won’t get better value than the Flex for a combined choice.

Touch-wise, we’re simply floored with everything the device boasts for touch capabilities, despite its incredibly low price tag.

With a well-built 2-in-1 form factor with a responsive, pressure sensitivity touchscreen suitable for everything from notetaking to detailed drawing, and a high-quality Lenovo stylus included, many non-touch offerings have the same specs/price as the Flex 5! So it’s no surprise that it’s one of the best-selling budget laptops today.

For those focusing on the touch capability, we also think you’ll really appreciate the 360-degree rotation capability of the Flex, being able to draw in a tablet-like form factor makes all the difference for longer sessions.

Speaking of longer sessions, the Flex doesn’t cheap out on battery life too, able to impressively run up to 10 hours.

Yes, if your wallet allows, we recommend a more expensive pick from the list if you want to play games at high settings.

But if you’re a user that demands a touchscreen, and still wants some graphical capability all for less than 4-figures, you really won’t find anything better than this; it’s the cheapest touchscreen gaming laptop we can recommend, and an incredible offering for its price.

Alternative Picks – Best of the Rest

While the top 3 options are our main picks for the best gaming laptops with touch screen, we wanted to quickly highlight a couple of additional choices that may meet more specific requirements/budgets better (these are also excellent alternatives if the above choices are out of stock).

Best Gaming Laptop For Creatives: ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo

Our pick for the overall best dual-screen laptop available today – if you demand a main high-quality touchscreen but still want powerful gaming capability, this is your best option, read our full coverage here.

Best Touchscreen Gaming Laptop Mid-Range Alternative: HP Spectre x360 15T

If your budget is in-between our cheapest Flex pick and the more premium offerings on the list, the HP Spectre x360 is the best machine to fill the gap.

While we would recommend stretching further to one of our picks with an RTX 2000/3000 series card, the 1650ti still packs a decent punch and will serve you well for mid-range titles.

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About the author

Kaelum Ross

The 8 Best Quiet Laptops for a Silent Setup in 2026

Kaelum Ross — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 11:44:22 +0000

The 8 Best Quiet Laptops for a Silent Setup in 2026

By
Kaelum Ross

Updated April 10, 2026

Finding a sweet spot between noise, performance and price

We’ve updated this article to cover 2026 releases. After reviewing the latest laptops, many of our top picks have been changed to new offerings. It’s a good time to buy a quiet PC, with our top 3 choices, in particular, boasting fantastic performance and value alongside their low decibel count.

…

Hear a noise?

Me neither, because today’s feature is about finding peace and quiet!

Many laptop options look beautiful and run well, but unfortunately come at the cost of obnoxious decibel levels when performing tasks.

This guide will take you through the quietest laptops available today for a variety of needs and budgets.

Quietest Laptop for General Use

Microsoft Surface Pro X

Our Rating: 9.5/10

Read Review

Best Quiet Gaming Laptop

MSI GL66

Our Rating: 9.5/10

Read Review

Quietest Macbook

Apple MacBook Air

Our Rating: 9/10

Read Review

Best Quiet Budget Laptop

ASUS Chromebook Flip C434

Our Rating: 8.5/10

Read Review

Microsoft Surface Pro X

Quietest Laptop for General Use

SPECIFICATIONS*

REASONS TO BUY

+ Runs very quietly

+ Light, sturdy & beautiful build quality

+ Good specs for typical users

REASONS TO AVOID

– Slightly expensive

– Power users (gamers, producers, etc) will want to see our picks below

Our Rating: 9.5/10

2026 update: A new quiet Surface model, the Pro 11, has been released. It is notably superior with its new processor, graphics, and improved screen (although it does have a single fan, however it only kicks in during high loads and, in most cases, is effectively silent).

The reason we’ve kept the Pro X as our top recommendation is that we’re currently seeing it run at a notably discounted price. At the time of writing, the most basic 16GB Pro 11 version is around 30-40% more expensive. While it’s a better laptop, we think that most of you will be more than happy with the Pro X’s performance.

The Pro X will likely be discontinued over the next year or so though, so if you’re reading this article and it’s out of stock, similarly priced or you’re a more serious user who will appreciate the performance bump, then pick up the Pro 11, it’s a fantastic machine.

For those serious about a quiet laptop that still offers great performance for the average user, nothing comes close to the Surface Pro X.

The edition we’ve featured here is, from our reviews, the best fanless laptops we’ve found on the market. This means instead of using traditional loud fan cooling, the Surface Pro X is intelligently designed to operate on passive cooling alone even at high loads (it’s able to maintain great temperatures during most activities, which is impressive in itself).

The Pro X is sharply designed to be incredibly light and portable while still offering a decent amount of screen real estate with a fantastic 2880 x 1920 resolution.

We specifically cite the 16GB SQ1 version as the best value for someone after a silent laptop with a bit of longevity. 512GB is also plenty of space in today’s cloud storage/streaming world providing you’re not playing many big games (if you’re after the best gaming laptop, see our next pick).

Source: CAM

On a budget? We have cheaper choices further below, but if you still want the unparalleled design of the Pro X, you can go for the 8GB RAM/128GB version and still expect a decent machine for general use. We just encourage users to pick the 16GB version to get a smoother experience and a laptop that will last longer where possible.

It’s worth noting that some versions of the Surface Pro (e.g. all Pro 8 models and i7 Pro 7s) are not fanless laptops and will produce more noise. What really impresses us with the Pro X is how in previous iterations, it was the high-spec versions that needed fans while the budget choices were fanless. Now, Microsoft has managed to build an in-house processor that runs fanless even with a premium device. To put it simply: the Pro X doesn’t feel like you’re sacrificing performance for quietness.

Ports are one of the only areas we wish were a little stronger, with the Pro X having 2 x USB-C. We would’ve liked to see a traditional USB-A port remain. We know manufacturers are phasing these out, but there’s clearly still a demand for products with standard USB from many users (still, worst case if that’s you, a USB hub is an easy replacement).

Full teardown of the Pro X shows confirms no fans. Source: iFixit

We’ve specifically included the version without a keyboard or pen because these accessories tend to be cheaper individually. Some users may be fine with budget versions of the keyboard and pen, and we appreciate others may actually be perfectly fine without one/both and could act perfectly as a quiet tablet, or a tablet/laptop hybrid. Choose what combination fits your budget and needs best.

We will say that one of the other great USPs for the Pro X is that the official keypad (and likely many of its budget versions) is incredibly quiet. I found it much quieter than a traditional keyboard while still providing a great feel for longer typing sessions.

We love that this Microsoft offering doesn’t compromise in any significant way someone who needs less noise and performance.

With its decent specs to boot, the Pro X is a great option not just for general users, but also for studio builds, audio recording, or voice-over work.

With great performance capability, portability, a fantastic screen, and (of course) very low decibel production all for a very decent price, this is easily our choice for the overall best quiet laptop available today.

MSI Pulse GL66

Best Quiet Gaming Laptop

SPECIFICATIONS

REASONS TO BUY

+ Nice, sturdy build quality

+ Fantastic specs for mid-range laptop gaming

+ Gorgeous screen for smooth gameplay

+ Good thermal controls to reduce fan noise

REASONS TO AVOID

– Quiet for a gaming laptop, but loud compared to our other picks

– Can run a little hot during high performance

Our Rating: 9.5/10

2026 update: The Pulse GL66 has overtaken our previous top gaming pick, the GF65.

While the Gl66 is a direct improvement and at a great price point, we still want to shout out the GF65. The processor and GPU are inferior, but still very capable, so if you’re on a very tight budget and see it at a notably lower price, it’s a good alternative.

Looking at gaming? The market is a completely different ballgame.

We’ll start by saying there is nothing close to a silent gaming laptop. PCs designed for games come with powerful GPUs and other specs designed to run titles at acceptable settings/framerates which you simply cannot achieve without active cooling (there is no fanless gaming laptop on the market today).

The good news is that some choices are way better than others at providing low-decibel outputs with the right settings.

This is where the MSI GL66 Pulse comes in.

With an excellent design that is thick/large enough to provide both a decent screen size (with thin bezels) and, most importantly for noise reduction, a great internal layout for heat dissipation.

The laptop is portable, but not ultralight, and I say this to its credit. It allows the GL66 to have enough inner airflow that it only needs 2 larger fans. Big fans are actually an advantage for a quiet setup, as they can spin at lower RPMs to achieve the same as a very fast-spinning set of small fans (it’s the RPM that usually dictates the noise level).

When using it, I found it still comfortable enough to sit on my lap for a lighter gaming session.

Source: MSI

This setup means that the MSI GL66 is deceptively quiet compared to its competitors when performing general use/average tasks.

For gaming, you will, of course, hear the fans kick in, and there is no decent laptop where this isn’t the case.

But not only does the GL66 run on better internal heat dissipation than many other fan-dependent gaming laptops, MSI also offers one of the best control suites of all the PC gaming brands with its Dragon Center software.

This will allow you to customize/control your fan speeds, and set limits to what you want them to run up to even when playing games. This is the cherry on top of an already quiet gaming PC when compared to its counterparts.

But I love the GL66 for so much more than just low-noise output.

Source: MSI

It offers incredible value across the board:

One of the cheapest laptops with an RTX 3070, one of the best value laptop GPUs for 2023.
Perfect secondary specs to complement the GPU; with a Core i7-12700H, 16GB RAM & 512GB NVMe SSD (the quietest storage type available)
A fantastic screen for the price range with 144hz, fast response time, and an IPS panel with decent color accuracy (great for esports or more immersive titles)
Gorgeous backlit keyboard (that is also rather quiet while still providing the tactile feedback needed for gaming)

With these specs, you won’t just get fantastic performance in any game available today (and likely well into the future), you’ll also have a PC perfect for general use and even production tasks. This doubles up as the best quiet video editing laptop on the list.

As we said before, you won’t get a fanless/silent gaming offering.

But how about a low-noise laptop with a quiet keyboard that also doubles as the best value in terms of specs and builds quality in its price range?

If quiet gaming is your goal, we don’t think you’ll find better than this.

Apple MacBook Air

Quietest Macbook

SPECIFICATIONS

REASONS TO BUY

+ Incredibly quiet fanless setup that still runs cool

+ Beautiful, sturdy & lightweight

+ Long-lasting battery life

+ Very nice screen for content/production work

REASONS TO AVOID

– Expensive

– Graphics are decent, but don’t expect a powerful gaming machine

Our Rating: 9/10

2026 Update: We’ve updated our top Macbook pick to the latest fanless Air model.

If you are of the Mac persuasion and are looking for a silent Macbook, the closest you’ll come is the latest edition of the Macbook Air.

Lead by the powerful new Apple M2 chip, this is a fanless Macbook and a self-proclaimed “no-noise laptop” that runs entirely off of passive cooling due to the great internal architecture of the device.

This is a really impressive feat, given the ultra-portable lightweight nature of the Air, we can’t overstate how hard it is to get a product this small that also keeps a level temperature without noise.

Tied with its 256GB SSD, you can expect quietness even under heavy loads.

This laptop also comes with an impressively quiet keyboard. With its focus on thinness, the keys are very light and therefore have short press-travel/produce very low decibels compared to most market competitors.

Source: SamsungAppleOnePlus

The Macbook Air also comes with some nice specs for general use and light to mid-range work, with:

Apple’s gorgeous retina display technology on a 13.3-inch 2560 x 1664 screen, one of the most stunning displays at its price-range
8-core Apple-designed CPU with both great processor power and an impressive integrated GPU (for light gaming/editing, serious production users and gamers will want to look at our MSI pick or the Macbook Pro).
8GB RAM and a very fast SSD in either 256GB or 512GB
2 USB-C ports

Bearing in mind this isn’t a MacBook Pro and the Air has serious limitations on what specs it can run with its tight space, this is an impressive offering; tied with macOS and their various well-optimized in-house software, this is easily one of the best laptops for general use & media (especially with its fantastic screen).

Source: Apple

What’s more to say? This is, without doubt, the best quiet MacBook on the market, and perfect for anyone who doesn’t need the more advanced capabilities of the Pro (we cover the best Pro option below if you’re a power user).

ASUS Chromebook Flip C434

Best Quiet Budget Laptop

SPECIFICATIONS*

REASONS TO BUY

+ Very impressive value

+ Quiet, fanless cooling

+ Good specs for general use (internet, e-mails, etc)

+ Sturdy, flip-style touchscreen capability

REASONS TO AVOID

– Chrome OS, no Windows apps

– At this price, specs of course limited for users who want something fast/more than general use

Our Rating: 8.5/10

The last of our top picks is for those who are looking for the best cheap quiet laptop on the market, while still meeting the needs of most general use consumers

The Flip C434 meets that feat very well, with the specific model we are recommending being another fanless laptop.

This ASUS offering is a Chromebook, meaning it runs off of Google’s Chrome OS as opposed to the usual Windows 10 choice.

If you are just a lightweight general user, ChromeOS can be a perfect solution, as it is a less demanding operating system than Windows that can run on cheaper PC hardware and still provide you with all the mainstream applications you’d expect (anything from internet browsing to media/Netflix to Office applications). The main exceptions (i.e. where you’d want Windows) are PC gaming and production work like video editing/animation – we recommend our other picks for such tasks.

Source: ASUS

With an M3-8100Y processor, 8GB RAM & 64GB eMMC storage, these secs are on the lower end.

But again, with ChromeOS, you can still expect a relatively smooth experience for general and standard business use.

The C434 has great secondary hardware/build quality for its price also; with a bright, full-HD touchscreen and a 2-in-1 laptop design, we love that you can put this laptop into a tablet orientation for media watching, presenting, or simple touch activities.

Source: ASUS

With an all-metal exterior, backlit keyboard, and beautifully thin bezels around its screen, you may not be getting the most powerful pick, but as far as silent budget laptops go, this is the closest you’ll get with some great value.

Note: we have provided cheaper options further below which are perfectly capable, but we’d recommend this as a minimum if your budget can stretch as far.

