Compare the Best PC MonitorsJune 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

PC screens range in price from $53 to $9,107 and in total we found prices for 1502 PC screens. On average, a new PC monitor costs $479 and 80% of PC screens are priced between $100 and $899. The HP 25e is the cheapest PC screen at only $53, and iiyama GE2488HS is the most expensive at $9,106.

PC Display Brands - Price Range

The highest average PC screen price out of all brands is Barco flatpanel monitors with an average price of $4,517. Barco flatpanel monitors start at $494 and their most expensive PC screen costs $8,499.

The average price of Sony PC displays is $2,984 which is the second highest average price of all PC display brands. Sony PC displays start at $320 and their most expensive PC display costs $7,874.

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

PC Screen Brands - Average Ratings

We have analysed 9,820 expert reviews and 104,544 user reviews for LCD screens and used this data to evaluate the average rating for each brand of PC monitor. The top rated flatpanel monitor brand is NEC with an average rating of 90%. The second best brand is Benq with 88% and the third best brand is Eizo with 88%.

Biggest PC Display Retailers

The biggest PC display retailer by number of products currently for sale is eBay. We found 1,404 current PC display offers from eBay. The second biggest retailer is Amazon US with 1,142 offers. That means eBay is significantly bigger than Amazon US when it comes to PC screens. B&H Photo is the third biggest retailer with 396 current offers.

When Are Most New Flatpanel Monitors Released?

Most new PC screens tend to be released between September and October. If you wait until September 2018 then you might be able to get better features on your PC display. It's also worth keeping in mind that the price of the current flatpanel monitors tend to drop off when the next models are released. September was the biggest month last year for new PC monitors, with 80 new PC monitors released that month. In 2016 most new PC screens were released in October, with 143 new PC screens released that month. In July 2015 99 new PC displays were released making it the biggest month that year for new PC display releases.

How Fast Do PC Monitor Prices Drop After Release?

On average, in the first 6 months after release, PC monitors drop in price by 3%. If you are prepared to wait then you could save an average of $12 on a typical $478 new PC monitor 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 NEC X841UHD-2, which is priced at $4,619.49, has the biggest display diagonal and is an 84" PC monitor. The Marshall Electronics V-LCD70W-SH, which is available at $509.00, has the smallest display diagonal and is a 7" 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 1,885 PC monitors that are LCD screens that have a resolution of 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) pixels, which makes 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) pixels the most common display resolution amongst new PC monitors. The second most frequently found display resolution amongst new PC monitors is 1366 x 768 pixels. We found 222 PC monitors 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.

We found 328 PC displays that have an energy efficiency rating of A, which makes this the most popular energy efficiency rating amongst new PC displays. We found 283 PC screens that have an energy efficiency rating of A+, making this the second most common energy efficiency rating amongst new PC screens.

Which Are the Cheapest Retailers for PC Monitors?

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. 893 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 flatpanel monitors by counting the number of cheapest prices for that retailer, makes the retailers that offer the greatest number of flatpanel monitor prices more likely to offer the greatest number of cheapest prices. The chart below considers the proportion of each retailer's flatpanel monitor prices that are the cheapest compared to other retailers. The cheapest retailer that we found using this approach was eBay. 63.6% of their PC display prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.