If you’re looking to save some dough on a computer display, it’s a great time to hunt for monitor deals thanks to Amazon’s Prime Day and competing sales events from other retailers. I’ve scoured the web for the best deals on the best screens.
PCWorld constantly reviews the latest monitor models with the newest tech. We also hunt for the best values if you don’t need all the bells and whistles. You can trust us to not just find the biggest discounts, but the discounts on the monitors that are actually worth buying in the first place. Prime Day starts July 16, but we’re already seeing deals pop up all over the web on gaming monitors, standard office models, and the elusive and expensive upgraded OLEDs.
Read on for the best monitor deals at the best prices I could find, and check out our Prime Day 2024 deals hub for great sales in other tech categories.
OLED monitors are the cream of the crop for gamers, and at the moment you can’t get any bigger than Samsung’s 49-inch super-duper-mega-ultrawide. But for a good balance between size and utility, I think I’d prefer the 45-inch LG model, if only because its 21:9 aspect ratio and lower resolution is much easier for gaming PCs to handle. On the other hand if you’re more of a movie fan, the 32-inch Alienware with its 16:9 4K screen is the way to go.
I’m an ultrawide fanboy, so if I was on a budget I’d gobble up that Gigabyte 34-inch VA monitor in a hurry. It’s already a budget favorite, and it’s $80 off at the moment. But if you wanna go big, finding that massive 49-inch Asus for under a grand is quite a coup. For a monitor that can do it all—games, movies, office work, and even some photo editing or video production—that Gigabyte 32-inch IPS panel is a Jack of all trades.
Dell is a go-to for low-cost, high-quality monitors, but Acer has it beat with a 27-inch monitor with both upgraded 1440p resolution and a better IPS model for just a little more. Asus has a 24-inch USB-C monitor if you want an easy connection with your laptop that’ll also charge it up. And for more screen space on the go, that 15-inch Lenovo portable monitor is a great way to level up your mobile setup. It also works with some phones and tablets.
PCWorld covers a wide range of tech deals every Prime Day, so make sure to check out some other best deal roundups that may be of interest.
Monitor size depends on personal preference and location.
A 24-inch monitor is fine for a desk that is around 24 inches deep, or less. Its small size will still be sufficient because the monitor is closer to you.
Most people, however, will want to go with a 27-inch monitor. The added size will make the monitor easy to see. This also opens up a wider range of 4K monitor options, as 4K is very rare on a 24-inch monitor.
Larger monitors, such as a 32-inch widescreen or 34-inch ultrawide, are great for deep desks and people who want an immersive experience. Monitors this large can serve as a TV replacement in a small room.
Displays of even larger size, such as 42-inch or 48-inch HDTVs, are best for home theater setups or an unusually large office. You’ll want to sit four to six feet away from a display of this size.
USB-C is the best display input for most people. It works by bundling DisplayPort into USB-C, so offers all the same features as DisplayPort. Yet it retains the features of USB-C including optional support for Power Delivery to charge external devices. This is why we recommend a USB-C monitor for most people.
DisplayPort is generally second-best. It supports higher resolutions and refresh rates than HDMI. This input is particularly common on desktop computers.
HDMI comes in third due to lower resolution and refresh rate support. This is improved by HDMI 2.1, but this feature remains hard to find and often adds to a monitor’s price.
All three of the options above handle 1080p at 60Hz, which is the most common resolution and refresh rate available today. It’s also important to buy a monitor that has an input compatible with your PC.
Modern monitors are compatible with all recent versions of Windows and MacOS. They’re plug-and-play, which means the monitor should display an image without the need to install driver software or mess with Windows or MacOS settings.
