The Best Computer Monitors (2023 Reviews)

Want a new monitor for your PC?

Don’t need any fancy features such as a lightning-fast pixel response time speed for competitive gaming or professional-grade color accuracy for editing and design?

If all you’re looking for is a budget-friendly and reliable monitor for everyday use such as web surfing, light gaming, and watching movies – your quest has come to an end!

We have gathered a list of the best and most cost-efficient monitors for home computer use available!

We’ll go over everything you need to know about each monitor in the simplest way possible without skipping any important details.

Continue reading the monitor reviews below, and as long as you stick with our guidelines and tips, we guarantee that you will be satisfied with your new monitor for the money paid.

Additionally, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to let us know in the comment section below! You can view our changelogs for this guide here.

About The Monitor

If you just want a cheap monitor that’s good, the Acer SH242Y Ebmihx offers exceptional value for the money.

Image Quality

To start with, it has a 24″ sized screen, which most users find to be the smallest acceptable size. The good news is that even the low 1920×1080 Full HD resolution looks good on 24″ displays with a decent pixel density of 92 PPI (pixels per inch).

As a result, you get reasonably sharp details and text, while the resolution is not very demanding on the GPU if you plan on playing some games.

Next, the Acer SH242Y Ebmihx has a high 100Hz refresh rate yet it’s not more expensive than the regular 60-75Hz displays.

100Hz provides you with noticeably smoother motion clarity as opposed to lower refresh rate displays – and this doesn’t only apply to games as just moving your cursor around the desktop will feel a lot smoother too.

In fact, we find that the difference between 100Hz and 60-75Hz is more noticeable than the difference between 100Hz and 144Hz.

Moving on, the Acer SH242Y Ebmihx has an IPS panel with 178° wide viewing angles, meaning that the image will remain consistent regardless of the angle you’re looking at the screen.

You also get full sRGB color space coverage for accurate colors without over-saturation. The contrast ratio is 1,000:1, which is standard for IPS display. You won’t get as deep blacks as that of VA panels (which usually have a contrast ratio of 3,000:1), but those panels have other drawbacks.

Further, all IPS monitors suffer from IPS glow, which can be characterized as visible glowing around the corners of the screen. However, it’s mainly noticeable when viewing dark content in a dark room with a high brightness setting, so it’s manageable.

The Acer SH242Y Ebmihx has a peak brightness of 250-nits, which is the minimum as far as modern LED-backlit displays go, but this is expected in this price range. At its maximum brightness, it can get more than bright enough under normal lighting conditions.

You also get plenty of useful features, such as AMD FreeSync for tear-free gameplay with Radeon GPUs up to 100FPS, Motion Blur Reduction and Black Boost (improves visibility in dark scenes by altering the gamma curvature).

Design & Connectivity

Another great thing about the Acer SH242Y Ebmihx is its design considering the price. You get a good range of ergonomics with up to 80mm height adjustment, +/- 360° swivel, -5°/15° tilt and 75x75mm VESA mount compatibility (via two holes).

Connectivity options include HDMI 1.4, VGA, a headphone jack and dual 1W integrated speakers. Note that since there’s no DisplayPort input, you won’t be able to use FreeSync with NVIDIA GPUs, but you still get 100Hz at 1920×1080.

Alternatives

If you want a bit better display for gaming, check out the AOC C24G1A with a curved VA panel, wide color gamut and 165Hz or the BenQ EX240 with an IPS panel.

We don’t recommend 27″ 1920×1080 monitors as they have a low pixel density, resulting in less clear text and details than that of more affordable 24″ 1080p models.

About The Monitor

In case you can afford something a bit pricier, the Acer SB272U Ebiip is for you!

Image Quality

The Acer SB272U Ebiip has a larger 27″ screen, which most users find to be the ideal screen size for everyday use.

On top of that, it has a 2560×1440 Quad HD resolution for more screen real estate and sharper details/text with roughly 108 PPI (pixels per inch).

Just like the SH242Y, the SB272UE has a contrast ratio of 1,000:1, a 250-nit peak brightness, 178° wide viewing angles and the standard sRGB color gamut.

Variable refresh rate is supported up to 100Hz and since the SB272UE has a DisplayPort input, you can use VRR with compatible GeForce GPUs (10-series or newer) as well.

