Compare the Best PC MonitorsAugust 2018

Finding the right PC monitor is easy if you know the basics about screen sizes, resolution and features. There are some great offers around and with newer technologies and higher resolution models becoming available, prices tend to drop significantly for well established models.

4K computer monitors offer an ultra-high resolution allowing for a huge amount of information to be displayed on the screen. Full HD screens in popular sizes between 19 and 24 inches are now very affordable and many retailers have time-limited deals available so it is always worth comparing prices to find a bargain.

Most computer monitors are from brands including BenQ, Asus, Dell, Hanns G, HP, LG and Samsung. Our buying guide will give you an overview of the specifications and features to look out for so you can buy your next computer screen with confidence.

Screen Sizes

Computer monitors come in sizes ranging from a tiny 7 inches to a huge 70 inches although sizes between 19 and 24 inches are most common.

For basic web browsing and simple tasks a monitor between 19-21 inches will be sufficient. If you need more space to display photos, watch movies sort have multiple documents open at the same time, a monitor between 22-24 inches will be a good choice for your home or office. Even larger displays in the 40 or 50 inch range can replace a multi-monitor setup and show a number of charts and documents simultaneously.

Aspect Ratio

Most popular monitors have an aspect ratio of 16:9, making them ideal to watch movies and display documents side-by-side. Some monitors have a aspect ratio of 16:10. This gives slightly more space vertically but results in black bars at the top and bottom of the screen when viewing 16:9 movies.

A monitor aspect ratio of 4:3 used to be the norm although this is now less common and widescreen monitors have established themselves as the new standard.

Resolution

Before buying a monitor, make sure you check the output resolution of your graphics card to ensure the monitor’s native resolution is supported.

Connectivity

Picture Quality

Features

VESA/Wall Mountable

The Video Electronics Standards Association has defined a standard called the Flat Display Mounting Interface (FDMI), also known as VESA Mounting Interface Standard (MIS) or simply ‘VESA mount”, which allows flat panel displays including TVs and monitors to be mounted to stands and wall mounts using the same interface. If you are planning not to use the monitor’s stand but mount it, look out for compatibility with VESA mounts.

Adjustability

Depending on where you want to position the monitor, it will be an advantage to make adjustments to the monitor’s placement quickly. Look for a monitor that’s height adjustable unless you are planning to use an adjustable monitor stand. Some monitors also have tilt adjustments and a swivelling base to improve your set-up.

Flatpanel Monitor Prices

PC displays range in price from $53 to $9,999 and in total we found prices for 1501 PC displays. A new PC monitor costs on average $466 and 80% of LCD screens are priced between $100 and $900. The Barco Coronis Fusion 6MP is the most expensive PC display that we found at $9,999, and the HP 25e is the cheapest at only $53.

PC Screen Brands - Price Range

Barco PC monitors start at $1,650 and their most expensive PC display costs $9,999. The highest average PC display price out of all brands is Barco PC monitors with an average price of $4,348.

The average price of Sony PC monitors is $3,065 which is the second highest average price of all PC display brands. Sony PC monitors range in price from $320 to $7,874.

The third highest average PC display price out of all brands is JVC LCD screens with an average price of $1,800. JVC LCD screens range in price from $1,800 to $1,800.

PC Display Brands - Average Ratings

We have analysed 9,730 expert reviews and 106,974 user reviews for LCD screens available online and used this data to calculate the average rating for each brand of flatpanel monitor. The top rated PC display brand is NEC with an average rating of 90%. The second best brand is Benq with 88% and the third best brand is Eizo with 88%.

Biggest PC Monitor Retailers

We found 1,401 current offers for PC monitors from eBay making it the biggest PC monitor retailer. That is slightly bigger than the second biggest retailer, Amazon US for whom we found 1,234 current offers for PC monitors. The third biggest retailer is B&H Photo with 446 current PC monitor offers.

When Are Most New PC Displays Released?

The most common period for new PC monitors to be released in is between September and October. If you wait until September 2018 then you might be able to get better features on your LCD screen. Alternatively you might be able to buy one of the current LCD screens cheaper in September once the latest models have been released. In September 2017 102 new PC screens were released making it the biggest month that year for new PC screen releases. The biggest month in 2016 for new PC display releases was October, with 148 new LCD screens released that month. July was the biggest month in 2015 for new LCD screens, with 97 new LCD screens released that month.

How Fast Do PC Display Prices Drop After Release?

On average PC screens drop in price by 0% in the first 6 months after release. If you are prepared to wait then you could save an average of $2 on a typical $465 new PC screen by waiting 6 months before buying.

Display Diagonals

The display diagonal is a measure of the size of the monitor. It is measured from one corner of the screen to the diagonally opposite corner of the screen.

The display diagonals of PC monitors range from 3.5" to 95". The display diagonals of most LCD screens range from 24" to 28". The NEC E805, which is on sale for $4,399.63, has the biggest display diagonal and is an 80" PC monitor. The PC screen with the smallest display diagonal is the Marshall Electronics V-LCD70W-SH, which is a 7" flatpanel monitor and currently retails for $509.00.

Display Resolutions

'Display Resolution' indicates the maximum resolution that the monitor is capable of displaying. 'Resolution' is the amount of pixels that make up the image displayed on the screen.

We found 2,076 PC screens that are PC screens that have a resolution of 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) pixels, which makes this the most common display resolution amongst new PC screens. 1366 x 768 pixels is the second most common display resolution amongst new flatpanel monitors. We found 213 flatpanel monitors that are LCD screens that have a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels.

Energy Efficiency of PC Monitors

The Energy Efficiency Class of a monitor shows how well it uses energy, and how much is unnecessarily wasted. Products are ranked from G to A++ in terms of how little energy they use compared to the norm.

A is the most frequently found energy efficiency rating amongst new PC screens. We found 409 PC screens that have an energy efficiency rating of A. We found 364 flatpanel monitors that have an energy efficiency rating of B, making this the second most common energy efficiency rating amongst new flatpanel monitors.

Which Are the Cheapest Retailers for Flatpanel Monitors?

The chart below helps you decide which retailer is normally cheapest for buying PC monitors. For each retailer it shows the total number of PC monitors where they currently have a market leading price. The chart below helps you decide which retailer is normally cheapest for buying PC displays. For each retailer we took all of their prices and looked at what proportion of those prices where the cheapest on the market. The cheapest retailer that we found was eBay. 881 of their PC monitor prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.

Proportion of PC Monitors for Which Each Retailer is Cheapest?

Assessing how cheap each retailer is for flatpanel monitors by counting the number of cheapest prices for that retailer, makes the retailers that offer the greatest number of flatpanel monitor prices more likely to offer the greatest number of cheapest prices. The chart below considers the proportion of each retailer's flatpanel monitor prices that are the cheapest compared to other retailers. The cheapest retailer that we found using this approach was eBay. 62.9% of their LCD screen prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.