Best budget gaming monitor in 2026: 1440p and 144 Hz for under 250?

Upgrading from an old 1080p 60 Hz office monitor. Budget is tight, around 250. Is 1440p at 144 Hz realistic at that price, and what should I not compromise on?

Realistic, yes; that segment is crowded now, which is exactly why it is cheap. What to insist on, in order:

1. 27 inch, 1440p, 144 to 180 Hz, IPS or a modern VA panel. That combination is the sweet spot; TN panels at this price look worse from any angle.
2. Adaptive sync (FreeSync, which also works with Nvidia cards as G-Sync Compatible). Non-negotiable; it is what makes 90 fps feel smooth instead of torn.
3. A DisplayPort input, because HDMI on cheap monitors sometimes caps the refresh rate.
4. Response time you can believe: ignore the "1 ms" on the box; look for reviews measuring it, and for an overdrive setting without visible overshoot.

What to ignore at this budget: HDR (it is a sticker, not a feature, under 400), curved on a 27 inch, RGB, and built-in speakers.

Check your graphics card can actually push 1440p in the games you play; a card that did 1080p at 60 will land around 40 to 50 fps at 1440p, and then the monitor is ahead of the PC. Still a good upgrade, but budget for the card next.