Monitor Buying Guide - What You NEED to Know! [2024]
What Monitor Should You Buy? I walk you through EVERYTHING you need to know about buying a new Home, Creator, or Gaming Monitor in 223 - Size, Resolution, Design, Panels, OLED, Refresh rate, G-Sync, Ports, HDR & More! This is the ultimate Monitor Buying Guide 2023!
▶ Budget Home Office
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▶ Budget Home Office (Ultrawide)
US: amzn.to/42Utofh | UK: amzn.to/42VcflC
▶ Best Home Office (Ultrawide)
US: amzn.to/3WkpxFU | UK: amzn.to/3pUZJEe
▶ Best Home Office
US: amzn.to/3Ot1t1U | UK: amzn.to/3oc3GUF
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▶ Budget Gaming
US: amzn.to/3Mq2Coc | UK: amzn.to/3MJkCv1
▶ Mid-Range Gaming
US: amzn.to/45l3GCc | UK: amzn.to/43cnkyp
▶ Ultimate Gaming Monitor (Large)
US: amzn.to/3Mq4o8V | UK: amzn.to/3Mq4o8V
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▶ Best Creator Monitor
US: amzn.to/3BK62xe | UK: amzn.to/3IpzZWU
LG UltraGear (45GR95QE) $400 OFF on Best Buy: geni.us/pAvBWyj
[Amazon Paid links - I may receive an affiliate commission from purchases made through the above links to Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com]
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00:00 2023 Monitors
03:00 Resolution
04:57 Refresh Rate
7:09 Input Lag & Response
08:30 VRR
09:31 Panel Types
11:44 OLED
13:30 Colour Accuracy
14:06 HDR
15:32 Ports
17:26 My Recommended
18:59 Wrap up
#monitor #gamingmonitor #monitorbuyingguide
"I'm monitoring the situation." I love it. I've done my fair share of monitoring as well 😂
Once you've covered the picture part: It would be a "Sound" idea to test a couple of "Monitors" as well... 😉
Ugh... I'm screening you lot.
Are you some kind of multimillion dollar company cuz your name sounds like that
bro with 5 monitors on a desk XD. insta like and subscribe
Skibidi
I was surprised that it was actually hard to find good video that would cover basic information regarding monitors in general and that could help me navigate market offerings. I found both of your videos very helpful, so here is one big thanks, like and subscription.
We appreciate your reviews. Keep up the good work.
great help! you've described a lot of things in details for different types of users.
Your previous monitor buying guide was how I first discovered your channel. I was so impressed I've been here ever since! I still love the monitor I bought as a result of your recommendation then and will definitely reference your guides when I'm in the market again. A superb channel, thanks for keeping us all up to date!
For editing my videos what monitor would you recommend? I’m new to editing and buying a monitor 😊
Best tech channel on youtube for me personally. Keep up the good work!
Just found your channel and this guide was perfect! Thanks for the hard work and content.
Thank you so much for the guide! I was just watching your old one, what great timing 🥳
amazing work one of the channels I always look into when I am buying monitors!!
When I bought a new monitor for my laptop last year, additional considerations I had were built-in speakers/sound quality, glossy vs matte screen, height/tilt/swivel adjustability in the stand. I ended up mounting it to a monitor arm and loved all the free space underneath!
Which monitor did you end up getting?
@@fuwa1490 BenQ EX2780Q. Very pleased with the picture quality and sound. The included stand wasn't adjustable, but even if it was I'd still go with the arm instead.
@@ashwanibhola3766Is a particular monitor arm that is good
@@ashwanibhola3766 what monitor arm did you get?
@@fabuloso5938 I went with one from MountUp that was around $35.
Around 4 years ago I was trying to find a new 1080p monitor that could support 144Hz but I didn't know anything about how it all works - monitor specs, required rig, panels and so on. So I stumbled on your old video for monitor buying guide and it really helped me a LOT, just to understand and give hints for what I should watch out for. I still have those info saved in my brain because of your great guide. Here I am 4 years later, upgrading my PC and looking for a new 1440p 144-240Hz monitor and again, I stumble on your new video haha. I find it so funny. Very good timing I guess. But really, thank you a lot. These monitor guides are gold. I've learned a lot from them and kudos to you!
Great Video Tom ! Got a really good outlook to help decide for my next Monitor 💯
I’m building my first actually good setup and I’ve been looking for a monitor for 2 weeks. I found your video, clicked on it, and as soon as I heard that first sentence I liked the video, subscribed, and forgot everything i looked at for the past two weeks. I will use your wisdom of monitoring the situation. o7
Just wanted to say that I have been a long time subscriber and you always put out consistently great content! Keep up the great work, you have been my go to for anything tech!
