Choosing the right monitor

One of the most often overlooked parts of a computer setup in a business environment is the monitor. To most people as long as it displays the image it’s good enough for them however there are some simple rules you can follow when deciding on a monitor.

Resolution
The first thing to look into is the resolution of the monitor. Many budget and cheap monitors will come at a weird resolution such as 1366×768 or below 720p, which for 2019, isn’t exactly ideal. The recommended resolution is full HD which equates to 1920×1080. This is a happy medium between value for money and resolution. The next step up from full HD is quad HD, which is a resolution of 2560×1440. This is often a resolution used by people who want a step up from the standard full HD but don’t want to (or have the resources) to go all the way to full 4K. If someone opts for a 4K display they need to make sure they have the hardware powerful enough to run it smoothly. For example, if a gamer buys a 4K monitor, they may not see a huge benefit as if their graphics card isn’t powerful enough they will have to tune down the resolution or in-game settings anyway which defeats the point of going for a 4K monitor as it isn’t being used to it’s full potential. It’s like buying a Ferrari to only go a max of 30MPH, it can be done in any other car for a lot cheaper so why bother in the first place?

Refresh Rate
Another important aspect of the monitor is the refresh rate to consider. Gamers would benefit from a high refresh rate due to to the lower latency allowing them to have a slight competitive edge over the other players. For creatives, refresh rate isn’t particularly important and creatives would benefit more from having a higher resolution or IPS display.

Display Technology
Both panels have their own advantages and disadvantages. For people working in the creative industry they will usually benefit from utilising a more colour accurate display. The obvious choice for these individuals would be to go for an IPS panel as they offer the most rich colours and are tested to be better calibrated and more true to life. The better calibrated colours come at a cost which is the refresh rate of the display will be typically limited to lower than what can be found on a TN panel monitor. The most common display refresh rate is 60hz, which is the standard. This is commonly what is featured on most of the IPS panels. For the people that require a higher refresh rate are best going with a TN panel display. Gaming requires as little latency as possible so gamers tend to opt for TN panels with refresh rates up to 144hz so that they have an advantage over other gamers that could be playing at a lower refresh rate.

Curved or not curved
This is usually a point that can easily be decided upon as it’s mainly down to personal preference. Having a curved monitor doesn’t exactly give you any advantages or disadvantages, it just comes down to preference. Typically curved displays are widescreen meaning they are wider than your typical monitor and give more of a cinematic-like experience. Cinematic monitors wouldn’t particularly be great for the workplace as they take up a lot more space than your average monitor. Some people also find the curve annoying and provides them with glare issues.