Table of Contents
Introduction
Recently, I wanted to buy a monitor as my old monitor failed and working in small laptop screen was not very comfortable. I did a little bit of research before buying a PC Monitor and wanted to share my experiences and things I considered before finalizing my Monitor Purchase. I hope this will help some of you who are planning to buy a monitor.
Does PC Monitor Size Matters?
My previous monitor was a 21 inch LCD monitor from Dell and this time I wanted to try a bigger size monitor. PC monitors comes with various resolutions like 720p (HD), 1080p (Full HD) and 4K. 4K monitors are expensive compared to HD and Full HD monitors. When I checked some of the monitors priced between $200 and $300 as that was my planned budget for this purchase, I got a lot of options.
There were some 27 inch 4K monitors and many 27″ and 32″ Full HD gaming monitors. When it comes to 4K, I felt the clarity is better on bigger displays like 40″ or above. Full HD high refresh rate monitors are good enough if you’re planning to buy anything less than 32″.
Different Display Tech in PC Monitors
During my first monitor purchase it was just LCD panels so I really didn’t had any other options. Now there are many different panels such as LCD, VA Panels, IPS display, LED and OLED displays. With LCD panels, coloring may seem slightly dull and not a great viewing angles comparing to newer panels like VA and IPS. In my choice, I ended up buying a IPS panel but VA panels were equally good. Most of the modern monitors are coming with zero-bezel design and it really looks appealing.
Ports are Important in PC Monitors
When choosing the monitors, the type of display ports available on the monitor is very important. Most of us overlook the type and number of ports on a monitor but it will be very handy. Most new monitors have HDMI ports by default, some will have VGA and DVI ports which is going away with more recent monitors. New monitors has USB-C and Display Ports that supports high refresh rates. So I made sure my new monitor has HDMI and USB-C/Display Ports at minimum. So I bought a MSI IPS monitor with 165Hz refresh rate which is good for gaming and general viewing.
PC Monitors with in-built speakers
I also found some monitors having inbuilt speakers which is very nice feature as you can turn it into a second TV by adding a streaming device to it. Also it helps with a better audio setup by removing speaker space in your desk. Currently I’m using chrome cast TV with a bluetooth speaker on my Monitor but a inbuilt speaker would be an icing on the cake.
PC Monitor Brands to Consider
PC Monitors have evolved a lot in last few years and there are lot of new manufactures competing in this space. Most of the new manufactures are providing excellent displays with more features at a lesser price point. Manufactures like Acer, ASUS, MSI are providing excellent gaming monitors. Manufactures like BenQ and Samsung are introducing new features like Eye Safe, inbuilt softwares, Docking options using Samsung phone in their M series monitors. So, there is a lot of options to consider before making your final choice.
Conclusion
If your work involves viewing lot of applications or windows, you should go for a 32 inch monitor or a dual monitor setup of 24″ or 27″ devices. If you’re a gamer, get at least a 144Hz display with or without G-Sync. It makes a substantial difference when you game. I would recommend a IPS or VA Panel for vibrant colors and a great viewing angles. Hope my suggestions help you make a choice. Let me know your thoughts and comments.
