How to choose a good monitor? Which monitor diagonal is better - 22, 24, 27 inches or more? Who produces the most best monitors- Asus, Acer, BenQ, LG, Philips, Samsung or someone else? How to decide on the type of matrix and other monitor parameters without getting lost among hundreds of models from dozens of manufacturers? What else to look for when choosing a monitor?

In the article, we understand how to choose the best monitor of 2017, which is optimal in terms of price and quality. If there seems to be too much material and you want a ready-made answer right away, then at the end of the article there are recommended monitor models.

How to choose a good monitor

Usually, when choosing a monitor, the question is not often asked what it will be used for, since in the understanding of most buyers a good monitor should be universal - you can work on it without fatigue for long hours, play games comfortably until late at night, surf the Internet until the morning in search of a way out or avidly watch your favorite movies and series. Then why are there so many models on the market, most of which differ from each other quite insignificantly, isn't it easier and cheaper to come up with a few universal good monitors and churn out millions of them? The answer is simple - to sell more, since most likely you will choose a monitor from a manufacturer that has dozens of models, and not one that has three of them, although they are very good. Well, along the way to create for you the illusion of choice. But among hundreds of models, there are sure to be only a few monitors that can really be considered the best in their niches. How to find them or help make your own choice, consider below.

Monitor screen size

Screen size is the main characteristic that distinguishes one monitor from another and at the same time significantly affects the price. The difference in size for the most common diagonals is clearly shown in the figure, although the small scale of the image does not allow one to really appreciate the difference. According to most buyers, a monitor with a diagonal of 18.5"" is small, 19-21.5"" is normal, 23-24"" is large, 27"" is very large, 30"" and more is something like "wow" .

Conventionally, by size, 4 groups of monitors can be distinguished:

• 18.5-20 inches - budget and office segment. Due to the low price large monitors usually chosen by organizations for their employees, as well as buyers who are very limited in funds or, for some fundamental reason, prefer small monitors.
• 21.5-24 inches - mass segment. More than half of the monitors sold in 2016 belong to this group. Naturally, content creators (games, websites, videos, etc.) also know this, so many of them initially rely primarily on such diagonals.
• 27 inches is a promising segment. When you install an inexpensive monitor of this diagonal at a standard distance (50-80 cm from the eyes), the image may look a little rough, as individual pixels of the image may already be visible.
• 30 inches and above is an exclusive segment. Due to the high price and too wide (opposite edges are out of view without head movement), monitors larger than 27 inches are unlikely to become a mass product, so buyers choose them infrequently.

It is very rare to find multi-monitor systems that have some advantages (for example, high realism in games), but for the normal operation of such a very expensive monster, it is necessary, moreover, in the current 2017, it is expected to start deliveries of mass virtual glasses / helmets at an affordable price , which are cheaper, more convenient and at the same time have a simply stunning effect of being in the virtual world. And although they are unlikely to quickly replace conventional monitors, as they create too much eye strain, they are able to replace most of the monitors of very large diagonals.

• more information is available on the big screen at the same time without scrolling (no need to actively work with the mouse);
• it is extremely inconvenient to work with some large objects (maps, diagrams, drawings, complex tables) on small screens;
• in games, a large screen occupies almost the entire visual space of the player, which adds realism;
• the expected service life of modern LED monitors is up to 10-12 years, so buy for such a long period small monitor at least unreasonable.

There is a common misconception that 24-inch and larger monitors are tiring for the eyes ("eye-scattering"). In reality, this is just a strange legend, since you get used to a large monitor quickly, which cannot be said the other way around.

Monitor design and ergonomics

Design is the second thing a buyer pays attention to when choosing a monitor after size, although in importance it is almost the last factor. It is worth noting that the more unique and rare the design of the monitor, the higher the likelihood of getting an unsuccessful model that likes trips to the service center for repairs. For the same reason, you should not especially pay attention to various exclusivity, because we usually look not "at the monitor", but "at the monitor", and all sorts of chips will no longer be noticed after a week.

