Compare the Best PC MonitorsAugust 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

We currently list 1066 PC displays ranging from $52 to $12,499. On average, a new flatpanel monitor costs $447 and 80% of PC screens are priced between $99 and $840. The cheapest LCD screen that we found is the Acer V206HQL at only $53, and the most expensive is the NEC MD302C6N1 at $12,499.

LCD Screen Brands - Price Range

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

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

Sony LCD screens range in price from $400 to $7,874, and the third highest average PC display price out of all brands is Sony LCD screens with an average price of $3,710.

PC Screen Brands - Average Ratings

We have evaluated 12,809 expert reviews and 70,969 user reviews for LCD screens and used this information to determine the average rating for each brand of PC monitor. The top three PC screen brands are HP, Samsung and LG. HP has an average rating of 86%, Samsung has an average rating of 85% and LG has an average rating of 83%.

Biggest PC Screen Retailers

The biggest PC display retailer by number of products currently for sale is eBay. We found 966 current PC display offers from eBay. The second biggest retailer is Overstock with 220 offers. That means eBay is over 4 times bigger than Overstock when it comes to PC monitors. Adorama is the third biggest retailer with 29 current offers.

When Are Most New Flatpanel Monitors Released?

Most new flatpanel monitors tend to be released between May and June. The biggest month in 2019 for new LCD screen releases was June, with 55 new flatpanel monitors released that month. 72 new LCD screens were released in May 2018 making it the biggest month that year for new LCD screen releases. September was the biggest month in 2017 for new PC displays, with 77 new PC displays released that month.

How Fast Do LCD Screen Prices Drop After Release?

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

That means that on a typical PC display costing $446 you could save on average $10 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 most LCD screens range from 24" to 28". The PC screen with the biggest display diagonal is the NEC E805AVT, which is an 80" PC monitor and can be purchased for $5,599.00. The ADTECHNO CL1012N, which is priced at $443.37, 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.

1920 x 1080 (1080p) pixels is the most frequently found display resolution amongst new flatpanel monitors. We found 2,211 flatpanel monitors that are LCD screens that have a resolution of 1920 x 1080 (1080p) pixels. 2560 x 1440 pixels is the second most common display resolution amongst new PC screens. We found 290 PC screens that are flatpanel monitors 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.

We found 535 LCD screens that have an energy efficiency rating of A, which makes A the most popular energy efficiency rating amongst new LCD screens. We found 402 PC displays that have an energy efficiency rating of B, making B the second most popular energy efficiency rating amongst new PC displays.

Which Are the Cheapest Retailers for LCD Screens?

The chart below helps you decide which retailer is normally cheapest for buying PC displays. For each retailer it shows the total number of PC displays 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. 810 of their PC display prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.

Proportion of LCD 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 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. 83.9% of their flatpanel monitor prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.