Compare the Best PC MonitorsJuly 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.

Flatpanel Monitor Prices

In total we found 1472 PC monitors ranging from $53 to $12,499. On average, a new LCD screen costs $465 and 80% of flatpanel monitors are priced between $100 and $899. The most expensive flatpanel monitor that we found is the NEC MD302C6 at $12,499, and the cheapest is the HP 25e at only $53.

PC Monitor Brands - Price Range

Barco LCD screens start at $1,750 and their most expensive PC screen costs $8,499. The average price of Barco LCD screens is $4,360 which is the highest average price of all PC screen brands.

The average price of Sony LCD screens is $2,964 which is the second highest average price of all PC screen brands. Sony LCD screens start at $320 and their most expensive PC screen costs $7,874.

The third highest average PC display price out of all brands is JVC flatpanel monitors with an average price of $1,800. JVC flatpanel monitors range in price from $1,800 to $1,800.

PC Display Brands - Average Ratings

We have analysed 9,899 expert reviews and 105,940 user reviews for flatpanel monitors written online and used these reviews to calculate the average rating for each brand of PC screen. The top rated LCD screen brand is NEC with an average rating of 89%. The second best brand is Benq with 88% and the third best brand is Eizo with 88%.

Biggest PC Monitor Retailers

We found 1,422 current offers for LCD screens from eBay making it the biggest PC screen retailer. That is significantly bigger than the second biggest retailer, Amazon US for whom we found 1,033 current offers for LCD screens. The third biggest retailer is B&H Photo with 437 current PC screen offers.

When Are Most New LCD Screens Released?

Over the last 3 years we couldn't see any clear trend in the release month for new PC monitors. In 2017 most new LCD screens were released in July, with 102 new LCD screens released that month. In October 2016 146 new PC monitors were released making it the biggest month that year for new LCD screen releases. July was the biggest month in 2015 for new PC monitors, with 98 new PC monitors released that month.

How Fast Do Flatpanel Monitor Prices Drop After Release?

New LCD screens drop in price by an average of 0% in the first 6 months after they wer first released. If you are prepared to wait then you could save an average of $1 on a typical $465 new PC display 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 flatpanel monitors, 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 can be purchased for $4,619.49, has the biggest display diagonal and is an 84" PC screen. The PC monitor with the smallest display diagonal is the Marshall Electronics V-LCD70W-SH, which is a 7" flatpanel monitor and is on sale for $509.00.

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.

1920 x 1080 (Full HD) pixels is the most frequently found display resolution amongst new PC displays. We found 1,980 PC displays that are PC screens that have a resolution of 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) pixels. We found 217 LCD screens that are LCD screens that have a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels, making this the second most common display resolution amongst new LCD screens.

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.

The most popular energy efficiency rating amongst new PC monitors is A. We found 366 PC monitors that have an energy efficiency rating of A. The second most popular energy efficiency rating amongst new PC displays is B. We found 324 PC displays that have an energy efficiency rating of B.

Which Are the Cheapest Retailers for LCD 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 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. 927 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 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. 65.2% of their PC screen prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.