Introduction
Just a few years ago, a monitor was nothing more than an item essential for all your computing needs. Without one, you wouldn't be able to surf the web or even access any of your files. But with PC sales on the decline, monitors are now becoming more of a luxury item than a necessity.
Even so, there's still demand for monitors in both businesses and households alike. For multi-tasking, there's almost nothing better than a traditional desktop display. If you want to keep several different applications scattered across your screen, for instance, you may want to opt for a pixel-dense 4K monitor. On the other hand, buying the latest and greatest could also make your new panel more susceptible to hacking.
Other factors you'll want to keep in mind are color gamut, response time and even panel weight, oftentimes making the search for a new monitor an arduous process. Luckily, we've rounded up 10 of the best monitors money can buy to help you determine which is right for you.
1. Philips Brilliance BDM3490UC
Screen size: 34-inch | Aspect ratio: 21:9 | Resolution: 3440 x 1440 Brightness: 340 cd/m2 | Response time: 14ms | Viewing angle: 172/178 | Contrast ratio: 1000:1 | Colour support: SRGB 100% | Weight: 7.9kg
Philips' Brilliance BDM3490UC should be your top pick if you're looking to watch movies or work from home. Its IPS display is bright and inviting, effectively emulating the movie theater experiencing (just make sure you bring the popcorn and close the curtains). The 21:9 curved display can be a bit disorienting, however, if you're accustomed to standard flat screen displays. Still, this one takes the cake for gaming. In the absence of both G-Sync and FreeSync, though, don't forget to tick the vertical sync box in all your games. Plus, as long as you're set on a 21:9 cinematic panel, the Brilliance is competitively priced as well.
Read the full review: Philips Brilliance BDM3490UC
2. Acer Predator X34
A gaming monitor with attitude
Screen size: 34-inch | Aspect ratio: 21:9 | Resolution: 3440 x 1440 Brightness: 300 cd/m2 | Response time: 4ms G2G (grey-to-grey) | Viewing angle: 178/178 | Contrast ratio: 100 million:1 | Colour support: SRGB 100% | Weight: 9.9kg
Cinematic monitors are a great alternative to 4K ones when it comes to gaming. In fact, you might say they're even better due to their ultrawide 21:9 aspect ratio. The Acer Predator X34 certainly looks the part, featuring an eye-catching aluminium bezel and angular, crow's foot-shape stand. It comes with a number of gaming mod cons in tow, including Nvidia's G-Sync frame-smoothing tech, an immersion-boosting curved shape and fantastic color reproduction that brings games to life. Short of strapping on a virtual reality headset, the Predator X34 is about as immersive as gaming gets.
Read the full review: Acer Predator X34
3. Philips 258B6QJEB
Thin bezels feature on this well-connected QHD monitor
Screen size: 25-inch | Aspect ratio: 16:9 | Resolution: 2,560 x 1,440 | Brightness: 350 cd/m2 | Response time: 14ms | Viewing angle: 178/178 | Contrast ratio: 1000:1 | Colour support: SRGB 87% | Weight: 15.4 pounds
In terms of price, size and sharpness, QHD often hits the sweet spot, and Philips' 258B6QJEB is one of the most stylish 25-inch models arouund. Packing a pixel-resolution of 2,560 x 1,440, it provides more than enough room on the desktop to get productive, and because the monitor is compact it won't take up much room on your desk. It's versatile too thanks to its built-in rotate and height adjustability
Philips loaded the 258B6QJEB with an abundance of connectivity options that include two USB 2.0 and two USB 3.0 ports (one with a high-current output), VGA, DVI-D, DisplayPort, HDMI, a 3.5mm audio-in and headphone output sockets.
Read the full review: Philips 258B6QJEB
4. Samsung UD970
Get ready for ultra high-def on your desktop
Screen size: 31.5-inch | Aspect ratio: 16:9 | Resolution: 3840 x 2160 | Brightness: 280 cd/m2 | Response time: 8ms | Viewing angle: 178/178 | Contrast ratio: 1000:1 | Colour support: SRGB 100% | Weight: 30.14 pounds
A 4K display that's factory-calibrated for great colour accuracy and image quality, which makes it ideal for digital designers, CAD/CAM engineers or videographers who aren't put off by the high-price tag.
