Introduction
If you’ve been doing some research for a time, you’ll notice that some gaming monitors do not have built-in speakers. While this can be frustrating for some who desire this feature, there’s actually several reasons why not all of them do.
When I was a brand new gamer, I wanted to have an all in one set up with speakers and a media platform like a gaming monitor. After I did some more research, I realized I could get more bang for my buck and I’ll explain some good alternative options in this article.
By the end of this article, you’ll understand more about how good integrated sound actually is, and why external speakers might be the better option for you.
So why don’t gaming monitors have speakers?
Gaming monitors don’t come with external speakers because gamers prefer to buy headsets and better external speakers than what would come built in with the monitor. Built-in speakers unnecessarily add to the cost of a gaming monitor without giving you better performance from it.
I combined my personal experience and a ton of original research to give you the best resource possible on this topic. When I was doing my research, I decided to ask the gaming community on Facebook that I am a part of and here’s what they had to say:
Did you buy built in speakers with your first monitor and why?
Even though the vast majority decides to get external speakers, there’s actually several good gaming monitors that have built-in subwoofers an offer good quality (mentioned at the bottom of this article).
Table of contents
- A decision tree that will help you decide if you should get built-in speakers
- Are gaming monitor speakers good?
- The best monitors with built-in speakers
- My favorite monitor with external speakers
Should you get a gaming monitor with built-in speakers?
I created this really simple decision tree which helped me figure out what type of monitor I should get. After I did all my research, I actually decided to go with an external desktop speaker system.
As you can see, the thought process is it really simple and should aid you greatly in your decision. If you have any further questions or comments you can reach out to me at entertainmentden.ns@gmail.com and I’ll do my best to respond. If you’ve decided to go with an all in one gaming monitor set up, then check out the next section.
Are gaming monitor speakers good?
As a general rule, built in gaming monitor speakers sound as good as your smartphone speakers. Gaming companies would rather give you a higher performing monitor for the same price than give you an all in one solution of average quality.
I spoke to Mike, a sales rep at the famous gaming store RazerStore Las Vegas, and he helped me understand this a lot better.
“ We build monitors to serve the players needs for competitive gaming, which happens to not include the need for good built in the sound quality. Our players often use headsets which removes the need for external speakers anyway.” –Mike at RazerStore Gaming
However, I am not a competitive gamer and I like to use my gaming monitor for work activities, browsing the web, and watching YouTube videos: all of which include the need for sound. Not everybody wants to have headphones in all the time whenever they’re using their computer.
So if you’re not a competitive gamer, and don’t plan on using headsets every time you sit down to game, check on the next section of this article to find the best gaming monitors with external speakers.
What are the best gaming monitors with external speakers?
While I was doing my research before buying my desktop speakers, I really wanted to find some good examples. Unfortunately, there’s only one good gaming monitor I found with external speakers.
The rest were subpar or not worth the price. This is the best one I found (and it’s because it comes with a built in subwoofer):
BenQ EX2780
It’s rare to have subwoofers that come with gaming monitors, which is why the BenQ EX series is at the top of the list. Like other quality built-in speakers, it has 2 watt speakers with a 5 watt subwoofer! Below is a raw audio test of the speakers. If you can play this video on a system with high quality sound, you’ll know exactly what you’re getting.
Important Note: in the product description, make sure that the built-in speakers are 2 Watts or more, and preferably come with a 5 Watt subwoofer.
The Best Desktop Speakers
Edifier R980T: My Personal Favorite
I got these for under $100 as a gift a few years ago and I still use them to this day. My gaming monitor didn’t come with speakers so I hooked these up like a pair of headphones and was immediately impressed.
Check out my video review of them here:
If you’re a beginner gamer, you might find yourself also trying to interpret other specs of the monitors you see online. Check out my article on If 60hz is enough for your gaming needs if this applies to you.
Creative Pebble Plus 2.1 USB
If you find yourself with a desk that has a lot of space, consider getting an integrated subwoofer (separate from the two pebble speakers). These speakers are best for gamers with large rooms who also have shelving to place these throughout. The reddit community is a massive fan of these ones.
Additional Resources
I’ve purchased several gaming monitors over the last 2 years. Of all my personal experience and research, I wrote a really helpful article on My Favorite Gaming Monitor + Five More. Check it out if you’re interested.
Choosing the right gaming monitor doesn’t have to be a complicated endeavor. While there’s many opinions on how good integrated speakers can be in a gaming monitor, I ultimately enjoyed monitors with speakers because sound quality isn’t always a huge priority. When I care about sound quality, I turn on my desktop speakers mentioned in this article.
Conclusion
Thanks for reading! If you have any questions or additional comments, you can reach me at the email provided in this article. Stay tuned for the next one!