If you don’t have the budget for the Surface Pro 7 but noise is still important to you, know that the C434 is somewhat close to the Pro 7 in noise output (minus a less-quiet keyboard); you lose some specs/longevity, but it’s easily the best quiet budget laptop choice today.

Alternative Picks – Best of the Rest

While the top 4 are our top picks for the best quiet laptops available today, we’ve included a few more worth your consideration if your requirements are a little more unique/your preferred laptop above is out of stock.

Quietest 17-inch Gaming Laptop: 17-CK0010NR

We choose the MSI GL65 Leopard as the quietest gaming laptop overall. But if you’re after a larger screen, this HP omen pick is a great option.

With its larger space for heat dissipation and similarly great mid-range specs, it’s a powerful gaming PC with HP software to control fan speeds for noise reduction as required

Our Rating: 8/10

Cheapest Quiet Laptop: ASUS VivoBook Flip 14

If you want to go even cheaper than our top budget pick and would value the full utility of a Windows OS, the VivoBook Flip 14 is another impressively valuable fanless laptop.

It’s worth noting that the specs on this device are very basic, but if your needs are too (say, a budget quiet student laptop), this may be all you need.

Our Rating: 7/10

Cheapest Quiet Chromebook: Acer Chromebook 514

Very close to ranking as our best quiet budget pick, the Acer 514 is an impressively cheap quiet laptop. The reason we don’t give it the top budget accolade is its disappointing 4GB RAM, but if you only have very basic requirements, this is an excellent choice (you can expect it to run faster than the VivoBook Flip 14 if you don’t need Windows).

Our Rating: 7/10

Quietest Macbook Pro: Apple MacBook Pro M1 Edition

To wrap up our list is what we’d recommend for those users after the best quiet Macbook with performance in mind. Yes the Pro M1 edition isn’t fanless like the Air, but still runs impressively quiet in most processes and is a powerhouse in comparison (this is what you’ll need if you’re looking at production work or video editing on top of day-to-day laptop use).

Our Rating: 8.5/10

Tips for Buying a Silent Laptop

Although we’d recommend the picks above, we wanted to share some tips as part of this buying guide and also offer some of the methodologies behind how we picked our top quiet portable PCs.

First: no laptop is truly silent, this is a figure of speech.

But many of the above picks come quite close, and the decibel levels (of the non-gaming choices) aren’t anything anyone would complain about in a library.

What tends to create the more note-worthy dB output is using a keyboard, which is why our top picks (especially the Surface Pro 7) are tailored towards keyboards known for lower travel than similar counterparts.

Avoiding Fans

Usually, the main perpetrator of noise in a PC is loud fan cooling. If you are serious about creating a very quiet laptop setup, you should focus on our fanless PCs above which use clever internal layout/heat dissipation to not rely on fans.

If you want a higher-end machine for a lot of longevity, then you can still keep an eye out for machines that have decent thermal performance. More power does not automatically mean louder; even if a machine has fans, it may only need them for the kind of activity you couldn’t do on fanless PCs anyway, so don’t fret too much if you like our top gaming/MacBook Pro picks.

Avoid HDDs

3.5″ hard drives are notorious for being one of the nosiest parts of a PC; when data is collected from them, the discs spin loudly and often create a decibel level even higher than loud fans.

So a simple tip from us if you’re looking for a low noise laptop: ensure the storage is either a 2.5″ or NVMe solid-state drive.

None of our picks above use 3.5″ HDDs, and the good news is many laptops today don’t, but it’s still worth checking.

Integrated GPU

If you are not a big gamer, the next big way to cut down on noise is by buying a laptop with an integrated GPU (like all of our non-gaming picks above).

This means that your CPU is effectively designed to also provide graphical capability. For most needs, including 4k video, software use (even light gaming at times) this is all you need. The only exception being GPU-intensive work like video editing and, of course, gaming.

For Gaming

All the above rules are worth bearing in mind if you’re after a quiet gaming laptop (except you do want a separate GPU in a gaming PC), but there are a couple more points to consider too.

While not a universal truth, a good rule of thumb is that larger/thicker gaming laptops tend to run quieter. This is because the internal layout has more space for airflow and heat dissipation, meaning their fans don’t have to engage for lower workloads. Additionally, large gaming laptop shells can hold big fans which can spin at lower RPMs during low-mid activity.

Additionally, look for what kind of design is in place for the laptop you’re looking at: how many fans/heat pipes does it have, what are existing users calling out (including if the keyboard is quiet, etc).

As we’ve said in this guide though, don’t expect a silent gaming laptop, a PC with a decent set of specs (particularly a GPU) capable of playing titles well is always going to make some noise, but you can mitigate it with the points above, and also if you’re purchasing our recommended picks, you’ll be in a good place to use fan control software to maximize what noise you’re willing to accept.

Alternative: Noise Cancelling Headphones

This may sound like a dramatic solution, but on the off-chance you want a laptop that makes a lot of noise and is mainly bothered about its sound for your own ears, then getting a nice pair of noise-canceling headphones like the fantastic Sony WH-1000XM3s can be an amazing option.

This may sound like an expensive solution, but they are simply fantastic headphones for anybody remotely worried about noise (not just in a laptop setting, as someone easily distracted by noise, I can personally attest to how life-changing the XM3s have been for me, amongst the many, many others who have them).

If you don’t want to fork out that much, some nice audiophile headphones for media/gaming usually provide enough isolation to cut out most noise, if you’re interested, check out our feature on them here (we also talk about the 1000XM3s here).

That’s about it for this feature. We do a deep dive refresh of this list 2-3 times a year so the options you see are well up to date. We hope you enjoy the peace and quiet!

Top Picks

Quietest Laptop for General Use: Microsoft Surface Pro X
Best Quiet Gaming Laptop: MSI GL66
Quietest Macbook: Apple MacBook Air
Best Quiet Budget Laptop: ASUS Chromebook Flip C434

Best of the Rest: Quick-Fire Picks

Quietest Gaming Laptop Alternative: HP Omen 17-CK0010NR
Cheapest Quiet Laptop: ASUS VivoBook Flip 14
Cheapest Quiet Chromebook: Acer Chromebook 514
Quietest Macbook Pro: Apple MacBook Pro M1 Edition

What's Next?

The 5 Longest Lasting Laptops of 2026

For those after some future-proofing

The 9 Best Audiophile Headphones for Gaming in 2026

“Gamer Headsets” are overrated.

The 10 Best Gaming Laptops on Amazon in 2023

From powerful to budget.

The 5 Best 144hz Laptops of 2021

The best laptops for buttery-smooth gaming

About the author

Kaelum Ross

* Specifications throughout our articles are double-checked and intended to inform our users, but should not be treated as factual information. When making final decisions on your products, please check the manufacturer pages to confirm the fine details.

The 5 Longest Lasting Laptops of 2026

Kaelum Ross — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 11:36:22 +0000

The 5 Longest Lasting Laptops of 2025

By
Kaelum Ross

Updated April 10, 2026

We updated this article in March to cover the new models on the market in 2026. Our top picks have been updated to include this year’s improvements.

When buying a new PC, why does it so often feel like you’re getting something that isn’t built to last more than a couple of years?

I know how frustrating this can be. Thankfully, we’ve reviewed a ton of decent laptops and have put this list together to rank them for longevity to save you the heartache of disappointment!

This isn’t a list of the most expensive laptops. I’ve specifically sought out choices that represent a combination of great longevity and value. Yes, the most future-proof laptops will technically be several thousand dollars, but there are huge diminishing returns over the choices below.

Longest Lasting Laptop for Business/General Use

Lenovo ThinkPad E16

Our Rating: 10/10

Read Review

Longest Lasting Laptop for Gaming & High-End Production

ASUS ROG Strix G16

Our Rating: 9.5/10

Read Review

Mid-Range Gaming Pick

ASUS TUF Gaming F15

Our Rating: 9.5/10

Read Review

Budget Pick

Lenovo Ideapad 3i

Our Rating: 9/10

Read Review

Touchscreen Pick

HP Envy X360

Our Rating: 9.25/10

Read Review

Longest Lasting Laptop for Business/General Use: Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2

Lenovo is nearly always at the top of my list when someone enquires about a non-gaming focussed laptop built for the long-term (think e-mails, web browsing, Netflix, and basic software/Microsoft Office).

ThinkPads have a fantastic reputation as a rugged, high-durability laptop range. They’re not only made to last physically but also boast fantastic battery life and an internal build/thermal quality that retains over years.

Of course, you still need the ThinkPad to have decent specs, and that’s where this E16 model comes in.

The specific capacity that we’re highlighting boasts a fantastic Intel Ultra 5-125U processor & 16GB RAM. This pairing (and the onboard graphics of the Ultra 5) will work together to handle pretty much any business/general use task you can throw at them with great speed.

We love the inclusion of a 512GB NVMe SSD too, which is the fastest mainstream storage solution available for laptops. Not only will this mean the included Windows 11 Professional will run very smoothly, but you’ll have a huge amount of space (more than most laptops) for long-term file storage.

Note: depending on your budget, there are many different versions of the Thinkpad Gen 2 to consider. You can increase the specs to include Intel Core Ultra 7 155U & 32GB RAM & also change the storage space. I was most impressed by the 125U model highlighted in terms of value.

16GB vs 32GB: the latter is a nice upgrade but will have diminishing returns. Don’t feel forced to upgrade to it (I personally run a laptop on 16GB and do lots of intensive tasks).
Storage space is completely dependent on your needs. I think many longevity-focussed users will like the freedom of 1TB but you will be fine with 512GB, or even 256GB if you mostly use cloud storage.
125U vs 155U: I prefer the value of the 125U, but the 155U is a notable upgrade if you happen to spend a lot of time doing intensive tasks (high-capacity spreadsheets, programming, etc). If you are just a general PC user, the 125U is more than enough.

The E16 has some other nice quality-of-life features we like to see in a premium laptop like a full HD IPS screen, a 720p webcam + shutter for privacy and a USB 3.1 Type-C Gen 1 port.

Overall, if you’re not doing lots of gaming or work that requires a high-end GPU (video editing or rendering), then I think you’ll love what the Thinkpad E15 can do. I’ve not come across anything that balances durability, thermal quality, specifications, and price better than this range.

2026 update: While the E16 gen 2 is still our top pick overall and very valid for a long-lasting option, Lenovo is slowly rolling out the gen 3 with updated CPUs. If you see one in stock, by all means pick one up over a gen 2, but I would say the difference in specs isn’t going to be notable to most users, so the gen 2 is still a great choice (especially if you can get it at a reduced price as they begin to replace the models for gen 3).

Our Rating: 10/10

Longest Lasting Laptop for Gaming / High-End Production: ASUS ROG Strix G16

Now, for those after some serious longevity for gaming or video editing/rendering, you’ll want something with a powerful GPU to go alongside the other high-end specs.

With an absolutely beastly RTX 4070, this is one of the best graphics card available for laptops today and works alongside a top-range i9-14900HX & 16GB of DDR5-5600 RAM to achieve fantastic framerates on pretty much any title available. You can expect Cyberpunk 2077, Red Dead Redemption 2, the latest Call of Duty, and all upcoming games for the next few years to run at an impressive spec.

To be very clear; when it comes to gaming, there is no such thing as full future-proofing. There are always new graphics cards and more intensive games coming out.

With that said, this set of specs is not just fantastic by today’s standard but is good enough that even when they’re no longer “top-of-the-line”, I expect them to hold some real power for way longer than a majority of competitors.

If you happen to use your machine for general use too, know that between the main specs of the G16, it will pretty much destroy any task you can throw at it for a long time.

Another reason we love this machine is its wonderful screen. This is a QHD 240hz display. Not only are you getting the capability to games and other content at an incredibly high spec, but with decent contrast/color accuracy too. We’re impressed by the screen included here, it will be the perfect accompaniment for a top-tier laptop for many years to come, and with the RTX 4070 at the helm, you’ll have a GPU powerful enough to make the most of it.

With any decent gaming PC needs to come to a lot of storage. This G16 model includes a 1TB SSD which will provide fantastic loading times and speed during non-gaming tasks. That said, if there’s anything I wish was better about this laptop, it would be an inclusion of a 2TB drive. Given so many games reach 200GB+ these days, it can be easy to fill up even 1 terabyte of space.

That said, there’s a very important inclusion; a second M.2 SSD slot. This gives you the freedom to upgrade your storage later on. The good thing about this is adding a second NVMe yourself is very easy and usually a lot cheaper than having it built in. So my advice to you is start with the base model, see how 1TB feels, and if you’re running out, pick up a second large drive to meet your needs!

With longevity being the focus, I also rate ASUS’s track record in producing durable and efficient laptops. With a very sturdy (yet ergonomic) exterior, a beautifully laid out inner internal cooling, and options to customize the level of noise/fans yourself within ASUS’s custom software, I’m really pleased to see the design of the laptop suit the quality of the internal specs. You would be surprised how many high-end picks reduce the price by ultimately not creating a product designed to last, especially when it comes to thermal performance.

It is an expensive device, but between its fantastic internal/external build quality, screen and specs? There’s so much value in this choice.

The Strix G16 is such a joy to use, and my comfortable pick for the top long-lasting gaming laptop available today.

2026 update: The Strixc G16 replaces my previous top MSI pick. It’s a great time to pick up a longevity focussed gaming laptop as the 4070 GPU is a fantastic offering.

Our Rating: 9.5/10

Longest Lasting Gaming Laptop (Mid-Range): ASUS TUF Gaming F15

As much as I’d love to recommend the above pick to everyone, I understand many gaming budgets will be in the lower 4-figure range. The ASUS TUF Gaming F15 is perfect for someone after some serious longevity for gaming, but without the budget for our top MSI pick.

Boasting an RTX 3060 graphics card alongside an Intel Core i7-12700H. This GPU/CPU combo is quite formidable at a mid-range price in 2023. You’ll be able to play close to every title in excellent sittings at FHD with high FPS (which will last into the future for many games too).

