If your favourite PC games are competitive shooters, then a high refresh rate monitor is an essential upgrade in my eyes – the reduced input lag and improved visual clarity makes a huge difference in games like Counter-Strike, Valorant, Fortnite and Call of Duty. 144Hz and 165Hz monitors used to be the norm, but now even faster monitors are becoming quite affordable – including this 280Hz Acer monitor that’s dropped to £180 at Laptops Direct, down from an original price of £275.