Compare the Best PC MonitorsJune 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.

PC Display Prices

PC displays range in price from $65 to $12,499 and in total we found prices for 669 PC displays. On average, a new flatpanel monitor costs $518 and 80% of PC monitors are priced between $116 and $937. The HP V194 is the cheapest LCD screen at only $65, and NEC MD302C6 is the most expensive at $12,499.

LCD Screen Brands - Price Range

The highest average flatpanel monitor price out of all brands is Sony PC monitors with an average price of $2,657. Sony PC monitors range in price from $970 to $4,450.

Eizo PC displays range in price from $380 to $5,739, and the second highest average PC screen price out of all brands is Eizo PC displays with an average price of $1,905.

The third highest average PC monitor price out of all brands is NEC LCD screens with an average price of $1,713. NEC LCD screens start at $99 and their most expensive PC monitor costs $12,499.

PC Display Brands - Average Ratings

We have checked 10,074 expert reviews and 108,010 user reviews for PC monitors from across the internet and used these reviews to evaluate the average rating for each brand of LCD screen. NEC is the top rated LCD screen brand with an average rating of 88%. Benq is the second best brand with 88% and Eizo is the third best brand with 88%.

Biggest PC Screen Retailers

The biggest PC display retailer by number of products currently for sale is eBay. We found 1,404 current PC display offers from eBay. The second biggest retailer is Amazon US with 1,054 offers. That means eBay is significantly bigger than Amazon US when it comes to PC screens. B&H Photo is the third biggest retailer with 391 current offers.

When Are Most New PC Displays Released?

The most common period for new PC displays to be released in is between September and October. For the latest PC screen features you may want to think about waiting until September 2018. Also the price of the current LCD screens may drop off just before the latest models are released in September. September was the biggest month last year for new PC displays, with 82 new PC displays released that month. In October 2016 144 new LCD screens were released making it the biggest month that year for new LCD screen releases. In 2015 most new LCD screens were released in July, with 103 new LCD screens released that month.

How Fast Do Flatpanel Monitor Prices Drop After Release?

In the first 6 months after release, PC screens drop in price by 3% on average. If you are prepared to wait then you could save an average of $16 on a typical $515 new PC display 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 displays range from 3.5" to 95". The display diagonals of most PC displays range from 24" to 28". The NEC X841UHD-2, which can be purchased for $4,619.49, has the biggest display diagonal and is an 84" PC display. The LCD screen with the smallest display diagonal is the Sony LMD-941W, which is a 9" PC monitor and currently retails for $2,099.95.

Display Resolutions

This 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 1,883 PC screens that are PC displays that have a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, which makes this the most frequently found display resolution amongst new PC screens. We found 223 PC monitors that are PC displays that have a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels, making this the second most common display resolution amongst new PC monitors.

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.

We found 331 PC displays that have an energy efficiency rating of A, which makes A the most common energy efficiency rating amongst new PC displays. We found 284 PC displays that have an energy efficiency rating of A+, making this the second most frequently found energy efficiency rating amongst new PC displays.

Which Are the Cheapest Retailers for Flatpanel Monitors?

The chart below helps you decide which retailer is normally cheapest for buying flatpanel monitors. For each retailer it shows the total number of flatpanel monitors where they currently have a market leading price. The chart below helps you decide which retailer is normally cheapest for buying LCD screens. 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. 919 of their PC screen prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.

Proportion of Flatpanel Monitors for Which Each Retailer is Cheapest?

Assessing how cheap each retailer is for PC screens 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. 65.5% of their PC display prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.