Working from home has become the new normal for many people, so finding the best computer monitor is more important than ever. After all, you surely want to see the best visual quality from your coworkers' best webcams. And while many PC components are still enduring depressing shortages, performing a screen upgrade is one of the most accessible and impactful changes you can make to your gaming rig at the moment.
Below, we list the best computer monitors across various categories, from gaming to budget 4K and HDR.
But before diving into the deep end in a quest for the best computer monitor for you, we'll cover a few basics first.
The Quick List
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Best Computer Monitor
(Image credit: Samsung)
The Samsung 49-Inch Odyssey G9 is one of the most extreme monitors on this page. Not only is it a massive 49 inches diagonally, but it also carries a 1000R curve, the most dramatic curve offered on a gaming monitor today. From a 2-3-feet distance, this panel will fill your view. It’s like having two 27-inch, 1440p monitors in one. You'll need nearly 4 feet of desk width and 17 inches of depth to accommodate it, but if you do, you’ll enjoy a wraparound gaming environment without image distortion. Are you looking for a smaller ultrawide? The Acer Predator X38 is also excellent.
Testing of the 49-Inch Odyssey G9 revealed excellent contrast (2,152.9:1 after calibration), which climbed to 58,881.7:1 when it came to HDR testing. This is a bright monitor with a sharp picture and accurate DCI-P3 and sRGB color.
At this price, though, we’d expect a little more. For example, the monitor doesn’t offer any blur reduction. However, we typically opt for Adaptive-Sync over motion blur reduction, and motion blur shouldn’t be an issue if you have a powerful enough graphics card. You also don’t get any speakers or, oddly, a framerate counter. But with solid image quality and a whole lot of speed for an ultrawide, some sacrifices are worth making.
Read: Samsung 49-Inch Odyssey G9 Review
Best Computer Monitor for Gaming
(Image credit: Dell, Shutterstock)
Best Gaming Monitor
Our expert review:
Screen Size & Aspect Ratio:
32 inches, 16:9
Resolution:
2560 x 1440 @ 165 Hz
Panel Type:
VA
Refresh Rate:
165 Hz
Response Time (GTG):
4ms
Adaptive-Sync:
FreeSync Premium Pro
View at AmazonView at WalmartView at Dell+
Sharp image with vivid and accurate color
+
Premium level contrast
+
Solid video processing
+
Excellent build quality
-
No HDR
The Dell S3222DGM is the best gaming monitor for many gamers. This follow-up to the highly-rated S3220DGF boasts a 32-inch VA panel, QHD resolution and 165 Hz refresh rate with Adaptive-Sync support. Other perks in its favor are 85 percent coverage of DCI-P3 and a display curve with an 1800mm radius.
However, Dell really knocks it out of the park with the S3222DGM's contrast ratio. VA panels are known for their excellent contrast, but the S3222DGM is rated at an impressive 3,000:1, easily blowing away IPS competitors. But our sample managed to better that figure by a third, coming in at 4,000:1 in instrumented tests.
This 32-inch monitor offers plenty of vertical screen real estate without the need for scrolling and 1440p resolution, the current sweet spot between image quality and gaming performance. And while the S3222DGM is targeted primarily at gamers, we found that it is also great for general productivity and anything in between.
While the S3222DGM lacks HDR support, its excellent contrast doesn't detract from that missing "bullet point" and its overall performance is hard to beat at this price point. Throw in Dell's usual solid build quality, and this represents a great monitor for enthusiasts looking to build out a mid to high-budget gaming PC.
More: Dell S3222DGM review
Best Ultrawide Computer Monitor
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
Best Overall Ultrawide Gaming Monitor
Our expert review:
Screen Size & Aspect Ratio:
34 inches / 21:9
Resolution:
3440 x 1440
Panel Type:
QD-OLED
Refresh Rate:
165 Hz
Response Time (GTG):
0.5ms
Adaptive-Sync:
FreeSync & G-Sync Compatible
View at DellView at Best BuyCheck Amazon+
Stunning SDR and HDR images
+
Deep contrast and color saturation
+
Large color gamut
+
Super smooth motion processing
+
No need for calibration
+
Premium styling and build quality
-
No flaws of consequence
Desktop-class OLEDs used to be a rarity in the gaming monitor segment, but over the years, prices have come down, and more entries have entered the fray. The latest comes to us from Alienware, and it’s the jaw-dropping AW3423DFW.
This is a 34-inch ultra-wide monitor with a 1800R curve and a resolution of 3440 x 1440. However, the most important spec is its use of a Quantum Dot OLED (QD-OLED) panel, which offers an extremely wide color gamut and the blackest blacks you’ll find in a gaming monitor.
The QD-OLED “heart” of the AW3423DFW gives it unmatched contrast and excellent color saturation and we felt no need to calibrate the panel further out of the box. Throw in premium build quality – as we expect from Alienware – and top-notch video processing and the AW3423DFW hit all the high notes without any demerits worth mentioning for enthusiast gamers.
If you can get past the $1,100 price of entry, the AW3423DFW would make a perfect companion for Nvidia’s newest graphics cards, like the GeForce RTX 4090 and RTX 4080.
Read: Alienware AW3423DW Gaming Monitor Review
Best Curved Computer Monitor
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
Best Curved Gaming Monitor
Our expert review:
Screen Size & Aspect Ratio:
32 inches / 16:9
Resolution:
3840 x 2160
Panel Type:
VA
Refresh Rate:
240 Hz
Response Time (GTG):
1ms
Adaptive-Sync :
G-Sync Compatible, FreeSync
View at AmazonView at SamsungView at Walmart+
Stunning SDR and HDR images
+
Color accurate out of the box
+
Next-level gaming performance
+
Smooth motion processing and low input lag
-
Color gamut volume is just average
It’s hard to be all things to all people, but the Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 tries its best. It uses a 32-inch VA panel that combines Mini LED lighting (1,196 dimming zones) and a Quantum Dot film to deliver greater contrast than what’s available on traditional VA monitors (25,000:1 in our testing compared to 3,000:1 typically found in VA panels).
