Compare the Best PC MonitorsAugust 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 Screen Prices

We currently list 1335 flatpanel monitors ranging from $53 to $7,874. On average, a new PC monitor costs $380 and 80% of PC screens are priced between $90 and $748. The HP EliteDisplay E201 is the cheapest PC screen at only $54, and Sony PVM2551MD is the most expensive at $7,874.

PC Monitor Brands - Price Range

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

The second highest average PC monitor price out of all brands is Sony PC screens with an average price of $4,020. Sony PC screens range in price from $1,510 to $7,874.

The third highest average PC display price out of all brands is Barco LCD screens with an average price of $2,848. Barco LCD screens start at $1,700 and their most expensive PC display costs $3,996.

PC Display Brands - Average Ratings

We have checked 12,593 expert reviews and 70,467 user reviews for flatpanel monitors and used this information to calculate the average rating for each brand of PC display. HP is the top rated flatpanel monitor brand with an average rating of 86%. Samsung is the second best brand with 84% and LG is the third best brand with 83%.

Biggest PC Screen Retailers

The biggest PC display retailer by number of products currently for sale is eBay. We found 1,510 current PC display offers from eBay. The second biggest retailer is B&H Photo with 395 offers. That means eBay is over 3 times bigger than B&H Photo when it comes to PC monitors. Adorama is the third biggest retailer with 338 current offers.

When Are Most New PC Displays Released?

Over the last 3 years we couldn't see any obvious trend in the release month for new PC screens. May was the biggest month last year for new PC displays, with 73 new PC displays released that month. In 2017 most new LCD screens were released in September, with 79 new LCD screens released that month. 139 new PC screens were released in October 2016 making it the biggest month that year for new PC monitor releases.

How Fast Do PC Monitor Prices Drop After Release?

On average LCD screens drop in price by 2% in the first 6 months after release.

That means a saving of $8 on a typical $380 new LCD screen if you wait 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 LCD screens range from 3.5" to 95". The display diagonals of most PC displays range from 24" to 28". The flatpanel monitor with the biggest display diagonal is the NEC E805AVT, which is an 80" PC display and is priced at $3,199.99. The Sony LMD-941W, which can be purchased for $1,975.00, has the smallest display diagonal and is a 9" LCD screen.

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.

1920 x 1080 (1080p) pixels is the most popular display resolution amongst new PC displays. We found 2,142 PC displays that are PC displays that have a resolution of 1920 x 1080 (1080p) pixels. The second most popular display resolution amongst new PC monitors is 2560 x 1440 pixels. We found 265 PC monitors 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 frequently found energy efficiency rating amongst new PC displays is A. We found 484 PC displays that have an energy efficiency rating of A. We found 368 PC displays that have an energy efficiency rating of B, making this the second most popular 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 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 PC 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. 1,266 of their LCD screen prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.

Proportion of PC Screens 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 PC screen prices more likely to offer the greatest number of cheapest prices. The chart below considers the proportion of each retailer's PC screen prices that are the cheapest compared to other retailers. The cheapest retailer that we found using this approach was eBay. 83.8% of their PC screen prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.