You’re also getting 16GB DDR4 RAM and a 1GB NVMe SSD. I’m happy to see that ASUS didn’t skimp out and include 512GB here (which would be almost expected at the price). For hungry users, there’s still an additional slot to upgrade later if needed.

You might be thinking “at this price, where does the ASUS TUF Gaming F15 cut corners?”. Well, I can’t really find an answer to that as it excels in its other areas too!

Take its screen for instance, with a decent IPS panel running at 300hz and adaptive sync to counter screen-tearing; you’ll be getting sharp, and smooth gameplay on a laptop that can actually produce high FPS. The color accuracy and brightness aren’t as impressive as some higher-end screens, but it’s perfectly decent for the price.

It’s worth bearing in mind that 300FPS will be achieved in games like Fortnite, LoL, and other well-optimized competitive titles. Don’t expect these framerates while maxing out the latest meaty single-player games. This is completely fine, as ultra-high Hz are more important for competition anyway.

The TUF also boasts a beautiful and sturdy design, a comfortable backlit keyboard with enough tactlessness for gaming, and inbuilt thermals that have had a good track record from most other users. ASUS really focussed a lot on durability in this build, even passing some well-regarded tests for military-grade toughness.

If you can’t stretch to our top RTX 3070Ti pick, don’t fret. This is such a great gaming offering for anyone looking in the mid-range price point.

Our Rating: 9.5/10

Best Cheap Long Lasting Laptop: Lenovo Ideapad 3i

Now, for general users, we would definitely steer you towards the ThinkPad if possible (even reducing its specs) because those machines are built like tanks, and have long-lasting battery life.

That said, if you’re looking for the cheapest laptop that still offers specs we see as being suitable for the medium-long term (for business and personal use, not gaming/high-end production), then this cheaper Lenovo offering packs a decent punch!

Boasting some specs not often seen from a reputable laptop manufacturer in this price range, you’re getting 8GB RAM, a 256GB SSD & a Core i5-1135G7 processor. We expect these to all provide you with everything you need for general use like basic software, Office, internet browsing, and Netflix/Amazon Prime/Disney Plus for a decent amount of time.

So with all that said, why is this our budget long-lasting laptop choice? Well, there are two areas that may bother some users:

8GB RAM is a notable downgrade compared to 16GB. If you like to do a lot of tasks at once (e.g. multiple tabs/programs), you’ll begin to notice your machine become slower more than you would with 16GB. This usually won’t be observable in the initial year or two, but it will become more of a problem faster than with 16GB.
A 256GB SSD might be plenty for some, but I like the freedom a 512GB-1TB drive gives to longevity focussed users (this is mostly personal preference though, if you mostly use online apps and stream, you won’t be affected too much)
The CPU is a notable downgrade compared to the ThinkPad options. This will be mostly fine if you are a basic user, but its age will show more quickly as the years pass

This makes our take sound super negative, but for the price, the 3i is still a very well-built machine. I would definitely recommend stretching to our top Thinkpad picks if possible, but if that isn’t achievable for you, then this laptop will still serve your personal use better than any other competitors at its price range.

2026 update: If you are interested in the 3i but would prefer even cheaper, there are now smaller-sized models available in this listing. Most of these do have slightly lesser specs than the 3i we’ve linked but are still impressive for their lower price-point.

Our Rating: 9/10

Longest Lasting Touchscreen Laptop: HP Envy X360

If you’re looking for a high-performance touchscreen laptop that is as future-proof as a mid-range device can get, the HP Envy X360 edition is a fantastic option.

The latest version of this classic flagship line from HP’s laptop division has a lot going for it, alongside its 15.6-inch touchscreen (with a gorgeous 400-nit IPS panel) is a powerful Intel 11th Gen Corei7-1195G7 CPU with 16GB RAM and a TB M.2 NVMe SSDs (which will make your OS/file use feel like a smooth dream).

With these specs, you can expect this to last a long time for personal use and general work; but the LG Gram excels in another type of longevity: battery life.

With an awesome 3-cell 51W lithium battery, the laptop can last up to a juicy 9.5 hours (of course, don’t expect this for a bunch of intensive tasks, but it’s still a great achievement).

If touch and/or battery are important to you, the X360 is a great pick-up and one of the most popular setups on the market for a reason.

Our Rating: 9.25/10

Laptop Brands that Last the Longest?

To end this feature, we just wanted to address this common query. Prospective buyers often ask “how long do Lenovo/HP laptops last?”, etc.

The truth is there isn’t a one-size-fits-all long-lasting brand, it depends on the model (namely build/cooling quality, CPU, GPU, RAM).

If we had to name the longest-lasting laptop brand, it would typically be Lenovo, specifically their ThinkPad range.

However, this is a huge generalization, and a $1,000 HP laptop will (usually) last longer than an $800 ThinkPad.

So we’d highly recommend looking at the picks above which have been tailored to this question, but if you want to look further, focus on user reception and laptop reviews of certain models that seem to fare in the medium/long term and making sure you have decent enough specs (including a beefy GPU if you’re gaming).

What's Next?

The 8 Best 1440p 240hz Monitors of 2026

The next-gen monitor is here

The 4 Best Car Stereos with HDMI Input / Output in 2026

They do exist!

The 5 Best Green PC Cases of 2026

Green is the new black.

The 5 Best Gaming Laptops With Touchscreen in 2026

For the creatives & gamers

About the author

Kaelum Ross

The 12 Largest Computer Monitors in 2026 (Gaming, Work & More)

Kaelum Ross — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 11:27:24 +0000

The 12 Largest Computer Monitors in 2026

By
Kaelum Ross

Updated April 10, 2026

The best options at extra-large form factors

We updated this article in January to cover some of the latest releases on the market. Our top pick, the Asus PG65UQ, remains the largest monitor by some margin but is now rarely in stock and arguably not as good as the other picks we’ve highlighted. I’d encourage anyone serious about buying a large monitor to go for one of the other choices instead of waiting out for the Asus PG65UQ.

When it comes to work and PC gaming, there’s nothing quite like using a massive monitor.

Resolutions have climbed in recent years to the point that the best monitor manufacturers have begun offering some seriously huge options that still have suitable DPIs for a PC setup.

But the biggest monitor doesn’t always mean the best quality.

So, today’s feature is here to not just here to guide you through the largest computer monitors, but also the ones worth buying after my many reviews through the world of monitors (with different uses, sizes and budgets in mind).

Largest Computer Monitor

Asus ROG Swift PG65UQ

Our Rating: 8/10

Read Review

Largest OLED TV for Monitor Use

LG OLED55CXPUA

Our Rating: 10/10

Read Review

Widest Computer Monitor

Samsung Odyssey G9

Our Rating: 9.75/10

Read Review

Largest Monitor for Work:

Dell U4919DW

Our Rating: 9/10

Read Review

Largest 16:9 Monitor – Cheap Pick

Philips Momentum 558M1RY

Our Rating: 9/10

Read Review

Largest Computer Monitor: Asus ROG Swift PG65UQ

2026 update: The PG65UQ is still the largest monitor available, but I’ve seen it run into a bunch of stock issues recently; it’s rarely been available.

With that said, as my review highlights, this monitor may be the largest, but it’s not the best choice for most.

My strong recommendation? Check out the other picks in this list; if you need do need a 60″+ monitor, the OLED TV is a great replacement, if you want a traditional monitor, the super ultrawide picks below are fantastic.

We’ll start by saying for many users (business/gaming focussed alike) we don’t think this size is necessarily the best pick-up, which is why we’ve focussed on 43″-55″ monitors in most of this feature.

We also think that our next OLED TV choice will likely suit a majority of PC users better for far less cost if you do want an enormous size.

With that said, no list of the largest computer monitors would be complete without the PG65UQ.

Boasting an incredible 65″ size alongside its 4K resolution, DisplayHDR1000 capability, 144hz refresh rate & 95% DCI-P3 & 4ms GTG response time. The PG65UQ has some fantastic capability not just as a gaming monitor, but also as one suitable for media & general use.

With G-Sync ultimate support, there’s great onboard functionality for avoiding v-sync/ghosting issues; this is integral for a display of this refresh rate/size, where screen tearing and other common issues are even more visible if no high-end screen sync technology is in place.

The build quality is also everything I would hope for in a premium display. With a sturdy design that feels built for longevity, not to mention incredibly thin bezels and a subtlely tasteful ASUS logo illuminating underneath.

So with all that said, why do I suggest something slightly smaller?

Well, although the PG65UQ is a beast, we assume that most reading this list will be looking for a PC monitor for gaming, media, or business/general use.

While it fits nearly all the specs perfectly, there is one problem; the 2160p resolution may be a lot, but at 65-inches, it begins to slightly show with a lacking DPI at this enormous screen size.

If you’re in the market for a premium monitor, we expect you’ll be after sharp text and crisp game detail even while sitting relatively close. If this is the case, our 43″-55″ monitors are the better choice, boasting the DPI we think is more suited for a PC experience.

If, however, you’re primarily after a monitor for gaming from afar with a console, then that issue is largely negated.

But there is another lacking area for you; there is no HDMI 2.1 output.

HDMI 2.1 introduces significantly better bandwidth rates and empowers you to play at high refresh rates/resolutions on PS5/Xbox Series X. To buy a monitor of this caliber without it seems wasteful for console gamers (if you’re focussed on PC gaming from afar with DisplayPort, then we have no qualms, and this is a great choice).

If you are in that console-gamer category, or a PC gamer who isn’t opposed to an OLED TV as a primary monitor, we would instead highly recommend the LG CX OLED pick a little further down.

For a significantly smaller price tag, you are getting an HDMI 2.1 display that excels in picture quality, contrast, while also being put together to counter the usual complaints about using a TV as a monitor (i.e. very high refresh rate and low latency).

Although this all sounds like a negative take, we do in fact, really like the PG65UQ. We just think the next pick trumps it in a majority of ways.

If your singular goal is the largest computer monitor possible and you would like to avoid an OLED TV for your setup, then this is the choice for you.

Its DPI may be a tad low, but with its fantastic HDR, color, and refresh rate, it’s still a fantastic gaming monitor and beautifully encapsulates so much of what you want in a big format gaming display/BFGD.

Our Rating: 8/10

Largest OLED TV for Gaming or Work: LG OLED55CXPUA

I alluded in my review above that for console gamers focused on a premium experience, this OLED TV choice will be better for you than the other options on the list.

That said, this isn’t just for console gamers; if you’re not a user concerned about the effects of OLED burn-in, I think this is arguably the best choice for nearly any user after an extra-large monitor.

This includes those after something for media, general use, or business work. I think you’d be pleasantly surprised by what’s on offer here even if you were intending to avoid TVs.

If you haven’t experienced an OLED before, it’s hard to describe just how incredible the endless contrast ratio can look versus traditional LEDs. With the deepest blacks, and an incredible color range, the picture quality available here is the best on the list.

For general/work use, the sharp contrast is perfect for displaying anything from documents to media, to trading/production software in crisp detail.

Now, the worry with a TV for use with gaming and as a PC monitor replacement is its latency/refresh rate.

But LG has impressively innovated a massive 4k screen that boasts 120hz, G-Sync/Freesync support, and response times as low as 1ms.

I really can’t articulate just how good you can expect your content to look on this screen. These secondary specs essentially completely negate what often makes TVs worse than monitors for PC users.

And for console gamers, this TV supports HDMI 2.1 which is integral to gaming on high refresh rates/resolutions with the latest console generation.

The screen is amazing in lots of ways, but this alone is why I rate this LG TV as superior to any extra-large monitor for console use.

Whether you’re focused on immersive titles, competitive gaming, or non-gaming content, the LG CX ticks pretty much every box.

Size-wise, the largest available is as high as 77-inches, larger than the biggest PC monitor available today.

For most users, I would recommend the 55-inch (at a stretch 65-inch) if you plan to be up close and use it as a monitor replacement due to the decreasing DPI at the top sizes (if you plan to mainly consume content from further away, however, any size is great!).

You may have also noticed that compared to a similar PC monitor like the Alienware 55-inch AW5520QF, this LG TV runs at around half the price.

So, with all of this excitement, there is one caution to mention: OLED TVs carry the risk of burn-in, and the LG CX is no exception.

Burn-in can occur when certain pixels (especially bright colors) are set in the same position for a long period of time over many usages.

Due to the way OLED TVs are created, this can create a slightly transparent permanent “etching” of those pixels.

For TV/console gamers, the issue is minimal as your content will always be moving. The main concern here is when used as a PC monitor, most notably the Windows 10 logo in the bottom left is the main risk for minor burn-in. Or, if you’re a gamer focussed on a single title (e.g. a MOBA or MMO with a static UI) you may carry some small risk.

I’ll be clear though. In my experience, this is a very minor risk (I wouldn’t be featuring it if it was a more emergent issue). Burn-in is reminiscent of plasma TVs; yes it’s possible, but as long as you’re not leaving your monitor on all the time with the exact same pixel arrangement in certain areas (i.e. turning off/running a screensaver during idle moments) then the immense cost saving of the LG TV over the more expensive monitors makes it more than worth it.

Finally, while not straying away from the traditional TV design conventions, the LG CX looks very sharp, understated, sturdily built, and incredibly thin (it’s heavy at larger sizes, but still capable of VESA mounting).

So, with everything said, the LG CX doesn’t just offer the largest PC monitor replacement available with an incredible picture but also does so at a fraction of the price compared to the enormous monitor offerings.

If you can get on board with using a TV as your monitor/gaming solution, I think you’ll love the LG CX.

2026 update: With its great price in mind, the CX series is still our top pick for the best large gaming TV in 2026. That said, LG has released an updated C1 version. The models are fairly similar, with the C1 having some updated software and an improved game mode setting that will take off a few extra milliseconds of latency (nice, but not essential at all). If you are extra serious about having the largest monitor, the C1 comes in an 83-inch version (it’s a very steep increase in price, however, so only consider it if you have a huge budget)

Our Rating: 10/10

Widest Computer Monitor: Samsung Odyssey G9

Moving away from the largest 16:9 screens, Samsung instead positioned itself in the market with a focus on super ultrawide screens.

