By Andrew Armstrong 
Monitor specifications are unusually noisy. Manufacturers quote contrast ratios that aren’t measured consistently, response times under conditions you’ll never hit, and HDR badges that mean almost nothing at the lower tiers.
Three things genuinely determine whether you’ll like a monitor: panel type, the resolution-to-size relationship, and refresh rate. Everything else is secondary.
Quick Facts
- Panel type is the biggest single factor. IPS for most people, VA for contrast, OLED for the best image at a price.
- Resolution and size must be chosen together: 4K on 24 inches is wasted, 1080p on 32 inches looks coarse.
- High refresh rate is transformative for gaming, and pleasant but not essential for everything else.
- Ignore HDR400. Real HDR needs local dimming; the entry badge is marketing.
- Check the stand. A monitor you can’t raise to eye level is a monitor you’ll dislike daily.
Panel types, honestly
| IPS | VA | OLED | TN | |
| Colour accuracy | Excellent | Good | Excellent | Poor |
| Contrast | Moderate | Very good | Effectively infinite | Poor |
| Viewing angles | Excellent | Good | Excellent | Poor |
| Response time | Good | Moderate | Best | Very good |
| Black levels | Grey-ish | Deep | True black | Poor |
| Burn-in risk | None | None | Some | None |
| Best for | General use, work | Dark rooms, media | Everything, at a price | Competitive gaming on a budget |
For most people, most of the time, IPS is the right answer. VA is worth it if you work in a dark room and care about contrast, and accept some smearing in fast motion. OLED is genuinely the best image available, with a real but manageable burn-in consideration for static desktop use.
Resolution and size go together
Pixel density. Pixels per inch. Is what determines whether text looks crisp. Choosing resolution without reference to size is how people end up disappointed.
| Size | Sensible resolution | Notes |
| 24 inch | 1080p or 1440p | 1440p is noticeably sharper; 4K is wasted here |
| 27 inch | 1440p | The sweet spot for price and sharpness |
| 27 inch | 4K | Excellent, but needs display scaling |
| 32 inch | 4K | 1440p starts to look coarse at this size |
| 34 inch ultrawide | 3440×1440 | Equivalent density to 27in 1440p |
On Windows, 4K at 27 inches needs scaling at around 150% to be comfortable, and a minority of older applications still handle scaling badly. 1440p at 27 inches avoids that entirely, which is a large part of why it remains the default recommendation.
Refresh rate. Where it matters
- 60Hz. Fine for office work, documents and video. Video is 24-30fps anyway.
- 120-144Hz. A genuine step up. Noticeable even moving a mouse pointer, and the meaningful jump for gaming.
- 240Hz+. Real, but diminishing. Worth it for competitive shooters, unnecessary otherwise.
- Variable refresh rate (FreeSync/G-Sync). Matches the display to the GPU’s output, eliminating tearing. Get this if you game at all.
The jump from 60Hz to 144Hz is far more noticeable than 144Hz to 240Hz. If budget forces a choice, take the higher refresh rate over the higher resolution for gaming, and the reverse for work.
The specifications to ignore
- Dynamic contrast ratios. Measured by turning the backlight off. Meaningless.
- 1ms response times. Measured grey-to-grey under favourable conditions. Compare reviews, not spec sheets.
- HDR400. Without local dimming this is a brightness claim, not HDR. HDR600 is the realistic entry point; HDR1000 is real HDR.
- Speaker quality. Monitor speakers are uniformly poor. Assume you’ll use something else.
The bits people forget
Quick Steps
- Check stand adjustment. Height adjustment matters more for daily comfort than any panel specification. VESA mounting is the fallback.
- Check the ports. HDMI 2.1 or DisplayPort 1.4 for high refresh at high resolution. Older versions limit you.
- Check for USB-C with power delivery if you use a laptop. One cable for video, data and charging is a genuine daily improvement.
- Consider the finish. Glossy looks better in controlled light; matte is more forgiving with a window behind you.
- Measure your desk depth. A 32-inch monitor closer than about 70cm is uncomfortable.
Glossary
| Term | What it means |
| IPS | In-Plane Switching. Good colour and viewing angles, moderate contrast. |
| VA | Vertical Alignment. Strong contrast, slower pixel response. |
| OLED | Self-lit pixels. True black, best motion, some burn-in risk. |
| PPI | Pixels per inch. Determines apparent sharpness at a given size. |
| VRR | Variable refresh rate. Display matches GPU output, removing tearing. |
| Local dimming | Backlight zones dimming independently. Required for real HDR. |
Frequently asked questions
Is 4K worth it for a 27-inch monitor?
It’s sharper, but needs scaling on Windows and more GPU power for gaming. At 27 inches, 1440p remains the better balance for most people. At 32 inches, 4K becomes the sensible choice.
IPS or VA?
IPS unless you specifically want contrast for dark-room media, and can accept some motion smearing. IPS is the safer default for mixed work and play.
Should I worry about OLED burn-in?
Less than you’d think, but it’s real for static desktop elements like a taskbar. Modern panels have mitigations and warranties often cover it. For mixed use it’s fine; for eight hours of static spreadsheets, less ideal.
Do I need a high refresh rate for work?
Not need, but it’s pleasant. Scrolling and cursor movement look smoother. Prioritise resolution and panel quality for work, refresh rate for gaming.
Two monitors or one ultrawide?
Two if you want genuinely separate full-screen windows. One ultrawide for a seamless surface with no bezel down the middle. Ultrawides suit video and spreadsheets particularly well.
Gear We Recommend
Choosing a monitor or setting up a desk? Here’s what we’d buy.
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