Compare the Best PC MonitorsOctober 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 1275 PC screens ranging from $54 to $7,874. A new PC screen costs on average $367 and 80% of flatpanel monitors are priced between $95 and $713. The cheapest PC screen that we found is the HP LA1951G at only $54, and the most expensive is the Sony PVM2551MD at $7,874.

PC Screen Brands - Price Range

Peerless LCD screens start at $6,490 and their most expensive PC monitor costs $6,490. The average price of Peerless LCD screens is $6,490 which is the highest average price of all PC monitor brands.

Sony flatpanel monitors range in price from $1,065 to $7,874, and the second highest average LCD screen price out of all brands is Sony flatpanel monitors with an average price of $3,586.

Barco LCD screens range in price from $1,700 to $3,996, and the third highest average PC display price out of all brands is Barco LCD screens with an average price of $2,848.

LCD Screen Brands - Average Ratings

We have analysed 12,634 expert reviews and 70,572 user reviews for PC monitors and used this information to calculate the average rating for each brand of PC display. The top three PC display 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 PC Display Retailers

We found 1,427 current offers for PC screens from eBay making it the biggest PC display retailer. That is over 3 times bigger than the second biggest retailer, B&H Photo for whom we found 411 current offers for PC screens. The third biggest retailer is Adorama with 309 current PC display offers.

When Are Most New PC Monitors Released?

We looked at the release dates for new LCD screens over the last 3 years, but couldn't see any prominent pattern. In May 2018, 73 new flatpanel monitors were released making it the biggest month that year for new flatpanel monitor releases. September was the biggest month in 2017 for new PC screens, with 79 new PC screens released that month. In 2016 most new flatpanel monitors were released in October, with 139 new flatpanel monitors released that month.

How Fast Do PC Screen Prices Drop After Release?

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

That means a saving of $8 on a typical $367 new LCD screen if you wait 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 the majority of PC displays range from 24" to 28". The Panasonic TH75EF1U, which is available at $1,793.85, has the biggest display diagonal and is a 75" PC screen. The PC monitor with the smallest display diagonal is the Logik L9DUALM13, which is a 7" PC display and currently retails for $98.22.

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 2,158 PC displays 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 PC displays. 2560 x 1440 pixels is the second most frequently found display resolution amongst new PC monitors. We found 270 PC monitors that are PC screens 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.

A is the most common energy efficiency rating amongst new LCD screens. We found 494 LCD screens that have an energy efficiency rating of A. B is the second most frequently found energy efficiency rating amongst new LCD screens. We found 369 LCD screens that have an energy efficiency rating of B.

Which Are the Cheapest Retailers for PC 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 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. 1,167 of their LCD screen prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.

Proportion of PC Displays 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 monitor prices more likely to offer the greatest number of cheapest prices. The chart below considers the proportion of each retailer's PC monitor prices that are the cheapest compared to other retailers. The cheapest retailer that we found using this approach was eBay. 81.8% of their PC monitor prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.