Do Gaming Monitors Have Speakers? (Explained)

PC monitors aren’t specifically famous for putting out powerful sounds.

Some PC monitors don’t even come with speakers as producing sound isn’t their primary function.

For audiophiles, monitor speakers aren’t even an option because they can’t deliver hi-fi outputs no matter how powerful they are.

However, manufacturers have felt the need for more complete setups to give users less complicated options.

You may wonder if that’s also the case with gaming monitors.

Do they come with built-in speakers, or do you need to purchase external speakers when you get a new gaming monitor?

Do Gaming Monitors Have Speakers?

Not all gaming monitors have built-in speakers because they would increase the size and price.

In addition, integrated monitors don’t have the sound quality that a dedicated speaker can produce.

However, more and more manufacturers are offering new products with built-in speakers to eliminate the need for external ones.

This way, they help users reduce clutter and have one less component to search for while setting up their gaming rigs.

These gaming monitors come with powerful speakers that, although not comparable to dedicated speakers, can produce the high-quality sound required for a decent gaming experience.

Gaming Monitors With Speakers

Historically, monitors have focused on delivering the best images, especially for purposes that require high image quality, such as gaming or video editing.

Monitors, unlike TVs, didn’t need to offer sound solutions, and users compensated for that by getting external speakers or headsets.

The only sound solution they came with was the sound card that turned digital signals into analog and vice versa.

Then, the users could listen to the sound via the headphone or external speakers.

In addition, built-in speakers came with some other disadvantages, including the following:

Offering a monitor with built-in speakers would be an unnecessary additional cost.

Users could save more by buying a monitor without a built-in speaker and getting high-quality headphones or an external speaker.

Plus, most built-in speakers didn’t have the quality required for gaming or listening to music.

The users would have had to buy the external speakers anyway.

However, the landscape has changed, and monitors are becoming more and more like TVs.

Today, many famous manufacturers offer monitors with high-quality built-in speakers.

These gaming monitors with built-in speakers are a response to the ever-growing need of gamers for high-quality speakers that can deliver today’s game sounds.

In addition, many users prefer an all-in-one device that can do different tasks to avoid clutter and confusion.

They want a gaming monitor that allows them to watch movies and perform more demanding jobs like video editing.

These high-end gaming monitors with built-in speakers may be pricier than others, but they eliminate the need for external speakers because they deliver a precise and clear sound.

There’s a catch, though.

Most gaming monitors with built-in speakers come with 2W speakers, which may not be enough for an immersive gaming experience.

Buying an external pair of speakers is a decision you should make based on your gaming preferences.

Here are the most important advantages and disadvantages of monitors with built-in speakers.

Advantages

You don’t need to set up external devices.

This saves you time because you don’t need to look for compatible speakers that can deliver your desired sound.

These monitors are hassle-free, and you can use them right out of the box.

That means there are much fewer cables and wires that you need to figure out where to put and how to organize and avoid clutter and mess.

Disadvantages

Although the technology has improved, you may not get the sound quality you expect from internal speakers.

In most cases, internal speakers can’t compete with dedicated ones because they’re less powerful and have the same quality as a smartphone.

Therefore, you may just have a bulky monitor with more bezel, which doesn’t sound good either.

These built-in speakers also have a bass that makes music not as enjoyable as you want.

Best Gaming Monitors With Built-in Speakers

If you don’t want to pay extra dollars for an external set of speakers, you don’t need to put up with the muffled sound that most monitors deliver.

You can find many top-of-the-line gaming monitors that combine gaming-level image quality with a booming sound output made possible by the new technologies.

Here are some of the best gaming monitors with built-in speakers.

1. ASUS TUF VG27AQ

This 27” gaming monitor features an IPS panel with LED backlighting and a 100% RGB color gamut.

It packs the standard features required for a gaming monitor with a response time of 1ms and a 165Hz refresh rate.

However, what sets it apart from other gaming monitors is the 2 X 2W speakers that eliminate the need for external speakers.

You can still connect different sound devices via its ports and earphone jack.

Other features include HDR10, G-Sync compatibility, ELMB SYNC, and 178-degree viewing angles.

2. BenQ EX2789

This 27” monitor with QHD technology and an IPS panel is another great gaming monitor with a built-in speaker.

It also comes with a 5W woofer that further boosts the sound quality.

Although it comes with a 5ms response time, which is low, with most gaming monitors offering 1ms of response time, the 144Hz refresh rate compensates for that.

3. GIGABYTE G27Q

The G27Q is a budget-friendly gaming monitor that gives you a decent gaming experience with its IPS 1440p display.

This 27” monitor comes with 8-bit color coverage and HDR capability.

It’s also FreeSync and G-Sync compatible, although it may not be aesthetically pleasing in terms of visual design.

Moreover, it comes with a pair of 2W built-in speakers, which may not give an immersive sound experience, but they can get the job done if you don’t have external speakers.

Do You Need External Speakers for Gaming?

If you’re new to gaming, you may not know whether to buy a monitor with built-in speakers or if you’ll need external speakers regardless of the monitor.

The good thing about gaming monitors with built-in speakers is that the additional component doesn’t make the designers skimp on other features.

You’ll have the same essential features, such as refresh rate and response time, in monitors with and without integrated speakers.

While this decision can depend on your personal preferences, other factors can help you make an informed decision.

