Compare the Best PC MonitorsMay 2018

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

We currently list 1460 LCD screens ranging from $54 to $10,999. The average price of a new PC screen is $476 and the 80% of PC displays are priced between $100 and $899. The Barco MDMG-5221 is the most expensive PC display that we found at $10,999, and the Planar PLL1910M is the cheapest at only $54.

LCD Screen Brands - Price Range

Barco PC monitors range in price from $2,800 to $10,999, and the highest average PC screen price out of all brands is Barco PC monitors with an average price of $6,743.

The average price of Sony PC displays is $2,645 which is the second highest average price of all LCD screen brands. Sony PC displays range in price from $320 to $7,874.

The average price of Wacom PC displays is $1,700 which is the third highest average price of all PC monitor brands. Wacom PC displays start at $1,700 and their most expensive PC monitor costs $1,700.

PC Display Brands - Average Ratings

We have analysed 10,034 expert reviews and 106,398 user reviews for LCD screens from across the internet and used these reviews to determine the average rating for each brand of PC display. The top three PC monitor brands are Benq, Eizo and DELL. Benq has an average rating of 88%, Eizo has an average rating of 88% and DELL has an average rating of 88%.

Biggest LCD Screen Retailers

The biggest PC screen retailer by number of products currently for sale is eBay. We found 1,345 current PC screen offers from eBay. The second biggest retailer is Amazon US with 970 offers. That means eBay is significantly bigger than Amazon US when it comes to LCD screens. B&H Photo is the third biggest retailer with 385 current offers.

When Are Most New PC Monitors Released?

We couldn't see any evident pattern in the release dates for new flatpanel monitors over the last 3 years. In 2017 most new PC monitors were released in July, with 86 new PC monitors released that month. The biggest month in 2016 for new PC screen releases was October, with 150 new PC screens released that month. In July 2015 93 new LCD screens were released making it the biggest month that year for new PC screen releases.

How Fast Do PC Screen Prices Drop After Release?

New PC monitors drop in price by an average of 2% in the first 6 months after they wer first released. If you are prepared to wait then you could save an average of $9 on a typical $475 new LCD 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.

The display diagonals of PC monitors range from 3.5" to 95". The display diagonals of most PC monitors range from 24" to 28". The PC screen with the biggest display diagonal is the NEC X841UHD-2, which is an 84" flatpanel monitor and currently retails for $4,619.49. The JVC DT-X51HX3, which is on sale for $1,695.00, has the smallest display diagonal and is a 5" LCD screen.

Display Resolutions

This 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 1,880 flatpanel monitors that are PC monitors that have a resolution of 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) pixels, which makes this the most common display resolution amongst new flatpanel monitors. 1366 x 768 pixels is the second most frequently found display resolution amongst new LCD screens. We found 216 LCD screens that are PC screens that have a resolution of 1366 x 768 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 common energy efficiency rating amongst new PC monitors is A+++. We found 646 PC monitors that have an energy efficiency rating of A+++. The second most popular energy efficiency rating amongst new PC monitors is B. We found 290 PC monitors that have an energy efficiency rating of B.

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. 898 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 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. 66.8% of their PC screen prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.