Compare the Best PC MonitorsMarch 2019

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

In total we found 1296 PC displays ranging from $53 to $7,874. On average, a new PC monitor costs $405 and 80% of PC displays are priced between $99 and $800. The cheapest flatpanel monitor that we found is the HP 25e at only $53, and the most expensive is the Sony PVM2551MD at $7,874.

LCD Screen Brands - Price Range

The highest average PC screen price out of all brands is Peerless PC screens with an average price of $6,490. Peerless PC screens start at $6,490 and their most expensive PC screen costs $6,490.

The average price of Barco PC displays is $4,100 which is the second highest average price of all LCD screen brands. Barco PC displays range in price from $1,700 to $6,500.

The average price of Sony PC monitors is $3,701 which is the third highest average price of all LCD screen brands. Sony PC monitors start at $1,510 and their most expensive LCD screen costs $7,874.

LCD Screen Brands - Average Ratings

We have evaluated 12,276 expert reviews and 68,435 user reviews for flatpanel monitors and used this data to determine the average rating for each brand of LCD screen. The top rated LCD screen brand is HP with an average rating of 88%. The second best brand is DELL with 88% and the third best brand is Lenovo with 87%.

Biggest Flatpanel Monitor Retailers

The biggest flatpanel monitor retailer by number of products currently for sale is eBay. We found 1,507 current flatpanel monitor offers from eBay. The second biggest retailer is Newegg US with 402 offers. That means eBay is over 3 times bigger than Newegg US when it comes to PC monitors. Adorama is the third biggest retailer with 353 current offers.

When Are Most New Flatpanel Monitors Released?

Over the last 3 years we couldn't see any evident pattern in the release month for new PC displays. The biggest month in 2018 for new PC screen releases was May, with 78 new PC monitors released that month. September was the biggest month in 2017 for new PC displays, with 78 new PC displays released that month. In October 2016, 141 new PC displays were released making it the biggest month that year for new PC monitor releases.

How Fast Do PC Display Prices Drop After Release?

On average, in the first 6 months after release, PC monitors drop in price by 2%. If you are prepared to wait then you could save an average of $6 on a typical $404 new flatpanel monitor 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.

Comparing all LCD screens, the display diagonals range from 3.5" to 95". The display diagonals of most PC screens range from 24" to 28". The PC display with the biggest display diagonal is the NEC E805, which is an 80" PC monitor and is available at $3,799.99. The Sony LMD-941W, which is on sale for $1,979.00, has the smallest display diagonal and is a 9" flatpanel monitor.

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.

Amongst new PC screens, the most popular display resolution is 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) pixels. We found 2,125 PC screens that are flatpanel monitors that have a resolution of 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) pixels. The second most popular display resolution amongst new LCD screens is 2560 x 1440 pixels. We found 255 LCD screens that are flatpanel monitors that have a resolution of 2560 x 1440 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.

The most popular energy efficiency rating amongst new PC monitors is A. We found 420 PC monitors that have an energy efficiency rating of A. We found 358 LCD screens that have an energy efficiency rating of B, making B the second most common energy efficiency rating amongst new LCD screens.

Which Are the Cheapest Retailers for PC Displays?

The chart below helps you decide which retailer is normally cheapest for buying PC displays. For each retailer it shows the total number of PC displays where they currently have a market leading price. The chart below helps you decide which retailer is normally cheapest for buying flatpanel monitors. 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. 1,370 of their PC display 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 LCD screen prices more likely to offer the greatest number of cheapest prices. The chart below considers the proportion of each retailer's LCD screen prices that are the cheapest compared to other retailers. The cheapest retailer that we found using this approach was eBay. 90.9% of their PC monitor prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.