If you’ve ever glanced around your local computer hardware store, you’ve probably noticed computers monitors at a bunch of different price ranges. But the strange thing is, so many of these monitors look alike.
You might see a 24-inch HD monitor for $100. And then you might look a little further down the row to see a 23-inch monitor for $600. What’s the difference between these two monitors? And is paying a lot of money for a good monitor actually worth it? Today, we’re going to show you how to shop for computer monitors – and why you should view a good computer monitor as an investment.
The difference between expensive and cheap computer monitors
Resolution: When you pay for an expensive computer monitor, you’re generally purchasing a resolution that’s beyond HD. Today, 2560×1600 is a popular resolution for
Size: You could pay $100 for a 19 inch monitor. Or you could spend considerably more for a 30-inch monitor. Depending on your work environment, gaming habits, and desktop space, a 30-inch monitor might be a smart investment.
Dead pixels and durability: Cheap monitors are more likely to fail over time. They might develop dead pixels, for example, or simply refuse to turn on one day. When you pay for an expensive monitor, the manufacturer (generally) hasn’t cut any corners. That means superior quality today, tomorrow, and ten years in the future.
Warranty: Check out the warranty difference between cheap and expensive monitors. Sometimes, it will be equal. In other cases, the expensive monitor will have a warranty that blows the cheaper one out of the water while putting your mind at ease.
Connection options: Cheap monitors may only have an HDMI port. Usually, that’s all the average computer user needs. But if you need more connection options, then an expensive monitor is your best bet.
Contrast ratios and color gamuts: As with buying TVs, contrast is generally the most important feature to pay attention to. It doesn’t get nearly the amount of attention it deserves among shoppers, but contrast basically tells you how good your monitor will look. Unfortunately, there isn’t really an accurate way to measure contrast, and manufacturers tend to inflate the contrast ratio of their monitors. But when you buy an expensive monitor, you’re generally getting a monitor with a better contrast ratio. For a thorough explanation of contrast ratios and what they mean to you, click here.
Response time: The amount of time it takes for a pixel to change its color is known as the response time. Response time is measured in milliseconds, and the lower the response time, the better your monitor will look. If you want to avoid motion blur and other marks of a low-quality monitor, shell out the extra bucks for a monitor with a response time of 2ms or less.
Why you should invest in a good monitor today
Computer monitors are unlike any other piece of computer hardware. Your hard drive, motherboard, and video card will basically be obsolete in five years. But your computer monitor, on the other hand, will stand the test of time. There’s no reason why the expensive computer monitor you buy today won’t be usable ten years from now.
You also need to consider the fact that you’re staring at your computer monitor every time you use your computer. You’re going to be using it a lot. So when a mattress salesperson says that you should spend several thousand dollars on a good mattress because it’s something you use every night, the same logic can be applied to computer monitors.
Unless some holographic monitor technology gets released over the next five years, your monitor isn’t going obsolete any time soon. Don’t be afraid to spend a little more to get a bounty of bonus features.
