Introduction
Ten years ago, monitors were nothing more than necessary accessories. Today, they can be luxury items that dramatically improve all aspects of computing and content consumption. There are so many types of monitors that suit so many different needs.
Screen resolution, response time, panel weight: everything should be considered when choosing a personal device or an enterprise fleet. Unfortunately, all of these specs can be confusing. We’ve compiled this roundup to help you sort through the abundance of options available.
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
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Super build quality Great picture Relatively good value No G-Sync or FreeSync
The Philips Brilliance’s BDM3490UC is the best cinematic monitor we’ve tried yet. This massive panel has a bright and attractive IPS display with wide viewing angles, which makes it great for watching movies or being productive on the desktop. Its extra-wide 21:9 curved form factor is especially great for gaming even in the absence of G-Sync or FreeSync frame-smoothing tech. The Brilliance is also a little cheaper than rival cinematic 21:9 panels, which certainly doesn’t hurt.
Read the full review: Philips Brilliance BDM3490UC
2. 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
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Image quality Adjustability Small footprint High response time Tinny speakers
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
3. 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
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Colour accuracy Landscape/portrait rotation Hardware button menu navigation Cost
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
4. LG UltraWide 34UC97
Great for work, games, and movies – but it’s costly
Screen size: 34-inch | Aspect ratio: 21:9 | Resolution: 3440×1440 | Brightness: 300 cd/m2 | Response time: 5ms | Viewing angle: 178/178 | Contrast ratio: 1M:1 (DFC) | Colour support: SRGB 99% | Weight: 19.8 pounds
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Good speakers with bass Great contrast and colour reproduction Expensive
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
5. 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
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Bezel-less design Refresh rate No USB ports Height not adjustable
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
6. 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
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Bezel-less design Refresh rate No USB ports Height not adjustable
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
7. 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
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Super display Great features Very expensive Just 24-inches
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
8. Acer B326HUL
Big, bold and accurate colours from a TV-sized monitor
Screen size: 32-inch | Aspect ratio: 16:9 | Resolution: 2560 x 1440 | Brightness: 300 cd/m2 | Response time: 6ms | Viewing angle: 178/178 | Contrast ratio: 100,000,000:1 | Colour support: SRGB 100% | Weight: 15.35 pounds
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Colour accuracy Port selection No MHL Viewing angles
Acer’s larger-than-life B326HUL comes with great colour accuracy out-of-the-box, easy-to-use menu controls and good build quality, but its above-average response time, lack of MHL and price point may make you want to look elsewhere.
Read the full review: B326HUL
9. BenQ BL2710PT
Aimed at CAD/CAM professionals, this feature-packed 27-inch monitor delivers
Screen size: 27-inch | Aspect ratio: 16:9 | Resolution: 3440×1440 | Brightness: 350 cd/m2 | Response time: 12ms | Viewing angle: 178/178 | Contrast ratio: 1000:1 | Colour support: SRGB 99% | Weight: 23.8 pounds
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Port selection Flicker-free backlight Design Touch controls
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
10. Asus PB287Q
Get ready for ultra high-def on your desktop
Screen size: 28-inch | Aspect ratio: 16:9 | Resolution: 3840 x 2160 | Brightness: 300 cd/m2 | Response time: 1ms | Viewing angle: 170/160 | Contrast ratio: 100,000,000:1 | Colour support: SRGB 87% | Weight: 21.1 pounds
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Stunning images Price Navigation Blindspots
This machine isn’t perfect, but it produces perfect images, especially if you’re nowhere near sunlight. Photographers, designers and videographers will love this unit.
Read the full review: PB287Q
Source: techradar.com