However, there are some design elements to consider when choosing a monitor:

- a thin frame around the screen (especially black or in the tone of the interior) is less noticeable and therefore less distracting from the perception of information;

- such a seemingly trifle as a bright power indicator can greatly spoil life, since bright light in the eyes in low ambient light is very annoying. It is treated with the settings in the monitor menu (sometimes) or with a piece of electrical tape in the color of the monitor body (not very aesthetically pleasing, but reliable);

- all monitors have the ability to change the tilt back and forth, but not every model has height adjustment. A monitor that is too low requires the head to be tilted down, which leads to increased fatigue and, after a while, can cause health problems in the region of the cervical vertebrae.

Resolution, aspect ratio and monitor grain size

Since at present most of the media for personal computers(videos, games, many programs and websites) are designed for 16:9 aspect ratios and standard resolutions of HD (1366x768 pixels), FullHD (2K, 1920x1080 pixels), WQHD (2560x1440 pixels) and UltraHD (4K, 3840x2160 pixels), then for more full compatibility monitors should be chosen with such resolutions: small monitors - HD; medium and large monitors - FullHD; huge monitors - WQHD and UltraHD. By the way, the last format will be relevant for the mass buyer only in a few years, since for some time there will be too little quality content for him, and watching series like "All 125 episodes + bonus on one DVD" on an UltraHD monitor is at least stupid . For the same reason, don't get carried away with ultra-detailed "live" presentations of UltraHD monitors and TVs in stores - it's just a demonstration. The only place where you can already appreciate the benefits of UltraHD is viewing high-quality photos in original quality, which were taken on a mid-range camera or higher.

The so-called "square" 19-inch monitors with 5:4 proportions are still available for sale - at their relatively low price, they are convenient for working with documents and therefore are in demand by office workers, but still, for the reasons indicated above, are of little use for universal use .

Grain size(smallest point of the image) affects the quality of the information display. The larger it is (higher graininess), the better small fonts are read, which is especially important for people of advanced age or with poor eyesight, but at the same time everything else is displayed rougher - photos, smooth lines, etc. The smaller it is (lower graininess), the more realistic photos and other complex objects look, but at the same time, small fonts can be almost unreadable. The trend is that more and more programs use scaling correctly and therefore in the future all new monitors will be with ultra-fine grain, while the image will be very clear and realistic, and small fonts will be correctly increased to an acceptable level. But at present there are still many programs that are almost impossible to work on monitors with a very fine grain size.

In most cases, the grain size of monitors:

• 18.5-20.1 inches - large (0.27-0.30 mm);
• 21-22 inches - small (0.24-0.25 mm);
• 23 inches - medium (0.265 mm);
• 23.6-24 inches - large (0.27-0.28 mm);
• 27-28 inches (up to $500) - very large (0.31-0.32 mm);
• over 29 inches - medium to very large (0.26-0.31 mm);
• UltraHD monitors are very small (0.14-0.22 mm).

According to many buyers, the best ratio of price, diagonal and grain size for 24-inch FullHD monitors. If you have low vision, then it is strongly not recommended to buy monitors with fine and medium grain sizes, as many details and system fonts will be too small for comfortable work. Although you can later change the resolution or scaling to make the image larger, this usually greatly degrades clarity and / or distorts the proportions.

Some buyers complain about the so-called "crystal effect"(fuzzy boundaries of individual image pixels), others in the same monitor models never notice it, as this is due to the peculiarities of vision and perception of each individual. For the same reason, the presence or absence of a crystal effect is not indicated in the technical specifications of the monitor, and it is determined only personally or subjectively by the results of tests. It is worth noting that the crystal effect can only be present on monitors with a matte finish, it never happens on glossy and glossy anti-glare monitors, but well-lit objects located behind the back can be reflected in them, which can irritate much more than this effect. Above are two macro photos side by side - a monitor with a moderately pronounced crystal effect (left) and a monitor without a crystal effect (right). Since the tangible benefits of matte screens are in most cases more important than glossy screens, currently more than 80% of monitors are made with matte screens and they have a more or less pronounced "crystal effect".

