The best monitors for every budget in 2025OLED is more affordable than ever and value can be found everywhere.
Whether you're upgrading your home office setup or building a new gaming rig, finding the best monitor for your needs can make a huge difference in both comfort and performance. Today’s computer monitors come in all shapes and sizes — from ultra-wide…
Whether you're upgrading your home office setup or building a new gaming rig, finding the best monitor for your needs can make a huge difference in both comfort and performance. Today’s computer monitors come in all shapes and sizes — from ultra-wide curved monitors designed for immersive gameplay to sleek, color-accurate panels perfect for creative work. And with more options than ever offering high refresh rates, vibrant OLED panels and features like G-Sync for smooth gameplay, there's truly something for everyone.But with so many specs to consider — backlight type, resolution, ports and functionality — it can be tough to know where to start. That’s why we’ve put together this buying guide to help you cut through the noise. Whether you're looking for a sharp display for photo editing, a fast panel for competitive gaming or just a solid everyday screen, we’ve rounded up the best monitors you can buy right now.
Quick OverviewBest budget monitorSamsung T35F$100 at AmazonBest budget monitor runner upBenQ MOBIUZ EX240N Gaming MonitorMore options$150 at Adorama$150 at Amazon$150 at Best BuyBest midrange monitorHP V28 4K Monitor$219 at AmazonBest midrange monitor runner upASUS ProArt Display PA279CVMore options$429 at Amazon$400 at Best BuyHonorable mention (midrange)Dell UltraSharp U2723QEMore options$484 at Amazon$499 at Adorama$590 at Macy'sHonorable mention (midrange)LG 32UN650-W Monitor$398 at AmazonHonorable mention (midrange)Alienware QD-OLED AW2725D$800 at DellBest premium monitorViewSonic VP2786-4K IPS 4K USB C Monitor$1,000 at AmazonBest premium monitor runner upASUS ROG Swift 4K OLED Gaming Monitor (PG32UCDM)$1,200 at AmazonHonorable mention (premium)Dell P3223QE 4K UHD LED LCD Monitor$525 at AmazonBest gaming monitor for most peopleAOC Q27G3XMN Mini LED Gaming Monitor$299 at AmazonBest OLED gaming monitor for most peopleAlienware AW2725DF OLED Gaming Monitor$894 at AmazonBest monitor for Mac usersApple Studio Display - Nano-Texture Glass - Tilt-Adjustable StandMore options$1,500 at Amazon$1,849 at AdoramaBest portable monitorLenovo ThinkVision M14t Gen2 14-inch Monitor$410 at AmazonBest luxury monitorASUS ProArt Display 4K HDR Mini-LED Monitor (PA32UCXR)More options$2,699 at Amazon$2,699 at WalmartSee 10 more
Factors to consider before buying a monitor
SAMSUNGBest budget monitorSamsung T35FScreen size: 27 inches | Resolution: 1080p | Display type: IPS | Max refresh rate: 75Hz | Weight: 6.6 pounds | Connector type: HDMI | Brightness (cd/m2): 250cd/m2 The best budget monitor with a balance of size, refresh rate and color accuracy is Samsung’s 27-inch 1080p T35F. It’s good for business or light PC gaming and content work, thanks to the IPS panel and 75Hz refresh rate. Plus, it’s fairly attractive and modern looking. There are some things you don’t get at that price, of course – it can only tilt and has just an HDMI 1.4 connection. $100 at AmazonBenQBest budget monitor runner upBenQ MOBIUZ EX240N Gaming MonitorScreen size: 24-inches | Resolution: 1080p | Display type: IPS | Max refresh rate: 165Hz | Weight: 12.2 pounds | Connector type: HDMI | Brightness (cd/m2): 350cd/m2 If you’re good with a 24-inch 1080p display, BenQ’s EX240 offers a fantastic mix of image quality, brightness and speed. The key selling point is the 165Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time, both excellent for a monitor in this price range. At the same time it puts out a very respectable 350 nits of brightness and offers punchy colors and good viewing angles. It also looks like it costs a lot more, making it a very good value overall. $150 at AdoramaExplore More Buying Options$150 at Amazon$150 at Best BuyHPBest midrange monitorHP V28 4K MonitorScreen size: 28-inches | Resolution: 4K | Display type: IPS | Max refresh rate: 60Hz | Weight: 14 pounds | Connector type: HDMI, DisplayPort | Brightness (cd/m2): 400cd/m2 The 28-inch HP V28 4K HDR monitor is a great all around choice, especially for entertainment or content creation. The 60Hz IPS panel and factory calibration delivers excellent color accuracy and it’s a nice size for creative or business work. It comes with DisplayPort, HDMI and three USB 3.0 ports, along with a USB-C port