To help us provide you with free impartial advice, we may earn a commission if you buy through links on our site. Learn more

The 10 best monitors for work and gaming tested in 2024

Do you need a new display for work or gaming? These are the best monitors we've tested in 2024

Choosing the best monitor for your needs has become immensely important now that so many of us are working from home. The thing is, monitors aren’t the most straightforward product: there’s a huge range of different models out there, and no two are quite alike in image quality, specifications, features or price. On top of this, most have impossibly confusing names and many are quite hard to tell apart. In other words: there’s loads to consider and – given the cash you’ll be spending – not a lot of room for error.

Don’t panic: we’ve got the answers. To help you decide which monitor is best for you, we’ve scoured through our extensive repertoire of reviews and detailed test results to select the best budget, mid-range and high-end office and gaming monitors you can buy.

Read on for our favourite monitors of the year, or skip to our buying guide designed to help you choose the best monitor for you.


Best monitor 2024: At a glance

Best home office monitorPhilips 243B9H (~£220)Check price at Amazon
Best budget monitorHuawei MateView SE (~£150)Check price at Argos
Best cheap 4K monitorAOC U2790PQU (~£170)Check price at Amazon
Best cheap ultrawide monitorLG UltraWide Ergo 34WN780 (~£195)Check price at Amazon

How we test monitors

We strongly believe that any good monitor review should be supported by results from in-depth testing. Each time we receive a monitor, we use an X-Rite colorimeter and DisplayCal’s excellent testing software to measure colour accuracy, gamut coverage, peak luminance, black point, contrast, panel uniformity and colour temperature. We also use Blur Busters‘ various web-based motion handling tests to watch for ghosting/motion blur. If the monitor has HDR with local dimming, we use a looped video of a bright moving shape to try and spot the zones in action.

Once our quantitative testing is done, we spend at least a week with the monitor, using it for daily tasks and after-hours gaming (if applicable) and exploring the product fully. We examine the OSD; push the stand and ports to their limits; and stress-test the panelling to determine build quality. We’ll also compare the monitor to others of similar RRPs to work out whether the selection of features and performance is adequate for the price.

You can always find the results of our in-house testing in our full-length reviews, linked below.


The best monitors you can buy in 2024

1. Philips 243B9H: Best home office monitor

Price when reviewed: £290 | Check price at Amazon || Size: 24in | Resolution: 1,920 x 1,080

The Philips 243B9H is a cracking productivity monitor with a small 1080p panel, a flexible stand, a built-in webcam and an appealing price. It also has a USB-C port that supports file transfers, video transmission and charging, which means the 243B9H is one of the more affordable ways to enjoy the benefits of USB-C.

The panel is great for the price, producing 90% of the sRGB colour gamut with low colour variance and an impressive contrast ratio of 1,230:1 when tested in default mode. The peak luminance is decent, too, and the colour temperature in default mode hit 6600K, which means virtually no red/blue tint. It uses IPS technology, so viewing angles are strong, and response times are decent at 4ms grey-to-grey (G2G). Pair that with a 75Hz refresh rate and you’ve got a halfway decent budget gaming monitor.

The stand pivots, swivels and tilts, and it also offers 150mm of height adjustment, so you’re well equipped to deal with posture problems. And the pop-up 2MP Windows Hello webcam is a lovely bonus in this remote-working age. The webcam won’t win any awards, and the speakers aren’t much to shout about either, but at this price it’s very hard to find any other faults.

Read our full Philips 243B9H review for details

Other key specs – Screen technology: IPS; Video inputs: 1 x HDMI 1.4, 1 x DisplayPort 1.2, 1 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1; Other ports: 3 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1 x 3.5mm; Speakers: Yes; Refresh rate: 75Hz


2. Samsung Odyssey G7 (‎C27G75T/C32G75T): Best gaming monitor

Price when reviewed: £470 | Check price at Samsung || Size: 27/32in | Resolution: 2,560 x 1,440

The Samsung Odyssey G7, pictured against a white background

The Samsung Odyssey G7 broke new ground for gaming monitors. It was the first to feature a dramatic 1000R curvature, which pulls you right into the action when gaming, and it was the first VA panelled screen to have a 1ms grey-to-grey (G2G) response time, ensuring fast, largely blur-free gaming. With a high refresh rate of 240Hz and support for the HDR600 standard it’s among the best monitors you can buy from a colour performance perspective as well.

We tested the 32in Odyssey G7 but it’s also available in 27in for £550, and that’s the model that offers most bang for your buck. The resolution isn’t 4K, but at 2,560 x 1,440 it strikes a good balance between sharpness and mitigating the performance impact higher-resolution displays inevitably have on gaming performance.

Overall, the Odyssey G7 does more than enough to earn its place as the undisputed king of gaming monitors. It’s a classy gaming monitor with brilliant image quality and incredibly slick gaming credentials.

