Seconding the recommendation above! Honestly, cheap panels are such a gamble... I once bought a "budget" screen that was basically a smeary mess. If you want speed for Valorant, check these: 1. Acer Nitro XV272U Vbmiiprx 27" 1440p 170Hz: Faster pixel transitions.
2. ASUS TUF Gaming VG27AQ1A 27" 1440p 170Hz: Better ELMB motion blur tech. The Nitro is realy the best value for climbing ranks tbh. gl!

I went through this last year. unfortunately I had a rough time trying to save too much cash... I bought a cheap VA panel first and the ghosting in Valorant was like, literally unplayable. • Seriously, avoid cheap VA panels for comp play.
• I eventually grabbed the LG 27GL83A-B 27 inch UltraGear QHD IPS 1ms Gaming Monitor for about $279.
• Dont trust the 1ms marketing on $200 off-brands, it's usually fake tbh.

Oh man, I feel u. I moved from 1080p to 1440p last year and honestly... it changes everything for Apex. In my experience, you should definitely check out the Gigabyte M27Q 27" 170Hz 1440p Gaming Monitor. I've tried many budget displays over the years, but this one actually holds up during fast motion thanks to its Super Speed IPS tech. It basically kills ghosting, which is huge for Valorant. Plus, it's usually sitting around $280, so it fits ur budget perfectly. If you see it on sale, the LG 27GP83B-B 27" Ultragear QHD 165Hz Gaming Monitor is another solid bet, though it can creep over $300 sometimes. Honestly, going 1440p was the best thing I did for my setup... the clarity is just next level. Just make sure ur GPU can handle those extra pixels lol. gl with the rank grind!!

Just jumping in here—if you're looking at the current market, there's actually been a huge shift lately where some high-spec panels are finally hitting that sub-$300 sweet spot. While most people look at the 144Hz standards, for eSports like Valorant, the jump to 240Hz is actually starting to become affordable at 1440p if you time the sales right. * MSI G274QPX: This is a total sleeper for competitive play. It’s a 240Hz Rapid IPS panel that frequently hits $300. The motion clarity is a massive step up from 144Hz, and the input lag is negligible. Just keep in mind the stand is kind of basic.
* Dell G2724D: Dell’s calibration and firmware are industry-leading for budget gear. It’s a 165Hz Fast IPS panel that punches way above its weight class in terms of response time consistency across the entire refresh range. It’s also one of the few at this price with decent HDR support (for what that's worth in eSports).
* KTC H27T22: If you want to save maximum cash, this brand uses the same high-end AUO panels as the big names but skips the marketing markup. It’s very fast, though the OSD is a bit clunky to navigate. Honestly, if you can stretch for that MSI at 240Hz, it's a legitimate competitive advantage. The extra frames really help with tracking in fast-paced stuff like Apex. Definitely look for monitors using 'Fast IPS' or 'Rapid IPS' branding as those usually indicate the newer, low-persistence modules.