Thanks! Really appreciate the nice feedback (especially after reading some not so nice comments!)
The information about the HDR certification tiers was really helpful. I am currently looking for a new monitor and this information will help me make an informed decision. Thanks!
Regarding stand flexibility, it's worth noting that since the vast majority of modern monitors have VESA 100x100 support, you can just get something with a basic stand and then remove it to attach a cheap VESA arm which adds tilt/rotation while also freeing up space underneath. I have owned many different monitors over the years for both gaming and productivity and the first thing I do after unboxing is to attach my VESA arm. I'd honestly be happy to buy monitors that include no stand in the first place (for a lower price).
could u pls recommend me a cheapish monitor like 200 ish 144hz ive been using a tv w my pc for like 2 years😂
@@Bldzera try looking for something used in your local area with offerup i just got a 32 inch 165hz 1440p for $140 just make sure that its in good condition
Honestly, I wish we could get monitors with no stand or speakers for a discount. Monitor speakers never sound good, even on $2000+ monitors (or $4000+ TVs for that matter as well). I have my own sound equipment, and VESA mount.
@@BldzeraPixio has a 1440p 144hz TN monitor for ~$170. XGaming has a 1440p 165hz IPS monitor for around the same price. Optimum tech tried the Pixio along with the Koorui mentioned. I tried the XGaming and it wasn't bad, great for the price even. Has pseudo HDR (aka HDR400) and I measured about 6ms instead of their advertised 1ms @165hz.
to the desk too! thanks for this
GREAT JOB on this video. Love your energy, your flow, and your insight and expertise! Really helpful! SUBSCRIBED !!
Very helpful video. Covered all the important stuff!
thankyou so much was trying to figure out the best wow monitor without going over board you helped a lot.
Woah this was the best video for explaining everything I needed
I subscribed to your channel last week and I'm loving the videos
thanks buddy!
@@Counter23061 you should get 1440p
I have been researching monitors for weeks now to go with my Series X and to be able to stream and not one video or article mentioned a few key definitions or overall helpful information like this one. Thank you so much for making this video!
Hey Jay, I’m in the same situation. What monitor did you end up going with?
Thank you for this compilation, very useful!
I was about to buy a new monitor that i didn't need. You saved me, thanks for the detailed explanations
Very nice video, you actually covered all the aspects of monitor for someone who are planning to buy it. The video is very informative to me. Thank you for working hard for providing these type of content ❤
thank you for the video! very helpful
This channel is worth watching for the positive energy the gentleman exudes 🎉.
Amazing job on this video lol I feel like I know everything there is to know now. 👍👍
Helpful explanation thank you very much!
That first video of yours really helped me a lot in understanding and choosing a monitor according to my preference, use and budget. Thanks!
Thank u tech chap. Its really informative.
This is very helpful thank you
Very informative!! Thank you!
This really helped thank you!
I recently purchased a 1440p ASUS ProArt 27, and I've been really happy with it. Great color balance, fully adjustable stand, and just the ports I need. Oh, and it was affordable.
Woyld i be able to plus laptop with hdmi cable into that unit?
@@kishdogg1594you can do that with any monitor
Thanks, they should sponsor you for helping their business $
@@anotheryoutuberperson38 Sounds good. I'm waiting for the check.
@@kishdogg1594 Yes
as someone who has been using a 24.5 inch 1080p 240hz monitor for the past 1.5 years (dell S2522HG), I recommend 1440p 27 inch monitor at 144-165 hz. There's a pretty decent different between the two refresh rates, but you need to consider the response times as well. Slow response times = blurry motion. 165hz monitors typically have faster response times, so if you are running a game at 144fps then you will be getting extra crisp motion clarity. if you play games like red dead redemption or cyberpunk then 144 would be perfectly fine, however the jump to 165 is pretty noticeable when playing games like Apex, Fortnite, or CSGO
In the specific case you are talking about, the notable difference between 144 and 165hz is not made by the 21 extra hertz you are getting from the monitor, but from the game itself, the online shooter games are very light games and can render +400fps (all depends on your graphic card), so depending on your monitor, you will be able to show all those frames per second... playing RDR2 at 1440p and ultra graphics with a 4090 will give you around 100-110fps... so no matter if your monitor is 300hz, the game is not sending all those 300 frames to your monitor to show them, and that's why you notice a reduction in the fluidity of movement between RDR2 and Fortnite or any other shooter game. If you want the same fluidity at RDR2, reduce the graphics settings of the game until the it renders +144 fps, so your 144hz monitor can show every frame of the game. Does it worth it? no... I don't think so, RDR2 is a movie like game, you enjoy it appreciating all the views and details... but you can try it, to prove this point, changing the settings even to minimum, just to match or surpass your monitor refresh rate to get a smoother motion.
