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A good monitor is important as it allows you to get the best out of your PC. We spend so much time staring at our screens it’s definitely an item to consider carefully before investing money. Shopping for a monitor can be overwhelming with such a vast range to choose from, all with different sizes, panel types, connection options and special features, it’s hard to know where to start.
It’s important to ask yourself what will be the primary use for your monitor? This will help you narrow down your search and define the features you need to look out for.
General home computing including internet browsing, social media and word processing will not require a sophisticated monitor. Consider screen size as you’ll be surprised at how many larger full HD monitors will be within your budget.
For those seeking a truly immersive gaming experience you’ll need a monitor that can keep up with the action. Think about resolution for picture quality and pixel response time to reduce blurring and ghosting. Look at higher refresh rates for smoother game play. And consider USB ports for connecting controllers.
If you plan to use your monitor for graphic design or video editing a good high quality monitor is definitely worth the investment. The larger the screen the better, ideally ultra-high-definition. Look out for advanced image settings and IPS panels for accurate colours and wide viewing angles.
If you’re after a cinematic experience you’ll want to focus on size. Thinks about a curved screen which will reduce reflections whilst more of the screen fills your field of vision. Opt for high definition and widescreen viewing capabilities.
For competitive and fast-paced gaming, response time is the most crucial monitor specification. This is the measure of how quickly a pixel can change its color state, most importantly the grey-to-grey (GtG) transition. OLED pixels generate their own light, the transition from one shade to another is virtually instantaneous. This eliminates the common LCD artifacts like overshoot (where the pixel over-corrects and shows a bright halo) and ghosting (a trail left by a moving object).
Refresh rate is the number of times per second your monitor updates the image on the screen. This is measured in Hertz (Hz). A higher Hertz number means the screen refreshes more often, making all movement appear sharper and significantly smoother. 60 Hz is the absolute minimum standard for basic office work and general browsing. 144Hz and above is where performance for gaming really shines. Higher rates like 240Hz, 360Hz, and even 480Hz (common on new OLED and Mini LED displays) give competitive gamers a real edge by providing the most fluid motion and quickest response times.
Panel Type
Panel type is the material the monitor screen is made from.
IPS (in-plane switching) panels
This parallel alignment gives you the best colour accuracy and consistency straight-on and from wide angles. If you are a graphic designer, video editor, or just want games and movies to look exactly as the creator intended, IPS is often the top LCD choice. Modern IPS panels now match TN speeds for gaming.
VA (vertical alignment) panels
They deliver a native contrast ratio often three to four times higher than IPS or TN (2500:1 to 4000:1). This means blacks are much deeper than standard LCDs, giving images a real sense of depth and making HDR pop more than on IPS displays (without local dimming). They offer a good balance of colour and speed.
OLED panels
When a pixel is off, it emits zero light, creating a true, perfect black. This results in an infinite contrast ratio, meaning the difference between the brightest white and darkest black is absolute. This is unmatched for cinematic viewing and deep HDR. Response times are practically zero.
QD-OLED panels
QD-OLED keeps the perfect blacks and instant response of OLED. By using Quantum Dots, it achieves a wider and purer colour gamut and often higher peak colour brightness than standard OLEDs. It generally provides a more vibrant and "punchy" image than standard OLEDs because of this enhanced colour/brightness combination.
When choosing your monitor you need to think about connections you may need. If you plan to watch films and TV or edit photos and video you’ll need a range of ports. You may also consider a monitor with multiple USB ports, enabling you to easily connect game controllers, memory sticks, smartphones and other devices.
For modern displays and gaming gear, HDMI 2.1 is the crucial standard to seek, as it provides the necessary bandwidth for high frame rates like 4K at 120Hz and supports key gaming advantages such as VRR and ALLM for smooth, responsive visuals.
DVI (Digital Visual Interface) was key for sending pure digital video to flat screens, avoiding the quality loss of older analogue VGA connections. While some versions support analogue signals too, DVI is now largely superseded by modern interfaces like HDMI and DisplayPort, which carry higher resolutions, faster refresh rates, and digital audio, features DVI lacks.
VGA (Video Graphics Array) is an old, analogue video connection sometimes found on budget or legacy equipment. Since it converts digital data into an analogue wave, it can suffer from image blur or 'ghosting,' particularly at higher resolutions like $1080p$. For the best picture clarity, buyers should select modern digital options like HDMI or DisplayPort instead.
DisplayPort is the preferred modern digital connection for high-spec PCs and monitors, handling uncompressed video and audio. The newest versions, such as DisplayPort 2.1, provide huge bandwidth to support high refresh rate 4K and 8K visuals. It also includes built-in features to synchronise the screen refresh with the graphics card, giving gamers a smoother, tear-free picture.
USB ports on monitors act as a desk hub, connecting peripherals like keyboards and mice, often allowing device charging. Monitors with USB-C offer superior convenience by transmitting video, high-speed data, and power all through that one cable to compatible laptops, simplifying your setup.
USB-C is the modern all-in-one cable solution, transmitting high-resolution video, fast data transfer, and power (PD) in a single connection. This capability replaces the need for separate docking stations and multiple cables, providing a vastly cleaner and simpler setup for charging and displaying content from a laptop or tablet.
A curved screen is definitely something to think about for those seeking a cinematic experience or immersive gaming. Curved screens can fully immerse you in your media as more of the screen fills your field of vision. They reduce reflections and can even reduce eye strain which is just what you want when you’re soaring through hours of gaming.
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A monitor with a touchscreen offers a more intuitive and interactive experience. Touchscreens are easy to use and can prove faster in some tasks. A touch screen monitor can be an ideal choice for a family hub, general computing and those purchasing monitors for entertainment uses. Touchscreen technology is also being brought in more for professional use, enabling users to get more hands on with designing.
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Manufactured by AMD, FreeSync technology reduces stutter and screen tear for a smoother experience, by synchronising the monitors refresh rates with the graphics processing unit in your computer. Enabling smooth game play down to 30 frames per second or less.
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High Dynamic Range (HDR) is the next big thing in the world of monitors. It offers better contrast, greater brightness levels and a wider colour palette than that of a non HDR monitor, which means you'll be able to enjoy your movies, games and graphics with striking highlights, deeper darks and vibrant colours for a more true-to-life experience.
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A refurbished monitor is a used monitor that has been restored to like-new condition. This process typically includes repairing any defects, cleaning the monitor, and testing it to ensure that it meets the manufacturer's standards. Refurbished monitors are often sold at a much lower price than new monitors, making them a great way to save money and help the environment.
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