Read our full Samsung Odyssey G7 review for details

Other key specs – Screen technology: VA; Video inputs: 2 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0; Other ports: 2 x USB-A 3.0, 1 x USB-B 3.0, 1 x 3.5mm; Speakers: Yes; Refresh rate: 240Hz


3. Huawei MateView SE (adjustable stand edition): Best budget monitor

Price when reviewed: £150 | Check price at Argos || Size: 24in | Resolution: 1,920 x 1,080

The Huawei MateView SE, pictured on a wooden table with white shutters in the background

For £150 the MateView is truly exceptional value. The 23.8in Full HD IPS panel itself is bright and colourful and even reasonably colour-accurate – the Delta E vs sRGB is a more than decent 1.47 – and it refreshes at 75Hz with FreeSync support, which isn’t exactly common at this price. Nor is the ability to flip into portrait thanks to a 90-degree pivot, a feature that ties up nicely with the MateView’s well-adjusted eBook mode if you need to read on the screen for prolonged periods.

Inputs are limited to just HDMI and DisplayPort and there are no speakers but given the asking price we’re not going to complain about that too loudly. For casual gamers, there’s even the option to paste one of several designs of crosshair on the display. For the money, the SE is surprisingly well-made and easily adjustable. If you want to go even cheaper, you can pick up a version without the trick 90-degree pivot but otherwise identical for just £130.

Read our full Huawei MateView SE review for details

Other key specs – Screen technology: IPS; Video inputs: 1 x HDMI 1.4, 1 x DisplayPort 1.4; 1 x 3.5mm; Other ports: None; Speakers: No; Refresh rate: 75Hz


4. Gigabyte G27QC: Best-value gaming monitor

Price when reviewed: £315 | Check price at Amazon || Size: 27in | Resolution: 2,560 x 1,440

The Gigabyt G27QC 27in monitor, pictured on a table with a white wall and sash windows in the background

As cheap 1440p gaming monitors go, the Gigabyte G27QC is something of a veteran. This 165Hz VA monitor was one of the first to adopt that magical combination of panel tech, resolution and frame rate, and it manages to outshine many others to this day.

While the 1500R curvature, 165Hz refresh rate and high-contrast VA panel are definitely the headline act here, this incredibly effective specs combo is supported by an excellent selection of additional features. The stand supports 110mm of height adjustment and 20 degrees of backwards tilt, which is a touch more than most monitors in this price range. In a similarly generous manner, the G27QC packs a two-port USB hub onto the port panel alongside the usual HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4 ports – all of this is flanked by a pair of built-in speakers, too.

This monitor supports HDR10 decoding but has no official DisplayHDR rating; with a peak luminance in both SDR and HDR of around 320cd/m² and a contrast ratio of 3,100:1, however, you’ll be plenty satisfied with the vibrant, impactful image the G27QC produces. In our tests the G27QC produced 117% of the sRGB colour gamut and an admirable 83% of the DCI-P3 gamut, and it did so without exceeding a Delta E of 3.

As this is a VA panel, ghosting is a definite issue, so we’d suggest that e-sports fanatics look elsewhere. If you’re a casual gamer with a small budget and big expectations, however, the G27QC won’t disappoint.

Read our full Gigabyte G27QC review for details

Other key specs – Screen technology: VA; Video inputs: 1 x HDMI 2.0, 2 x DisplayPort 1.4; Other ports: 2 x USB-A 3.0, 1 x USB-B 3.0, 1 x 3.5mm; Speakers: Yes; Refresh rate: 165Hz


5. AOC Q27P2CA: Best-value monitor

Price when reviewed: £300 | Check price at Laptops Direct || Size: 27in | Resolution: 2,560 x 1,440

The AOC Q27P2CA 27in monitor on a table with a white wall, painting, plant and windows in the background

The AOC Q27P2CA is our favourite 1440p monitor, and for good reason. This 27in IPS office monitor packs a shedload of features into its matte black frame. The stand provides all of the necessary adjustment options, including 150mm of height adjustment, portrait mode support and 180 degrees of swivel. AOC takes a similarly committed approach to ports: the Q27P2CA has four USB-A ports (two easily accessible on the side of the monitor) for your peripherals and a USB-C port for delivering up to 65W of power and carrying a video signal simultaneously. If you work on a laptop with very few ports, the Q27P2CA is a great choice.

This monitor continued to deliver when we put it through our in-house tests. Out of the box the Q27PCA is colour-accurate, bright and punchy, with particularly strong results in sRGB mode and good brightness and contrast for an office monitor. Like many such monitors, the Q27P2CA has a 75Hz refresh rate and a 4ms response time, and it’s Nvidia G-Sync compatible, too. It’s not for hardcore gamers, but casual players won’t be too disappointed.

If you’re after a monitor that provides an unbeatable ratio of features to price, the Q27P2CA is a fine choice.

