Best monitors for work and gaming in 2022
Since so many of us now work from home, picking the finest monitor for your needs has become crucial. The problem is that monitors aren’t the most simple products: there are a wide variety of models available, and no two are exactly comparable in terms of image quality, specifications, features, or pricing. Further complicating matters, many of them have names that are impossible to understand. In other words, there are a lot of things to think about and not a lot of room for error given the amount of money you’ll be spending.
Philips 243B9H: Best home office monitor
With its compact 1080p panel, adjustable stand, built-in webcam, and competitive price, the Philips 243B9H is a great productivity monitor. The 243B9H is one of the more affordable ways to take advantage of USB-C’s advantages because it also has a USB-C port that supports file transfers, video transmission, and charging.
When tested in default mode, the panel produced 90% of the sRGB colour gamut with minimal colour fluctuation and an excellent contrast ratio of 1,230:1. The peak luminance is also respectable, and the preset colour temperature of 6600K produced essentially no red/blue tinge. It uses IPS technology, which results in strong viewing angles and respectable response times of 4ms grey-to-grey. You can create a gaming monitor on a budget that is halfway decent by combining that with a 75Hz refresh rate.
To address posture issues, the stand pivots, swivels, and tilts in addition to providing 150mm of height adjustment. Additionally, in this era of remote employment, the pop-up 2MP Windows Hello webcam is a great extra. It’s quite difficult to find any additional flaws with this product at this price, but the webcam and speakers aren’t going to win any prizes either.
Best gaming monitor: Samsung Odyssey G7 (C27G75T/C32G75T)
For gaming displays, the Samsung Odyssey G7 pioneered new territory. It was the first VA panelled screen to have a 1ms grey-to-grey (G2G) response time, ensuring quick, largely blur-free gaming. It also had a dramatic 1000R curvature that draws you right into the action when gaming. It’s one of the best monitors you can buy from the perspective of colour performance thanks to its high refresh rate of 240Hz and support for the HDR600 standard.
The model that provides the most value for your money is the 27in Odyssey G7, which is also offered in addition to the 32in model and costs Ā£550. Although the resolution isn’t 4K, at 2,560 x 1,440 it manages to mitigate the performance impact higher-resolution displays invariably have on gaming performance while still maintaining good sharpness.
Best monitor on a budget: BenQ GL2780
Purchasing a cheap monitor might be a minefield, but the BenQ GL2780 has no issues at all. Even though it has a TN panel, the image quality is unmatched for the money. Although the resolution isn’t the sharpest, the colour accuracy and contrast are excellent, and 1080p is still suitable for the majority of uses as long as you don’t sit too near.
Additionally, the GL2780 has a tonne of extra features that are extremely helpful, such as an automatic brightness mode and blue light reduction for people who experience eye strain. It also has a tonne of inputs, including HDMI, DVI-D, D-SUB, and DisplayPort; USB-C is the only one that is absent. It also makes a good cheap gaming monitor with a refresh rate of up to 75Hz.
Best-value gaming monitor: Gigabyte G27QC
The Gigabyte G27QC is a seasoned veteran among affordable 1440p gaming monitors. This 165Hz VA monitor was one of the first to use that special panel technology, resolution, and frame rate combination, and it continues to outperform many others today. While the high-contrast VA screen, 165Hz refresh rate, and 1500R curvature are undoubtedly the main attractions in this setup, they are ably supplemented by a wide range of other characteristics. The stand offers a little bit more flexibility than typical monitors in this price range, including 110mm of height adjustment and 20 degrees of backward tilt. A pair of built-in speakers are placed on either side of the standard HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4 ports on the G27QC’s port panel, which is also generously equipped with a two-port USB hub.
However, with a peak luminance in both SDR and HDR of about 320cd/m2 and a contrast ratio of 3,100:1, you’ll be more than happy with the vivid, powerful image the G27QC delivers. This monitor supports HDR10 decoding but lacks an official DisplayHDR certification. In our tests, the G27QC delivered 83% of the DCI-P3 colour gamut and 117% of the sRGB colour spectrum while maintaining a Delta E of 3 or lower.