Read the full review: UD970
5. LG UltraWide 34UC97
Great for work, games, and movies – but it's costly
Screen size: 34-inch | Aspect ratio: 21:9 | Resolution: 3440x1440 | Brightness: 300 cd/m2 | Response time: 5ms | Viewing angle: 178/178 | Contrast ratio: 1M:1 (DFC) | Colour support: SRGB 99% | Weight: 19.8 pounds
The LG's curved design, high resolution and huge diagonal make it a high quality replacement for single 4K panels or a pair of 1080p screens, and the form factor means it's tempting for work, games and movies.
Read the full review: 34UC97
6. Acer S277HK
A bezel-less beauty
Screen size: 27-inch | Aspect ratio: 16:9 | Resolution: 3840 x 2160 | Brightness: 300 cd/m2 | Response time: 4ms | Viewing angle: 178/178 | Contrast ratio: 100,000,000:1 | Colour support: SRGB 100% | Weight: 11.9 pounds
A gorgeous IPS screen and bezel-free design make the S227HK a stunning display by itself or an even more impressive and immersive member of a multi-monitor setup.
Read the full review: S277HK
7. Viewsonic VP2772
What this professional monitor lacks in style it makes up with exceptional picture quality
Screen size: 27-inch | Aspect ratio: 16:9 | Resolution: 2560 x 1440 | Brightness: 350 cd/m2 | Response time: 12ms | Viewing angle: 178/178 | Contrast ratio: 1000:1 | Colour support: SRGB 100% | Weight: 18.8 pounds
A rich set of features, great picture quality out of the box and hassle-free setup make the VP2772 an attractive monitor.
Read the full review: VP2772
8. Dell UltraSharp UP2414Q
A superb display, but you're paying through the nose for a mere 24-inches
Screen size: 24-inch | Aspect ratio: 16:9 | Resolution: 3840 x 2160 | Brightness: 350 cd/m2 | Response time: 8ms | Viewing angle: 178/178 | Contrast ratio: 1000:1 | Colour support: SRGB 100%; Adobe RGB 99% | Weight: 10.58 pounds
A fantastic monitor that's a little ahead of its time in terms of GPU and operating system support.
Read the full review: UltraSharp UP2414Q
9. Viewsonic VX2776
An almost bezel-less beauty
Screen size: 27-inch | Aspect ratio: 16:9 | Resolution: 1,920 x 1,080 | Brightness: 300 cd/m2 | Response time: 4ms | Viewing angle: 178/178 | Contrast ratio: 1M:1 (DFC) | Colour support: SRGB 100% | Weight: 7.2 pounds
Whether it's laptops, monitors or smartphones, bezels just aren't fashionable anymore. Viewsonic's VX2776 is an eye-catching 27-inch monitor with a bezel that measures just millimeters along the top and sides. This helps anything you're doing with it - from watching movies to playing games or viewing photos - really 'pop' out of the frame. It's all helped by impressive color accuracy.
On the downside, the VX2776 isn't as feature-packed as other 1080p panels in its price bracket, so don't expect adaptive frame syncing tech, or even a VESA wall mount. But if you're simply after a monitor that's rocking a thin design with minimal bezels and offers solid picture quality, the VX2776 is worthy of your consideration.
10. BenQ BL2710PT
Aimed at CAD/CAM professionals, this feature-packed 27-inch monitor delivers
Screen size: 27-inch | Aspect ratio: 16:9 | Resolution: 3440x1440 | Brightness: 350 cd/m2 | Response time: 12ms | Viewing angle: 178/178 | Contrast ratio: 1000:1 | Colour support: SRGB 99% | Weight: 23.8 pounds
A feature-packed and well-connected monitor that offers plenty for the asking price. It may not be exciting to look at and the menu controls suffer from a lack of labeling, but these are minor caveats that don't detract from an overall worthy investment.
Read the full review: BL2710PT
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