But I use a laptop! Why would I want a monitor?

Modern laptops typically have USB-C ports on them which offer a huge range of features, such as the ability to charge your laptop, manage a wired network connection, add a keyboard or mouse, connect one or more monitors or even use external graphics cards – all through the one port! This means that with the right hub or dock, you can simply insert a single plug to your laptop when you’re at home to have all the features of a desktop computer (such as larger screen, keyboard and mouse etc.) and when you need the portability of your laptop back, unplug the single plug and use your fully charged laptop on the go. While the focus of this article is on monitors, it’s a good idea for you to check what features your current laptop offers over USB-C.

Why would you spend big on a monitor when much cheaper ones are available?

Good question. Monitors with screens over 20″ have been the norm for a long, long time and can be found for around £100 or sometimes even less. So why would you pay any more than this? Well, there is more to a monitor than just screen size. Knowing what to look for will mean you choose the right monitor for you – not skimping on features that you need and not overspending on ones you don’t.

Monitor size – and shape

The size of a monitor is usually measured in inches on the diagonal from the top left of the screen to the bottom right. Typical desktop monitors start at around 19.5″ but can go up to 40″ and beyond. You will see a range of specifications attached to a monitor, so it is good to know what you’re looking at an whether or not you need it.

I know this is going to sound weird, but bear with me. Monitors come in a range of shapes. By which, I am talking primarily about screen ratio – how tall the screen is compared to how wide it is. Typical screen ratios are 16:9, 16:10, 4:3, 3:2, 21:9 or even 32:9. For example, if a monitor has a 16:9 screen ratio, it means that for every 16cm of width, there are 9cm of height. So, a monitor that was 48cm wide would be 27cm high.

What kind of ratio should you choose? Well, it depends on your personal preference and your intended use. For productivity, it is often useful to have a taller monitor, so you would be looking for the ratio numbers to be quite close together. For entertainment (movies, games etc), you might prefer the more cinematic experience of a wider screen. However, it is worth noting that these rules aren’t absolute – some ultra-wide displays can be great for productivity when they allow windows to be used side by side, for example.

Monitors can also be curved. You may remember that 5-10 years ago, curved TVs were quite popular, although that popularity has waned considerably. The advantages of a curved screen were that if you were sitting in the right spot, the experience of viewing a curved screen could be considerably more immersive. However, if you weren’t sitting in exactly the right spot, the curvature of the screen could actually be quite off-putting. Since many of these TVs were placed in living rooms with multiple viewers, the benefits of a curved TV were outweighted by the problems they introduced. However, curved monitors are still extremely popular because they are generally only used by one person at a time who is, more often than not, sitting in exactly the right place to benefit from the additional immersion that a curved screen offers.

What are the other specifications that sell a monitor?

That’s the right phrasing – specifications that sell a monitor. It is worth bearing in mind that numbers are always the easiest way to differentiate cheaper and more expensive products. It is no different in the world of monitors, so while you might think that a 240Hz monitor is much better than a 144Hz monitor, there comes a point at which the numbers are less and less meaningful as the human eye may not be sensitive enough to appreciate the difference. So here’s a quick glossary of terms you are likely to see when looking for a monitor and my opinion on whether or not you need them.

Resolution (e.g. 1920 x 1080 or Full HD): The screen is composed of many, many tiny dots (called pixels) that can each be red, blue or green. If you have more pixels on a screen of a certain size, the image looks smoother and less blocky or jagged. However, bear in mind that your computer will have to work harder if it is having to serve you up more pixels at a time. For example, the difference between the number of pixels shown on a Full HD screen (around 2 million pixels) and a 4K screen (around 8.3 million) is massive and could slow your computer down if it is not powerful enough.

Refresh rate (e.g. 60Hz, 75Hz, 144Hz): The computer updates the image on screen many times every second. The refresh rate (measured in hertz [Hz]) simply tells you how many times a second the monitor is capable of updating the image – the higher the number, the faster it is. The more times a second it can update, the smoother moving images will appear. This is especially important in gaming and much less important outside of gaming. Bear in mind that if your computer and monitor work together at the pace of whichever of them is slower. So if your computer can show 200 frames per second but your monitor can only update the screen 60 times per second, your eyes will only get to see 60 frames per second. Similarly, if you pair up a 240Hz monitor with a slow computer that can only manage 30 frames per second, 30 frames per second will be the end result. For games, people often consider 60Hz a minimum and often gravitate towards higher refresh rates iun the hundreds. For productivity, refresh rate isn’t going to have much of an impact on you at all.

Response time (e.g. 5ms, 1ms): The time it takes for a pixel on the monitor to go from black to white and then to black again. The lower the response time, the better. If you are using a monitor for productivity, this again won’t really impact you at all. If you are using a monitor for gaming, a lower response time cuts down on image ghosting in fast-paced games. Gamers should look for a response time of 5ms or lower (ideally 1ms), but productivity users should probably just ignore this specification.

Screen type (e.g. IPS, TN, VA): This specification does matter to all users. There are different screen (or panel) types that have advantages and disadvantages. TN panels are extremely quick and responsive, making them good for gaming, although their image quality (contrast, colour rendering and viewing angles) is sometimes a weakness, making them less desirable for photographers and designers. VA panels are less responsive than TN panels but tend to have better image quality with a very decent refresh rate, making them quite good all-round panels. IPS panels are the best for image quality, with the best colour reproduction and image consistency, making them an excellent choice for creatives, designers and productivity users. They are often a little more expensive than the other two types and can be less suited for gaming. However, it is worth noting that all three of these panel types have imporved massively in their weaker areas, so gaming on IPS or VA can be absolutely fine – with the right monitor.

Ports (e.g. HDMI, DisplayPort, DVI, VGA): Every monitor will have one or more ports (sockets) on them that enable connection to your computer with the corresponding cable. DisplayPort is a slightly more expensive standard that usually provides the best options for image quality, with even its lowest version (DisplayPort 1.2) supporting 4K at 60Hz. HDMI is the most commonly used interface in TVs today and provides a very solid connection between computer and monitor. HDMI can support display resolutions of up to 4K (HDMI versions 1.4 and 2.0) or even 10K (HDMI 2.1). Yes, there are different versions of each port and yes, it is extremely confusing. Generally speaking, the higher the version number the better and you only really need to worry about the version number if you are looking at 4K displays. Both DisplayPort and HDMI can carry audio as well as video.

DVI and VGA are the older digital (DVI) and analogue (VGA) standards. These are useful on a monitor that you intend to connect an older computer to. Neither of them carry audio.

Other ports, such as Thunderbolt and USB-C are excellent but quite expensive at the moment. If you are looking to connect a laptop to a monitor using a USB-C dock as described in the first paragraph, it is good to know that most USB-C hubs that have a monitor connection do offer HDMI or DisplayPort.

Where should I buy one then?

This is completely up to you, of course, but I would suggest that monitors are one area where there is a real advantage to shopping in-store, if it is possible. Wherever you buy from, it is also worth checking the store’s return policy, particularly in reference to dead pixels. A dead pixel is a pixel that is stuck in either the on or off position which can be either extremely off putting or virtually undetectable. You should be aware of the store (and manufacturer) policy on dead pixels as monitors may be not be eligible for a return with only one or two dead pixels.

James