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Best Monitor 2024: The top 10 displays you can buy
In This Article
The monitor is one of the most under-appreciated devices in a PC setup, and yet it can also be one of the most important. This is why we’ve created this best monitor guide to help you find the greatest option.
If you’ve bought or built the most powerful PC imaginable, it will go to waste if you don’t have a top-notch monitor to go with it. Not only does the screen quality of a monitor impact your experience, but the likes of the refresh rate and response time can also make a big difference, especially for gamers.
With so many different factors to consider when buying a monitor, we’ve made this Best Monitor best list to make the buying process easier. We’ve included options for office workers, gamers, professional gamers and even those who just want a cheap and cheerful monitor for the home.
Every monitor in this list has been tested by one of our experts, using professional equipment to evaluate metrics such as peak brightness, contrast, colour coverage and more. This way, we can use both data and our real-world experience to evaluate the quality of each monitor and make sure you’re getting good value for money.
If you’re looking for something more specialised, we recommend that you check out ourBest Gaming Monitorroundup as well as ourBest Curved Monitorroundup. Don’t be discouraged if there isn’t anything on this list that piques your interest right now as we update our top picks every time another fantastic monitor comes through our doors, so make sure you bookmark this page and come back soon for even more recommendations.
Best monitor at a glance
How we test
We use every monitor we test for at least a week. During that time, we’ll check it for ease of use and put it through its paces by using it for both everyday tasks and more specialist, colour-sensitive work.We also check its colours and image quality with a colorimeter to test its coverage and the display’s quality.
Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 (2024)
Best smart monitor
TheOdyssey OLED G8 (2024)is a home run for Samsung, combining the brand’s Quantum Dot OLED technology with the same powerful processor found in its flagship 8K TVs.
A bit more subtle than the ultra-wideOdyssey G9, the Odyssey OLED G8 measures 32-inches across and has a more standard 16:9 ratio. There’s also no curvature to the screen, unlike its eye-catching bigger sibling. However, the OLED G8 is packed with premium features that ensure this monitor continues to stand out from the crowd.
The OLED G8 has an elegant design, with minimal bezels and a premium metallic finish. There is a circle of LED lights around the stand attachment point which we found added to the ambience when gaming, but you can switch these off if you prefer a more classy look.
There’s a fair amount of connectivity options, including a 1.4 DisplayPort, two HDMI ports, two USB-A ports and one USB-B port, and the 5W stereo speakers offer plenty of detail and clarity when gaming.
The Quantum Dot OLED panel offers incredible colour accuracy and a high amount of detail. The OLED panel creates an intensity in dark game environments that is uncommon with LCD monitors, while the same picture processing engine found in Samsung’s flagship 8K TV reproduces shadowy details without a hint of noise or shading coarseness.
The monitor also features the same Tizen operating system found on the brand’s latest TVs, offering a slick experience with a wide range of streaming apps and Bixby and Alexa voice support. There are a few absent apps, including BBC iPlayer, All4 and the Freeview Play app for accessing catch-up services in the UK.
However, the Odyssey OLED G8 is a fantastic monitor with an incredible display and powerful processor, making it a gaming monitor and home entertainment system in one.
Reviewer:John Archer
Full Review:Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 (2024)
AOC Agon Pro AG276QZD
Best gaming monitor
The holy trinity for a gaming monitor is a gorgeous picture, blazing-fast performance and a stylish design, and theAOC Agon Pro AG276QZDdelivers on all three fronts at a reasonable price.
This 27-inch OLED monitor is capable of deep inky blacks as well as vibrant colours, resulting in an incredible picture. This is paired with a 240Hz refresh rate, which ensures buttery smooth motion for both casual gamers and eSports professionals alike. We were really impressed with the performance, especially thanks to the quick response time and support for Nvidia G-Sync.
During testing, we couldn’t find many faults. It’s a shame this monitor lacks HDMI 2.1 support, but that shouldn’t be too great an issue for most. The speaker quality can become distorted at maximum volumes too, but that’s nothing that a gaming headset or soundbar can’t solve.
As a result, there’s no question that the AOC Agon Pro AG276QZD delivers an excellent all-round package that will please the vast majority of gamers. The only real reason to look elsewhere is if you’re looking for something cheaper, prefer an ultra-wide monitor or you’re desperate to make the jump up to 4K. If you fall into one of those categories, you’ll find a great alternative by scrolling down further.
Reviewer:Alun TaylorFull review:AOC Agon Pro AG276QZD review
Philips 27B1U7903
Best monitor for work
ThePhilips 27B1U7903hits the spot if you’re looking for an excellent monitor to fit into your home office setup. It isn’t constructively large but it packs in a stellar display and useful features.
The panel itself is a crisp 27-inch 4K option, with that detail brought to you by a high 163dpi pixel density. We were mightily impressed by the range of colour on offer from this simple Mini-LED panel, even. Our testing saw it score 99.9% sRGB, 95.9% AdobeRGB and 97.5%, those are some impressive scores all around.
