Compare the Best PC MonitorsNovember 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 Display Prices

We currently list 1268 PC screens ranging from $53 to $7,874. A new flatpanel monitor costs on average $366 and 80% of PC displays are priced between $90 and $720. The Asus VE198T is the cheapest flatpanel monitor at only $53, and Sony PVM2551MD is the most expensive at $7,874.

PC Screen Brands - Price Range

The highest average LCD screen price out of all brands is Peerless PC displays with an average price of $6,490. Peerless PC displays range in price from $6,490 to $6,490.

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

The average price of Barco flatpanel monitors is $2,848 which is the third highest average price of all PC monitor brands. Barco flatpanel monitors range in price from $1,700 to $3,996.

LCD Screen Brands - Average Ratings

We have evaluated 12,636 expert reviews and 70,479 user reviews for LCD screens and used this data to evaluate the average rating for each brand of PC display. The top rated PC monitor brand is HP with an average rating of 87%. The second best brand is Samsung with 84% and the third best brand is LG with 83%.

Biggest LCD Screen Retailers

The biggest LCD screen retailer by number of products currently for sale is eBay. We found 1,424 current LCD screen offers from eBay. The second biggest retailer is Overstock with 219 offers. That means eBay is over 6 times bigger than Overstock when it comes to flatpanel monitors. Adorama is the third biggest retailer with 43 current offers.

When Are Most New Flatpanel Monitors Released?

We couldn't see any evident pattern in the release dates for new PC screens over the last 3 years. In May 2018, 73 new PC screens were released making it the biggest month that year for new PC monitor releases. The biggest month in 2017 for new PC display releases was September, with 78 new PC screens released that month. In 2016 most new PC screens were released in October, with 138 new PC screens released that month.

How Fast Do PC Screen Prices Drop After Release?

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

That means a saving of $8 on a typical $365 new PC display 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.

Across the range of 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 PC screen with the biggest display diagonal is the Panasonic TH75EF1U, which is a 75" PC screen and sells for $1,709.70. The Logik L9DUALM13, which is available at $95.78, has the smallest display diagonal and is a 7" flatpanel monitor.

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 2,148 PC displays that are PC monitors that have a resolution of 1920 x 1080 (1080p) pixels, which makes 1920 x 1080 (1080p) pixels the most common display resolution amongst new PC displays. We found 270 PC screens that are PC displays that have a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels, making this the second most common display resolution amongst new PC 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.

Amongst new PC displays, the most popular energy efficiency rating is A. We found 493 PC displays that have an energy efficiency rating of A. B is the second most common energy efficiency rating amongst new PC screens. We found 366 PC screens that have an energy efficiency rating of B.

Which Are the Cheapest Retailers for PC Monitors?

The chart below helps you decide which retailer is normally cheapest for buying flatpanel monitors. For each retailer it shows the total number of flatpanel monitors where they currently have a market leading price. The chart below helps you decide which retailer is normally cheapest for buying PC displays. 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. 1,246 of their PC display 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 displays by counting the number of cheapest prices for that retailer, makes the retailers that offer the greatest number of PC monitor prices more likely to offer the greatest number of cheapest prices. The chart below considers the proportion of each retailer's PC monitor prices that are the cheapest compared to other retailers. The cheapest retailer that we found using this approach was eBay. 87.5% of their LCD screen prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.