Samsung also infused the Odyssey Neo G8 with a tight 1000R curve and a fast 240Hz refresh, which is a rarity at this 4K (3840 x 2160) resolution. Whether looking at SDR or HDR content, the Odyssey Neo G8 impresses with accurate color, and overall gaming performance is excellent.
While we would have liked a bit more color volume from the Odyssey Neo G8, it provides a lot of bang for the buck at its $1,499 MSRP. However, the monitor is often on sale, taking its price below $1,200.
Read: Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 Review
Best Budget Computer Monitor for 4K Gaming
With VA-level contrast, this LG is our favorite 32-inch budget 4K monitor.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
Best Budget Computer Monitor for 4K Gaming
Our expert review:
Screen Size & Aspect Ratio:
31.5 inches / 16:9
Panel Type:
VA
Ports:
2x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x 3.5mm
Refresh Rate:
60 Hz
Adaptive-Sync:
AMD FreeSync
View at AmazonView at NeweggView at Walmart+
Decent build quality
+
Good contrast
-
No portrait mode or adjustable height
-
HDR is lacking
If the best budget 4K monitor for you is in the 32-inch range, check out the LG 32UN500-W Contrast is a top consideration for image quality, and the 32UN500-W’s VA panel didn’t disappoint in our benchmarks, hitting 2,353.9:1 out of the box. In addition, the 32UN500-W’s native color gamut is DCI-P3, and it covers that color space accurately without any visible errors.
Again, as a budget 4K monitor, the 32UN500-W isn’t winning any HDR prizes. Color lacks the expected pop, and overall the image doesn’t provide a noticeable boost over SDR.
But the 32UN500-W also thoughtfully includes two 5W speakers and even AMD FreeSync to fight screen tears during casual gaming. In general, it delivered popping colors with deep blacks, making it a great fit for your favorite 4K movie and the like.
More: LG 32UN500-W review
Best Budget 4K Computer Monitor
Samsung's UR59C is an affordable curved 4K monitor with premium image quality.
(Image credit: Samsung)
Best Budget 4K Computer Monitor
Our expert review:
Screen Size / Aspect Ratio:
32 inches / 16:9
Resolution:
3840 x 2160
Refresh Rate:
60Hz
Panel Type:
VA
Adaptive-Sync:
None
View at NeweggCheck Amazon+
Quality build
+
Effective curvature
-
No USB ports
-
Needs calibration
If you want an affordable screen with many pixels, the Samsung UR59C is the best budget 4K monitor for you. The VA panel delivers contrast (2590.5:1 after calibration), making everything from photos to videos to games look better. This is clearly not a high-end gaming monitor with a 60 Hz refresh rate, 4ms (GTG) response, and no FreeSync or G-Sync. But casual gamers can make do, thanks to the combination of high pixel density and high contrast, keeping games looking realistic.
Curves are generally more effective on ultrawide screens, but the UR59C’s 1500R curvature was effective and beneficial for this 32-incher, such as when multitasking with multiple windows. And if you don’t mind calibrating, you can get rid of the UR59C pesky color errors, which, unfortunately, were visible out of the box. Our calibration settings reduced the error from 4.3dE to 0.9dE.
Are you interested in more high-res, low-price displays? Check out our Best Budget 4K Monitors round-up.
More: Samsung UR59C review
Best Portable Computer Monitor
Best 17-inch Portable Gaming Monitor: Nexigo NG17FGQ
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
Best Portable Gaming Monitor
Our expert review:
Panel Type / Backlight:
IPS / W-LED, edge array
Screen Size / Aspect Ratio:
17.3 inches / 16:9
Max Resolution & Refresh Rate:
1920x1080 @ 300 Hz
Color Depth:
8-bit
Max Brightness:
300 nits
Response Time:
3ms
Contrast:
1,000:1
Ports:
2x USB-C, 1x HDMI
Touch:
None
Dimensions:
15.5W x 9.9H inches
Weight:
2.1 pounds
View at Amazon+
Impressive video processing and game performance
+
Accurate color with calibration
+
Solid build quality
-
No extended color or dynamic contrast for HDR
-
Can be tricky to run at 300 Hz
When you think of displays with a 300Hz refresh rate, you typically picture desktop monitors with a Full HD resolution. However, Nexigo offers something on a smaller scale in the form of the NG17FGQ. This is a 17.3-inch portable monitor that offers a 300Hz refresh rate and connects to a laptop or desktop via HDMI or USB-C (DisplayPort Alt-Mode).
To take advantage of that fast 300Hz refresh rate, you'll need to connect over USB-C with a computer that supports full bandwidth capabilities. If you decide to connect via HDMI, you're limited to 240Hz, which is still heady for a portable monitor.
Gaming performance across the board is excellent with the NG17FGQ, and it can produce some amazing colors once the panel is calibrated. Its overall good build quality also means that it should stand up to the rigors of behind tossed around in a bag while traveling.
Nexigo even includes a handy remote that can be used to navigate the on-screen display (OSD). Toss in stereo speakers to blast some tunes on the go, and the NG17FGQ makes a great travel companion for gamers and productivity-minded folks alike.
More: Nexigo NG17FGQ Review
What to Look for in a Best Monitor
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