Design & Connectivity

The stand of the monitor is tilt-only, but the monitor is VESA mount compatible via the 75x75mm VESA pattern (note that there are only two holes though).

Connectivity options include DisplayPort 1.2, two HDMI 2.0 inputs and a headphone jack. All three ports can display 2560×1440 up to 100Hz.

Alternatives

27″ 1440p

The Acer SB272U Ebiip price ranges from $165 to $200.

So, in case it goes for $200, and you need a cheaper display right away, consider the Sceptre E275W-QPT with a 27″ 1440p IPS panel and integrated speakers. It has a lower 75Hz refresh rate, but goes for $160.

The Samsung ViewFinity S61B with a 27″ 1440p 75Hz IPS panel can sometimes be found on sale for $150.

Another good alternative is the Cooler Master GA271 with a flat-screen VA panel, but it’s not available in the US.

If you want something a bit better, check out the Acer XV271U M3 with an ergonomic stand, wide color gamut and 180Hz refresh rate for ~$200, or the Koorui 27E6QC with a curved VA panel for ~$160.

32″ 1440p

There are 32″ 1440p displays, but we don’t recommend them for regular PC use. Most users find 32″ sized displays too big for everyday use and you get a lower pixel density than with 27″ monitors, so text and details won’t be as crisp.

If you really want a 32″ 1440p model, we recommend the Gigabyte M32QC with a curved VA panel, 170Hz, wide color gamut and KVM or the Sceptre E325B-QPN168 with an IPS panel

4K UHD

In case you want a 4K UHD display, you’ll be limited to 60Hz unless you want to spend $400 – $500 for a model such as the MSI MAG274UPF or the MSI G321CU.

As for the 60Hz models, check out the Sceptre U275W and the Sceptre U325W.

About The Monitor

Want something a bit different? The Sceptre E345B-QUN168W is an excellent ultrawide monitor for the money.

Image Quality

The Sceptre E345B-QUN168W has a 34″ 3440×1440 screen, but with a 21:9 ultrawide aspect ratio. Basically, it’s just as tall as a regular 27″ display, but ~33% wider.

The ultrawide format provides you with extra screen space that’s especially useful for productivity work and audio/video editing. Further, movies that are shot at the 21:9 aspect ratio are displayed without the black bars at the top and bottom of the image.

You also get a wider field of view in compatible games. Most games support the 21:9 format (either natively or via mods), except for a few competitive titles, such as StarCraft, Diablo, Valorant and Overwatch.

The Sceptre E345B-QUN168W also has a high 400-nit peak brightness and a wide 95% DCI-P3 gamut coverage for more vibrant colors, while the contrast ratio is 1,000:1, as expected from IPS displays.

VRR is supported up to 144Hz for tear-free gameplay and you also get PiP/PbP support, which allows you to connect two PCs to the screen and display them side by side.

Design & Connectivity

The stand of the monitor is sturdy and offers height adjustment up to 100mm, tilt by -5°/15°, +/- 15° swivel and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility.

Connectivity options include DisplayPort 1.4, three HDMI 2.0 inputs (limited to 100Hz), USB-C (with DP Alt Mode, limited to 100Hz), a headphone jack, dual 3W integrated speakers and a USB 3.0 hub (3 downstream + 1 upstream).

Alternatives

If you want something a bit better, check out the Gigabyte M34WQ – it has the same panel but with built-in KVM functionality. Another good model is the MSI MAG401QR with a 40″ 3440×1440 155Hz flat-screen IPS panel. It has a lower pixel density, but it features a USB-C port with 65W Power Delivery and KVM.

In case you’d rather have a 34″ 3440×1440 ultrawide monitor with a curved panel, check out the Sceptre C345B-QUT168 with a VA panel and 165Hz.

Conclusion

Did you find the best PC monitor for you?

If you’re still not sure which one to pick, don’t hesitate to leave us a comment below!

Overall, you can’t go wrong with the Acer SH242YE for the price, while the Acer SB272UE is even better if you can afford it and have a PC that can run games at 1440p without issues.

In case you want something a bit more extravagant, the Sceptre E345B-QUN168W offers exceptional value for the money.