Good (and cheap) 1080p IPS 144Hz monitor

So a friend of mine is building a new system and looking to buy a new monitor for about ~$250. And these seem to be the best in price-

BenQ Mobiuz EX2510 (middle ground)
MSI Optix G241 (cheapest)
ASUS TUF Gaming VG259Q (most expensive of the three)

These all seem decent but I was confused about something else entirely- the display cables supporting 1080p 144Hz.
These monitors have HDMI 1.4 (ASUS), 1.4b (MSI), 2.0 (BenQ)
and DisplayPort 1.2 (ASUS and BenQ), 1.2a (MSI)

HDMI.org says HDMI 1.4b only supports up to 1080p 120Hz while forums/users say 144Hz is supported with various custom tweaks either by the manufacturer or setting custom resolution or software etc.

I'm not sure about DisplayPort but I think 1.2 supports 1080p 144Hz.

Since my friend is waiting for Zen 3 CPUs and NVIDIA RTX 3070 and it will be a while before that he is going to use his current laptop which only has HDMI output to try out 144Hz. Of course he will eventually use DisplayPort but I wanted to make sure just in case about the support.

 

The choice of monitor depends on the predominant use cases. Any colour on that? For example online gaming would call for a low input lag TN panel, such as BenQ Zowie.

 

Panel type (IPS, TN, VA) has little to no bearing on input lag. The VA-based Samsung Odyssey G7 has among the lowest input lag scores while the TN-based Viotek GFT27DB is among the worst. You're likely thinking of pixel response times, which can impact how games look and feel. However, modern IPS displays are more than capable of delivering a true 144 Hz experience. All three of the monitors the OP lists should be good options, but you will want to stick with DisplayPort input as you will have the option to enable G-Sync/variable refresh rate.

 

It is for gaming mainly with the added goodness of the better colors of IPS panels.
I doubt <$500 monitors are truly "1ms response times" monitors but that isn't much of a concern since all three listed manufacturers make good monitors and as long as its under 10ms.
I know DP is the way but like I said, it will be a good long while until Zen 3 and RTX 3070 becomes widely available so until then he is going to have to use a HDMI cable to connect his laptop and therefore the 2nd half of my query.

 

Well, clearly, response time factors into input lag. Whilst there could be some irrelevant examples of bad TN implementation, the best monitors for esports are TN-based. 1ms IPS monitors are false marketing, as I recently found out after testing a "1ms" 240Hz AW monitor. It's blurry 4ms, with two overdrive modes artifacting mildly and terribly, respectively. Yes, the OP was asking about 144Hz, so the bar is lower, but still the raponse times of reference are GtG, whilst the worst case scenario transitions would be much slower.

 

I would say read reviews on Amazon or online sites to find out what consumers say about those monitors on everyday usage and you will know if it fits your needs. Specs don't tell all the story of how a monitor runs in everyday usage.

 

The problem is that reviews can be terribly conflicting, mostly due to the fact that many reviewers are biased/sponsored or incompetent. Would recommend buying with a good return policy.

 

That's the nature of Reviews you have to read to find the real story and a good return policy is good to have but if you buy online returning isn't as easy as driving to the local retailer and returning it. And it could cost money to return online items as well.

 

Depends where you live, for me it's actually easier to do an online return given the availability of droppoff points and collection options. A local retailer stocking all the relevant monitors would be ideal, but few will have that option.

 

Little late but I have one of these as my secondary screen in portrait mode and it’s amazing value. I got it last December for $179.99 on Amazon. Not Gsync compatible certified but works 100%, no issues with Gsync on it. Colors are great, near bezeless and has tilt and height adjustments.

Best 1080p panel for the money that I’ve found.

 

Check your local Walmart(S). I bought a Predator X27 1080P Gsync 144Hz for $199.99. It only had (1) dead pixel.

Walmart has pretty good deals. And lately they have been stocking several gaming monitors right on the shelf!

They sale quickly too, I live in a very very rural area. My Walmart is in the country. And these gaming monitors move pretty quickly, and are restocked often.