The prowess extends to brightness too, with it hitting a max 805nits in SDR and 1,802nits in HDR, making this monitor ideal for awkward lighting conditions. It comes with a stunning 2,304 dimming zones too, which makes this impressive performance happen. Using this monitor, we found it to be positively OLED-like, a luxurious device that looks stunning when used for work tasks.
The design of this Philips monitor is delightfully unassuming and it brings impressive function. It offers Thunderbolt 4 connectivity but is boosted with USB4 compliance too. You get two HDMI 2.0, one DisplayPort 1.4 and four USB-A. For the Thunderbolt 4 / USB-4 ports, you get one that supports upstream data and video alongside 90W charging as well as one for downstream data/video and 15W charging. Handily, the power supply for this monitor is built-in, meaning there’s no chunky brick to find a comfortable spot for it.
Reviewer:Alun TaylorFull review:Philips 27B1U7903 review
AOC Agon AG405UXC
Best TV-size gaming monitor
TheAOC Agon AG405UXCis another excellent gaming monitor, but this time sporting a massive 40-inch panel that’s large enough to displace your television.
For less than £600, you’re able to pick up this gaming monitor which offers a crisp 1440p IPS panel equipped with a 144Hz refresh rate, 3ms GtG response time and VRR technology.
The quality of this AOC display is outstanding, scoring strong results in our benchmarking. It came in at 99.2% sRGB, 84.9% DCI-P3 and 75.5% Adobe RGB. Top scores for a monitor focused on gaming performance over creative work, especially at this reasonable price.
It’s not short on added features either, with HDR support that will get the brightness up to 486 nits (361 nits in SDR). Then, the onboard KVM functionality is wonderfully useful. The monitor offers four USB-A, one USB-B and one USB-C port which, with KVM support, means you can use it as a useful dock for all your wired keyboards, mice and the like.
Reviewer:Alun TaylorFull review:AOC Agon AG405UXC Review
Lenovo Legion R45w-30
Best value ultra-wide monitor
Ultra-wide monitors are incredibly useful for both office workers and gamers, providing extra screen space to make multitasking easier. The main problem with them is they can command a hefty fee, but not so with theLenovo Legion R45w-30.
This monitor has a massive 49-inch display, with a 1500R curvature and 5120×1440 resolution maximising immersion for the best experience. We were really impressed with the picture quality, as it aced our benchmark tests and looked supremely bright with HDR activated.
Gamers will rejoice with the high 165Hz refresh rate too. You will find better gaming specs with the likes of the Samsung Odyssey G9 OLED (2023), but you’ll also need to fork out a lot more money for the privilege. This makes the Lenovo a great option for those who fancy an ultra-wide monitor without having to deplete the bank account.
Reviewer:Alun TaylorFull review:Lenovo Legion R45w-30 review
Xencelabs Pen Display 24
Best for professional artists
TheXencelabs Pen Display 24is a 4K display that has been purposefully designed for professional artists. That means it’s not a good option for office work or gaming, but instead for those who want pro-level colour accuracy and the ability to doodle directly onto the screen.
According to our benchmark tests, the Pen Display 24 covered 99% of the Adobe RGB and sRGB colour spaces and 94% of DCI P3. This means you’re getting ridiculously good colour coverage to ensure your creations look as accurate as possible.
The display can be adjusted to stand anywhere between 16 and 72 degrees, making it easier to sketch as well as view your creations once finished. Support for the VESA mount adds to the versatility here even further.
Thanks to the competitive price, the Xencelabs Pen Display 24 is one of our favourite professional-grade displays you can buy. TheWacom Cintiq Pro 24is a great alternative, but is slightly more expensive, making the Xencelabs our top choice.
Reviewer:Hannah DaviesFull review:Xencelabs Pen Display 24 review
Philips Evnia 34M2C8600
Best ultrawide
If you’re looking for a fantastic ultrawide monitor, our top pick is thePhilips Evnia 34M2C860. While expensive, this monitor packs a marvellous QD-OLED panel, solid port selection and comprehensive OSD.
The Evnia 34M2C8600 is a 34-inch ultra-wide monitor with a 3440 x 1440 resolution and a smooth 175Hz refresh rate. The QD-OLED panel is the headline feature here, combining the high peak brightness of QLED with the deep, inky blacks of OLED. The display has a near-instant 0.03ms response time, along with support forAMD FreeSyncand Adaptive Sync for Nvidia to eliminate any screen tearing.
We found the image quality to be excellent with deep blacks, vibrant colours and virtually infinite contrast, making both games and movies look brilliant. Colour accuracy came out near-perfect in our colorimeter tests, while the 237-nit peak brightness in SDR fell just short of Philips’ 250-nit claims.
The monitor offers one of the most comprehensive OSDs we’ve tested, with ten presets available to adjust the way the screen looks for everything from movies to FPS and racing games. You can also use the OSD to switch between inputs, enable the KVM switch, access OLED care to prevent burn-on and enable Ambiglow to enjoy ambient lighting on the wall behind your monitor.
The monitor itself is modern and stylish with the white and silver colourway functioning as a statement piece on your desk. The stand is built entirely from metal for maximum sturdiness and there’s even a headphone stand built into the back. We found the monitor to be easy to build and Philip bundles a bracket in for VESA mounting.