Here are the most important ones:

1. The Games You Play

If you only need speakers to listen to your playmates while chatting or only listen to dialogue inside the game, you may not need a high-quality external speaker as the monitor’s built-in speakers will do the job.

However, today’s games use sound clues just like graphics to convey messages inside the game.

For example, you’ll need sound clues in action games to get aware of situations and directions.

Plus, a big part of enjoying the game comes from your ability to hear the narrational sounds to depict a clear picture of what’s going on inside the game.

If these factors are more important than chatting with your friends in multiplayer games, you may want to go for external speakers.

2. Other Activities You Perform On Your Computer

If you use your gaming computer for other activities, you should decide whether a high sound quality affects those activities or not.

For example, if you watch movies on your gaming PC, you may want to get external speakers to enjoy the movie with high sound quality.

Listening to hi-res music is another activity that calls for a high-end set of external speakers that can put out crisp sound and give you an audiophile-grade experience.

If you get a gaming monitor with internal speakers and a subwoofer, you can have a setup that’s on par with a 2.1 system.

This way, you can have your desired bass, although it’s not the sound quality you’d get from a 5.1 surround home-theater system.

As a result, if you look for surround sound, you may want to go for external speakers because integrated speakers are essential stereo speakers.

3. Your Surrounding Environment

If you play in a room that doesn’t have enough sound insulation, you may decide to go without speakers and play games with headphones.

That’s particularly true if you chat with your friends and need a microphone with your speakers.

You may not need a monitor with built-in speakers if you don’t want to disturb neighbors with your sound system.

This choice will only add to your costs because you’ll have to pay for the extra feature integrated into the monitor and buy a separate headset.

As a result, you’ll never use the feature, even though you paid for it.

You could buy a better-looking, slimmer monitor at the same price.

If you get a headset instead of an external speaker, you’ll need less space, just like the built-in speakers.

However, it may be more inconvenient than speakers, especially if you don’t like wearing headsets all the time.

In addition, if you want to play games or watch movies with your friends and family, you’ll need external or internal speakers.

4. Budget

One of the essential considerations in getting a decent gaming setup is budget, which can affect how many things you can get.

If money isn’t a thing, you may go for external speakers because internal speakers can’t compete with them no matter how strong they are.

In addition, you should consider the electricity bill that goes up with using these external components.

It’s an ongoing expense that would be absent with built-in speakers.

How To Choose Speakers For Gaming

Suppose you finally decide that your gaming experience will be better with external speakers than with built-in speakers.

In that case, you may need to choose among the many speakers available on the market.

While you need to consider your budget and other activities you do on your PC, the following are the most important factors to consider.

1. Space

While many gamers prefer 2.0 or 2.1 speaker setups since it’s enough for most gaming purposes, you may also want to consider your room size.

If you have a large room, you could consider getting 5.1 speakers, provided that you don’t have sensitive neighbors.

Still, without a 5.1 setup, you wouldn’t miss that much because a 2.1 is a great improvement over built-in speakers and will get the job done.

Even if you get a 2.1 setup, you should consider your space limitations in choosing the type of speakers.

For example, a soundbar would be a better option for a small room than a speaker and a subwoofer.

2. PC Specs

If you have an older PC, it may not support the 5.1 speaker setup since old sound cards only support 2.1 speakers.

You should also look at your monitor or case’s output jacks and ensure they can support a 5.1 setup.

These setups come with a subwoofer that requires a dedicated output port on the case.

If it doesn’t have one, you can’t connect the subwoofer to the PC, or you’ll have to connect it to other ports.

3. Speaker Features

This is the most difficult part because you have to choose from thousands of options.

You need to look into the speaker’s specs and decide which ones you prefer.

You could start with the simpler considerations like the size and the number of channels to fit your room size and gaming purposes.

You should also check its connectivity options to connect the speaker to the case or the monitor.

Bluetooth connectivity, headphone jacks, AUX, NFC, Optical ports, and different USB ports are a big plus.

Another thing to consider is the number of tweeters and if it comes with a subwoofer.

A subwoofer may not be essential for playing games, but it’s a big feature if you listen to music or watch movies.

One of the essential speaker features is the power output.

Expressed in watts, the power output shows how powerful the speakers are in receiving electricity without breaking.

The higher the wattage, the higher the volume.

However, you won’t need a speaker with more than 40 watts of power for gaming.

These power features are essential because your sound card should be powerful enough to drive the speakers.

You’ll need an amplifier if you get a speaker too powerful for your sound card.

Surround sound is another factor that you should consider.

If you want the ultimate realistic gaming experience, look for speakers with surround features.

This feature comes in handy with most of today’s games that have cinematic scenes.

It can give you an edge over your competitors by creating a more realistic surrounding environment in which you can detect your enemies using audible cues.

You may also want to consider what type of speaker to get in terms of its physical features.

You can choose from floor standing, bookshelf, in-wall, in-ceiling, portable speakers, or soundbars.

All these decisions are affected by your space and how dedicated you want your speakers to be.

You could even use smart speakers, such as Amazon Echo or Google Nest audio, which also work on voice commands.

Other features that can come in handy include remote control and an app that can give you extra freedom in controlling the speakers.

If all these features seem confusing and overwhelming, you may want to stick with the two-channel setup with a left and right speaker.

It doesn’t need much space and serves all your gaming purposes.