Matrix type, viewing angles and monitor backlight

The second most important characteristic of a monitor after its size is matrix type, but there are also viewing angles, type, backlight brightness and uniformity, contrast and response speed, which are very closely related and usually good values ​​​​of one parameter suggest that other parameters will be at least good. The complexity is also added by the fact that there are more than a dozen types and subtypes of matrices (for example, the most common are TN and IPS, and there are also PVA, MVA, PLS, etc.), each of which, in turn, has different characteristics. But if it’s very simplified about the main types, then TN matrices are the fastest and cheapest, but they have worse viewing angles and black depth, IPS matrices (PLS in Samsung versions) have the best color reproduction and viewing angles, but at the same time expensive and relatively slow, while PVA and MVA matrices are the best at transmitting black, but at the same time there are difficulties in transmitting halftones and problems with changing color balance at different viewing angles.

The conclusion is disappointing - with such a variety, there is no ideal type of matrix, everyone has flaws and, if desired, they can be easily noticed, but in most cases it can be said that monitors on a matrix:

• TN - inexpensive and fast, so ideal for gamers and those who want to save on the purchase of a monitor;
• PVA and MVA - have a relatively low price, the highest contrast and at the same time an acceptable speed, so they are great as universal monitors for the home;
• IPS (PLS) - usually expensive, but they have very high-quality color reproduction and good contrast, so they are best suited for working with graphics and photographs, as well as for buyers who do not care about the numbers on the price tag.

Technologies do not stand still and often monitors with different types of matrices have very similar characteristics, and even an experienced specialist will not always be able to correctly separate one type from another, so when choosing a monitor, you should not focus too much on the type of matrix. What really matters for a particular monitor is the viewing angles, maximum brightness and contrast of the matrix.

One of the most frustrating features of modern monitors is the limited viewing angles(distortion of the image when viewed from different sides), which is especially critical for large diagonal monitors on TN-matrices, since in some cases, even with a direct look at the monitor, the image in the corners will already be distorted. To protect yourself from such problems, you must choose a monitor with viewing angles of at least 170 horizontally and 160 vertically.

Screen backlight until recently carried out by special fluorescent lamps(CCFL), which had tangible drawbacks - a limited service life and uneven illumination. Currently, most monitors have LED backlighting, which in some respects is significantly better than CCFL - unevenness is usually less pronounced, and the expected life will end much later than the monitor ends up in a landfill as obsolete. Backlight unevenness on cheap monitors (up to 100 USD) can often be very noticeable, but on more expensive models it rarely ruins life and can usually be seen only if you specifically do a test like "dark screen in a dark room" or when viewing dark movie scene with huge margins at the top and bottom. The problem of backlight uniformity is relevant even for the best expensive monitors, but again, if you really want to see it. Ultra-thin monitors are more likely to suffer from uneven backlight disease than standard thickness monitors of the same class.

Low values monitor contrast(500:1 or less) is usually expressed as a complete inability to display black - in the light areas of the images it will not be noticeable, but the dark and black areas will be displayed as dark gray. Various technologies such as dynamic contrast can slightly correct this deficiency in some situations, but it is still better to buy monitors with a static contrast ratio of 1000:1 or higher. It should also be taken into account that according to the test results, the real contrast values ​​are usually slightly lower than the passport ones.

Response time and sweep (update) frequency. The first is an almost mythical parameter for gamers, who often discard all other factors for maximum realism in games and choose exactly those monitors with a response time of 5 ms or less (think about how low this value is for our not very fast brains - 0.005 seconds!) . In fact, the problem of slow matrices has long been defeated even by cheap modern monitors, but due to the peculiarities of human vision, which still remembers the previous image for another 10-20 ms, and the differences in displaying images on CRT and LCD (for the first, the image goes out after 1 ms after being drawn and 9-15 ms before the next frame we would see only darkness, while the second remains unchanged until the next frame is replaced) CRT monitors often seem faster than even the best non-gaming LCD monitors.

As you might guess, for the observed maximum performance of the monitor, not only the response time is important to our eyes, but also the maximum image refresh rate. Since the standard image refresh rate of the matrices of most modern monitors is 60 Hz, then theoretically a response time of 15 ms is quite enough, but for some other reasons, monitors should be chosen with a response time of no more than 10 ms (but if it is less, then it will be worse from this, naturally it won't). By the way, that's why it's usually pointless to "squeeze" FPS above 60, since "extra" frames on non-gaming monitors will simply be ignored.