This naming convention may sound like a gimmick, but it refers to the 32:9 aspect ratio of the Odyssey G9. With a 5k resolution (5120 x 1440), this 49-inch monitor is the size of 2 1440p 27-inch screens in 1.

As far as work, general use, and other typical PC applications go, the utility of this is obvious; super ultrawide screens are perfect for productivity and multitasking.

While I recommend a Dell 49″ 32:9 screen further below that’s tailored for work, I think the Odyssey G9 is more than capable of a fantastic business use setup (and is notably cheaper than the other offering). I’ve had the chance to work on it in a limited setup and it didn’t leave me wanting in any way.

But it’s gaming where the Odyssey G9 really shines.

With a 240hz refresh rate, 1ms GTG response time, G-Sync/FreeSync Premium Pro support, HDR1000 capability & fantastic colors through its QLED IPS panel, the specs for gaming are incredible.

With the plethora of titles that support its UWQHD resolution. Playing immersive games in a 5K UW resolution is an experience that is hard to describe. I love that the G9 also boasts all the specs perfect for more competitive/esports-focused users.

This is also the largest curved monitor available, with 1000R curvature. This rating is the strongest curve you see on mainstream offerings, suitable for users after a real extra layer of immersion (and with the wide aspect ratio, the G9 feels like it engulfs you in your content; it’s quite a sight to behold.

Note: although we are discussing the G9; its 120hz brother, the CRG9, is a fantastic offering at around 15% less in price. Do we think the 240Hz refresh rate is worth the extra price for gamers? 100% But if you are price-focused, the CRG9 is still a premium gaming monitor in its own right (and if you are solely non-gaming focussed, it’s the better choice).

I’m simply floored by what an incredible offering the G9 is. No other screen encapsulates the kind of innovation I would want from a high-end monitor and it’s just such a joy to consume content on.

This isn’t just the widest PC monitor, but the best out of the competitors in the super ultrawide space.

If you prefer the immersion/productivity possibilities of 32:9 over a larger 16:9 screen, then you’re going to really appreciate what this Samsung offering can do.

Our Rating: 9.75/10

Largest Monitor for Work: Dell U4919DW

As much as I gush about the Odyssey G9, there are certainly some other fantastic super ultrawide monitors available.

The U4919DW is the other one I think is worth highlighting. Designed as both the largest & widest monitor for business/general use.

With its 5120×1440 resolution & fantastic contrast/color gamut, the display looks as crisp as you would hope for anything from spreadsheets to video calls.

The real question is if you will prefer this to the CRG9/G9, and that comes down to a few areas.

Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, the U4919DW boasts significantly less curvature with a rating of 3800R.

This has been designed because Dell expects business users to share content more and this curvature is more accommodating to larger viewing angles. A flatter screen can be slightly more ergonomic for “flat content” like spreadsheets (where games can benefit from the dramatic curve of the G9).

The monitor also proudly boasts its KVM capabilities, which allows you to connect 2 PCs at the same time to the monitor (the G9 can also do this, but the instructions are a little less clear because it isn’t marketed for work).

Not only is the picture great, but it’s also designed to accommodate business/general use (while the Samsung CRG9 is preset for gaming, you’d need to tinker with the settings to get an optimized screen for work purposes).

The thing that disappoints us with the U4919DW compared to the Samsung offering above is its price.

It’s certainly a high-end monitor worthy of a premium budget; but the Odyssey CRG9, with its more impressive specs across the board, is cheaper.

With that in mind, we think it’s worth going for the CRG9 over this Dell pick in a lot of cases, even if you are not interested in its gaming capabilities.

That said, if easy KVM functionality, no picture-setup requirements, less curvature & better viewing angles are important to you (and gaming isn’t), the U4919DW is your best large monitor choice.

Our Rating: 9/10

Largest 16:9 Monitor Cheap Option: Philips Momentum 558M1RY

If you’re focused on a 16:9 monitor for gaming or work, but don’t have the budget for the largest screen at the top of our list and aren’t happy with an OLED TV as a replacement option, the Philips Momentum series is the next best thing.

Still an enormous 55-inch monitor, the 558M1RY boasts some excellent specs across the board at a significantly reduced price tag compared to our top ASUS offering.

With UHD resolution, 120hz refresh rate, DisplayHDR1000 capability, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro (G-Sync seems to run unofficially too) & 4ms GTG response time, the specs are excellent across the board.

When reviewing it, I also appreciated how the monitor manages to retain low latency even with HDR enabled, making it an incredible choice for immersive gaming titles.

One of the surprising USPs of the 558M1RY is its fantastic speaker setup.

On TVs and monitors alike, getting a standalone sound solution is nearly always the best bet. But here? You have a perfectly legitimate audio offering as far as gaming/media goes, with a Bowers & Wilkins-designed setup that emulates surround sound and boasts an integrated woofer.

Note: Through various user experience, we’ve noted that installing the latest drivers for this choice are integral when using it as a monitor (to ensure display/text sharpness).

For console gamers, there is no HDMI 2.1 here and we still highly recommend sticking to the LG OLED TV choice for your needs (unfortunately, there seems to be very little HDMI 2.1 availability amongst the biggest monitors).

It’s worth also touching on the quality and design of the 558M1Ry too; with an incredibly sturdy build that feels deceptive considering its tiny bezels and ultrathin depth, it’s one of the most beautiful monitors available.

55-inches is still a massive monitor, and with the Philip Momentum’s superb specs, this is a great choice for a high-end setup that demands some of the biggest PC display visibility for gaming or work.

Our Rating: 9/10

Alternative Picks – Best of the Rest

Although the above choices are our absolute top picks for the biggest PC monitors today worth buying, we want to recommend some quick-fire options for users who:

Run into stock issues with the above (these other choices are excellent alternatives).
Want a large computer screen, but not quite as large as these, with some 40-inch monitors below.

Largest OLED Monitor: Alienware OLED AW5520QF

With the low latency of a PC monitor and the unrivaled contrast of OLED, this Alienware screen is a pricey, but stunning offering.

Our Rating: 8/10

Largest 4k Monitor for Work: LG 43UN700-TB

If you instead want a 16:9 screen specifically tailored for work/high viewing angles, this 4k display is beautiful and very capable with non-gaming content.

Its most impressive USP is its ability to operate as a multi-client monitor, capable of running 4 1080p screens simultaneously.

Our Rating: 8.75/10

Best 43-Inch Gaming Monitor: Asus ROG Strix XG438Q

If you were surprised that our largest monitor picks got as big as they did, you may appreciate the XG438Q; while still an enormous screen, it’s certainly not as all-encompassing as our top picks but just as high-quality.

If you would prefer even smaller, most of our other monitor features specialize in picks between 23 & 32-inches.

Our Rating: 9/10

Cheapest Large Screen: ViewSonic VX4380-4K 43″

If you want a huge computer monitor for a fraction of the price, ViewSonic is the best brand in the business for offering the cheapest price tags.

Its picture/latency will be a tad less impressive, but it’s still an excellent value offering.

Our Rating: 8.5/10

Cheapest Super Ultrawide Display: VIOTEK SUW49C

If you liked the sound of the Samsung/Dell superwide monitors but can’t stretch to them, Viotek is a great brand for offering a budget version of high-end gaming monitors.

We don’t love it quite as much as the G9, but it’s still an excellent large PC gaming screen.

Our Rating: 8.75/10

Largest 5K Monitor Alternative: LG 49WL95C-W

Filling nearly an identical need to our top Dell recommendation, this wide monitor from LG is a compelling alternative.

We only rate it lower because its availability is historically not as decent, but if you are work-focussed and it is in stock, we think you’ll enjoy its capability.

Our Rating: 8.75/10

Best 65 Inch Monitor Alternative: HP Omen X Emperium

Finally, if your heart is set on the largest monitor in the world, but our ASUS pick is unavailable, the HP Omen X Emperium is a great alternative.

Our Rating: 9/10

Final Word

And there you have it! After deliberation over everything from DPI to color gamuts to build quality, the above are our top picks for the largest computer monitors worth buying today.

If you were looking for a 75-inch monitor, 100-inch monitor, or something even crazier, you may be disappointed to see that the largest PC displays available don’t go quite that high (unless you count the LG OLED 77-inch choice).

We would say, however, with the current 4k alignment with mainstream options, getting a PC monitor in the 43″-55″ range is the sweet spot, and where we recommend you to go for crisp content if you’re sitting up-close.

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Kaelum Ross

The 5 Highest Hz Monitors of 2026

Kaelum Ross — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 11:19:53 +0000

The 5 Highest Hz Monitors of 2026

By
Kaelum Ross

Updated April 10, 2026

Covering the highest quality options for serious gamers

We’ve updated this feature to cover new releases in 2026. While most of our top picks remain the same, there is now a 540hz monitor with limited availability that we discuss alongside our top Alienware pick below.

144hz? Sounds kind of slow!

If you’re into competitive gaming or looking for the best monitor possible for immersive titles, you’ll know how wonderful playing on a high hertz gaming monitor can be.

Thankfully, there have recently been a few exceptional products to take high Hz displays well beyond the usual 60-144hz + 1080p specs.

In today’s feature, we’ve reviewed the highest refresh rate monitors worth buying for different resolutions and budgets.

Highest Hz Monitor

Alienware AW2524H 500Hz

Our Rating: 9/10

Read Review

Highest Hz 4K Monitor

LG 27GN950-B 27″

Our Rating: 9.5/10

Read Review

Highest Hz 1440p Monitor

Acer Nitro XV272U Xbmiipruzx 27″

Our Rating: 9/10

Read Review

Highest Hz Budget Monitor

Acer XF250Q Cbmiiprx

Our Rating: 9/10

Read Review

Highest Hz Monitor under $200

LG UltraGear 24GL600F-B

Our Rating: 9/10

Read Review

Alienware AW2524H

Highest Hz Monitor

SPECIFICATIONS*

REASONS TO BUY

+ Fastest refresh rate on the market by far, with onboard software to minimize response time.

+ Well built & ergonomic

+ Decent secondary picture specs (particularly color accuracy)

REASONS TO AVOID

– Smaller than the average 27″ offering

– 500Hz will be overkill for many gamers (see our other picks below)

Our Rating: 9/10

2026 update: ASUS has released a behemoth option in the 27FX790B, which not only boasts 540hz @ 1440p, but acts a a 720hz 1080p monitor. These are insane stats, alongside it’s gorgeous OLED screen, but the reason I don’t have a detailed write up here is based on a couple of reasons:

I think 500Hz is already overkill for many gamers, and between 144Hz to 360Hz is the sweet spot with respect to your wallet, the diminishing returns are enormous (it is hard for me to personally notice any difference past 360Hz).
The ASUS model carries a very high price tag and is often limited in availability, with many users reporting difficulties purchasing one.

With that said, if your singular goal is the highest Hz monitor (and you don’t have budget constraints), it’s an excellent option.

Usually, on our top monitor features, there is a close battle for the top choice.

But in this category? There is a clear winner.

With an incredible 500hz, this Alienware display is unrivaled by every other option.

Not only is this the highest Hz 1080p monitor available on the market, but it’s as good an offering as we could hope for with plenty of other decent specs elevating the screen’s quality.

To start, the AW2524H runs on an IPS panel. This is great to see when many of the other highest refresh rate displays have chosen TN/VA. Alienware has also negated the usual main downside of IPS with a 0.5ms GTG response time. With the refresh rate and the incredibly low latency, I easily rank this as one of the best monitors for esports & competitive gaming.

Working alongside the IPS panel is a 390 nits rating, G-sync, Nvidia Latency Analyser, and DisplayHDR 400 capability. We love that this gaming monitor hasn’t sacrificed picture quality for the highest refresh rate (you’re getting the best of both worlds).

Finally, with decent, sturdy adjustment options, thin bezels, and a beautiful design, the AW2524H feels like a premium gaming monitor should. I have no notable complaints on its build quality.

Source: Alienware

500hz vs 360hz vs 240hz Monitors

But let’s talk about 500hz for a moment.

A refresh rate 40% higher than the next common high refresh rate option (360hz), 500Hz is a huge technical achievement by Alienware.

With that said, this jump isn’t going to feel like a 40% improvement to the human eye. We’re reaching the point now where high refresh rates are becoming largely a vanity factor.

I’ve seen firsthand the 240hz, 360hz, and 500hz side-by-side; there is a difference between 240hz vs 360hz, but it isn’t huge (even professional gamers are happy on 240hz, even 144hz screens).

When it comes to 360hz vs 500hz, I honestly couldn’t tell the difference, and many people online seem to share the same experience.

This is why I’ve recommended many other types of picks below, I think gamers would often prefer a lower refresh rate at either a cheaper price, higher resolution, and/or larger screen size.

The Acer Predator X25 bmiiprzxm, for example, is around half the price of our 500hz pick for a 360hz monitor.

So really, your pick in this area comes down to your personal preference over resolution/size/refresh rate/budget, which is why I’ve highlighted some other recommendations further below.

We’re a long way away from ever seeing 1000hz monitors and beyond, so expect 500hz to be the king for a long time.

If none of this comparison deters you and you still want the smoothest experience possible, then know this isn’t just the highest refresh rate monitor ever, but a display that excels in the other important factors of what makes a great gaming display.

LG 27GN950-B 27 Inch UHD

Highest Hz 4K Monitor

SPECIFICATIONS

REASONS TO BUY

+ 4K, Nano IPS panel, 1ms latency & 144hz create a fantastic picture.

+ Beautiful, extremely thin bezel build

REASONS TO AVOID

– Competitive/esports gamers will likely prefer 360hz @ 1080p

– Requires a very good GPU to make the most of 4k @ 144Hz

Our Rating: 9.5/10

Now, as much as we rate our top 360hz choice, if you’re focussed on immersive titles as much as you are on competitive gaming, then you will likely want to consider our next 2 choices.

