Compare the Best PC MonitorsMay 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.

Flatpanel Monitor Prices

We currently list 988 flatpanel monitors ranging from $49 to $7,874. On average, a new PC display costs $452 and 80% of flatpanel monitors are priced between $105 and $870. The cheapest LCD screen that we found is the HP ProDisplay P19A at only $49, and the most expensive is the Sony PVM2551MD at $7,874.

PC Monitor Brands - Price Range

Peerless PC monitors range in price from $5,828 to $5,828, and the average price of Peerless PC monitors is $5,828 which is the highest average price of all flatpanel monitor brands.

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

The third highest average PC screen price out of all brands is Sony PC displays with an average price of $4,000. Sony PC displays start at $600 and their most expensive PC screen costs $7,874.

Flatpanel Monitor Brands - Average Ratings

We have evaluated 12,710 expert reviews and 71,075 user reviews for PC displays and used this data to evaluate the average rating for each brand of flatpanel monitor. HP is the top rated LCD screen brand with an average rating of 87%. Samsung is the second best brand with 84% and LG is the third best brand with 83%.

Biggest Flatpanel Monitor Retailers

The biggest PC display retailer by number of products currently for sale is eBay. We found 927 current PC display offers from eBay. The second biggest retailer is Overstock with 218 offers. That means eBay is over 4 times bigger than Overstock when it comes to PC monitors. Adorama is the third biggest retailer with 18 current offers.

When Are Most New LCD Screens Released?

Most new LCD screens tend to be released between May and June. That means that most of the latest flatpanel monitor technology was released in within the last 3 months, and now is good time to buy. Last year most new flatpanel monitors were released in June, with 53 new flatpanel monitors released that month. The biggest month in 2018 for new PC monitor releases was May, with 72 new LCD screens released that month. 79 new PC displays were released in September 2017 making it the biggest month that year for new PC screen releases.

How Fast Do Flatpanel Monitor Prices Drop After Release?

In the first 6 months after release, PC monitors drop in price by 2% on average.

That means a saving of $9 on a typical $450 new flatpanel monitor 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 displays range from 3.5" to 95". The display diagonals of most PC screens range from 24" to 28". The PC display with the biggest display diagonal is the Panasonic TH75EF1U, which is a 75" LCD screen and currently retails for $1,238.49. The Sony LMD-941W, which can be purchased for $2,075.00, has the smallest display diagonal and is a 9" LCD 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.

1920 x 1080 (1080p) pixels is the most frequently found display resolution amongst new PC monitors. We found 2,180 PC monitors that are PC monitors that have a resolution of 1920 x 1080 (1080p) pixels. We found 282 PC displays that are PC screens that have a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels, making this the second most common display resolution amongst new PC displays.

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 PC screens, the most popular energy efficiency rating is A. We found 511 PC screens that have an energy efficiency rating of A. We found 375 PC screens that have an energy efficiency rating of B, making B the second most frequently found energy efficiency rating amongst new PC screens.

Which Are the Cheapest Retailers for PC Monitors?

The chart below helps you decide which retailer is normally cheapest for buying LCD screens. For each retailer it shows the total number of LCD 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. 750 of their PC display 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 LCD screens by counting the number of cheapest prices for that retailer, makes the retailers that offer the greatest number of PC screen prices more likely to offer the greatest number of cheapest prices. The chart below considers the proportion of each retailer's PC screen prices that are the cheapest compared to other retailers. The cheapest retailer that we found using this approach was eBay. 80.9% of their PC monitor prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.