Which monitor should you buy? The use, size and resolution decide

Before looking at brand or price, answer: what will you use the monitor for? Office work, competitive gaming, console, image editing and a two-monitor desk call for different specs. The Radar splits monitors into three types: the gamer (144 Hz or more), the general use and office (up to 120 Hz) and the ultrawide (wide screen, 21:9 or 32:9). The spec sheet score compares monitors of the same type, because the Hz of an office monitor and those of a gaming monitor aren’t on the same scale. The size in inches is left out of the score: it’s your choice.

The median is the middle value, so one very expensive or very cheap monitor doesn’t pull it. Catalog of 06/11/2026.

For spreadsheets, documents and classes, what matters is how sharp the text is, and that comes from the pixel density (ppi, pixels per inch). A 24″ monitor at Full HD has 92 ppi; a 27″ at QHD has 109 ppi. A 27″ at Full HD drops to 82 ppi, and the text looks less defined. The Radar’s rule for this use is the general use monitor, 23″ to 27″. If you power your laptop through the monitor cable, look for USB-C with charging in the specs. Height adjustment and VESA (the pattern of holes for an articulated arm) help your posture. See also how many inches of monitor.

It’s a spec sheet rule, not a usage test: the Radar doesn’t turn on the monitor or measure the screen. For text, 24″ Full HD and 27″ QHD are the sizes where letters look sharp without scaling up.

For shooters and fighting games, the specs need to say 144 Hz or more (the refresh rate, how many times per second the image refreshes) and 1 ms or less of stated response time. That time is what the manufacturer states, in GtG (from one shade of gray to another) or in MPRT (how long each frame stays on screen), and the two measurements can’t be compared across brands. Adaptive sync (FreeSync or G-Sync) appears in the specs of some models and works with the graphics card. The graphics card also has to deliver the frames. The guide is 144 Hz worth it calculates the extra price.

It’s a spec sheet rule, not a usage test: the Radar doesn’t turn on the monitor or measure the screen. The response time is what the manufacturer states (GtG or MPRT), and the two measurements can’t be compared.

PS5 and Xbox Series reach 120 Hz at Full HD, 1440p (QHD) and 4K over the HDMI port, when the game and the monitor support it. The Radar’s rule for this use is 120 Hz or more, 25″ to 32″. The HDMI version is rarely listed in the specs, so the specs only confirm the number of ports. The guide monitor for PS5 and Xbox shows what to check before buying.

PS5 and Xbox Series reach 120 Hz at Full HD, 1440p and 4K over HDMI; the HDMI port version is rarely listed in the specs.

For photo and video editing, the Radar’s starting point is QHD or 4K with an IPS panel (more stable viewing angle and colour, according to the specs) or OLED (each point of the screen lights up on its own, and the black is deeper). Colour coverage (sRGB, DCI-P3) and factory calibration are rarely listed in the specs, and the Radar measures neither. People who work with true colour need a calibration instrument. The guide IPS, VA or OLED details what each panel states.

It’s a spec sheet rule, not a usage test: the Radar doesn’t turn on the monitor or measure the screen. Colour coverage (sRGB, DCI-P3) and factory calibration are rarely listed in the specs: the rule uses resolution and panel.

Two 24″ monitors side by side take up about 1.1 m of desk, and that is why the Radar’s rule for this use is up to 24″. Height adjustment and VESA mount holes help line the two up, and thin bezels call for care, because the specs rarely list them. On the same budget, an ultrawide monitor sometimes does the job; the guide is an ultrawide worth it compares the two paths.

Editorial rule: two 24″ monitors side by side take up about 1.1 m of desk. VESA mount holes and height adjustment help line the two up.

Size is a purchase choice: it depends on the desk, the distance and what stays open on the screen. That’s why inches don’t count toward the score. What the Radar calculates is the pixel density, and it drops when the screen grows without the resolution growing along with it. The chart’s size bar uses these ranges:

Catalog of 06/11/2026. A range with fewer than 3 monitors doesn’t appear.

The sharpness math is in how many inches of monitor.

Resolution goes along with size. Full HD (1920 by 1080) suits screens up to 24″; QHD (2560 by 1440, also called 1440p) goes with 27″; 4K (3840 by 2160) makes a difference from 27″ up and calls for a graphics card that can handle it. Higher resolution also costs more at the median, as the table shows.

Resolutions mix different sizes. To compare at the same size, see Full HD, QHD or 4K.

With the use, size and resolution chosen, compare two monitors within the same type: comparing a 240 Hz gaming monitor with a 75 Hz office monitor tells you nothing. The score calculation is open, and the comparison tool puts two monitors side by side. If the question is the panel, see IPS, VA or OLED.