Compare the Best PC MonitorsJanuary 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

In total we found 1257 flatpanel monitors ranging from $53 to $9,999. The average price of a new PC screen is $386 and the 80% of PC displays are priced between $86 and $749. The AOC Q2577PWQ is the most expensive LCD screen that we found at $9,999, and the HP P17A is the cheapest at only $54.

PC Display Brands - Price Range

The average price of Peerless LCD screens is $6,490 which is the highest average price of all flatpanel monitor brands. Peerless LCD screens range in price from $6,490 to $6,490.

Sony PC monitors start at $1,065 and their most expensive LCD screen costs $7,874. The second highest average LCD screen price out of all brands is Sony PC monitors with an average price of $3,908.

Barco PC screens start at $1,700 and their most expensive flatpanel monitor costs $3,996. The average price of Barco PC screens is $2,848 which is the third highest average price of all flatpanel monitor brands.

PC Screen Brands - Average Ratings

We have analysed 12,656 expert reviews and 70,218 user reviews for PC screens and used these reviews to evaluate the average rating for each brand of PC display. The top three PC monitor brands are HP, Samsung and LG. HP has an average rating of 87%, Samsung has an average rating of 84% and LG has an average rating of 83%.

Biggest PC Monitor Retailers

We found 1,384 current offers for PC monitors from eBay making it the biggest PC monitor retailer. That is over 6 times bigger than the second biggest retailer, Overstock for whom we found 219 current offers for PC monitors. The third biggest retailer is Adorama with 38 current PC monitor offers.

When Are Most New PC Screens Released?

Most new PC screens tend to be released between June and July. For the latest PC display features you may be best waiting until June 2020. It's also worth keeping in mind that the price of the current LCD screens tend to drop off when the next models are released. June was the biggest month last year for new LCD screens, with 46 new LCD screens released that month. The biggest month in 2018 for new PC monitor releases was July, with 74 new PC screens released that month. In September 2017, 78 new PC screens were released making it the biggest month that year for new PC screen releases.

How Fast Do Flatpanel Monitor Prices Drop After Release?

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

A typical new PC screen costs on average $386. By waiting 6 months before buying you could save on average $9.

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 displays range from 24" to 28". The PC display with the biggest display diagonal is the Panasonic TH75EF1U, which is a 75" PC screen and is available at $1,506.28. The Logik L9DUALM13, which currently retails for $91.18, has the smallest display diagonal and is a 7" PC 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.

1920 x 1080 (1080p) pixels is the most popular display resolution amongst new PC displays. We found 2,153 PC displays that are PC displays that have a resolution of 1920 x 1080 (1080p) pixels. 2560 x 1440 pixels is the second most popular display resolution amongst new PC screens. We found 271 PC screens that are PC screens 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 496 PC screens that have an energy efficiency rating of A, which makes this the most common energy efficiency rating amongst new PC screens. B is the second most popular energy efficiency rating amongst new flatpanel monitors. We found 371 flatpanel monitors that have an energy efficiency rating of B.

Which Are the Cheapest Retailers for Flatpanel 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 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. 1,181 of their PC 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 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. 85.3% of their PC display prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.