Compare the Best PC MonitorsJuly 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.

PC Display Prices

Flatpanel monitors range in price from $49 to $7,874 and in total we found prices for 1042 flatpanel monitors. The average price of a new flatpanel monitor is $427 and the 80% of PC displays are priced between $100 and $840. The cheapest PC display that we found is the DELL P1913 19 at only $50, and the most expensive is the Sony PVM2551MD at $7,874.

PC Screen Brands - Price Range

The highest average PC display price out of all brands is Peerless PC monitors with an average price of $5,828. Peerless PC monitors start at $5,828 and their most expensive PC display costs $5,828.

Sony PC monitors start at $600 and their most expensive flatpanel monitor costs $7,874. The second highest average flatpanel monitor price out of all brands is Sony PC monitors with an average price of $4,384.

Barco flatpanel monitors start at $3,197 and their most expensive PC display costs $5,000. The third highest average PC display price out of all brands is Barco flatpanel monitors with an average price of $4,098.

Flatpanel Monitor Brands - Average Ratings

We have checked 12,793 expert reviews and 70,391 user reviews for PC displays and used these reviews to evaluate the average rating for each brand of PC monitor. The top rated LCD screen brand is HP with an average rating of 86%. The second best brand is Samsung with 84% and the third best brand is LG with 84%.

Biggest PC Display Retailers

We found 946 current offers for PC displays from eBay making it the biggest PC display retailer. That is over 4 times bigger than the second biggest retailer, Overstock for whom we found 217 current offers for PC displays. The third biggest retailer is Adorama with 17 current PC display offers.

When Are Most New PC Monitors Released?

The most common period for new LCD screens to be released in is between May and June. That means that most of the latest LCD screen technology was released in within the last 3 months, and now is good time to buy. In June 2019, 55 new PC screens were released making it the biggest month that year for new PC monitor releases. 72 new PC displays were released in May 2018 making it the biggest month that year for new LCD screen releases. In 2017 most new PC screens were released in September, with 77 new PC screens released that month.

How Fast Do Flatpanel Monitor Prices Drop After Release?

New PC screens drop in price by an average of 2% in the first 6 months after they were first released.

If you are prepared to wait then you could save an average of $9 on a typical $426 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 PC displays, the display diagonals range from 3.5" to 95". The display diagonals of the majority of PC screens range from 24" to 28". The Panasonic TH75EF1U, which is priced at $1,189.49, has the biggest display diagonal and is a 75" LCD screen. The LILLIPUT FA1014NPC, which currently retails for $179.95, has the smallest display diagonal and is a 10.1" PC screen.

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.

Amongst new PC monitors, the most popular display resolution is 1920 x 1080 (1080p) pixels. We found 2,200 PC monitors that are PC screens that have a resolution of 1920 x 1080 (1080p) pixels. We found 287 flatpanel monitors that are LCD screens that have a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels, making this the second most popular 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.

A is the most popular energy efficiency rating amongst new PC displays. We found 532 PC displays that have an energy efficiency rating of A. We found 401 PC screens that have an energy efficiency rating of B, making this the second most frequently found energy efficiency rating amongst new PC screens.

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 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. 786 of their PC screen prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.

Proportion of PC Screens for Which Each Retailer is Cheapest?

Assessing how cheap each retailer is for PC monitors 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. 83.1% of their PC display prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.