You might be looking to buy a new monitor whether it is a budget monitor or a gaming monitor. There are so many different types of monitors. The options for monitors varying from computer monitor brand, panel types, various refresh rates, curved monitors or flat screen monitors, to resolutions. It can be daunting and a nightmare to decide what specs you want for your new computer monitor, especially if you are just starting to do search on your own. Luckily, we have done countless hours of research, so you do not have to and we narrow down the most important specs for your new potential monitor! Below we include specs you could get for a general working computer monitor and a gaming monitor.
Computer monitors
Basic summary of what you need and to look for in computer monitors
Depending on the your needs for the computer monitor, a good new monitor is:
- 24 inch or 27 inch screen (screen size)
- IPS monitor
- 75 Hz refresh rate
- resolution 1080p or aspect ratio of 16:9 but ideally 2k or 4k
- curved monitor
- 2 monitors
- monitor stands w/ VESA mount
- HDMI ports or USB ports (more specifically UBS-C ports)
- Price: you can get a good quality monitor for $200-$300
Reasoning for each bullet point of a new monitor
24 inch or 27 inch screen gives you enough screen real estate to do the work you need and want. You’ll definitely want to get at least two monitors. We find that it makes getting your work done much more efficient with that much more screen real estate. You could always get larger monitors, if you do not want those 24 inch or 27 inch screen size monitors.
While there are other panel types, we find that IPS monitors are the best. They help support the fast pixel response times and refresh rate. They have issues with contrast though. Ideally, you get a new monitor that has a 75 Hz refresh rate, since that is the amount of time it takes the display to repopulate the image. The higher the refresh rate the better.
You should get a monitor with 1080p or higher resolution. If you can afford it, you should get a monitor with 4k resolution it will make your image quality amazing, especially if you want to get a gaming monitor. Getting a 4k monitor will open up some more screen real estate and screen space.
For ergonomic purposes, you’ll want to get a computer monitor that has an adjustable monitor stand and a VESA compatible mount, so if you want to mount your computer monitor on a wall you have the option to do so. Curved monitors help enhance your user experience.
Ideally you get a monitor with multiple HDMI ports or USB-C ports, so if one of them stops working you do not have to replace the whole monitor. You should get a pc that does support HDMI to get better image quality.
Gaming monitors
typical gaming monitor specs are:
- 27 inch monitor
- 2k or 4k monitor resolutions
- 144 Hz refresh rate
- HDMI ports or USB-C ports
- curved monitors
Things to look for in a monitor
- panel types
- monitor types
- resolution
- refresh rate
- ports
- screen size
- curved or flat screen monitor
Panel types
- VA panels
- IPS panels
- TN panels
VA monitors or vertical alignment monitors
VA panels have liquid crystals in the computer monitor. However, when there is no electrical pressure, the liquid crystals are vertical. When there is electrical pressure, the liquid crystals become parallel to the glass plates of the computer screen.
IPS monitors or in plane switching monitors
IPS panels have liquid crystals in the computer monitor similar to VA panels. They are horizontal and parallel to the glass plates of the computer screen. When electrical pressure occurs, the liquid crystals rotate 90 degrees.
TN monitors or twisted nematic monitors
They help the monitor’s refresh rate to be faster, so playing video games or movies is easier than a monitor that has IPS panels or VA panels.
Computer monitor
The monitor types are LCD, LED, and OLED monitors.
We recommend LCD monitor because they are light in weight, good as a desktop computer, and great for different viewing angles. LCD monitors have flat panel displays and they are the standard for office monitors or computers.
Desk space
Depending on the size of your desk, you could either mount your monitors to the wall or on your desk. Most monitors sold today have thin sturdy monitor stands.
We also recommend getting a standing desk.
Refresh rate
The refresh rate is the frequency in which the display updates the monitor’s screen image. This is measured in hertz and the higher the number the better.
Resolutions
Resolution is the number of pixels in each dimension that can be displayed. You can see the units in pixels (width x height).
Other aspects to consider for your new monitor
Touchscreen monitors are not necessary, but if you like the touchscreen it can enhance your computer experience.
Graphics cards in your pc. The better the graphics card the better the image quality can be for your monitor.
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