Gamer monitors with refresh rate 120-144 Hz allow you to display very fast dynamic scenes in games much more naturally than conventional monitor models, but they have a significantly higher price and almost always a TN matrix, respectively, far from the best viewing angles, contrast values ​​​​and color depth. An obligatory "addition" for such monitors is the presence, capable of the same or higher FPS values ​​​​in most games, which significantly increases the cost in general, therefore it is recommended to buy gaming monitors only in cases where active dynamic games occupy a very important place in life . A much smarter decision would be to buy monitors with G-Sync technology (only for NVidia video cards) or much cheaper monitors with similar FreeSync technology (only for AMD video cards), since the refresh rate of the image in them exactly corresponds to the game at a given time, so there are no twitching/tears in the image, and even at frequencies up to 60 Hz, the gameplay looks much more realistic and of high quality.

Security of modern monitors quite high (there is no frightening many x-rays and similar horror stories from the past), but it is worth remembering that increased brightness causes eye fatigue and after several hours of work, a slight pain in the eyes may appear. Too low brightness also strains eyesight, as it is necessary to peer, moreover, in this mode, the backlight of most inexpensive LED monitors begins to flicker significantly - almost imperceptibly for consciousness, but for many people it can cause additional eye fatigue, since the pupil has to try to adjust to change the brightness of the entire surface of the monitor matrix. In the photo above - the well-known "pencil monitor test" (you need to quickly draw a pen or pencil in front of the screen). If you see a pencil not smeared, but like frames, you need to slightly increase the brightness to reduce eye strain, but it's still better to buy monitors with Flicker-Free backlighting, which have no flicker at any brightness value.

The optimal value for a monitor with a maximum brightness of 250 cd / sq.m is 70-90% - the image is bright enough not to peer, but the flicker is weakly expressed so as not to tire the eyesight. It is strongly not recommended to buy monitors with a maximum matrix brightness of 200 cd / sq.m or less, since the image will be too faded in good ambient light.

Other monitor options

Most monitors have an outdated analog input. D-SUB(VGA) - as the most compatible with other devices, but information on it is transmitted in analog (non-digital) form and there are always distortions (most often it is loss of clarity and blurring), and the higher the resolution of the monitor, the more noticeable they are. Therefore, for monitors with HD resolution and above, digital inputs are highly recommended - DVI, display port or HDMI(2nd and 3rd are preferred as they have higher bandwidth, built-in audio channel and look neater).

Though built-in speakers very comfortable, but it's hard to believe that they can give a deep high-quality sound. The built-in speakers are ideal for an office monitor, as they allow you to save space on your desktop and do without unnecessary wires, and at home they are not at all equal even to the initial 2.1 solutions already at a price of 30-40 USD, not to mention more serious devices. It would be logical if monitors with built-in speakers also had a built-in Webcam, but now manufacturers have practically abandoned this idea.

If you intend to install the monitor not on a table, but on a wall or a special stand, then you must have a monitor behind VESA mounts. Also, the VESA mount is often used not for its intended purpose, but for mounting the back of a compact monitor. system block to get a monoblock, which will be significantly cheaper than factory models.

Ultra HD (4K)- (24 inches), (28 inches), (32 inches), and also giant (40 inches). It is worth noting that all 4K monitors up to and including 32 inches have very fine grain, which allows images and photos to be very sharp, but menu text and other elements in most old and some new programs will be almost unreadable, and zooming, especially in Windows 7, it gives noticeable distortion, so it is recommended to buy such monitors only if you do not plan to work in old programs. And only with a diagonal of 40 inches and above it will be possible to more or less comfortably work with all programs, but not everyone will like to turn their heads in front of such a huge monitor. It is also worth considering that in order to connect a 4K monitor to a DisplayPort 1.2 / HDMI 2.0 or higher and a high-quality cable, as well as the fact that games at native resolution require very powerful (GeForce 1080 Ti recommended) and (Intel i7-7700 recommended) ).