with 65W of charging for a laptop or tablet. And it’s easy to set just right, thanks to its height, swivel and pivot adjustments. $219 at AmazonASUSBest midrange monitor runner upASUS ProArt Display PA279CVScreen size: 27-inches | Resolution: 4K | Display type: IPS | Max refresh rate: 60Hz | Weight: 19 pounds | Connector type: HDMI, DisplayPort | Brightness (cd/m2): 350cd/m2 The ASUS ProArt PA279C is a great content creation monitor for the price due to the 4K resolution and remarkable color accuracy straight from the factory. At the same time, it offers decent brightness at 350 nits, a wide 180 degree viewing angle and excellent ergonomics. It even has an HDR setting, though the monitor isn’t really bright enough for true HDR editing, and color accuracy falls off a bit at that setting. $429 at AmazonExplore More Buying Options$400 at Best BuyDellHonorable mention (midrange)Dell UltraSharp U2723QEScreen size: 27-inches | Resolution: 4K | Display type: IPS | Max refresh rate: 60Hz | Weight: 21.5 pounds | Connector type: HDMI, DisplayPort | Brightness (cd/m2): 400cd/m2 The Dell UltraSharp U2723QE is a perfect monitor for content creators thanks to the IPS Black panel that allows a true 2000:1 contrast ratio. It also offers 98 percent coverage of the DCI-P3 HDR color space with 1.07 billion colors (via 8-bit + FRC) — excellent numbers for a monitor under $500. It also has a wide array of ports, including USB-C, HDMI and DisplayPort, along with a Gigabit Ethernet port, five USB-A ports, two USB-C ports (one with 90W charging) and a KVM switch for use with multiple computers at once. $484 at AmazonExplore More Buying Options$499 at Adorama$590 at Macy'sLGHonorable mention (midrange)LG 32UN650-W MonitorScreen size: 32 inches | Resolution: 4K | Display type: IPS | Max refresh rate: 60Hz | Weight: 18.1 pounds | Connector type: HDMI, DisplayPort | Brightness (cd/m2): 350cd/m2 If you want bang for the buck in terms of size, look no farther than the 32-inch LG 32UN650-W. It comes with a 31.5-inch 60Hz IPS 10-bit panel (8-bit + FRC to be exact) that covers an excellent 95 percent of the DCI-P3 gamut and displays up to 1.07 billion colors. At the same time, it supports HDR, albeit with just 350 nits maximum brightness, along with AMD FreeSync to improve smoothness when gaming. It’s great ergonomically as well thanks to the tilt and height adjustments, and it even comes with built-in speakers. $398 at AmazonDellHonorable mention (midrange)Alienware QD-OLED AW2725DScreen size: 27 inches | Resolution: 1440p | Display type: QD-OLED | Max refresh rate: 280Hz | Weight: 14.97 pounds | Connector type: HDMI, DisplayPort | Brightness (cd/m2): 1000cd/m2 peak Alienware's 27-inch 280Hz QD-OLED Monitor (AW2725D) is in the upper end of this category, but the price point may be a new low for a QD-OLED monitor. It combines QHD resolution with a high-speed 280Hz refresh rate and true 10-bit display with 99.3 percent DCI-P3 coverage, allowing sharp high-quality visuals along with a smooth gaming experience. Oh, and there is one other catch — you’ll need to wait until this summer to buy one. $800 at DellViewSonicBest premium monitorViewSonic VP2786-4K IPS 4K USB C MonitorScreen size: 27 inches | Resolution: 4K | Display type: IPS | Max refresh rate: 60Hz | Weight: 18.4 pounds | Connector type: HDMI, DisplayPort | Brightness (cd/m2): 350cd/m2 ViewSonic’s ColorPro VP2786 27-inch 4K HDR monitor offers a great balance of resolution, color accuracy or brightness for content creators. The true 10-bit IPS panel covers 98 percent of the DCI-P3 color palette with an excellent Delta The cheapest monitors are still TN (twisted nematic), which are strictly for gamers or office use. VA (vertical alignment) monitors are also relatively cheap, while offering good brightness and a high contrast ratio. However, content creators will find that LCD, IPS monitors (in-plane switching) deliver better color accuracy, pixel density, picture quality and viewing angles — making them a strong option for general computer monitor use.
If maximum brightness is important, a quantum dot LCD display is the way to go — those are typically found in larger displays. OLED panels are now available and offer the best blacks and color reproduction, but they lack the brightness of LED or quantum dot displays. Plus, they’re expensive. The latest type of OLED monitor, called QD-OLED from Samsung, is now common among gaming monitors. The most notable advantage is that it can get a lot brighter, with recent models hitting up to 1,000 nits+ of peak brightness.