This LG monitor offers an incredible UHD + 144hz combo. While nowhere near as smooth as 360hz, running games at 2160p with a high refresh rate is an entirely wonderful experience in itself.

Similar to our top pick, we love that LG has managed to base this model on an IPS panel with a 1ms response time. Taking the display further, this display also has an impressive DCI-P3 98% color gamut & VESA DisplayHDR 600. Between all these specs, you can expect fantastic blacks & colors, and when tied with the resolution and refresh rate? Well, few monitors are going to produce better output, especially at its respectable price point.

Source: LG

There’s G-sync / AMD FreeSync compatibility included, with a striking design and beautiful build quality. Two design areas specifically stood out to me:

The incredible screen-to-body ratio, with some of the thinnest bezels of a premium display I’ve seen. This choice would make a fantastic high refresh rate monitor for a dual display setup.
The RGB Sphere Lighting 2.0 is included on the back of the unit. This will output colorful lighting onto the wall behind your monitor which can be customized to blend into what you’re seeing on screen. It sounds gimmicky, but combined with its thin bezels, it’s a really nice effect to view in person.

Ranking at the top of our 4k 144hz display feature, there’s so much to love about this LG model. At its decent price point, it’s easily the best choice for someone after the highest refresh rate 4k monitor for gaming.

2026 update: Samsung has recently released a 4k 240hz monitor with some absolutely mind-blowing specs (its Odyssey series is known for the utmost quality amongst high-end choices). That said, we still highly rate this LG model as it comes in at a significantly lower cost and is more available (you’ll also need an exceptionally powerful PC for a 4k 240hz monitor to be fully effective).

Acer Nitro XV272U Xbmiipruzx 27"

Highest Hz 1440p Monitor

SPECIFICATIONS

REASONS TO BUY

+ 1440p @ 240hz is a nice compromise between resolution and refresh rate

+ Potential to overclock to 270Hz is nice bonus

+ Great color accuracy

REASONS TO AVOID

– Some users report backlight bleed issues

– Getting the best picture takes some tinkering

Our Rating: 9/10

Last but not least out of our top 3 highest refresh rate gaming monitor picks is what you could call a “compromise” between the two choices above.

If you want the joys of very high refresh rates but also want a resolution that notably improves graphical capability beyond full HD, this is easily the best pick on the market for you.

At a stunning 240hz + 1440p, the Xbmiipruzx feels like the best of both worlds and is the top choice on our feature looking at monitors in this category.

Boasting an IPS panel that takes response time even further with 0.5-1ms response time with agile-splendor technology, this is one of the lowest latency monitors out of the premium choices on the market (we will say the difference between 0.5 and 1ms is often negligible even for high-level play, but it’s still a nice bonus).

Tied with these specs is a 99% Adobe RGB color gamut and HDR400. Alongside its IPS panel, there’s plenty of capability here for a gorgeous, bright picture (alongside the ability to use AMD Freesync / Nvidia G-Sync to reduce stuttering/screen-tearing).

Source: Acer

While the standard ceiling for 1440p is 240hz, the Xbiipruzx takes this a step further with the ability to overclock to up to 270hz with DisplayPort or USB Type-C. You don’t need this overclocking for the monitor to be incredibly capable of smooth gameplay, but it’s a nice bonus for those extra focused on building the highest FPS monitor for their setup.

There are no complaints from us on the build quality either. With a sturdy, adjustable frame and beautifully thin bezels, the monitor is perfect for a multi-screen setup if desired. It looks a little plainer compared to our other top picks but this is a very negligible point.

The only thing we don’t like about this monitor is the model name (who knows what Acer was thinking with that eyesore!) but you know a model is good when the name is my biggest complaint.

While it is an expensive choice, we see many monitors well above this price point that don’t match the well-balanced nature of this Acer display’s specs.

If you’re looking for the highest refresh rate 1440p monitor that is worth buying today at a mid-range price point, you’ve found it.

Acer XF250Q Cbmiiprx 24.5"

Highest Hz Budget Monitor

SPECIFICATIONS

REASONS TO BUY

+ Fantastic value for 240Hz

+ Picture quality decent for the price after some configuration

REASONS TO AVOID

– 24.5″ may be small for some

– Picture quality doesn’t reach the peaks of more expensive monitor

Our Rating: 9/10

Now, if your budget allows, I’d recommend one of the other 3 picks above for someone after the highest Hz monitor for esports/gaming.

That said, our last two picks are great options if your wallet demands something closer to the $150-300 range.

The Acer XF250Q still boasts a fantastic 240hz refresh rate and is a superb option for someone after an esports monitor.

One of the cheapest 240hz displays on the market, the model still has a lot going for it; with 1ms response time and AMD Freesync compatibility.

Source: Acer

In addition, we like that there doesn’t feel like any skimping on build quality/adjustability here, even going far as to include a vertical orientation option. It’s also from one of the best monitor brands in the business. Sometimes, cheaper options mean going to less reputable manufacturers. That’s thankfully not the case here.

So, where does this choice lack compared to our top picks? Well, of course, the main loss in this category is at 1080p, there is a superior 360hz display available which will be a significant increase for serious gamers. And if you’re happy with 240hz, then the 1440p 240hz options available are notably better.

This isn’t just true in terms of resolution/refresh rate, our top 3 picks also have IPS panels, very high nits brightness, and great color accuracy. This Acer XF250Q model isn’t bad in these areas (certainly superior to many similarly priced picks I’ve reviewed), but it runs on a TN panel and will not give the same premium picture you can expect from our top picks.

With all that said, if this price point is the furthest your wallet can stretch, then know we included this great option for a reason. It is easily my top recommendation for those after the highest refresh rate monitor on a budget.

LG UltraGear 24GL600F-B

Highest Hz Monitor under $200

SPECIFICATIONS

REASONS TO BUY

+ 144Hz is a good balance for people who can’t afford a build that will run higher settings

+ Great value for 144Hz, 1ms latency & FreeSync compatibility

REASONS TO AVOID

– Enthusiast gamers with good hardware will benefit from investing in the picks above

– Picture quality is mediocre

Our Rating: 9/10

To round off our list, we wanted to include another commendable budget pick for those after the highest refresh rate monitor at a very low price.

This LG offering strikes an incredible balance; not much more expensive than the cheapest 60hz monitors we would recommend, it somehow manages to run 1080p 144hz with a 1ms response time.

This really is very impressive for the price point. Of course, don’t expect gameplay close to as smooth/sharp as the picks above, but we’re still floored by what they’ve managed to pack in here.

144Hz vs 240Hz

If you’re trying to decide between our two budget picks, we would say the upgrade to 240hz will be worth it for those with powerful PC setups who focus on competitive games (CS: GO, LOL, Dota 2, etc.).

If, however, you’re more of a single-player gamer, or your PC is also a budget build, you will still see benefits from 240hz, but there will likely be diminishing returns compared to say, spending more money on a nicer GPU.

Source: LG

Running on a TN panel (as you’d expect at this price point), the monitor still has serviceable colors/brightness and boasts Freesync compatability.

The build quality is decent for the budget too, with some decent adjustability. The screen-to-body ratio isn’t quite as nice as our other picks, but really at this price point, I’d be amazed if it was!

While we’d love to recommend our top picks to everybody, we appreciate that isn’t feasible for every budget.

Luckily for those tight wallets, LG’s option here is not just a very high refresh rate for the price, but we’d argue it’s the best gaming monitor under $200 in any category.

Round-Up

Highest Hz Monitor: ASUS ROG Swift 360Hz PG259QN 24.5”
Highest Hz 4K Monitor: LG 27GN950-B 27 Inch UHD
Highest Hz 1440p Monitor: Acer Nitro XV272U Xbmiipruzx 27″
Highest Hz Budget Monitor: Acer XF250Q Cbmiiprx 24.5″
Highest Hz Monitor under $200: LG UltraGear 24GL600F-B

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The 8 Best Dual Screen Laptops of 2026

Kaelum Ross — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 11:09:43 +0000

The 8 Best Dual Screen Laptops of 2026

By
Kaelum Ross

Updated April 10, 2026

An incredible innovation for serious users: We review the best

We’ve updated this feature to cover new releases in 2026; many of our top picks remain the same, with a couple of major exceptions (mainly the release of the ASUS Zenbook Duo Dual, discussed further below).

Of all the innovative portable technology we’ve come across, nothing meets the “once you use it, you’ll struggle to go back” category more than a dual-screen laptop.

These revolutionary setups include a second monitor underneath your main display.

Back in 2019 when introduced, some sites wrote off dual display laptops as a gimmick or distraction.

But with the recent new iterations and dramatic improvement in their quality, as well as more publications actually getting to try them, it is fast becoming the next generation of laptops for video editing, productivity, and even gaming/general use.

We’ve reviewed the latest and greatest models. Today’s feature is here to guide you through the best options available today for your different needs and budgets.

Overall Best Dual Screen Laptop

ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo UX582

Our Rating: 10/10

Read Review

Best Cheap Dual Screen Laptop

ASUS ZenBook Duo UX482

Our Rating: 9.5/10

Read Review

Best Dual Screen Gaming Laptop

ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 16

Our Rating: 9.75/10

Read Review

Alternative Gaming Pick

OMEN X 2S

Our Rating: 6/10

Read Review

Best Dual Screen Laptop for Business

Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 2

Our Rating: 8.5/10

Read Review

Overall Best Dual Screen Laptop: ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo UX582

2026 update: Below is the review for the classic UX582 model as pictured, but this year, after a couple of recent releases, I would divide the best choice into these 3 options:

The new double-screen ZenBook model: This is ASUS’s new flagship premium laptop. Unlike other dual-screen laptops, the second screen is full-size. The design of this model is fantastic as ASUS have developed a keyboard that can flip between separation from the screens to allow for dual-display, or covering the bottom screen for use as a traditional laptop while traveling. The specs of the screen are fantastic for 2026 too. I would say this is the model most productivity users should go for. The only reason it’s not the sole recommendation is that it does not have a standalone GPU like other models. If you are a gamer or need high graphics processing for your work, I’d recommend the next option.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 14 Duo is the best new edition of the classic series (with one half-sized second screen attached to the bottom part of the laptop instead of 2 full-screens). The key advantage here is the addition of the RTX 4060, making it a much more powerful machine for graphics (although if you are solely looking for gaming, check out my gaming pick further below).
The review below is based on last year’s model of the Zenbook Pro Duo, we’ve kept it intact as the core features are the same as the more recent version (just with lesser specs) and if you are not an intensive user, I recommend looking to see if this model is available as we’ve seen it occasionally go for a reduced price. If the prices are similar, however, then option 1 or 2 are superior.

There are multiple great options in the multi-screen laptop space, but unless you’re on a tight budget or are looking for gaming, nothing comes close to the ZenBook Pro Duo.

There is so much to love about this offering, but let’s start with the obvious…

The included ASUS ScreenPad Plus is the best second monitor available today. Its specs and software capability combine to provide unmatched productivity options for creatives/professionals compared to any other laptop technology we’ve used.

Boasting 4K OLED IPS touchscreens for both your main screen (3840×2160) & the ScreenPad Plus (3840×1100) with excellent HDR capability, bright 400-nits and a 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, these displays are all capable of an incredible picture.

We really appreciate how ASUS has matched the specs of the main screen with the secondary monitor. Not only do they both have wonderful pictures suitable for professionals, media, and gamers alike, but there are also tons of pre-built and customizable utilities across applications:

For photographers, artists, and other designers -> You have the capability to use the second screen for most of your UI (clearing up the main screen), specific favorite shortcuts, and/or a zoomed version of your picture/design for detail touch-up.
For programmers – > Code windows can be extended by nearly 50% or the bottom panel can be used to display debugs, previews (or even a video call if you’re multi-tasking).
For general use -> Quick app accessibility, displaying the same content across multiple screens, writing notes while watching a main-screen video, the possibilities are huge.

We could go on for music producers, video editors, and many more, but you probably get the idea.

Source: alfredator

Nearly every popular program today (from Photoshop to Visual Studio) has customizability to get the setup you want with your screen layout. The Pro Duo makes this easier with plenty of presets available.

With the inclusion of the high-quality active stylus and excellent pressure variability on both screens, we really can’t think of a type of user that will be left wanting more from a design/note-taking perspective either.

Ergonomically, the setup feels carefully designed for your head to alternate between the two screens without discomfort, with a very thin bezel between the two displays and a slight tilt in the bottom half of the laptop to create a more comfortable angle (these may sound minor, but its subtle features like this that can make or break an experience long-term, and ASUS has refined the Duo in these important nuanced ways).

We will say that if you’re the sort of user that likes to use their laptop on their actual lap, the Pro Duo can feel a bit clunky. It’s definitely more of a desk/table setup.

What makes this offering extra special is the fantastic specs that match the high-quality external setup.

Led by a powerful Intel 12th gen core i7 CPU, 16GB RAM, and a very capable RTX 3060 GPU, the machine is clearly made with smooth operation in mind, including decent hardware for 4k video editing, advanced designers, and gamers.

With an enormous 1TB PCIe solid-state drive included, we’re pleased to see the storage solution is appropriately sized for creative demands too.

Which Pro Duo version to purchase?

If you search through Amazon, you’ll see a ton of different Pro Duo models. Many sound similar but actually boast outdated CPUs & GPUs. I’d recommend following our updated links to the latest versions we’ve reviewed.

I chose to feature the RTX 3060 model as I believe it represents the best balance between price and utility that most users will want.

If you’re using your laptop for high-end professional work (or simply want the most powerful version), you could opt for the RTX 3080 + 32GB RAM model. This is a great upgrade, but I think it may be overkill for many non-gamers.

If gaming is your main focus, you can get a lot done on either the 3060 or 3080 Pro Duos, with the latter performing about 40% better in gaming benchmarks. We would say, however, that the new Zephyrus Duo 16 we recommend further below would be the ideal pick for gamers.

