Compare the Best PC MonitorsFebruary 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.

LCD Screen Prices

PC monitors range in price from $54 to $9,999 and in total we found prices for 1213 PC monitors. On average, a new LCD screen costs $386 and 80% of PC screens are priced between $90 and $759. The AOC Q2577PWQ is the most expensive flatpanel monitor that we found at $9,999, and the Acer V226HQL is the cheapest at only $54.

LCD Screen Brands - Price Range

The average price of Peerless LCD screens is $5,828 which is the highest average price of all PC screen brands. Peerless LCD screens range in price from $5,828 to $5,828.

Barco PC monitors range in price from $3,197 to $5,500, and the average price of Barco PC monitors is $4,348 which is the second highest average price of all flatpanel monitor brands.

The average price of Sony PC displays is $3,498 which is the third highest average price of all LCD screen brands. Sony PC displays start at $625 and their most expensive LCD screen costs $7,874.

PC Monitor Brands - Average Ratings

We have checked 12,654 expert reviews and 70,315 user reviews for LCD screens and used this information to calculate the average rating for each brand of PC monitor. The top rated PC screen brand is HP with an average rating of 87%. The second best brand is Samsung with 84% and the third best brand is LG with 83%.

Biggest PC Display Retailers

The biggest PC monitor retailer by number of products currently for sale is eBay. We found 1,336 current PC monitor offers from eBay. The second biggest retailer is Overstock with 220 offers. That means eBay is over 6 times bigger than Overstock when it comes to flatpanel monitors. Adorama is the third biggest retailer with 29 current offers.

When Are Most New PC Displays Released?

Most new LCD screens tend to be released between June and July. If you want the latest PC display features you may be best waiting until June 2020. Alternatively you might be able to buy one of the current LCD screens cheaper in June once the latest models have been released. In June 2019, 46 new PC displays were released making it the biggest month that year for new PC screen releases. July was the biggest month in 2018 for new PC screens, with 76 new PC screens released that month. The biggest month in 2017 for new PC display releases was September, with 79 new PC screens released that month.

How Fast Do PC Monitor Prices Drop After Release?

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

That means that on a typical PC display costing $385 you could save on average $8 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 flatpanel monitors range from 3.5" to 95". The display diagonals of the majority of flatpanel monitors range from 24" to 28". The PC display with the biggest display diagonal is the Panasonic TH75EF1U, which is a 75" PC screen and is available at $1,399.97. The Logik L9DUALM13, which can be purchased for $91.06, has the smallest display diagonal and is a 7" flatpanel monitor.

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 2,162 PC screens that are flatpanel monitors 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 PC screens. 2560 x 1440 pixels is the second most popular display resolution amongst new PC screens. We found 273 PC screens that are LCD 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.

Amongst new flatpanel monitors, the most common energy efficiency rating is A. We found 498 flatpanel monitors that have an energy efficiency rating of A. B is the second most common energy efficiency rating amongst new LCD screens. We found 371 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 screens. For each retailer it shows the total number of PC screens 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. 1,138 of their LCD screen 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 PC displays by counting the number of cheapest prices for that retailer, makes the retailers that offer the greatest number of PC display prices more likely to offer the greatest number of cheapest prices. The chart below considers the proportion of each retailer's PC display prices that are the cheapest compared to other retailers. The cheapest retailer that we found using this approach was eBay. 85.2% of their flatpanel monitor prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.