Compare the Best PC MonitorsJuly 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

The price range of flatpanel monitors is from $53 to $7,874 and in total we found prices for 1364 flatpanel monitors. A new PC display costs on average $375 and 80% of PC monitors are priced between $90 and $765. The Sony PVM2551MD is the most expensive PC screen that we found at $7,874, and the Planar PLL2010MW is the cheapest at only $54.

LCD Screen Brands - Price Range

Peerless PC screens start at $6,490 and their most expensive PC monitor costs $6,490. The average price of Peerless PC screens is $6,490 which is the highest average price of all PC monitor brands.

The second highest average PC display price out of all brands is Sony flatpanel monitors with an average price of $3,675. Sony flatpanel monitors start at $1,510 and their most expensive PC display costs $7,874.

The third highest average PC monitor price out of all brands is ViewZ flatpanel monitors with an average price of $2,000. ViewZ flatpanel monitors range in price from $675 to $3,162.

PC Monitor Brands - Average Ratings

We have checked 12,575 expert reviews and 70,769 user reviews for flatpanel monitors and used these reviews to determine the average rating for each brand of LCD screen. HP is the top rated PC 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 LCD Screen Retailers

The biggest PC monitor retailer by number of products currently for sale is eBay. We found 1,529 current PC monitor offers from eBay. The second biggest retailer is Newegg US with 392 offers. That means eBay is over 3 times bigger than Newegg US when it comes to PC screens. Adorama is the third biggest retailer with 344 current offers.

When Are Most New Flatpanel Monitors Released?

Over the last 3 years we couldn't see any obvious pattern in the release month for new PC screens. May was the biggest month in 2018 for new PC screens, with 76 new PC screens released that month. 78 new LCD screens were released in September 2017 making it the biggest month that year for new flatpanel monitor releases. In 2016 most new PC monitors were released in October, with 140 new PC monitors released that month.

How Fast Do Flatpanel Monitor Prices Drop After Release?

In the first 6 months after release, LCD screens drop in price by 2% on average. That means a saving of $8 on a typical $374 new LCD screen 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.

Comparing all flatpanel monitors, the display diagonals range from 3.5" to 95". The display diagonals of the majority of PC displays range from 24" to 28". The flatpanel monitor with the biggest display diagonal is the NEC E805AVT, which is an 80" PC display and can be purchased for $2,999.99. The Logik L9DUALM13, which sells for $100.45, has the smallest display diagonal and is a 7" 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.

We found 2,128 LCD screens that are PC monitors that have a resolution of 1920 x 1080 (1080p) pixels, which makes this the most popular display resolution amongst new LCD screens. The second most frequently found display resolution amongst new PC monitors is 2560 x 1440 pixels. We found 265 PC monitors that are LCD 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 481 flatpanel monitors that have an energy efficiency rating of A, which makes this the most popular energy efficiency rating amongst new flatpanel monitors. B is the second most popular energy efficiency rating amongst new PC screens. We found 359 PC screens that have an energy efficiency rating of B.

Which Are the Cheapest Retailers for PC Screens?

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. 1,395 of their flatpanel monitor 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 displays 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. 91.2% of their LCD screen prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.