You’re probably not buying a new monitor often. It’s one of those components that will follow you from one computer to the next, but at some point you’ll want to upgrade and benefit from the great new screen technology that’s on offer.
The problem is that if you are buying a new monitor and you make a few mistakes when picking the right model for you, then you may be stuck looking at those mistakes for years. So before you click that “buy” button, consider these oft-overlooked factors.
8
Buying Too Big
There’s a common idea, and not just when it comes to monitors, that bigger means better. The problem is that display size is a major factor that affects image quality and how comfortably you can use your computer. For example, I use a 34-inch 1440p ultrawide desktop monitor, and I sit about two feet away from it. This monitor is perfect for my job, because I always need two browser windows split across the desktop, and an ultrawide like this is more elegant than a dual monitor setup. At least in my opinion.
However, when gaming on this monitor I have to sit a little farther back, because I can’t keep the entire screen in view while playing. The use case for work and gaming are different. If I was purely gaming, I’d probably rather opt for a 27-inch monitor, and eSports players often like the 24-inch size as the sweetspot for making them as competitive as possible.
The point is that you should carefully consider what the right size screen is for your needs, and you can usually get a smaller screen with better image quality and features for the same price as a larger model with more mediocre specs.
7
Too High a Resolution
This is related to screen size, but getting screens that have a too-high resolution can also be a significant mistake. For example, the pixel density on a 24-inch 1080p screen looks just fine, and isn’t far off a 1440p 27-inch screen with 92PPI versus 109PPI. While you can definitely see a sharpness increase at any monitor size as the resolution goes up, it’s debatable whether this is useful or not.
On smaller screens, higher resolutions require scaling of the user interface elements on the screen, so you’re not really winning any screen real estate, and if you play video games any increase in screen resolution requires more rendering horsepower, or reliance on upscaling technology. Resolution is just one factor in how sharp the image looks (your distance from the screen and its size are the others), but don’t assume that adding more pixels is always better.
6
Picking the Wrong Panel Type
There are various technologies in flat panel displays and they have significantly different pros and cons. The cream of the crop is currently OLED technology, but these are extremely expensive monitors and are often not nearly as bright as other types of screens. VA screens offer great contrast and black levels, but not the best color accuracy and viewing angles. IPS panels offer the best colors and viewing angles, but don’t have the best refresh rates and can suffer from IPS “glow”.
TN panels should not be bought by anyone for any reason.
To muddy the waters further, backlight technologies like mini-LED can help push LCD screens to compete with OLEDs when it comes to black levels and contrast, but carry their own price premium.
I can’t go through everything here, but the lesson is to become familiar with the different panel tecnologies and then deciding which drawbacks you find most acceptable.
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TN vs. IPS vs. VA: What’s the Best Display Panel Technology?
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5
Color Gamut, Accuracy, and Your Needs
A monitor’s color gamut is how wide a range of colors it can reproduce. This is usually expressed as a percentage of an industry-standard “color space” such as sRGB or DCI-P3. The higher the number the better, but you only need extremely wide color gamuts for professional work. Color accuracy is a measure of how closely the colors a monitor reproduces match what that color value is supposed to be. In other words, do you see the color that the creator of the content intended?
Color accuracy is measured as Delta E, and a value of less than 2 is desirable, with professional users looking for less than 1. The cut off for color accuracy difference that most people could spot by eye is 2.3.
Having very accurate and wide color reproduction increases the price of the monitor, so if these aren’t important factors, you can save yourself some money and focus on other features that matter more to you.
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4
Falling for Bogus HDR Claims
Many monitors now have an “HDR” label, which might make you think that they conform to an HDR strandard that will make HDR content shine. However, due to some very loose standards at the bottom end of HDR tiers, there are many monitors with an HDR sticker that have no business anywhere near an HDR signal.
The big problem is peak brightness. If a monitor can’t hit at least 600 Nits and preferably 1000 Nits, you’re not going to see the proper range of brightness and colors. The truth is that proper HDR monitors are expensive, so don’t even consider HDR as a feature in budget and midrange screens.
3
Ignoring Ergonomics
How often do you think about your monitor’s stand? Well, if you buy a monitor that doesn’t have a height-adjustable stand, it could turn out to be a big pain in the neck. Literally. The good news is that most monitors have VESA mounting holes on the back, which is where you can attach a monitor arm of your choice to adjust the screen however you wish. Alternatively, you can also purchase a monitor riser. If you don’t want to spend extra money on that, monitor makers like DELL often have included stands that offer lots of adjustability.
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Don’t Be Like Me, Buy a Monitor Arm Before It’s Too Late
A little extra money and time now will save your wallet pain later.
2
The Wrong or Inadequate Connectivity
I have three different computers connected to my desktop monitor: a Windows laptop, a MacBook, and a mini PC that works as my Plex server. The only reason I can do this is because the monitor has three inputs. Likewise, my speakers are connected to the monitor, as is my keyboard,running through the screen’s USB hub.
These are all extremely convenient features that would be a pain to work around if I didn’t look for a screen with the right connections from the start. Don’t make the mistake of picking a monitor that doesn’t have the type and number of connections you need
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1
Paying for Features That Mean Nothing to You
Every feature that a monitor offers increases its price, or means giving something else up in return. So try to avoid getting a monitor with features that you will never use. For example, if you aren’t a gamer, paying for a montior with G-SYNC or FreeSync Premium doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, unless the monitor matches your needs in other ways that an alternative model can’t.
Don’t need 240Hz of screen refresh rate? Don’t buy it!
