Compare the Best PC MonitorsAugust 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

The price range of LCD screens is from $53 to $7,874 and in total we found prices for 1203 LCD screens. A new PC monitor costs on average $382 and 80% of PC screens are priced between $89 and $749. The Sony PVM2551MD is the most expensive flatpanel monitor that we found at $7,874, and the AOC E2070SWN is the cheapest at only $54.

Flatpanel Monitor Brands - Price Range

The highest average PC screen price out of all brands is Peerless PC displays with an average price of $6,490. Peerless PC displays start at $6,490 and their most expensive PC screen costs $6,490.

The average price of Sony PC displays is $4,856 which is the second highest average price of all PC monitor brands. Sony PC displays start at $1,975 and their most expensive PC monitor costs $7,874.

Barco LCD screens start at $1,000 and their most expensive PC screen costs $3,996. The average price of Barco LCD screens is $2,232 which is the third highest average price of all PC screen brands.

PC Display Brands - Average Ratings

We have analysed 12,600 expert reviews and 70,552 user reviews for PC displays and used this data to determine the average rating for each brand of PC screen. The top three PC display brands are HP, Samsung and LG. HP has an average rating of 86%, Samsung has an average rating of 84% and LG has an average rating of 83%.

Biggest Flatpanel Monitor Retailers

The biggest PC screen retailer by number of products currently for sale is eBay. We found 566 current PC screen offers from eBay. The second biggest retailer is B&H Photo with 401 offers. That means eBay is significantly bigger than B&H Photo when it comes to PC displays. Adorama is the third biggest retailer with 336 current offers.

When Are Most New LCD Screens Released?

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

How Fast Do Flatpanel Monitor Prices Drop After Release?

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

A typical new PC display costs on average $381. By waiting 6 months before buying you could save on average $8.

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 displays range from 3.5" to 95". The display diagonals of the majority of PC monitors range from 24" to 28". The NEC E805AVT, which currently retails for $3,199.99, has the biggest display diagonal and is an 80" PC screen. The Sony LMD-941W, which is priced at $1,975.00, has the smallest display diagonal and is a 9" PC display.

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 2,144 flatpanel monitors that are LCD screens that have a resolution of 1920 x 1080 (1080p) pixels, which makes this the most frequently found display resolution amongst new flatpanel monitors. We found 265 flatpanel monitors that are PC displays that have a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels, making this the second most common display resolution amongst new flatpanel monitors.

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 486 PC monitors that have an energy efficiency rating of A, which makes this the most common energy efficiency rating amongst new PC monitors. We found 368 flatpanel monitors that have an energy efficiency rating of B, making this the second most frequently found energy efficiency rating amongst new flatpanel monitors.

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 PC 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. 473 of their PC 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 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. 83.6% of their LCD screen prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.