Monitor Buying Guide

Monitor Buying Guide


A clearer picture for your monitor needs

When purchasing a monitor, there are some things to keep in mind to ensure you've made the right choice such as screen size and resolution. At first glance, shopping for a monitor can feel overwhelming because of the extensive list of specifications. But by the end of this guide, you’ll be confident enough to decide which monitor is best suited for your needs.


How Do You Plan to Use Your Monitor?


Casual

Perfect for basic computing tasks such as web surfing, e-mail, paying bills, and social media.


Shop Casual monitors

Professional

Usually larger in size allowing the user to open multiple documents within the same display area.


Shop Professional monitors

Design

Ideal for photographers and digital artists as they provide higher screen resolutions to display detailed imagery.


Shop Design monitors

Gaming

Offer a minimum of Full HD screen resolution and typically a monitor response time of 5 ms or less.


Shop Gaming monitors

Screen Size & Resolution


These smaller displays are often specialized for specific tasks. They are frequently used with Point of Sale (POS) systems or as companion screens to larger displays.


Shop monitors under 18"

Efficient for daily at-home tasks or simple word processing. These monitors are great for use in small offices, yet display plenty of information on-screen.


Shop monitors 18" - 20.9"

The most common display size and are large enough to watch movies and play games. These monitors often includes a wide variety of connection ports.


Shop monitors 21" - 26.9"

These monitors are popular with gamers, designers and photographers for their size and ability to provide large display areas along with the highest screen resolutions.


Shop monitors 27" and Greater

Native vs Maximum Resolutions

Every monitor has a fixed array of pixels and this is referred to as the Native Resolution. On the other hand, Maximum Resolution is the number of pixels the monitor can emulate electronically. It's important to note that the quality of the image produced will only be as good as the monitor's native resolution.


Example:

If you're looking for a monitor to display true Full HD, not an upscaled image, you will want to make sure the native resolution of the monitor is 1920 x 1080 pixels.


Full HD (1920 x 1080)


4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160)


Shop by screen resolution:

In the world of resolutions, the higher the resolution, the better the picture quality.  Screen resolution is measured in pixels – horizontal x vertical.  

  • HD: At 1366 x 768 pixels, the picture quality enables easy web surfing, email exchanges and basic PC activities.

Shop HD+ monitors
  • Full HD: At 1920 x 1080 pixels, you can now watch Blu-Ray movies and play video games in stunning detail.

Shop Full HD monitors
  • QHD: Quad HD offers a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels. This resolution delivers crisp detail and sharp text. It is best suited for professional graphics, photography and editing, as well as high-definition games and movies.

Shop QHD monitors
  • 4K Ultra HD: 3840 x 2160 resolution equates to quadruple the pixel size of Full HD, offering vibrant colors and lifelike imagery.

Shop 4K Ultra HD monitors

 

Ultrawide Monitors

Most modern LCD monitors are widescreen and offer either a 16:9 or 16:10 aspect ratio. But if you're looking for a more cinematic experience, we suggest an Ultrawide Monitor as they offer a 21:9 aspect ratio. The wider aspect ratio makes tackling multiple tasks, simultaneously, that much easier. Ultrawide monitors are also very popular with gamers because they offer an unparalleled viewing experience.   


Shop Ultrawide monitors

Display Types


LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)

Allows you to adjust the settings for brightness, contrast and other features. LCD monitors display colors appropriately.


Shop LCD monitors

LED (Light-Emitting Diode)

A LED monitor is simply a LCD monitor that uses additional LED backlighting technology while consuming less energy and emitting less heat.


Shop LED monitors

IPS (In-Plane Switching)

IPS technology allows you to clearly view your monitor from almost any angle with minimal color distortion or warping.


Shop IPS monitors

Touch Screen

Use familiar tap, swipe, and pinch movements to make your experience more intuitive and fun with a touch screen monitor.


Shop Touch screen monitors

Monitor Features


When purchasing a monitor there are additional features you may want to consider before making your final decision.  Below we’ve covered many of these features to help you find your perfect monitor.


Bezel Size

When using a dual-monitor setup, a thin bezel is important for viewing a near seamless image. Single screens with larger bezels are great for sticky notes.


Shop Bezel size monitors