ASUS has announced a new Pro Duo 14 OLED model; with a slightly smaller, brighter screen that has decreased the resolution to 2.8K in aid of a 120hz refresh rate (alongside a few tiny quality-of-life improvements).

We don’t know what the release date of this version is yet (likely late 2022/early 2023) but we would say it’s not worth waiting out for. The 3060/3080 versions we recommend here are both new 2022 models and will have very similar specs to the upcoming 14-inch version. In addition, the improvements are negligible and many will even prefer the existing 4k 60Hz screen over the new 2.8K 120hz display.

Is there anything we don’t like about the Pro Duo?

Well, to be honest; very little. This dual-screen ASUS laptop excels across the board.

One thing we would point out is a challenge you will get with most dual-screen laptops; the keyboard placement requires some getting used to.

Because these laptops have a second screen built-in, the keyboard is pushed to the very bottom of the machine, and the trackpad to the right (instead of its usual under-keyboard alignment).

Mostly, it just requires some muscle-memory relearning to get used to the new trackpad placement.

The Pro Duo has a lot of gaming potential – Source: aryaan04

Price-wise, yes this is an expensive laptop, but with everything on offer, we are pleasantly surprised by the value included.

When you consider the great CPU, RAM, GPU & storage accompanying the machine’s base specs and how both displays are some of the most beautiful 4k screens we’ve come across, it doesn’t feel like you’re just paying an unfair premium for the second display.

If you are a productivity user, we think the combination of powerful specs and the utility of the ScreenPad Plus could be treated as an investment that can markedly improve your output.

Still, we appreciate this not everyone will have the budget for this, and some of our options below (including the next one) are notably cheaper for you.

The battery life ranges from about 3-5 hours depending on usage. This is disappointing compared to an average laptop, but considering the power draw required for 2 bright, high-res displays, it’s nice to see it can still clock a few hours.

Finally, the Pro Duo has the build quality we hope for from a premium laptop. With a full aluminum exterior, very high-quality hinges, a tactile/satisfying keyboard, and a striking design, this is a rugged product that feels built for longevity.

It even demonstrates this by meeting the US MIL-STD 810G military-grade standard, a certification that involves tests with high pressures, salt fog, light rain/water spray, and certain levels of mechanical shock.

We’re pleased by the thermal design which does a decent job at keeping the system under control. Benchmarks have recorded high temperatures during very demanding activity, but never beyond the realm of normality for a powerful PC.

With everything said, we are simply floored by what a fantastic offering the ZenBook Pro Duo is.

Ticking pretty much every box we could hope for in displays, specs, software, and build quality, this is not just our top pick for the best dual-screen laptop available today, but one of the best PCs available in any category.

Our Rating: 10/10

Best Cheap Dual Screen Laptop: ASUS ZenBook Duo

Now, as much as we love the Pro Duo, ASUS has crafted a budget dual-screen laptop that is equally compelling relative to its attractive mid-range price.

“Cheap” is of course relative. The Duo will still run you well over $1,000. But any cheaper and the quality of the product would be hampered, we really like the balance ASUS has struck between specs, screen quality, and price here.

Note: Be careful to go for the latest UX482 models instead of the UX481 version, which has outdated GPU/CPU hardware (as do some of the 2021 UX482 models, which is why we recommend following our linked products where possible).

The tech world has come out in near-unanimous praise for the new ZenBook Duo version, with its leading feature being an automatic-tilting ScreenPad Plus that provides an additional 7 degrees tilt for better ergonomics, viewing angles, and airflow.

On top of that, this new Duo model comes with some great specs for a mid-range machine.

With a Core i5-1135G7 Processor (with onboard Iris X graphics), 8GB RAM, and 512GB storage; you are, of course, not going to get the same performance as you do on the Duo Pro with its superior specs and standalone graphics card.

But for cheap to mid-range use, this laptop still packs a punch with the 11th gen Intel CPU leading the charge and would be great for work, media, and production users on a budget.

If your budget is somewhere in between this version and the Pro Duo, there are two higher-spec Zenbook Duo models we’d recommend.

Slightly more expensive is the 1195G7 Duo model with a notably upgraded CPU, certainly worth the ~$100 extra if possible.

If you can stretch further to around the $1,500 mark, the MX450 Duo version is our favorite. Not only is the GPU notably better than the integrated graphics of the other versions, but it also boasts twice the storage space and RAM. These updates would be particularly notable for video editors and gamers.

Source: ASUS

Screen-wise, the UX482 boasts 14-inch + 12.65-inch duo full HD touch IPS panels that still get nice, bright, and colorful with 400 nits and a 100% sRGB color gamut.

The picture quality won’t be as good as the Pro Duo’s 4K HDR screen but is legitimately impressive for the price with everything else included in the offering.

Port-wise, the ZenBook Duo feels nicely up-to-date too. With HDMI 1.4, 2 x Thunderbolt 4 Type-C USB ports, 1 x USB 3.2 gen 1 & decent onboard audio, Wi-fi, and Bluetooth. No corners feel cut on its outputs and we appreciate the double type-C ports.

With military-grade 810H testing certification, sturdy material, tactile keyboard, and a beautiful aesthetic, the ZenBook Duo’s build quality is rivaled by little else at the price point.

Sure, the Pro Duo feels like the all-encompassing choice, but we’re still really impressed by all of the boxes the Duo manages to tick. Even without the second screen, this would feel like a decent, high-quality offering.

But with the duo display in mind as well? If you’re looking for a cheap multi-screen laptop, the latest Duo is a fantastic, high-value offering.

Our Rating: 9.5/10

Best Dual Screen Gaming Laptop: ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 16

2026 update: There are new versions of the Duo 16 released that bring the series up to better gaming standards. Our favorite model is the 4090 edition which is one of the most powerful gaming laptops on the market. If you would like something cheaper, the 4080 edition is also an excellent choice. Bear in mind too that while I would recommend forking out for one of these models if possible, budget users would be fine with the ZenBook 4060 model which still packs a powerful punch for gaming..

The ZenBook Pro Duo, with its decent CPU and standalone GPU, can pack a decent punch for dual-screen laptop gaming.

But if gaming is your main focus, then the Zephyrus Duo is a simply incredible choice (and also has plenty of capabilities elsewhere).

Important note: The linked model has fewer reviews due to being brand new on the market. The Zephyrus Duo is already a formidable, popular gaming choice, but we highly recommend our latest model highlights that include 3000-series GPUs.

The specs on the latest Zephyrus Duo models are simply mouth-watering.

Starting with screens. With a ROG Nebula HDR technology, up to 1,100 nits of brightness, and a mini LED panel, the contrast is stunning and better than many premium gaming monitors.

Both of these screens also offer an excellent 3ms response time, G-sync Compatability & fantastic color. The main screen boasts a QHD resolution and 165Hz refresh rate which, from our experience, is a great sweet spot for gamers. We can’t speak of just how fantastic gaming content looks on these screens.

The second display on both models offers a fantastic picture quality rivaling the ZenBook Duo Pro.

Not only does the second monitor boast a great ergonomic tilt, but also some brilliant software for gamers and creators alike.

Source: ASUS

We’ve already discussed what fantastic utility a dual-screen can offer for productive users, but gamers also have some fantastic options available:

Many modern titles work with the ROG ScreenPad Plus to offer UI menus on the secondary screen (also reducing on the main screen).
- Anything from quests in single-player titles to top builds/metrics in competitive games/MMOs
Core hardware thermal UI options if you are focused on temp control or even overclocking.
Easily one of the best streaming laptops for Twitch and more; with a game on the main display and stats/chat/camera angles on the sub-screen.
Any other second-screen software you could find useful; our favorite examples are Discord, Skype, or TeamSpeak.
If you’re a fan of CEMU, this also happens to be the perfect PC to emulate Wii U/DS games (with the best way on the market to emulate these consoles’ second screens).

What’s even more impressive is that the laptop actually has the hardware to accommodate both QHD and 165Hz.

Boasting a fresh-on-the-market premium AMD Rzyen 9 6900HX CPU, 32GB DDR5 RAM, 2TB SSD &, of course, its all-powerful RTX 3080 Ti GPU, there is little more to be desired spec-wise.

Whether you’re after immersive titles like Cyberpunk 2077/Red Dead Redemption 2, competitive games like Overwatch/Fornite/League, or a VR-ready PC, the Duo 16 is very capable of ticking all the boxes (and is also a compelling offering for high-end video editing/design).

The build is rugged aluminum and the overall design is quite striking. The Duo 16 remains surprisingly portable for its 16″ form factor and is a true sight to behold and use. The exception to that rule is that you’ll mostly need a power outlet available when gaming because the battery will quickly dissipate with all of the specs and screens

The keyboard, with its beautiful custom RGB layout, is equally stunning; it’s tactile and responsive relative to many other gaming keyboards. We certainly don’t rank it up there with the best mechanical keyboard offerings, but we haven’t come across much better for laptops.

Now with all that said, the price tag is undeniably huge. We have focussed on the 3080 Ti edition because we love that there is 0 compromise: with the best laptop GPU on the market and an incredible screen/secondary set of specs, it’s as powerful as you could ever need in today’s market.

That said, the 3060 and 3070 Ti editions of the Duo 16 are both excellent in their respective price ranges. We would simply suggest you choose the version that best matches your budget.

If you have the budget, know that we don’t just rank the RTX 3080 Ti Duo 16 as one of the best dual-screen gaming laptops, but one of the top laptops for gaming in any category.

Our Rating: 9.75/10

Alternative Budget Dual Screen Gaming Laptop: OMEN X 2S

2026 update: We have kept our OMEN X 2S review for completeness as some of our readers have still been asking me about it, but realistically, we don’t recommend this choice anymore. This is due to the specs being notably outdated, with no models boasting 4000-series GPUs. Even if the Zephyrus Duo 16 is out of stock or out of your price range, we would sooner recommend you pick up a Zenbook Pro Duo for gaming over the 2S.

Lead by its Intel i7-9750H CPU, NVIDIA RTX 2070 Max-Q GPU 8, 16 GB RAM & a 512 GB SSD, despite its lower price tag, the X 2S is still capable of decent gaming at great refresh rates.

Speaking of refresh rates, the 2S boasts a G-Sync enabled 144hz full HD main screen with an IPS panel and decent colors/contrast suitable for high-speed gaming.

One of the most impressive specs of the 2S is the second screen. Despite clocking in at just 5.98-inches diagonally, it’s still full HD with another bright IPS panel.

Even with the more modest specs of this HP dual-screen laptop, the second display is still crystal clear and feels beautiful to use for secondary content.

Another standout feature of the 2S is its fantastic speaker setup designed by Bang & Olufsen.

While we would never recommend any laptop speakers as your main audio solution when some fantastic headphones exist for just that, it’s still a great back-up and worthy for sharing content/media with others.

Source: HP

Another sturdily built device, the 2S looks very sharp. With its tough hinge, tactile RGB keyboard, and thermal design suitable for its specs, there’s little to complain about in the laptop’s physical longevity.

The main problem with the OMEN X 2S is simply its spec age; the RTX 2070-MAX Q still packs an OK punch and is perfectly capable of high refresh rates in most competitive titles and great settings on new games.

But with the RTX 3000 series now on the market, it’s not that 2070 is automatically redundant, but the above choices are light-years ahead in performance and value.

Also, it’s worth pointing out that the second screen is complete without tilt. This is something more common in the first dual-screen laptop generation (some of this comes down to personal preference, but we expect most users to prefer to ergonomics of a 2nd monitor lifted up by at least a few degrees).

So, as good as this offering is/was, you can probably see why we would push you towards any of the RTX 3000 offerings available across the Pro Duo and Duo 16 laptops versions.

Our Rating: 6/10

Best Dual Screen Laptop for Business: Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 2

Our last main choice is a step in a different direction for a double-screen laptop.

Lenovo is a powerhouse brand in the world of business-class computers, and the ThinkBook Plus represents their latest innovations in productivity for office/meeting spaces.

Instead of the usual second screen underneath the main display, the Plus adopts a screen on the other side of the monitor lid.

This may sound a bit counter-intuitive for productivity, but in the world of business settings and intensively-overstimulating modern work environments, Lenovo has come up with a new take.

The Plus’s second screen is a gorgeous full HD e-ink touch display.

Alongside the high-quality included stylus pen, this e-ink monitor, similar to those found on a Kindle (but higher-quality) is designed to be used while the laptop is closed. Think of the environments where having a laptop fully out is awkward: be it meetings, commutes, or quick impromptu sessions, these are the kinds of settings where the Plus excels.

What’s more, those environments are where an e-ink display is more than suitable; anything from quick note-taking, drawing diagrams to explain a concept, to reading documents/news content.

It may sound like a gimmick, but an e-ink screen on a closed laptop is notably less intrusive and easier to hold in these settings.

Also, anyone who works in modern screen-focussed jobs knows how subtlely exhausting it can be to look at business content on a bright monitor all day (especially when these are often office documents/spreadsheets, black text on white backgrounds can be subtle fatiguing to the human brain over long stretches of time).

This very notion is why so many modern workers still love notes/minutes on good old-fashioned paper.

Source: Lenovo

But I think the ThinkBook’s responsive e-ink touch display represents a great next step for this type of use. Collating, organizing, and editing notes on a PC is so much easier than on physical pads. The Plus offers easy integration to popular apps like OneNote to transfer and manage your business notes, diagrams, and more.

So, we don’t just appreciate the ThinkBook Plus from a productivity perspective, but also from an ergonomic one. Lenovo has designed this setup to give work users a much-needed eye break.

But with all that said, we know working on the main display is still the dominating part of most business users’ days, and that’s what makes the Plus such a compelling offering; it still excels as a single-screen laptop.

Boasting a Core i5-1130G7 CPU, 16 GB RAM & a 512 GB SSD, the hardware is more than capable of great general use, advanced office applications (including intensive spreadsheet capability), and perfect for multi-tasking (video calls, etc.).