Complete and exhaustive Well done
Good job on the video. I love it!
Beautiful review brother 🎉❤
Thanks for a very good summary Tom. I’m thinking of getting a mac mini to replace my aging 2017 imac 21.5 inch. In your video you recommend QHD for a 27 inch monitor. However, I have seen other videos (notably one posted by Mac Most) which suggest that that resolution is not ideal for macs as it gives rise to display scaling issues. Is that right? I if so would I be better off going for a 4k or putting up with the slightly lower resolution of an FHD. (I very much like the Dell silver base type aesthetic with usb hub) . Your thoughts appreciated. Thanks Paul
Thanks for the vid. It is very informative. I have just spent 5 grant on a new PC and also bought the Samsung OLED G8, and am over the moon with it.
🤢
Thank you for updating this to 2023.
The intro alone was worth a like 😅 brilliant!
Thank you, I don't uunderstand all the variables yet but it's a starting point. 20 minutes well spended
Great video as always, I really love the content of your videos. How have you got on with a Smart TV such as the LG C2 42” compared to standard monitor. I have a Ultrawide LG 35” with 85hz refresh rate at the moment and looking to get a better all round monitor for work and play.
This is the best video on monitor ❤
Learned a lot from the video Please also do a price-based one as well!
love the content
Thanks for the info
Great information!
Top tier production 👏
Best guide, after an hour of videos!
Great monitor summary!
Favourite video of yours so far!
thank you!
Yes - go all out on the Monitor - I did with the ACER X34A years ago & while my GTX 1070 at the time couldn't hit the constant 100 FPS @ 3440x1440 with high settings (I had to reduce them down for the 1070) I knew I would change my GPU & CPU every few Gen's - so I moved to a 1080TI & that was awesome (settings went up 😁) then later a 3080TI which I still use with the X34A today 👍 7 years I've had this monitor & it still does me fine for the type of games I play - no dead pixels or anything, maybe a little IPS glow (common) - but I never notice it unless a blank black screen is displayed - I have been looking for a monitor to upgrade to but the only one that grabs me is the LG Ultra Gear OLED 45 240Hz (ACER now do a version too - probably same panel), I like the Ultra Wide (but some fast games used to make me dizzy, motion sick lol) and I don't want 4k (still too much hard work even for top GPU's with latest Unoptimized games, especially if you add in Ray's & Fairy Farts from Nvidia) so 3440x1440 it is 👍👍 These Mini LED are similar to my new QLED TV - they get so bright they feel like they're burning my Eyeballs - I turned mine down 🤣🤣
that was a very useful video 👍
Great video ! The most current and comprehensive one I’ve seen yet. I was hoping to hear some commentary on the dreaded flickering issue with Apple computers that’s been around since the M1. And it’s not isolated to one monitor manufacturer. I see you're "platform fluid" so I suspect you haven’t been exposed to this problem personally. I just ordered my wife a new Mac Mini M2 pro and now I’m totally stressed about choosing the wrong monitor and dealing with this flicker anomaly. I’m thinking about taking my chances with the Dell - S2722QC 27.0”. Wish me luck. Once again, excellent content. I learned a lot.
that's the monitor o top of my list right now ... do let us know how it works out please...thanks ...and good luck :)
Awesome video quality
Very informative video as usual! Loved It! But your lovely cat piqued my curiosity. I would like to see a full video about your lovely cat :). Love to hear about this cat breed, your experience of being a cat owner, etc.
110% Good Job 👍👍👊👊
That's some fantastic info and a great video. I'm still struggling to pick a 27 inch monitor though lol
I search for a monitor to buy and run into your channel. Ever since I am a great fan. 😅
Great recap!
this is super useful
Great video!
Great video, thx
You are the best ❤️
Really helpful guide. I'll probably go for ASUS 27" TUF Gaming VG279Q1A (kinda budget option). I wonder If I'll find any changes in comparison to my old PHILIPS 23'' 231E (TFT-LCD panel). Thank you! 💜🖤💜🖤
Watching this in 1080p which i never do because i rarely ever have enough phone space to streama anything lol but damn my bokeh seeing eyes can actually *see* every thing so smoothly 😍😍
Cool video. Thanks. So If I wanna take advantage of high refresh rates I need to use the HDMI port?
