Your Hardware will determin at what level of streaming you can stream at. Bare minimum would maby maxed out at low tier games with one one streaming platform. Maximum could be streaming all high end games on every possible streaming platform.
Monitors
When choosing a streaming monitor, the most important things are refresh rate, resolution, panel type, and screen size.
- 1080p + 144Hz = best beginner value
- 1440p = sweet spot for streamers in 2026
- 4K/OLED = creator/pro level
A lot of streamers also end up using 2 monitors — one for the game, one for OBS/chat.
Beginner / Budget Monitors
Best cheap starter monitor
ASUS TUF Gaming VG249QE5A 23.8″ Full HD IPS Monitor
£89.00•Argos + others
4.8 (429)
£89.00•Argos + others•
4.8 (429)
Specs
- 23.8-inch IPS
- 1080p
- 144Hz–180Hz class refresh
- 1ms response time
- FreeSync/G-Sync support
Price
~£89
Common usage
9/10
Recommendation
5/5
Why streamers use it
- Cheap
- Smooth gameplay
- IPS colors look good on camera
- Easy for mid-range PCs to run while streaming
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Budget curved option
ACER Nitro ED270X0 Full HD 27″ Curved VA LCD Gaming Monitor · £99.00 · 4.8
Affordable curved monitor for casual streamers who want a more immersive setup.
Specs
- 27-inch curved VA
- 1080p
- 165Hz
- FreeSync
Price
~£99
Common usage
5/10
Recommendation
3/5
Why streamers use it
- Big screen for low price
- Curved immersion
- Good for casual gaming streams
Downsides
- VA smearing/ghosting
- Less color accurate than IPS
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Mid-Range Streaming Monitors
Best overall streaming monitor
Alienware AW2725DM 27″ QHD 180Hz Gaming Monitor · £229.00 · 4.7
A premium 1440p gaming monitor that hits the sweet spot for serious streamers.
Specs
- 27-inch IPS
- 1440p
- 180Hz
- HDR support
- Excellent motion clarity
Price
~£229
Common usage
7/10
Recommendation
5/5
Why streamers use it
- 1440p gives sharper image quality
- 27-inch is the modern “streamer standard”
- Great balance between quality and performance
1440p is widely considered the best balance between image quality and performance for creators and streamers.
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Best value 1440p monitor
Gigabyte GS27QA 27″ QHD Gaming Monitor · £129.97 · 4.8
Excellent budget-friendly 1440p monitor with strong refresh rates for growing streamers.
Specs
- 27-inch IPS
- 1440p
- High refresh rate
- Adaptive sync
Price
~£130
Common usage
6/10
Recommendation
5/5
Why streamers use it
- Huge jump in sharpness from 1080p
- Great value
- Good for gaming + editing content
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High-End / Pro Streaming Monitors
Best creator/pro monitor
ASUS ProArt PA279CV 27″ 4K Monitor · £329.00 · 4.5
Professional-grade 4K monitor designed for creators, editors, and high-end streaming setups.
Specs
- 27-inch IPS
- 4K UHD
- Factory color calibrated
- USB-C support
Price
~£329
Common usage
3/10
Recommendation
5/5
Why streamers use it
- Fantastic for editing YouTube videos
- Accurate colors
- Crisp 4K image
Downsides
- Lower refresh rate than gaming monitors
- Better for creators than esports players
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Ultimate luxury streaming monitor
Top-tier OLED gaming monitor with incredible contrast, motion clarity, and premium visuals.
Specs
- 32-inch QD-OLED
- 4K
- 240Hz
- HDR OLED panel
- Near-perfect contrast
Price
~£799
Common usage
2/10
Recommendation
5/5
Why streamers use it
- Insane image quality
- Premium “big streamer” setup
- OLED makes games look cinematic
Downsides
- Extremely expensive
- Risk of OLED burn-in over time
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Streaming Monitor Comparison Table
| Feature | ASUS TUF Gaming VG249QE5A 23.8″ Full HD IPS Monitor£89.00•Argos + others | Alienware AW2725DM 27″ QHD 180Hz Gaming Monitor£229.00•Dell UK + others | ASUS ProArt PA279CV 27″ 4K Monitor£329.00•AO.com + others | Dell Alienware 32 4K QD-OLED Gaming Monitor£799.00•Amazon.co.uk + others |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 1080p | 1440p | 4K | 4K |
| Refresh Rate | 144–180Hz | 180Hz | 60Hz | 240Hz |
| Panel Type | IPS | IPS | IPS | QD-OLED |
| Best For | Beginners | Most streamers | Editing/content | Pro setups |
| Approx Price | £89 | £229 | £329 | £799 |
| Common Usage | 9/10 | 7/10 | 3/10 | 2/10 |
| Recommendation | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/ |
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Best advice depending on budget
Under £100
Get a 1080p IPS 144Hz monitor
Around £200–£300
Get a 27-inch 1440p IPS monitor
This is the best overall streamer setup today.
£700+
Only go OLED/4K if:
- you edit professionally
- make YouTube content
- or want a luxury setup
Streamnow 