Compare the Best PC MonitorsJuly 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.

Flatpanel Monitor Prices

The price range of flatpanel monitors is from $51 to $7,874 and in total we found prices for 1040 flatpanel monitors. A new PC screen costs on average $423 and 80% of flatpanel monitors are priced between $100 and $850. The cheapest PC display that we found is the DELL E1912H at only $51, and the most expensive is the Sony PVM2551MD at $7,874.

Flatpanel Monitor Brands - Price Range

The average price of Peerless PC monitors is $5,828 which is the highest average price of all PC monitor brands. Peerless PC monitors start at $5,828 and their most expensive PC monitor costs $5,828.

Barco PC screens range in price from $3,197 to $5,000, and the average price of Barco PC screens is $4,098 which is the second highest average price of all LCD screen brands.

Sony LCD screens start at $400 and their most expensive PC monitor costs $7,874. The average price of Sony LCD screens is $3,720 which is the third highest average price of all PC monitor brands.

LCD Screen Brands - Average Ratings

We have analysed 12,805 expert reviews and 70,567 user reviews for flatpanel monitors and used this information to determine the average rating for each brand of LCD screen. The top rated PC screen brand is HP with an average rating of 86%. The second best brand is Samsung with 84% and the third best brand is LG with 83%.

Biggest Flatpanel Monitor Retailers

The biggest PC display retailer by number of products currently for sale is eBay. We found 988 current PC display offers from eBay. The second biggest retailer is Overstock with 217 offers. That means eBay is over 4 times bigger than Overstock when it comes to PC displays. Adorama is the third biggest retailer with 35 current offers.

When Are Most New Flatpanel Monitors Released?

The most common period for new flatpanel monitors to be released in is between May and June. That means that most of the latest PC display technology was released in within the last 3 months, and now is good time to buy. June was the biggest month in 2019 for new LCD screens, with 56 new LCD screens released that month. In May 2018, 72 new LCD screens were released making it the biggest month that year for new PC display releases. 77 new PC monitors were released in September 2017 making it the biggest month that year for new flatpanel monitor releases.

How Fast Do PC Monitor Prices Drop After Release?

New flatpanel monitors drop in price by an average of 2% in the first 6 months after they were first released.

If you are prepared to wait then you could save an average of $9 on a typical $422 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.

Across the range of PC monitors, the display diagonals range from 3.5" to 95". The display diagonals of most flatpanel monitors range from 24" to 28". The Panasonic TH75EF1U, which is on sale for $1,144.49, has the biggest display diagonal and is a 75" PC monitor. The PC screen with the smallest display diagonal is the LILLIPUT FA1013S, which is a 10.1" PC screen and is on sale for $129.99.

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 popular display resolution is 1920 x 1080 (1080p) pixels. We found 2,204 PC screens that are PC screens that have a resolution of 1920 x 1080 (1080p) pixels. The second most popular display resolution amongst new PC screens is 2560 x 1440 pixels. We found 288 PC screens that are PC displays 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.

Amongst new flatpanel monitors, the most common energy efficiency rating is A. We found 532 flatpanel monitors that have an energy efficiency rating of A. B is the second most common energy efficiency rating amongst new PC screens. We found 401 PC screens that have an energy efficiency rating of B.

Which Are the Cheapest Retailers for Flatpanel Monitors?

The chart below helps you decide which retailer is normally cheapest for buying LCD screens. For each retailer it shows the total number of LCD screens 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. 813 of their PC monitor prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.

Proportion of LCD Screens for Which Each Retailer is Cheapest?

Assessing how cheap each retailer is for PC displays 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. 82.3% of their PC monitor prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.