Compare the Best PC MonitorsMay 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.

LCD Screen Prices

In total we found 1344 PC monitors ranging from $53 to $7,874. The average price of a new LCD screen is $388 and the 80% of flatpanel monitors are priced between $90 and $786. The most expensive PC monitor that we found is the Sony PVM2551MD at $7,874, and the cheapest is the DELL P190S at only $54.

PC Display Brands - Price Range

The highest average PC display price out of all brands is Peerless flatpanel monitors with an average price of $6,490. Peerless flatpanel monitors range in price from $6,490 to $6,490.

Sony LCD screens start at $1,510 and their most expensive LCD screen costs $7,874. The average price of Sony LCD screens is $4,566 which is the second highest average price of all LCD screen brands.

ViewZ PC monitors start at $741 and their most expensive PC display costs $3,162. The third highest average PC display price out of all brands is ViewZ PC monitors with an average price of $2,022.

PC Monitor Brands - Average Ratings

We have evaluated 12,570 expert reviews and 71,099 user reviews for PC monitors and used this data to determine the average rating for each brand of PC monitor. The top rated flatpanel monitor brand is HP with an average rating of 89%. The second best brand is DELL with 88% and the third best brand is Lenovo with 87%.

Biggest PC Monitor Retailers

We found 1,529 current offers for PC displays from eBay making it the biggest LCD screen retailer. That is over 3 times bigger than the second biggest retailer, Newegg US for whom we found 392 current offers for PC displays. The third biggest retailer is Adorama with 344 current LCD screen offers.

When Are Most New PC Displays Released?

We looked at the release dates for new LCD screens over the last 3 years, but couldn't see any clear pattern. 77 new PC monitors were released in May 2018 making it the biggest month that year for new LCD screen releases. September was the biggest month in 2017 for new PC screens, with 78 new PC screens released that month. In October 2016, 140 new LCD screens were released making it the biggest month that year for new flatpanel monitor releases.

How Fast Do PC Monitor Prices Drop After Release?

In the first 6 months after release, flatpanel monitors drop in price by 2% on average. That means that on a typical PC monitor costing $387 you could save on average $8 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.

Across the range of PC screens, the display diagonals range from 3.5" to 95". The display diagonals of the majority of PC screens range from 24" to 28". The PC display with the biggest display diagonal is the NEC E805AVT, which is an 80" PC monitor and is on sale for $2,999.99. The ADTECHNO CL1012N, which currently retails for $456.99, has the smallest display diagonal and is a 10.1" 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 common display resolution is 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) pixels. We found 2,134 PC screens that are PC screens that have a resolution of 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) pixels. The second most popular display resolution amongst new PC monitors is 2560 x 1440 pixels. We found 259 PC monitors that are PC screens 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 screens is A. We found 475 PC screens that have an energy efficiency rating of A. We found 361 PC monitors that have an energy efficiency rating of B, making B the second most frequently found energy efficiency rating amongst new PC monitors.

Which Are the Cheapest Retailers for PC Screens?

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 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. 1,395 of their flatpanel 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 LCD 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. 91.2% of their PC display prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.