Great info about the specs and what they mean. But I do challenge you on your recommendations at the end. Standard office productivity types could benefit from a 45"-49" UW monitor. So you can spread out a large spreadsheet, working with Visio, or laying 3 different windows (or apps) side by side and working. Some great software has come out to make this very useful. Also some monitors like the latest Dell 49" UW has a built in KVM switch that allows you to scroll from one device to the next. A big help for multi-tasking. Thanks!
Hey man thanks for your videos, they’re super helpful. I’m going to be buying an xps 15 soon after watching your reviews and comparisons. I’m first looking to upgrade my monitor but I’m just overwhelmed trying to sift through all of these specs. Ultimately im looking for a 27”+, QHD monitor that has the best possible colours for under £430. Ultra wide is preferable, and im not sure about curved / uncurved. I also love thin bezels. I’ll be using it for video editing and general work/ entertainment. I dont game but if it was good to game on that would be cool too. You’ve probably had a million of these questions asked to you but you’d be helping me out so much if you could give me some advice. Thank you! :-)
Assuming you're in the uk, the MSI Optix MAG274QRF QD is a great buy at your price point. Excellent colours, 1440p (qhd), 27inch, 165hz and good response for gaming, its £422 on amazon. I'm not too familiar with many of the models at your pricepoint but there seems to be some good reviews around the Gigabyte G34WQC which is ultrawide and qhd 144hz for £384 on currys. Do your due diligence tho and look up some reviews for colour accuracy tests and response times. I chose the msi model because I know its good from monitors/hardware unboxed. Also, if you'd like to find some of your own models to choose from, I use ukpcpartpicker, click on builder in the top left, scroll down and click choose a monitor, then on the left set the max price to £430, set the min screen size to 27inch, set the resolution to 2560x1440 (QHD) and 3440x1440 (QHD ultrawide), set the minimum refresh rate to 120hz and click every panel type except for TN, PLS, PVA and AHVA. Then, sort by lowest price or highest reviews or whatever you at the top of the list. Note, the website is setup different on mobile so try do this on a computer. Its possible on mobile but the sorting and setting up is in a different spot so these instructions wont work as well. Also if you're not in the uk, you can change the location on the website to represent your countries' stores and pricing in the top right. Hope this helps!
@@jai2628 super helpful man i appreciate that so much. i ended up buying the gigabyte monitor before i saw this comment so thank you for the reassurance!
@@Geeoorrgeee Im sure youll love it! Enjoy!!
Back to the video, when I first subbed to your channel :-D
I've been using a 50 inch LG 4k TV as my monitor for the last 3 years. got everything on his video beat for my tase :)
Thanks dude! ❤ yoo I’m excited then I’m getting an OLED Tv
I'm surprised you mentioned OLED for productivity with the text colour fringing problem and hardware unboxed recently doing a 1 year recap of Alienware's QD OLED discovering that burn in is slowly but surely settling in albeit it's only visible via the green channel atm it's still happening. Still absolutely amazing for gaming and media consumption but not perfect for productivity
<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="182">3:02</a> was the moment that I pressed the Like button. Yeah, monitors are cool and all... but look at that beautiful kitty!
Please add the Name of your recommendations In the descriptions. I am from Germany, and it’s annoying to change the Amazon shop just to see your recommendation. Great video
you are very good at explaining this.....there is a lot to get your head around...THX Just checked and 2 of your suggestions are not available
Great informative video, although still over my head! What is your recommendation for a BUDGET FRIENDLY video editing monitor for a new creator? I just bought the Samsung CF391 curved 27" monitor (at $129 on sale at Costco,) which I am now realizing may not have been the best as it is only 1080 and no idea what the refresh rate is.. Thank God for folks like you who make these videos for us no tech people!
This is the first time I’ve watched one of your videos and love the detail. I’m in the market for a 49 inch ultra wide monitor for my 80” desktop. I am blessed in the sense that I do not have a budget and would like to keep it for about three years before I upgrade again. I am mainly using it for business which includes some graphics and video. I mainly use it from my laptop. I have the new M2 MacBook Air. Any suggestions on model or manufacture? I’ve basically narrowed it down to Del, LG, and Samsung. I currently use a 43 inch monitor and want to go larger.
Cool video 😊
Thanks for great content. Have you stopped liking ultawides like LG 38WN95C or LG 40WP95C? Despite the age I still think LG 38WN95C is the best monitor for office combined with gaming. Do you still recommend this monitor or what do you prefer ahead of this?