The main display is also beautiful, its 13.3″ size keeping it portable for the previously described closed-top use, while still remaining large enough for productivity. Tied with a WQXGA resolution, IPS panel, and decent contrast/color gamut, it’s gorgeous for viewing various content (including media).

The Plus’s specs hit a perfect sweet spot for business laptop users. Anything more wouldn’t provide a marked improvement for most, but anything less would begin to deteriorate its experience and longevity/future-proofing.

We do think that the above choices will be a better pick for a majority of users. We think of the Thinkbook more as a great option for a certain niche.

If you are focused on modern non-design work, or simply love the idea of an e-ink option for your content, we think Lenovo has created a special unique laptop here.

It’s a worthy purchase if you prefer its utility to the other dual-screen Windows laptops we’ve covered today.

Our Rating: 8.5/10

Alternative Picks – Best of the Rest

While the top 5 dual-screen laptops are our picks for the best of the category, there are a few more options that may be worth considering if you have a niche requirement, we’ve added them as quick-fire choices below.

Cheapest Dual Screen Laptop: ASUS ZenBook Duo UX481

The UX481 is the previous generation of our top budget pick, the ZenBook Duo UX482.

The specs on this last iteration are, of course, not as good as the new model. We think that the price difference for the UX482 models are more than worth it.

But if your usage is fairly basic and you’re looking for the cheapest multi-screen laptop possible, we’re seeing these models occasionally discounted at really low rates, it’s still a great general use/productivity PC if you are on a tighter budget.

Our Rating: 7/10

Best Dual Screen MacBook: New Apple MacBook Pro 16-Inch

For Apple fans or those that rely on Mac OS, we didn’t want to completely miss you out.

While calling any MacBook a dual-screen laptop is a bit of a stretch, the newest 16-inch pro model comes with a mini-LED strip above the keyboard designed to be customizable with different software for your key options (e.g. color sliders, and other settings that are more easily selected with touch).

With its tiny size, you’re not going to get the productivity joy of our other top picks, but the MacBook Pro has a lot more going for it, and this mini screen is a step in the right direction for improved creative setups.

Our Rating: 9/10

Alternative Budget Dual Screen Laptop: ASUS UX534FTC-AS77 ZenBook 15

The model underneath the Duo and Duo Pro, the ZenBook 15 is marketed as a cheaper option, putting more of its value focus on its main screen.

For an impressive price, you’re getting a gorgeous 4k IPS screen with some decent mid-range specs to accommodate it.

The second screen is integrated into the trackpad, which won’t give you the same next-generation experience as the Duo.

But if your budget is very tight and you need to focus on the specs of your main display for creative work, this is a great alternative.

Our Rating: 8/10

How we chose the best dual-screen laptops

With appreciation to how a new dual screen laptop is an important investment, a lot of research and deliberation has been put into the various factors that decide what we consider to be the top choices.

We’ve balanced lots of details/nuances that won’t be completely covered here, but the below headings make up a majority of the ranking factors and what is most important for users:

Hardware specifications

It doesn’t matter how gorgeous a dual laptop’s screens are if you don’t have the specs to make use of them.

At the forefront of our decision-making is ensuring that the CPU, RAM, GPU, and storage on offer for our top choices are appropriate for the needs of the specified user.

The ZenBook Pro Duo, for example, balances premium specs suitable for every type of creative professional, including 4k content producers, while not compromising on capabilities for general users and even offering some gaming prowess for those that have entertainment as their secondary concern.

While for those that have gaming at the heart of their decision-making, we have chosen the Zephyrus Duo which, similarly to the Pro Duo, has great all-around specs, but with more of a budget focus on its graphics card to maximize settings and FPS in games.

We’ve also ensured our budget picks like the ZenBook Duo boast enough power to consider them suitable for comfortably running their duo screen setup even at a cheaper price range.

Screen quality

The capability of both the main and secondary screens has been a fundamental part of choosing our top picks.

We appreciate that many creative professionals or those after a premium experience are focused on display capability.

What in Tech has lots of experience reviewing various monitor categories and appreciate how important panel type, contrast ratio, nits-rating, color gamuts, and more can affect the overall quality.

So as well as focussing on the obvious areas like resolution and screen-size, we’ve ensured our top options balance these other vital secondary specs that really maximize how good your picture is.

We’re pleased to say the display specs of our top options, particularly the ZenBook Pro Duo and Zephyrus Duo, are up to the challenge of virtually any type of professional/creative user.

For gamers, we’ve retained a focus on excellent picture quality, but also ensured our top options (the Zephyrus Duo and HP X 2S) boast high refresh rates and low response times, both integral to a high-quality gaming experience.

For budget users, we’ve offered the option to choose between the next-gen dual-screen setup of the ZenBook Duo, still boasting gorgeous FHD screens, or the ASUS ZenBook, which only has a second screen on its trackpad, but boasts a superior 4k main display if that is particularly important to you.

Build quality

With the purchase of an innovative new laptop, we know a focus for users will be on the physical longevity of your prospective device.

A notable part of the ranking has included consideration for the build quality of each laptop (material used, hinges, any relevant certifications, etc.), many of the offerings are also existing popular products which have allowed us to understand the number of users with issues or any challenges with warranty/customer service.

We’re pleased to report that dual-screen laptop manufacturers seemed to have recognized that these offerings, with their notable price-tags, needed to be made to last.

All of our choices are made of decent material and boast quality not always seen at their respective price-range (the top ASUS picks take this even further with their military-grade certifications).

Our build ranking extended to the ergonomics of the choices too; we’ve considered the tactility and responsivity of keyboards, the pressure sensitivity of touch screens & the angle to which the laptops can open.

And finally, we’ve also considered the second screen placement as a qualitative factor; most notably if the screen tilts to a comfortable angle for viewing/drawing, as well as the size of the bezel in between the screens (thinner frames ranking higher).

Thermal solution

Throughout the research and deliberation of how to rank each 2 screen laptop, we’ve put real stock into how devices perform in various thermal/cooling benchmarks, and if their results are acceptable for their relative power outputs.

We are pleased to report that for the most part, the offerings on display throughout this feature have thermal designs, including intelligent fan/heatpipe placements, that work to efficiently cool the systems.

There have been some examples of thermal throttling seen online, even across the top options, but these have usually been minor cases and, to an extent, to be expected with such advanced hardware/screen setups.

Battery life

We’ve stated throughout this guide that the battery life of dual-screen laptops isn’t on par with traditional portable computers; you can expect to achieve between 2.5-6 hours for most offerings (which is still impressive for the amount of power draw a 2 screen setup & premium hardware demands).

Despite this, we’ve still been sure to consider the variability in battery life between our top options as a ranking factor, with the ZenBook Pro Duo and Duo boasting some of the best batteries of the options on the list.

Software & user experience

The best part of having a laptop with 2 screens is simply being able to use the second screen for whatever you want; dragging, dropping, and customizing any type of window you can think of.

Although with that said, we think with this category, it was prudent to provide some slight extra ranking favor to ASUS, which specifically has some decent software availability to make exploiting the utility of a second screen as easy as possible (especially for the new ZenBook Duo model, with access to ASUS ControlPanel, a revamped set of UI options for popular design/productivity software).

We ranked the ZenBooks and Zephyrus offerings at the top for much more than the improved user experience, but it is still an appreciated value-add that is worth calling out.

Ports

All picks have suitable ports for most users, but we have included some consideration in our rankings for those that excel at providing excellent outputs.

The new ZenBook Duo model, for instance, pleasantly including 2 x USB Thunderbolt 4 type-C ports, is an impressive feature at the budget, and is a nice recognition for the many creatives focussed on these picks, who will undoubtedly benefit from high transfer rate options.

Price

We haven’t just dubbed the most expensive laptop the best choice (if we had, we’d be recommending the premium RTX 3080 Zephyrus Duo to everybody!).

While some of our top picks are high-end choices, we’ve ranked based on value to the end-user for different requirements.

The ThinkPad Plus, for example, is more modestly specced, which is a better value offering for business users who don’t necessarily need high refresh rates, 4k screens, powerful GPUs, etc.

While the ZenBook Pro Duo better balances the screen & hardware demands of both professional creatives and users after a premium experience across any function, specifically recommending the cheaper version, which we think represents a better sweet-spot than the 32GB option.

The same consideration has been made for our budget picks (ranking less expensive dual-screen laptops based on their value/capability, not just on which is the cheapest, the latest ZenBook Duo is the clear stand-out with this in mind).

Sound (low importance)

Although not a heavy factor, we’ve considered the speaker sound quality in the above picks during our rankings; as you can expect with modern laptops, no speakers represent sound good enough for primary use, and we’d always recommend a speaker/headphone setup.

That said, the speakers on display in many of these devices are perfectly serviceable for sharing basic content with others/simple use – the HP X 2S, in particular, have impressive speakers as far as laptops go.

In terms of onboard codecs for audio input, there wasn’t a notable difference between any of the options, all capable of outputting great sound with a decent pair of headphones.

What is a dual-screen laptop?

A dual-screen laptop is designed to offer an experience that rivals modern multi-display desktop setups all within a portable laptop unit.

This is done by placing a second screen directly on top of the keyboard area.

This is the ideal placement as it ensures that only a thin bezel lies between the main and secondary screens. Ergonomically, it allows users to quickly look between the two screens comfortably, even for longer sessions.

Some critics initially wrote this off as a gimmick, but that’s become a less popular opinion the more we’ve seen how exciting the possibilities of a laptop with 2 screens are:

Most dual-screen laptops (especially ASUS) have preset software for popular programs to maximize your workspace (e.g. Photoshop UI on the bottom screen with pictures/drawings maximized on top)
Even when there aren’t presets available, customization offers endless options, such as:
- Your most important work settings to declutter the main screen
- Note-taking during a main screen video lecture
- Skype/Discord call and chat while main screen gaming

These are just some examples. With the ability to place any content on the secondary display, the possibilities are as limitless as your imagination; dual-screen laptops are an innovation that is likely here to stay because they provide so much utility for creatives, professionals, and general users.

Are dual-screen laptops worth it?

Do you need a laptop with 2 displays? No, a traditional portable computer with decent hardware is still capable of the essentials for most.

However, we think in a lot of cases, choosing one of the top picks above is more than worth the price for a few reasons.

The most significant one is that, with everything else these offerings provide, the premium you’re paying for the dual-screen isn’t nearly as bad as many other laptop innovations and feels like a fantastic value add for most users.

Consider our top pick, the ZenBook Pro Duo.

Even if you take away the second screen, you are still left with one of the most stunning primary 4K HDR IPS displays, a fantastic CPU, GPU, and RAM capacity for modern computing, an incredibly striking design and build quality that is both fined-tuned for ergonomics and physical longevity.

The premium choices aren’t just good for their second monitor, they tick all the boxes we expect from any high-end PC without corner-cutting.

And if you’re a lower/mid-range user without the budget, the ZenBook Duo is an equally compelling example; competing with many other cheaper single-screen offerings at its price range.

Yes, there is a premium for a duo screen laptop, but:

For creatives and professionals, we would argue the productivity-gains from the second monitor will quickly outweigh the additional cost (in other words, it’s a decent investment).

For gamers, there are certainly some great single-screen options, but there’s a reason why most desktop-gamer setups have a second monitor; not having easy access to other content like Discord calls, guides, or streaming when your main screen is focussed on your game can be frustrating. You don’t need a second screen, but it’s a fantastic upgrade and worth the extra budget if you have it.

We also like that the specs of our top choices tend to lend them well to all sorts of different types of computing.

In other words, you’re not paying for just one type of device; the ZenBook Pro Duo or ROG Zephyrus Duo could both comfortably operate as a 4k video editing PC, a gaming laptop, a media device, and accommodate a majority of other mainstream demands.

With all that said, there are a couple of situations you may want to consider a more traditional laptop:

Low budgets – While we think the extra cost is worth the value-add for most people, we appreciate they are still more expensive than the average laptop. If you find yourself unable to accommodate the cheaper picks comfortably, then we would recommend focussing on the budget options of our longest-lasting laptop feature.

Ultra-portable requirements – Dual screen offerings are very capable of being moved around (especially with their sturdy build qualities) – however – if you are the kind of user who is very rarely settled in one location for more than an hour, prefers using a PC on your lap or is often without an outlet for more than a few hours at a time, DS laptops may not be the best choice due to their low battery life and better alignment on a desk. If this describes you, there are some traditional options more suitable.

For most users, however, 2-screen offerings are easily the best multi-tasking laptops available today and worth the money if your budget allows.

Final Word

And there you have it! The above picks are not just what we think are the best dual-screen laptops available, but with consideration to the incredible specs, build qualities, and value of picks like the ZenBook Pro Duo and Zephyrus Duo, we’d go as far as to call these some of the best laptops available for gaming, video editing, visual work, and other productivity/entertainment goals across any category.

So yes, there is a premium for a second screen. But as far as premium laptops go, this is one of the greatest additions in many, many years to portable innovation. Investing in one for your next laptop isn’t just exciting, but also opens up so many creative ways to maximize productivity and enjoy your entertainment.

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Kaelum Ross

120mm vs 140mm Fans – The Complete Guide

Kaelum Ross — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 13:56:42 +0000

120mm vs 140mm Fans: The Complete Guide

By
Kaelum Ross

Updated April 1, 2026

This feature has been reviewed and fact-checked in April. The information and fan recommendations are up-to-date for 2025.

Ah, cooling, it’s easy to spend hours obsessing over what the best setup is to reduce your PC temperatures just that little bit more.

One of the most important aspects is what arrangement of 120mm & 140mm case fans you install.

But which kind of setup is better?

Today’s feature is here to explain everything you want (and need) to know for 120mm vs 140mm PC fans; comparing noise, performance, size, and price.

We’ll also go over the best case fans for your next build, too!

Differences Between 120mm & 140mm Fans – Short Answer

We’ll discuss each of the main comparison areas in depth below.

But if you’re after the TLDR; on average, builds based on 140mm fans are superior to 120mm fans.