ADVERTISEMENTAdvertisement MiniLEDs are now widely used in high-end displays. They’re similar to quantum dot tech, but as the name suggests, it uses smaller LED diodes that are just 0.2mm in diameter. As such, manufacturers can pack in up to three times more LEDs with more local dimming zones, delivering deeper blacks and better contrast. MiniLED displays also tend to offer excellent backlight control, making them a great choice for HDR content and creative work.
Screen size, resolution and display format
Where 24-inch displays used to be more or less standard (and can still be useful for basic computing), 27-, 32-, 34- and even 42-inch displays have become popular for entertainment, content creation and even gaming these days.
That’s why we’ve put together this buying guide to help you cut through the noise.
Nearly every monitor used to be 16:9, but it’s now possible to find 16:10 and other more exotic display shapes. On the gaming and entertainment side, we’re also seeing curved monitors and ultrawide monitors with aspect ratios like 21:9. If you do decide to buy an ultrawide display, however, keep in mind that a 30-inch 21:9 model is the same height as a 24-inch monitor, so you might end up with a smaller display than you expected.
A 4K monitor is nearly a must for content creators, and some folks are even going for 5K or all the way up to 8K. Keep in mind, though, that you’ll need a pretty powerful computer with a decent graphics card to drive all those sharp pixels. And 4K resolution should be paired with a screen size of 27 inches and up, or you won’t notice much difference between 1440p. At the same time, I wouldn’t get a model larger than 27 inches unless it’s 4K, as you’ll start to see pixelation if you’re working up close to the display.
ADVERTISEMENTAdvertisement One new category to consider is portable monitors designed to be carried and used with laptops. Those typically come in 1080p resolutions and sizes from 13-15 inches. They usually have a lightweight kickstand-type support that folds up to keep things compact and maximize portability and functionality.
HDR adds vibrancy to entertainment and gaming – but be careful before jumping in. Some monitors that claim HDR on their marketing materials don’t even conform to a base standard. To be sure that a display at least meets minimum HDR specs, you’ll want to choose one with a DisplayHDR rating with each tier representing maximum brightness in nits.
However, the lowest DisplayHDR 400 and 500 tiers may disappoint you with a lack of brightness, washed out blacks and mediocre color reproduction. If you can afford it, the best monitor to choose is a model with DisplayHDR 600, 1000 or True Black 400, True Black 500 and True Black 600.
ADVERTISEMENTAdvertisement Where televisions typically offer HDR10 and Dolby Vision or HDR10+, most PC monitors only support the HDR10 standard, other than a few (very expensive) models. That doesn’t matter much for content creation or gaming, but HDR streaming on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and other services won’t look quite as punchy. In addition, the best gaming monitors are usually the ones supporting HDR600 (and up), rather than content creation monitors – with a few exceptions.
High refresh rate is a key feature, particularly on gaming monitors. A bare minimum nowadays is 60Hz, and 80Hz and higher refresh rates are much easier on the eyes. However, most 4K displays top out at 60Hz with some rare exceptions and the HDMI 2.0 spec only supports 4K at 60Hz, so you’d need at least DisplayPort 1.4 (4K at 120Hz) or HDMI 2.1. The latter is now available on a number of monitors, particularly gaming displays. However, it’s only supported by the latest NVIDIA RTX 3000- and 4000-series, AMD RX 6000-series GPUs. Support for G-Sync and AMD FreeSync is also something to look for if you want to eliminate screen tearing and stuttering during fast-paced gameplay — especially when paired with a high refresh rate.
There are essentially three types of modern display inputs: Thunderbolt, DisplayPort and HDMI. Most monitors built for PCs come with the latter two, while a select few (typically built for Macs) will use Thunderbolt. To add to the confusion, USB-C ports may be Thunderbolt 3, and by extension, DisplayPort compatible, so you may need a USB-C to Thunderbolt or DisplayPort cable adapter depending on your display.
Serious content creators should consider a more costly 10-bit monitor that can display billions of colors. If budget is an issue, you can go for an 8-bit panel that can fake billions of colors via dithering (often spec’d as “8-bit + FRC”). For entertainment or business purposes, a regular 8-bit monitor that can display millions of colors will be fine.
The other aspect of color is the gamut. That expresses the range of colors that can be reproduced and not just the number of colors. Most good monitors these days can cover the sRGB and Rec.709 gamuts (designed for photos and video respectively). For more demanding work, though, you’ll want one that can reproduce more demanding modern gamuts like AdobeRGB, DCI-P3 and Rec.2020 gamuts, which encompass a wider range of colors. The latter two are often used for film projection and HDR, respectively.
Based on reporting by www.engadget.com.