"size really does matter" just subtle enough lol love this guy
I just got my first pc and my monitor was just given to me I'm going to college soon so hopefully my new monitor would last me my whole time in college I want to game more, and I will use my pc for school work too trying to find a monitor to replace the one I have now has been extremely confusing, thank you for this video!!
Great video +1 like
I am on the market for a 4K gaming monitor, mainly for console gaming. As mentioned in the video, mini led is better than IPS and VA. At the same time, I don't want to break the bank, so there is the KTC 4K mini LED monitor. However I am not familiar with the brand whether it is a good option for longevity, so I am leaning more towards an LG UltraGear IPS monitor.
miniled is about the BACKLIGHT. It goes with both VA and IPS panels. MiniLED is mostly a marketing gimmick. I rather see a company invest in some dead stable wide gamut edge LEDs than spraying junk quality mini-LEDs over the entire surface, making dirty screen effect appearing to happen just in a matter of months. The contrast of IPS is junk, whether it is with local dimming by miniled or not. The problem with LEDs is they age based on hours-on. So if you adapt the backlight locally, ageing of the backlight will differ between parts of the screen. I doubt your screen has a calibration mode to realign the brightness of all miniLEDs every month. And even if it is possible, the weakest LED of the bunch will limit the overall brightness output.
Thanks for the great video always very insightful. So i would be looking for one monitor that is build for creators and can be used for gaming? if anyone does know some good alternatives that got good reviews i would like to hear from you guys. Thanks in advance.
Veey useful video:) Could you recommend some monitors for graphic works? Around 34 inches, I like to gaming from time to time and work on a laptop plug-in to it:)
I wish more time was spent by reviewers on specific Apple laptops alongside PCs in terms of does everything work seamlessly, if so what cables they’re utilizing (because historically that has been an issue on the Apple side), video cards on the PC side, etc. I feel like nobody tackles that properly and many people use both PC and Mac for productivity in their day-to-day, but don’t want separate displays for both.
Great video 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 What would be the best budget friendly monitor option to pair with a new Mac mini M2 pro? I want to take advantage of the hdmi 2.1, I only do music editing production
M8 I have one. Amazing.
thanks bud
Well done video 👍 I love that pc case with led in blue...could you please share the model of the case those led and psu? Thank you. 😊
Hi great video! One question hoping you can help me with.. I am using a MacBook Pro 2017 and am considering a bigger secondary monitor. Am considering between a 32 inch 4K such as the Dell U3223QE or a 34 inch ultrawide. Have read quite a bit on PPI suitability since I’m using MacBook and that just confuses me. Can I please get your advice if I should proceed with a 32 inch 4K or 34 ultrawide monitor for my MacBook Pro or should I be looking at something else? Thanks loads!
Hi @thetechchap, thank you so much for your videos. They are so helpful! I am trying to hook my macbook air to a second monitor. The macbook only has USB-C ports, which I have had a hard time finding affordable monitors with! Can I get a USB-C to HDMI adapter and use a monitor with HDMI? I am worried it will slow my connection. Thank you for your help.
The problem with 4k monitors is that in game things like cursors, aiming reticules and HUDs are much smaller and for some games there is no option to adjust their size.
Which games?
From what I can remember, Deus Ex, Grim Dawn, Diablo 2 & 3, Tropico 6. All this on my 27 inch Lg monitor. For some reason it doesn't happen on my 55" TV, which I now use as a monitor. Yes, I know I can adjust the resolution, but that makes having a 4K monitor a moot point. @@IwinMahWay
What kind of monitor do you recommend for a graphic designer specialized in photoshop and illustrator. Especially dealing with color accuracy. Suggest both mid range and high end monitor. Please
Can you tell us more about the PPI options available? My goals are: High ppi...high contrast.... true colors... but I'm NOT interested in blinding brightness. Great video, thanks!
One thing I always want to know and can’t seem to find on is: how high up can the monitor move on its stand… we often have to purchase stands to get the monitor higher on our desk so that our posture is better. Wish they provided this information.
quick question for the 3070Ti. i have one by gigabyte and was looking at upgrading my monitor soon since i’ve been running the same shitty 1080p, 75hz monitor for years now 💀. but my main question was whether you think it would be better staying with 1080p but higher refresh rate or if i should switch to 1440p. i have been streaming and recording a LOT as of recently otherwise i would give in and go with 1440. i’ve just seen videos where the 3070TI sometimes struggles especially with vram usage.