They tend to perform more quietly in comparable operations, offer slightly better cooling & are cheaper when considering you need to buy less of them to perform.

But, and it’s a big but, it hugely depends on the quality of the fans in question.

A good 120mm fan will be better than a mediocre 140mm fan, etc.

It also depends on the PC case you’re using and what it allows; we wouldn’t say that 140mm fans are so superior that you shouldn’t get a certain type of case if it has more allotment for 120mm cooling.

Unless you’re very focussed on min-maxing cooling, we’d instead advise you to focus more on which PC case you want; which is why we’ve included the best 140mm and 120mm fans throughout this feature.

Overall Best 140mm Fan: Noctua NF-P14

This flagship fan from one of the best brands in the PC cooling business has been through countless iterations.

While we recommend other options below for RGB, premium, silence-focussed, or budget users, the NF-P14 strikes the best sweet spot between decent airflow and a wonderfully low price.

Overall Best 120mm Fan: Noctua NF-P12

Thankfully, as with most of our top picks on the list, if a brand has made a great 140mm fan, they’ve nearly always come through with a 120mm version that is of the same quality (relatively).

The P12 is no exception; with excellent CFM for the price, it’s a perfect mid-range option.

120mm vs 140mm Fan Cooling

There are a few miscellaneous factors like bearing type that determine the finer aspects of a fan’s performance, but by far the two most impactful specs (and the ones you should focus on) are RPM and CFM.

CFM, or cubic feet per minute, is the amount of air a fan can move per minute and the most important spec when establishing cooling capability.

Most benchmarks and tests show that the average 140mm fan, with its longer blades, tends to boast a significantly higher CFM rating and can produce better airflow in a case per-fan compared to 120mm offerings.

Things other than mm size can affect the CFM, like blade design, material quality, and most notably RPM.

RPM, or rounds per minute, is how many times a fan can spin per minute.

So for example, if you had two fans identical in every way other than their RPM, the higher RPM fan would be able to produce better CFM.

Generally speaking, 120mm fans often (but not always) have slightly higher RPMs if we’re comparing the same 120mm/140mm models.

This is to ensure they don’t fall too far behind the high airflow/CFMs of 140mm offerings, which can run at lower rounds and achieve the same as a 120mm fan working harder.

So with all that said, we still rate the performance of 140mm fans as the best in most situations, but 120mm can still be a great ally if your desired case focuses on them.

As always, quality matters most.

We’ve seen other resources say 120mm/140mm fans go up to ~1,500 RPM, and this is very far from the truth.

The range is huge; for mainstream choices, fans in either size tend to vary from around 600rpm to 3000rpm, but for some crazier offerings they can go as high as 10,000 (not that you need this, they’d sound like a jet engine too!).

Conclusion: 140mm fans are usually the better choice for airflow if your build allows it. But if not, don’t fret; you can still get great cooling done with 120mm offerings, what’s most important is picking high-quality fans in either size and a chassis that facilitates good airflow.

Static Pressure

While CFM/RPM is where the main difference occurs between 120mm/140mm head-to-heads, we wanted to touch on a spec that is very important for certain placements.

Static pressure is the rating a fan gets which, in simple terms, dictates how much of the airflow/CFM produced will penetrate heatsinks or mesh enclosures.

Providing air through mesh-like barriers is a very different goal to airflow in a clean environment, so different fan types specialize in this area.

There isn’t a clear winner in 120mm vs 140mm for static pressure, so it will really come down to whatever your setup allows you to install (we recommend 140mm if possible due to its CFM advantage, but either is fine).

So if you want decent static pressure fans to cool your CPU heatsink (or a value bundle for mesh casing setups also), the Arctic P12 for 120mm, or P14 for 140mm are the ideal picks at a mid-range budget.

But if you’re interested in our other fan picks below, don’t fret; the choices on this guide all have decent static pressure ratings in comparison to many similar options, and this spec is not as important if you’re not dealing with heatsink/mesh coverage.

Best High-End 140mm Fan: Noctua NF-A14 iPPC-3000

If you’re after the best fan cooling possible, the NF-A14s are one of the best offerings to fit the bill.

With incredible high-quality material/blade designs and up to 3000 RPM mean the A14 have one of the best CFMs on the market.

It’s worth noting these things can get loud at the highest RPM (which you’ll only hear during intensive operation), but if you’re after the best airflow, they’re fit for the job.

The NF-A14s (and F-12s) also have excellent static pressure, and are a perfect choice if you’re looking for heatsink/mesh cooling.

Best High-End 120mm Fan: Noctua NF-F12 iPPC 3000

The smaller brother of the NF-A14 is a fantastic choice for setting up 120mm fan cooling.

Achieving similar top-range CFM and RPMs with their superb materials (relative to other 120mm fans) these products are one of the best PC case fans for gaming, overclocking, and other high-end usages.

120mm vs 140mm Fan Noise

Although the differences on the cooling/airflow front are notable, we think the real reason to prefer 140mm fans (if possible) is their quieter operation.

We’ll repeat the same disclaimer; this is on average. A low noise-focussed 120mm fan will be quieter than a standard 140mm offering (and would still be a decent solution for a quiet build).

But if we’re talking about how to achieve the quietest fan setup, we definitely prefer 140mm-focussed setups.

The reason is relatively straightforward; as per our airflow section, 120mm fans have to spin at slightly faster RPMs to achieve similar cooling to 140mm fans.

Now while other factors do matter in decibel production, if you put two similar fans head-to-head, the RPM they work at will be the largest indicator of which makes more noise.

You may think the blade fan size must matter too, but have you ever thought about how a ceiling fan in a house can be nearly inaudible, but a tiny desk fan can get loud very quickly? It’s primarily to do with the ceiling fan having to spin way less to cool its environment.

In other words; because 140mm fans have to spin less fast to achieve suitable thermal control, they produce notably less noise on average than 120mm fans.

This has been demonstrated in numerous benchmarks and tests.

If you’re looking at a quiet PC but only have 120mm fan availability in certain parts, don’t worry; the recommended quiet 120mm fan pick below still achieves very low DB(a) cooling.

PWM vs DC Fans

While not strictly related to the 120mm/140mm battle, if you’re interested in noise, it’s worth briefly touching on this spec as you’re bound to see it in comparing quiet fans.

DC (direct current) fans are controlled by 3-pin headers on your motherboard, while PWM (pulse width modulation) adds an additional pin that allows the motor and voltage requirements of the fan to signal each other more effectively than DC units.

Both types of fans require a minimum RPM to operate (too low and they begin to stall, act erratically, etc.) and due to the PWM’s improved signaling, fans with this functionality can achieve lower RPMs (either by the user’s control or automatically during less-intense operation).

So for something focussed on quiet operation, it’s a good little bonus to have a PWM fan (if your motherboard has 4-pin headers, which many modern ones do).

(Don’t fret too much about this though, you can connect a 3-pin fan to a 4-pin header and vice versa, you just won’t get PWM functionality from a 3-pin header or fan).

Though to be clear; a good DC fan still goes to fairly low RPMs that we expect will satisfy even those users focused on a silent build (providing they’re using a decent enough case).

Go for PWM fans if you have 4-pin headers by all means, but only consider this a nice-to-have, and not a super important factor of a quiet machine.

Best Quiet 140mm Fan: Be Quiet! BL040

Be Quiet!, as you might expect from the name, is one of the leading brands in silent PC cases, and their work in fans is just as impressive.

The BL040 is fantastic at keeping its great CFM/airflow to a very low-decibel standard; if used with a decent quiet computer case, you’ll have the best chance at a nearly silent PC setup.

Best Quiet 120mm Fan: Be Quiet! BL039

The BL40’s smaller brother is a fantastic product for 120mm fan builds too.

It outputs a slightly higher decibel rating per fan than the 140mm version, but this is a difference of only 0.4 Db(a) at maximum speed. The BL039 is still very quiet when compared to nearly every other 120mm fan on the market.

120mm vs 140mm Size / Compatability

Sometimes, comparing the differences between 120mm and 140mm PC fans is apples and oranges, because it really depends on the computer case’s compatibility.

The average 120mm fan dimensions are 120mm x 120mm x 25mm

The average 140mm fan dimensions are 140mm x 140mm x 25mm

In other words, although these can vary in thickness, 140mm are always notably larger, and most PC cases can accommodate fewer 140mm fans than 120mm ones.

We’ll reiterate one of our main points through the feature: it’s better to focus on getting a high-quality PC case for your needs. That could be anything from the best all-round, the largest, the cheapest, or the quietest, whether it accommodates 120mm setups or 140mm setups better is a secondary point.

But if you have the luxury of choosing between them, you will often be comparing larger amounts of 120mm fans and how they can perform versus less 140mm fans. The most common battle is 3 120mm vs 2 140mm.

3 120mm Fans vs 2 140mm Fans

For cooling, 3 120mm fans tend to have slightly better CFM /air output than 2 140mm fan builds.

But this isn’t the whole picture for a majority of cases.

Look at this picture of a relatively standard PC case boasting 3 120mm fans on its front.

The front is the most common place where you are choosing 3 120mm vs 2 140mm, notice how the lowest 120mm fan is mostly level with the PSU/HDD shroud.

Having a fan that is almost directly providing airflow to your PSU is not really very helpful.

Now take the red squares as an example of how the placements would look if you were instead using 2 x 140mm fans, and the arrows as the highest and lowest points the air is directed at.

Yes, the CFM might technically be slightly lower, but the airflow you are getting from the 140mm fans is better directed at your hardware that needs it (i.e. GPU & CPU).

Therefore if you have a chassis with a PSU shroud at the bottom of the case, the 2 x 140mm fan setup is better for cooling.

If you have a PC case with no shroud like the Lian-Li PC-011 Dynamic, then it’s very close to 50-50, but we would say 120mm fans come out on top for their slightly superior CFM (2 high-quality 140mm fans would still serve you well).

For noise reduction, 140mm fans still tend to come out as the best choice, with their narrow second-best CFM coming largely from lower RPMs. If silence is your focus, stick to the quiet 140mm fan picks above.

120mm vs 140mm Price / Value

It’s all good saying which fan size is quieter, better at cooling, etc.

But what is the best bang for your buck? Is the average improvement of 140mm worth a price difference?

Generally speaking, 140mm fans are slightly more expensive than their 120mm counterparts.

This isn’t a big increase though; the average price difference is less than 10%, and as far as we’re concerned, the superior CFM and noise reduction is well worth the modest price increase.

Also, as alluded to in the last section, you usually need to buy fewer 140mm fans to perform a comparable job to high-quantity 120mm setups.

Remember that you get what you pay for with either fan type; the budget fans below can serve most build well, but if you’re after the highest performance, see our premium picks directly after.

Conclusion: 140mm may be slightly more expensive, but it’s a modest increase for better performance/lower noise, and you usually need to buy less to achieve the same cooling which will mean many 140mm fan builds will work out cheaper!

Best Budget 140mm Fan: uphere BK143-3 pack

At an incredibly low price point, the uphere triple packs still manage to provide decent cooling for a budget build.

We would prefer users after the best PC fans for gaming or overclocking to go for our other picks on the list, but if you can’t stretch your budget very far, the BK143 are without a doubt the most impressive ultra-cheap fan options on the market.

Best Budget 120mm Fan: uphere 12BK3-3 pack

The 120mm version of the BK143 fans are even cheaper, it’s worth noting you won’t get the same level of cooling as the 140mm fans (with their longer blades resulting in better CFM).

But if your case is equipped for 120mm fans and you’re on a budget, the 12BK3 are unmatched in the cheapest 120mm fan category.

RGB Lover?

While there is no notable difference between 120mm and 140mm fans in the RGB category, we appreciate all of our picks so far are geared towards non-lit fans.

We love some RGB lighting too! So couldn’t end this list without some of our top recommendations.

Best 140mm RGB Fan: Cooler Master MF140

Cooler Master’s flagship RGB fan was the 120mm -sized MF120 for many years, and one of the most popular fans on the market.

But we’re pleased to see that they’ve created a 140mm offering that is just as beautiful, with its ARGB lighting illuminating the outer halo and inner fans, the MF140 doesn’t just look stunning in motion, but also boasts great performance/CFM for a powerful build.

Best 120mm RGB Fan: Cooler Master MF120

The MF120 is the classic option in Cooler Master’s RGB series and a long-standing perfect choice for those after the best ARGB fans on the market; balancing a great customizable aesthetic with impressive CFM, we recommend either the MF120 or the MF140 for anyone with the available RGB headers on their motherboard.

Top Picks Summary

Overall Best 140mm Fan: Noctua NF-P14
Overall Best 120mm Fan: Noctua NF-P12
Best Quiet 140mm Fan: Be Quiet! BL040
Best Quiet 120mm Fan: Be Quiet! BL039
Best Budget 140mm Fan: uphere BK143-3 pack
Best Budget 120mm Fan: uphere 12BK3-3 pack
Best High-End 140mm Fan: Noctua NF-A14 iPPC-3000
Best High-End 120mm Fan: Noctua NF-F12 iPPC 3000
Best 140mm RGB Fan: Cooler Master MF140
Best 120mm RGB Fan: Cooler Master MF120

120mm vs 140mm PC Fans Verdict

Let’s break everything down one last time.

Performance: 140mm usually offers superior airflow/CFM, with the exception of more 120mm fans in open cases with no PSU shrouds (still a very close race).

Noise: 140mm is the clear winner, having to spin lower to achieve the same performance as a 120mm counterpart.

Value: 140mm fans are slightly more expensive but their performance is worth the increase. You usually have to buy less of them to perform the same job, which means overall, you will likely save on a 140mm fan build.

Conclusion: In a majority of cases, we give the edge to 140mm fan setups.

However, with that said, we’ll wrap up the piece by saying our main point one last time; the quality of the fan is more important than the size, whether 120mm or 140mm, stick to our to picks above or other high-quality offerings, and you’ll be well set for a well-cooled build whatever the size!