Anyone used to using a monitor in the office may be thinking of buying one to work from home now that many have started doing it again. Working with a large screen, rather than a laptop, is particularly useful for those suffering from back pain, postural disturbances or eyestrain. The problem with monitors is that they all look very similar (at least to those who do not work as a seller or manufacturer of monitors), especially if you look at them on an e-commerce site, where at first glance it is difficult to understand even what size have.
For those who have no special professional needs and use the computer to do fairly basic things like Google searches, Excel spreadsheets and email exchanges, we have put together a short buying guide. There are some models that are best reviewed by technology sites, but also everything you need to know to choose a monitor yourself, in case you want to take advantage of the online discounts at the end of November.
Ports and Compatibility
In general, any monitor can be connected to any computer with a cable that is compatible with both devices. Usually, when you buy a monitor, there is also the cable in the package: the most common are HDMI. Computers from a few years ago almost always have an HDMI or DisplayPort port (and monitors almost always have one too), so they shouldn't be a problem. Those who have a newer computer without an HDMI or DisplayPort input will have to be careful to choose a monitor with a cable specifically for USB-C (the only input that, for example, new MacBooks have). For these cases there are also adapters (16 euros on Amazon, 24 on eBay), but it is good to carefully check that they are compatible (there are different versions of HDMI cables and ports).
Resolution and dimensions
The image that appears on a screen is made up of many small dots called pixels. The resolution of a monitor indicates the quantity of pixels that make up the image that is seen on the screen; it is measured with the number of pixels that are in a row (width) and the number of pixels that are in a column (height). For example, you can have a monitor with a resolution of 1920 by 1080. In general, the higher these numbers are, the sharper and more detailed the image will be (we'll go back to that). When we talk about the size of a monitor instead we mean the length of the diagonal of the screen, measured in inches: usually for monitors it ranges from 18 inches to about thirty.
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When buying a monitor, resolution and size need to be evaluated together because the same resolution can give a very sharp result on a large screen and very grainy on a larger screen. This happens because the pixel density varies, usually referred to as ppi (or sometimes a little improperly dpi). With this online calculator you can find the pixel density of a screen by entering the resolution and size. According to Lori Grunin, an expert at the CNet technology site, the ideal would be a density around 100 ppi.
The cheapest and lowest resolution screens on the market are HD, which measure 1280 pixels by 720 and are considered quite obsolete. The best for value for money are those called Full HD, which have a resolution of 1920 pixels by 1080 and are suitable for screens from 21 to 27 inches. Among the monitors of this type recommended by Wirecutter, the authoritative review site of the New York Times, for those on a budget there are two 24-inch monitors: Viewsonic VA2456-MHD (150 euros on Amazon, 165 on ePrice, 165 on eBay) and Acer CB242Y (144 euros on ePrice, 158 on eBay, 165 euros on Amazon).
Those who use programs to edit photos and videos and for professional reasons prefer screens of 27 inches upwards will have to choose at least a 2K or Quad HD (2560 pixels by 1440). There are also screens from 3840 pixels by 2160, known as 4K or Ultra HD, but they must be at least 28 inches and it is better to make sure you have a video card capable enough to “keep up” with the screen resolution. Among the best 4K monitors according to Wirecutter tests are ASUS TUF Gaming VG289Q (384 on eBay, 470 euros on Amazon and 435 on ePrice) and HP Z27 (559 euros on Amazon and ePrice, 567 on eBay). Prices in general vary a lot and can even reach 800 euros and more.
In all the cases listed, the aspect ratio, that is the ratio between width and height of the image, is the standard one of 16: 9. There are also monitors with a different aspect ratio: for example, Apple's computers are all 16:10 and for those looking for a screen with the same aspect ratio, Wirecutter speaks well of Dell P2421 (200 euros on Amazon, 216 on eBay). However, you don't need a 16:10 monitor if you have a MacBook – you can simply change the display from the settings to fit the 16: 9 aspect ratio.
Speed
There are two parameters useful for measuring the speed at which images change on a monitor. The first is the response time, which is how many milliseconds it takes for a pixel to change its state on the screen. The lower this number is, the faster the images will change: a response time of 1 millisecond is considered fast. This indicator is very important for gamers, but quite irrelevant for those who use the monitor for other activities. The other parameter is the refresh rate, i.e. the screen refresh rate in one second: 60 hertz are enough to work with it, while for gamers you need at least 75.
Panels
When we talk about monitors, we almost always mean liquid crystal displays or, in English, Liquid Crystal Display, abbreviated LCD. However, not all LCD screens are the same and to know what to look for there is a distinction between three types of panels: TN (Twisted Nematic), IPS (In Plane Switching) and VA (Vertical Alignment). Without getting too specific, the three panels work the same way, but they change the alignment and polarization of the liquid crystals, which also affects some aspects of their operation.
The TN panel is usually cheaper, but the picture quality is worse than the others. The only advantage it has is that the response times are very low and for this reason it can be of interest to those who want to spend the least and would use the monitor only for video games. For the rest, both the VA and the IPS are suitable for general and business use, but the IPS offer a much better general display and for this reason they are recommended for those who work with multimedia contents such as photos and videos, but not only. All the monitors we have mentioned among those recommended by Wirecutter, for example, are IPS.
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The support
The height-adjustable monitors allow the user to position them at eye level to keep the back and neck straight, without having to get under a stack of books. Some monitors have supports that also allow you to turn the screen to the right and left as needed and others to rotate them 90 degrees so that you can see the images vertically. This last option is interesting only for those who for work must have a vision as complete as possible of a site or a document developed vertically.
What are curved screens for?
Curved monitors allow you to use large screens (27 inches and up) without having to stay too far away and without having to move too much the head. Because of this, says CNet's Lori Grunin, they offer a significant advantage for those who use them for work, but aren't as useful when used for watching television, which is usually kept some distance away. Curvature doesn't make much sense for screens smaller than 27 inches either, especially since it helps raise the price quite a bit.
Can I use the TV as a monitor?
Technically it can be done because TVs have an HDMI input exactly like most monitors, but you have to consider that screens some televisions are designed to be viewed from a distance, unlike those for computers. Let's say they can be used for some activities that don't require you to sit at your desk and close to the screen, like joining a video call, watching a video or presentation. For those who spend a lot of time playing video games, a good solution may be to use a monitor to work and a TV to play.
Glossy or matte screen?
There are monitors with glossy screens and monitors with matte screens. With the former the images are better, but the reflections of any light sources are more annoying. Opaque screens are more recommended if the desk on which they will be placed is positioned in such a way as to have a window in front (i.e. behind the user).
Other things to consider
Some screens also have speakers, one or more USB inputs, and space to insert a memory card, all of which might come in handy to anyone who has no desk space for external devices to do these things. Many monitors lately have a function that serves to reduce blue light, which when it is strong can interfere with the rhythms of sleep and wakefulness, but the risk is that then all the colors are affected and the images are strange. According to the Tom's Hardware guide this is not something to prioritize.
– Read also: Do we need blue light glasses?
Looking at the specifications of the monitors, you may come across the acronym HDR: it stands for High Dynamic Range and means that the screen is able to reproduce shades of color that SDR (Standard Dynamic Range) does not have. It is usually found in the specifications of medium-high-end monitors and is used by those who for work need to see images with much higher and much lower lighting levels than usual. This is the case, for example, of the aforementioned ASUS TUF Gaming VG289Q.
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