Make the most of your work, games, or movies with the right monitor. Here’s how to shop for a new display, plus the best productivity and gaming panels we’ve tested, backed by hundreds of deep-dive reviews.
Ready to get started shopping? Regardless of the type of monitor you’re eyeing, some general factors are worth considering. Here’s a rundown of key areas to keep in mind.What Are the Price Ranges for Different Monitor Types?
Monitor prices depend on the target audience, screen size, and the features of the display. You can pick up a no-frills 22-inch or 23-inch display for $100 or less, but don’t expect such a monitor to provide niceties such as a wide variety of ports and a height-adjustable stand. Even so, such panels today do feature LED backlighting, draw little power, and are often bright enough for everyday applications. Performance is adequate for most entertainment or basic business and productivity purposes, but not well suited to tasks where color accuracy is key.
At the other end of the spectrum are high-end monitors geared toward graphic design professionals and photographers. Most of these are 27-inch to 38-inch panels that support 4K resolution (usually 3,840 by 2,160 pixels), capable of displaying four times the resolution of a typical full HD or 1080p (1,920-by-1,080-pixel) monitor. Moreover, they offer such features as highly adjustable stands, a range of ports including HDMI, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt, and USB (often including USB-C), and a wealth of advanced image settings, sometimes including color calibration hardware and software.
You can expect to pay $1,000 or more for a fully loaded, high-performance 4K or ultra-high-definition (UHD) monitor. Top-of-the-line professional monitors, some packing up to 6K resolution (around 6,000 horizontal pixels), generally cost between $2,000 and $6,000.
If you’re serious about PC or console gaming, you can find gaming monitors at just about every price point you can imagine. A few budget models go as low as $99, while ultra-premium offerings come closer than ever to merging the worlds of «gaming monitor» and «HDTV.» Of all the display categories, gaming monitors encompass the broadest spectrum of prices and feature sets, all serving slightly different markets.
Bottom line? Be prepared to pay for extras, but don’t overspend on features you’ll never use.What Size Monitor Do I Need?
Desktop computer monitors generally fall between 19 and 43 inches measured diagonally, although users with extra-large desks can choose among ultrawide displays in sizes up to 49 inches. Some displays are smaller than 19 inches; they’re either specialty panels (such as those intended for use with a Raspberry Pi) or USB-connected portable displays meant to be carried alongside laptops.
While it’s always nice to have as large a viewing area as possible, a jumbo monitor may not be practical given your desktop-space constraints. Besides, the bigger the screen, the more you can expect to pay. A 24-inch monitor is a good choice if you wish to view multipage documents or watch streaming video but have limited desk space and a tight budget. But there’s nothing like watching a movie or playing a game on a big screen, so if you have room on your desk, a 27-inch or 32-inch display delivers a superior viewing experience for a reasonable price. If space is not an issue, consider a massive curved monitor to bring a true movie-theater experience to your desktop.
If you’re looking to replace a dual-monitor setup with a single display, check out one of the ultrawide models. These are available in panel sizes ranging from 29 to 49 inches in both curved and flat varieties, feature aspect ratios of 21:9 or 32:9 instead of the familiar 16:9, and come in a variety of resolutions including 4K/UHD and Wide Quad High-Definition (WQHD, or 2,560 by 1,440 pixels). Some of these are built for productivity apps, while others are gaming-oriented. (More on the latter later.)Do I Need a Low Pixel Response Rate?
Measured in milliseconds (ms), pixel response rate is the time it takes for a display pixel to change from black to white (black-to-white response time) or to transition from one shade of gray to another (gray-to-gray response time). The faster the pixel response rate, the better the monitor will be at displaying video without showing artifacts such as ghosting or blurring of moving images. Monitors with a fast 1ms gray-to-gray response are ideal for gaming, but even monitors rated at a 6ms gray-to-gray pixel response can show games without much blurring or ghosting.
Most users won’t notice input lag, which is the time it takes for the display to react to a command, but hardcore gamers consider it a key factor and typically seek out the fastest models (lowest lag time) available. The fastest monitor we’ve seen has an input lag of less than a millisecond, but for everyday apps, you can get by with 20ms to 25ms before lag becomes a noticeable problem.Which Monitor Resolution and Aspect Ratio Is Best for What I Do?
These two factors are always intertwined but carry different considerations.
A monitor’s native resolution is the maximum number of pixels it can display, both horizontally and vertically. For example, a monitor with a 1,920-by-1,080-pixel native resolution shows 1,920 pixels across the width of the screen and 1,080 from top to bottom. The higher the resolution, the more information can be displayed on the screen.
These days, many monitors in the 22-to-27-inch range have a native resolution of 1,920 by 1,080 pixels and are referred to as full HD or 1080p displays. You’ll also see plenty of displays from 24 to 32 inches that offer WQHD (2,560-by-1,440-pixel or 1440p) native resolution. Stepping up to a UHD or 4K (3,840-by-2,160-pixel) monitor usually means a 27-inch or larger screen, although we’ve seen a few 24-inch models. UHD monitors are ideal for viewing highly detailed images or looking at multiple pages in a tiled or side-by-side format.
The best aspect ratio for your monitor depends on how you intend to use it most. For digital content creators, a 16:10 ratio might be preferable (offering a bit extra vertical space for toolbars and such). But the 16:9 aspect ratio of 1080p and 4K screens is by far the most common among desktop monitors, though that dominance has been chipped away in recent years by the ultrawide formats.
As ultrawide panels with 21:9 aspect ratios have reached the top of the wish lists of both gamers (especially simulation gamers) and productivity users, monitor manufacturers have responded in kind, and what used to be a fringe aspect ratio is becoming increasingly popular, Ultrawide monitors are impressive in their own right, but for people who want the ultimate productivity panel or an immersive gaming experience unlike any other, a 32:9 monitor might be the way to go. Still, these super-wide panels are causing even old-school enthusiasts to ask themselves, «How wide is too wide?»Which Major Features Should I Look for in a Monitor?
If you have to share a display with a coworker or family member, consider a model with an ergonomic stand that lets you position the screen for your most comfortable viewing angle. A fully adjustable stand offers tilt, swivel, and height adjustments, and lets you pivot or rotate the screen between landscape and portrait (horizontal and vertical) orientation. If you tend to attach and detach USB devices often, look for a monitor with built-in USB ports. Ideally, at least two of these ports will be mounted on the side of the cabinet, making it easy to plug in flash drives and other USB peripherals.
Many monitors come with built-in speakers that are adequate for everyday use but lack the volume and bass response to satisfy music aficionados and gamers. If audio output is important, look for speakers with a minimum rating of 2 watts per speaker. As a general rule, the higher the power rating, the more volume you can expect, so if you want a monitor with a little extra audio pop, check the specs. Some monitors lack speakers altogether, but you can add external speakers that may give you better sound than typical monitor speakers.
Finally, glossy-surfaced screens can provide very bright, crisp colors, but they may also be too reflective for some users. If possible, compare a glossy screen to a matte screen before you buy to decide which works best for you.
Many monitors come with a feature known as high dynamic range or HDR, which can drastically boost the vividness and contrast of a display depending on the rating.