The best-value monitor is the AOC Q27P2CA.
Our favourite 1440p monitor is the AOC Q27P2CA, and for good reason. This matte black 27-inch IPS workplace monitor is jam-packed with features. The stand offers all required adjusting options, including a 150mm height adjustment, support for portrait mode, and a 180-degree swivel. The Q27P2CA from AOC has four USB-A ports (two of which are conveniently located on the monitor’s side) for your peripherals and a USB-C port for simultaneously supplying up to 65W of power and carrying a video signal. The Q27P2CA is a great option if you work on a laptop with few ports.
When we ran this monitor through our internal tests, it continued to perform well. With outstanding results in sRGB mode and adequate brightness and contrast for an office monitor, the Q27PCA is colour-accurate, bright, and punchy right out of the box. The Q27P2CA is an example of one such monitor that offers a 75Hz refresh rate, and a 4ms response time, and is also Nvidia G-Sync compatible. Hardcore gamers won’t enjoy it, but casual players won’t be let down.
The best portable monitor is the LG Gram Plus View.
A stunning portable monitor is the LG Gram Plus View. The Plus View is a fantastic option for those wishing to increase their screen space in style, even though it works best when paired with one of LG’s newest Gram 16/17 laptops.
The 16-inch IPS panel on the Plus View has a 16:10 aspect ratio and a 2,560 x 1,600 resolution. There are only two portsāone USB-C port on each sideāand one button for brightness control. The case, which also functions as a stand, is magnetically fastened to the back of the panel.
But despite its apparent simplicity, the Plus View performs astonishingly well, providing clear images, vibrant colors, and impressive accuracy. The Plus View is a handy technique to give yourself additional workspace if you spend any time working in Photoshop. It’s also fantastic for working at a small workstation.
The best 4K gaming monitor is the Asus ROG Swift PG32UQ.
A robust 32-inch 4K gaming display designed for PCs and next-generation consoles is the Asus ROG Swift PG32UQ. Although its true maximum refresh rate is 144Hz, it has two HDMI 2.1 connectors that enable 4K at 120Hz with variable refresh rate (VRR) support on PS5 and Xbox Series X. Additionally, it works with Nvidia G-Sync and supports AMD FreeSync Premium Pro. With 16 local dimming zones and DisplayHDR 600 certification, you have a ridiculously powerful gaming monitor.
The Asus ROG Swift PG32UQ is stunning to behold in use. The wide gamut panel and segmented backlight helped to produce surprisingly convincing high dynamic range content, reaching a maximum of 614cd/m2 when HDR was enabled. This monitor is punchy, color-accurate, has fast response times, excellent viewing angles, and barely any motion blur.
The best affordable ultrawide monitor is the LG UltraWide Ergo 34WN780.
With a shedload of features and top-notch performance at a price that will make you double-take. The LG UltraWide QHD IPS HDR Monitor Ergo is one seriously appealing ultrawide monitor. Chief among these appealing features is the ergonomic arm mount that comes in lieu of a normal stand. This obviously means you can swivel, pivot, tilt, extend, retract, raise and lower the monitor in a superlatively flexible manner.
Dell UltraSharp U2720Q: Best 4K monitor
Are you looking for a functional, color-accurate display that reduces the cable nest under your desk? This 27-inch 4K screen meets the requirements, and while it isn’t exactly inexpensive. Its RRP belies both its feature set and performance. It’s not the most exciting monitor in the world. But it makes up for it with a tonne of useful features and a stunning IPS panel.
The Dell UltraSharp U2720Q has a generous range of connectors, including two eye-popping USB-C 3.0 ports next to DisplayPort 1.4. A three-port USB-A 3.0 hub for peripherals is also included, one of which can supply up to 2A of power. Four tiny buttons mounted at the bottom of the screen are used to navigate the OSD. The monitor’s slight wobble on its stand every time we pressed a button was the only problem we had.