Since it is highly recommended to connect monitors with a resolution higher than HD (1366x768) only via a digital input (HDMI, DVI, DisplayPort), and monitors often do not come with such cables, they must be purchased separately. It is worth noting that even the best monitors are not perfect, individual copies, even in the same batch, may have significant differences due to their different factory settings or the bad mood of the assembler, so it is better for a meticulous buyer to buy a monitor in a store so that "the eyes see, what they bought." If you are not going to spend hours on end doing tests and looking for matrix defects with a magnifying glass, so that later you can throw a tantrum at the seller, then you can safely save money by buying a monitor on the Internet.

An important device in any computer is the monitor, because the quality of the picture depends on it, and hence your comfort in working or playing at the computer. Monitors differ from each other in many ways, so today we will tell you how to choose the right monitor for your computer.

What are the criteria for choosing a monitor for a computer

All displays differ from each other in their technical specifications(parameters), which will be discussed below. Write down the important parameters for you on a piece of paper and go to the store to choose your new monitor with it!

Screen size. When buying, first of all, pay attention to the screen size of the monitor. It is measured in inches (1 inch = 2.54 centimeters). It is much more convenient to watch movies, play games, work with windows, etc. on a large screen. However, large monitors require more power from the video card, in particular, if the computer is old-style and the monitor has a diagonal of 24 inches, slight slowdowns are possible. Small monitors are good because the price tag is much lower, so you can choose an 18 or 19-inch monitor to save money. For desperate gamers or fans of watching movies on a computer, we recommend paying attention to monitors with a diagonal of 27 inches.

widescreen monitor. While 4:3 monitors dominated the market in the past, widescreen monitors with aspect ratios of 16:9 or 16:10 are now very popular. The fact is that most modern films and games come out in this format - narrow and wide. If your monitor is not like this, then most likely it will not be interesting to watch new games or movies, because the picture will be small, which is completely unacceptable.

The maximum screen resolution. Do you want the picture on the screen to be as clear as possible?! Then choose monitors with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. Screen resolution is the total number of dots (pixels) vertically and horizontally. The more these dots, the better. In addition, several open windows can be placed on such computer monitors at once. For example, on a monitor with an extension of 2560x1440, 4 windows will fit perfectly, which will not interfere with each other, and they can be freely used. Widescreen monitors often have resolutions of 1366x768, 1920x1080 and 2560x1440.

LED backlight. Old-style monitors have built-in cold cathode fluorescent lamps, which provide backlight in the monitor (in the technical data, this item is abbreviated as CCFL). In new monitors, as a rule, they use new technology- LED backlight, which is also called LED-backlight. Thanks to it, the color reproduction of the screen improves, and on the contrary, power consumption decreases. The only thing that is unpleasant about this technology is that LED monitors are slightly more expensive than conventional ones (with CCFL technology).

Type of LCD matrix. All LCD monitors are manufactured using the same technology - TFT (stands for Thin Film Transistor), however, LCD matrices also have their own additional types of technology by which they are manufactured. Depending on this, they are divided into the following types:

• TFTIPS(versions: TFT S-IPS, TFT H-IPS, TFT UH-IPS, TFT E-IPS, TFT P-IPS). The advantage of these matrices include excellent color reproduction, wide viewing angles and the correct black color. The disadvantage is the long response time (which is not suitable for gamers and cinephiles) and naturally overpriced. Such monitors are suitable for working with graphics.


• TFT MVA(other versions: TFT PVA, TFT S-PVA). The advantages and disadvantages are the same as those of TFT IPS, except that this type of matrix still has good contrast.


• TFT TN(Twisted Nematic). This technology is one of the very first, and therefore one of the oldest. However, it is still in great demand among consumers due to its low price and low response time (important for dynamic pictures - games and movies). There are a lot of shortcomings, ranging from poor contrast or color, ending with such a disadvantage as the appearance of "broken pixels".

Stereo speakers. Stereo speakers are specially built into some monitor models in order to replace standard speakers. However, the quality of these speakers is very poor, the sound is far from ideal. However, in general, a very useful thing if you use the monitor as a TV (after all, many models have built-in TV tuners). If you are looking for good sound, then it is better to purchase separate speakers for your computer, or even better, a 5.1 sound system for comfortable watching movies or series. Therefore, stereo speakers are usually a redundant thing in a monitor designed for a computer.

