Compare the Best PC MonitorsFebruary 2020

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

In total we found 1226 PC monitors ranging from $54 to $9,999. On average, a new PC monitor costs $385 and 80% of PC screens are priced between $90 and $764. The Acer V226HQL is the cheapest PC monitor at only $54, and AOC Q2577PWQ is the most expensive at $9,999.

LCD Screen Brands - Price Range

The average price of Peerless flatpanel monitors is $5,828 which is the highest average price of all LCD screen brands. Peerless flatpanel monitors range in price from $5,828 to $5,828.

The average price of Barco flatpanel monitors is $4,223 which is the second highest average price of all flatpanel monitor brands. Barco flatpanel monitors range in price from $3,197 to $5,249.

The third highest average PC screen price out of all brands is Sony LCD screens with an average price of $3,498. Sony LCD screens start at $625 and their most expensive PC screen costs $7,874.

PC Monitor Brands - Average Ratings

We have evaluated 12,668 expert reviews and 70,238 user reviews for PC monitors and used this data to calculate the average rating for each brand of LCD screen. The top rated LCD screen brand is HP with an average rating of 87%. The second best brand is Samsung with 84% and the third best brand is LG with 83%.

Biggest PC Monitor Retailers

We found 1,335 current offers for PC monitors from eBay making it the biggest PC monitor retailer. That is over 6 times bigger than the second biggest retailer, Overstock for whom we found 218 current offers for PC monitors. The third biggest retailer is Adorama with 30 current PC monitor offers.

When Are Most New PC Displays Released?

The most common period for new LCD screens to be released in is between June and July. If you want the latest LCD screen technology you may want to consider waiting until June 2020. Also the price of the current PC monitors may drop off just before the latest models are released in June. June was the biggest month last year for new PC monitors, with 46 new PC monitors released that month. 76 new PC screens were released in July 2018 making it the biggest month that year for new PC screen releases. In September 2017, 79 new PC screens were released making it the biggest month that year for new PC display releases.

How Fast Do PC Screen Prices Drop After Release?

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

If you are prepared to wait then you could save an average of $8 on a typical $384 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 the majority of flatpanel monitors range from 24" to 28". The PC display with the biggest display diagonal is the Panasonic TH75EF1U, which is a 75" PC display and can be purchased for $1,399.97. The Logik L9DUALM13, which is available at $90.67, has the smallest display diagonal and is a 7" 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.

We found 2,162 flatpanel monitors that are flatpanel monitors that have a resolution of 1920 x 1080 (1080p) pixels, which makes 1920 x 1080 (1080p) pixels the most common display resolution amongst new flatpanel monitors. We found 274 PC monitors that are flatpanel monitors that have a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels, making 2560 x 1440 pixels 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.

Amongst new PC screens, the most frequently found energy efficiency rating is A. We found 498 PC screens that have an energy efficiency rating of A. We found 371 PC displays that have an energy efficiency rating of B, making B the second most popular energy efficiency rating amongst new PC displays.

Which Are the Cheapest Retailers for LCD Screens?

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 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. 1,148 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 flatpanel monitors by counting the number of cheapest prices for that retailer, makes the retailers that offer the greatest number of PC display prices more likely to offer the greatest number of cheapest prices. The chart below considers the proportion of each retailer's PC display prices that are the cheapest compared to other retailers. The cheapest retailer that we found using this approach was eBay. 86% of their PC screen prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.