Compare the Best PC MonitorsDecember 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 Monitor Prices

In total we found 1224 PC monitors ranging from $54 to $7,874. A new PC display costs on average $368 and 80% of PC monitors are priced between $90 and $733. The Sony PVM2551MD is the most expensive LCD screen that we found at $7,874, and the HP LV1911 is the cheapest at only $54.

Flatpanel Monitor Brands - Price Range

The average price of Peerless PC displays is $6,490 which is the highest average price of all PC screen brands. Peerless PC displays range in price from $6,490 to $6,490.

The second highest average PC screen price out of all brands is Sony flatpanel monitors with an average price of $4,856. Sony flatpanel monitors range in price from $1,975 to $7,874.

Barco PC screens start at $1,700 and their most expensive PC monitor costs $6,000. The average price of Barco PC screens is $3,899 which is the third highest average price of all PC monitor brands.

PC Screen Brands - Average Ratings

We have evaluated 12,625 expert reviews and 70,324 user reviews for PC screens and used these reviews to evaluate the average rating for each brand of flatpanel monitor. The top three PC screen brands are HP, Samsung and LG. HP has an average rating of 87%, Samsung has an average rating of 84% and LG has an average rating of 83%.

Biggest Flatpanel Monitor Retailers

We found 1,387 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 Flatpanel Monitors Released?

Over the last 3 years we couldn't see any noticeable pattern in the release month for new PC displays. The biggest month last year for new PC monitor releases was May, with 73 new LCD screens released that month. In September 2017, 78 new PC monitors were released making it the biggest month that year for new PC display releases. October was the biggest month in 2016 for new flatpanel monitors, with 138 new flatpanel monitors released that month.

How Fast Do PC Screen Prices Drop After Release?

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

If you are prepared to wait then you could save an average of $8 on a typical $367 new PC screen 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 the majority of LCD screens range from 24" to 28". The Panasonic TH75EF1U, which can be purchased for $1,626.54, has the biggest display diagonal and is a 75" PC display. The Logik L9DUALM13, which is priced at $98.62, has the smallest display diagonal and is a 7" PC 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.

We found 2,151 LCD screens that are PC displays that have a resolution of 1920 x 1080 (1080p) pixels, which makes 1920 x 1080 (1080p) pixels the most frequently found display resolution amongst new LCD screens. We found 270 PC monitors that are LCD screens that have a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels, making this the second most frequently found 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.

The most common energy efficiency rating amongst new LCD screens is A. We found 496 LCD screens that have an energy efficiency rating of A. We found 369 PC displays that have an energy efficiency rating of B, making B the second most common 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 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 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. 1,225 of their LCD 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 flatpanel monitors 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. 88.3% of their LCD screen prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.