I do most of my day to day work on laptops, but a majority of the time my laptop is docked and I’m using a keyboard, mouse, and monitor. Portability is great, but having a large screen (or two) is the best for productivity. A few years back 22 – 23″ was the sweet spot for monitors. Now it seems like 25 – 27″ is becoming more the norm. And that means the major manufacturers are cranking out affordable monitors in that size range. What that means for you is you can get a nice 27″ monitor for well under $200. Below are the Best Cheap Widescreen Monitors for 2017.
Key Monitor Features
- Panel Type – Most monitors available today are IPS panels, but the older TN panels are still also used.
- Response Time – Typical speed at which pixels can change color. Lower response times mean better motion image reproduction.
- Contrast Ratio – Difference in light intensity between brightest color (white) & darkest (black). Higher ratio means more contrast.
- Aspect Ratio – The ratio of the width of a display to its height. The universal standard for HD is an aspect ratio of 16:9.
- Brightness – The brightness of a monitor describes the luminance of the display, or how much light it projects. Brightness is measured in candelas per square meter (cd/m2). Greater brightness is often associated with greater perceived picture beauty and clarity.
- Inputs – The most common monitor inputs found today are VGA, DVI & HDMI. HDMI has become the standard input, with VGA available to support older video cards.
- Speakers – Some monitors will have embedded speakers. This is a nice feature to reduce clutter on your desk, but don’t expect any amazing sound quality.
Best Cheap Widescreen Monitors for 2017
Samsung 27″ SE310 LED Monitor
Samsung has a strong entry in the 27″ market with the SE310. While it uses an older TN display panel, it still delivers 16:9 HD video with an impressive 1 ms response time. One negative is its lower 1,000:1 contrast ratio. The Samsung SE310 has DVI, HDMI & VGA inputs.
- Panel Type: TN
- Response Rate: 1 ms
- Static Contrast Ratio: 1000:1
- Dynamic Contrast Ratio: 1,000,000:1
- Brightness: 300 cd/m2
- Inputs: 1 x DVI, 1 x HDMI, 1 x VGA
- Speakers: No
Acer G277HL Abid 27″ Monitor
Acer’s 27″ monitor is an IPS panel with DVI, HDMI & VGA inputs. Like the Samsung it has a 16:9 aspect ratio, but has a slower response time at 4 ms. The Acer does have a very high contrast ratio at 100,000,000:1
- Panel Type: IPS
- Response Rate: 4 ms
- Static Contrast Ratio: 1200:1
- Dynamic Contrast Ratio: 100,000,000:1
- Brightness: 250 cd/m2
- Inputs: 1 x DVI, 1 x HDMI, 1 x VGA
- Speakers: No
ViewSonic VA2746m-LED 27″ Monitor
ViewSonic’s VA2746m is a TN display with built-in speakers. This monitor does not have an HDMI input, but does have decent contrast ratio.
- Panel Type: TN
- Response Rate: 3.4ms
- Static Contrast Ratio: 1200:1
- Dynamic Contrast Ratio: 20,000,000:1
- Brightness: 300 cd/m2
- Inputs: DVI, VGA, Stereo Audio
- Speakers: Yes
Amazon.comASUS VE278H 27″
Asus’s VE278H has 2 x HDMI ports, 1 x VGA port, and a stereo speaker connection. It has a decent 2 ms response time, and 50,000,000:1 contrast ratio. The VE278H has built in speakers which can be a nice feature, but no DVI input.
- Panel Type: TN
- Response Rate: 2 ms
- Static Contrast Ratio: 1200:1
- Dynamic Contrast Ratio: 50,000,000:1
- Brightness: 300 cd/m2
- Inputs: 2 x HDMI, 1 x VGA, Stereo Audio
- Speakers: Yes
LG 25UM58-P 25″ Monitor
The LG 25UM58-P is a smaller monitor than the others listed here at 25″, but it has the very nice feature of support dual inputs at the same time. The LG has a built in picture in picture mode.
- Panel Type: IPS
- Response Rate: 5ms
- Static Contrast Ratio: 1000:1
- Dynamic Contrast Ratio: 1,000,000:1
- Brightness: 250 cd/m2
- Inputs: 2 x HDMI
- Speakers: No