If you’re looking for a gorgeous ultrawide monitor, this is a great choice.
Reviewer:Reece Bithrey
Full Review:Philips Evnia 34M2C8600
Acer Predator X32 FP
Best Mini LED monitor
Mini LEDis all the rage across productivity and gaming laptops right now. Monitors are in on the hype too, like with theAcer Predator X32/FP. This gaming-focused Mini LED from Acer gets plenty right, doing its best to justify its high price tag.
Expectedly with a Mini LED panel, the Acer Predator X32/FP excels in colour and brightness. The selection of colour is luxurious and abundant, hitting 99.8% forsRGBand Adobe RGB as well as 94.7% forDCI-P3. Peak brightness gets up to a lofty 455 nits in SDR, and a wondrous 1043 nits inHDRmode – that’s positively glorious stuff. These impressive specs are joined by little motion blur, cementing this luxury Mini LED panel as a great all-rounder.
With a resolution hitting 3840×2160 alongside a 160Hzrefresh rateand built-in USB hub, this monitor can excel for gamers, creatives or productivity users. Specifically for gamers, this monitor also dons AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, for dodging screen tearing at those higher rates. There’sVRR(variable refresh rate) as well as a whopping fourHDMI 2.1ports.
Reviewer:Alun TaylorFull Review:Acer Predator X32/FP review
AOC Gaming 25G3ZM/BK
Best budget gaming monitor
Getting into PC gaming can be expensive but theAOC Gaming 25G3ZM/BKis here to help. With this AOC monitor, you’re getting a whole lot for under £200. The big sell is a 240Hz refresh rate, making it ready to go for competitive gaming.
It isn’t all about that though, the high refresh rate wouldn’t be enough to sell this monitor itself. Thankfully, that’s not the case. For this low price, you get surprisingly strong colour accuracy and gamut coverage to rival monitors twice this price. The raw stats see a great contrast ratio at this price of 4000:1 and coverage of 99.7%sRGB, 80.8% Adobe RGB and 91.2%DCI-P3. These numbers are remarkable for a device under the £200 mark.
Outside of benchmarks, the proof was in the pudding too. This 1080p panel offers up strong viewing angles, pleasing colour and an overall delightful gaming experience, even if brightness is a little lacking. Again, for the price, the design isn’t half bad either. This doesn’t look like a sub-£200 device, even if it is largely made out of plastic. There are slim bezels and a sturdy base that add up to a sleek combination.
Reviewer:Alun TaylorFull Review:AOC Gaming 25G3ZM/BK review
Apple Studio Display
Best monitor for Mac
If you’re hunting for a monitor to use with your Mac or MacBook, then theApple Studio Displayis a logical, and indeed powerful, choice.
We found it to be one of the best-looking monitors we’ve ever reviewed, thanks to an professional aesthetic that sits well alongside Apple’s equally pro-grade laptops and desktops. It features an aluminium construction, complete with the typical Apple-like precision we’ve come to expect. There aren’t any controls on the monitor though, which means you have to control the Studio Display using the connected device.
The Studio Display is a feature-packed panel, complete with some fantastic sounding speakers, a built-in webcam and even the internals of aniPadwith anA13 Bionicchipset and 64GB of storage. We did find that connectivity to Windows laptops to be difficult, which presents the idea that the Studio Display is only designed for Mac users. If you want a Windows-based equivalent, you’re better off looking elsewhere.
As for the display itself, the Studio Display offers up sharp images thanks to a 5K resolution. We found it’s an adequate LCD panel for Mac users that offers similar tech to pro-grade offerings from a few years ago. With 600 nits of brightness, this is a vibrant panel with great colour accuracy too. But it lacks the punch of a Mini LED display, as well as the powers of Apple’s ProMotion tech that offers up a 120Hz refresh rate to ensure smoother scrolling.
At $1599/£1499, this is an expensive choice, but if you’ve got your heart set on having a capable panel to pair with your Mac, then the Apple Pro Display should serve you well.
Reviewer:Max ParkerFull review:Apple Studio Display review
We also considered…
A high quality 1440p OLED gaming monitor
An ultra-wide gaming monitor for remarkable immersion
A one-size-fits-all monitor that can double as a smart TV
A super-affordable 1080p monitor that could be ideal for your home office
The AOC 24P2C is an affordable monitor packed with business features
We’ve reviewed
FAQs
IPS (aka in-plane switching) is a screen technology for LCD displays that generally offers good viewing angles and accurate colour reproduction.
The refresh rate is the number of times a screen will update its presented image. Higher refresh rates result in smoother motion. Most monitors feature a standard 60Hz refresh rate, but gaming monitors can be significantly higher.
HDR (aka High Dynamic Range) is a technology that enables monitors to display a greater brightness and wider spectrum of colours.
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Hannah joined Trusted Reviews as a staff writer in 2019 after graduating with a degree in English from Royal Holloway, University of London. She’s also worked and studied in the US, holding positions …
Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Why trust our journalism?
Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