HDMI input. The HDMI interface is one of the most popular today, since, firstly, it is universal, and secondly, it is capable of transmitting video and sound in digital format. Accordingly, a monitor connected to a computer via HDMI is capable of transmitting an image in much better quality than via VGA.

DVI input. The DVI interface is also capable of transmitting video in digital format, but without audio. This connection is recommended to be used on monitors with a screen resolution of more than 19 inches (since it is on them that you can see a significant difference).

Support 3D. 3D-enabled monitors are capable of displaying three-dimensional graphics, because today a lot of new films and games come out in this format. Do you want to feel in virtual reality?! Then choose monitors with 3D!

Many readers, in addition to dry explanations, want to see concrete examples monitor models that should be purchased in one case or another. We decided to satisfy the desire of our readers and especially for them published examples of monitors for computers that we would choose in one case or another, of course, we justified each choice. So, let's see what we got.

Which monitor to choose for a designer

A distinctive point in a monitor for a designer is that such screens are able to more accurately reproduce colors, so it is very important that the designer's monitor matrix be created using IPS technology (we unsubscribed about all the advantages and disadvantages of this model a little earlier).

DELL U2711

• huge screen diagonal - 27 inches.


• high-quality LCD matrix TFT H-IPS;


• maximum screen resolution 2560x1440;


• 16:9 widescreen monitor;


• connection options: VGA, DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort;


• screen brightness: 350 cd/m2;


• contrast ratio 1000:1;


• monitor response time is 6 ms;


• price ~650 dollars.

Which monitor to choose for games

When choosing a monitor for gaming, we advise you to pay attention to 2 points. Firstly, this is the response time, the smaller it is, the better the monitor will be able to show you dynamic scenes in games. Therefore, choose monitors with response time less than 4 ms. Second, find out what horizontal viewing angle the monitor has. The gaming monitor must have angle from 170 degrees. If it is smaller, then looking at the screen a little at an angle, you will not clearly see the image on the screen (colors will be dark, objects will be blurry and fuzzy).

Samsung S23B350H

• monitor diagonal 23 inches;


• type of installed matrix TFT TN;


• screen resolution 1920x1080;


• 16:9 format;



• connection options: VGA and HDMI;


• monitor brightness: 250 cd/m2;


• screen contrast 1000:1;


• response time 2 ms;


• viewing angle 170°/160°;


• price ~200 dollars.

How to choose a good monitor for home

A good home monitor should have maximum function and capabilities, as it can be used both as a TV, and as a monitor for a computer, and as a screen for game console and as a home theater. Moreover, he must perform all these functions at a height. In addition, we should not forget about the quality of the picture on the screen and the release date (it is better to choose a new model that will not have to be replaced with a new one next year).

LG M2482D

• an impressive size screen with a diagonal of 24 inches;


• very high quality type of monitor matrix TFT MVA;


• maximum screen resolution 1920x1080 pixels;


• widescreen model (16:9);


• the presence of LED-backlight;


• connection options: HDMI x2, VGA, composite input, component input, SCART;


• screen brightness 250 cd/m2;


• monitor response time 5 ms;


• viewing angle: 178°/178°;


• built-in TV tuner (works great with digital TV);


• built-in stereo speakers;


• price ~350 dollars.

Which inexpensive monitor to choose in 2012

If you want to choose an inexpensive model of 2012 release, then we recommend that you pay attention to the following monitor:

Samsung S19B220B

• the monitor has a monitor diagonal of 18.5 inches;


• maximum resolution: 1366x768;


• widescreen model: 16:9;


• LED backlight (LED backlight);


• two monitor connection options: VGA and DVI;


• screen contrast 1000:1;


• response time is quite decent: 5 ms;


• price ~100 dollars.

If you do not know how to properly connect or assemble the purchased monitor, then we recommend that you take the help of our specialists. They will help you not only correctly connect or assemble the monitor, but also install the latest drivers, thanks to which the monitor will work flawlessly.