Read our full AOC Q27P2CA review for details

Other key specs – Screen technology: IPS; Video inputs: 1 x DisplayPort 1.2, 2 x HDMI 1.4, 1 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1; Other ports: 4 x USB-A 3.0, 1 x 3.5mm; Speakers: Yes; Refresh rate: 75Hz

Check price at Laptops Direct


6. LG Gram Plus View: Best portable monitor

Price when reviewed: £299 | Check price at LG || Size: 16in | Resolution: 2,560 x 1,600

The LG Gram +View, pictured against a white background

The LG Gram Plus View is a gorgeous portable monitor. Although it’s best used alongside one of LG’s latest Gram 16/17 laptops, the Plus View is a great choice for anyone looking to expand their screen real estate in style.

The Plus View has a 16in IPS panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio and a resolution of 2,560 x 1,600. It’s only got two ports – one USB-C port on either side – and just a brightness adjustment rocker by way of buttons. The case doubles as a stand and attaches magnetically to the rear of the panel.

Don’t be fooled by this simplicity, however: the Plus View performs exceptionally well, delivering crisp visuals, stunning colours and remarkably good accuracy. If you’re spending any time on Photoshop, the Plus View is a convenient way to give yourself more space to work – and it’s great for working at a cramped desk, too.

Read our full LG Gram Plus View review for details

Other key specs – Screen technology: IPS; Video inputs: 2 x USB-C 3.0; Other ports: None; Speakers: None; Refresh rate: 60Hz

Check price at LG


7. Asus ROG Swift PG32UQ: Best 4K gaming monitor

Price when reviewed: £850 | Check price at Currys || Size: 32in | Resolution: 3,840 x 2,160

The Asus ROG Swift PG32UQ 32in gaming monitor on a wooden table with a white wall and windows in the background

The Asus ROG Swift PG32UQ is a beefy 32in 4K gaming monitor built for PC and next-gen consoles. It’s got two HDMI 2.1 ports to enable 4K at 120Hz with variable refresh rate (VRR) support on PS5 and Xbox Series X, although its actual maximum refresh rate is 144Hz. It also supports AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and is Nvidia G-Sync compatible. Throw in a DisplayHDR 600 certification with 16 local dimming zones and you’re looking at a ridiculously capable gaming monitor.

In practice, the Asus ROG Swift PG32UQ is something to behold. It topped out at 614cd/m² with HDR enabled: the segmented backlight and wide gamut panel helped to produce pretty convincing high dynamic range content. This is a punchy, colour-accurate monitor with good response times, great viewing angles and very little motion blur.

It’s also quite a practical monitor. I’m not overly fond of the OSD controls, yes, but there’s no arguing with the versatile stand and four-port USB-A hub. This is an indication that you’re getting relatively good value for money – although of course, it’s still hard to ignore the price. Assuming you can afford it, however, the PG32UQ is a great monitor for next-gen gamers and PC fans alike.

Read our full Asus ROG Swift PG32UQ review for details

Other key specs – Screen technology: IPS; Video inputs: 1 x DisplayPort 1.2, 2 x HDMI 2.1; Other ports: 2 x USB-A 3.0, 1 x USB-B 3.0, 1 x 3.5mm; Speakers: Yes; Refresh rate: 144Hz


8. AOC U2790PQU: Best budget 4K monitor

Price when reviewed: £352 | Check price at Amazon || Size: 27in | Resolution: 3,840 x 2,160

The AOC U2790PQU 27in monitor, pictured against a white background

If you’re looking for a 4K 27in IPS screen and have a budget of around £300, we’re happy to recommend the AOC U2790PQU. In spite of the low price, it manages to hold onto a few crucial features for heavy users, lessening the number of sacrifices you’ll make in the process of saving money.

For example, the AOC U2790PQU offers just as many adjustment options as its more expensive rivals. The three key benefits here are 130mm of height adjustment, 90 degrees of swivel and support for portrait mode – that’s more than you’ll find on most budget monitors. Anecdotally, the stand is sturdy enough to prevent wobble when accessing the on-screen display, something that’s also a rarity among budget panels.

Provided you switch the AOC from default to sRGB mode, you can expect good image quality, with strong colour reproduction and a low Delta E. Contrast is less impressive at 869:1, but peak brightness is more so at 465cd/m². In other words, this is a fine monitor for office use, but perhaps not for professionals.

At its core, though, the AOC U2790PQU is impressive simply because it packs 3,840 x 2,160 pixels into a remarkably classy 27in frame at a price that cannot be ignored. There are compromises, but they have been thoughtfully picked so as to not detract from the overall user experience.

Read our full AOC U2790PQU review for details

Other key specs – Screen technology: IPS; Video inputs: 1 x DisplayPort 1.2, 1 x HDMI 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0; Other ports: 2 x USB-A 3.0, 1 x 3.5mm; Speakers: Yes; Refresh rate: 75Hz


9. LG 40WP95C: Best ultrawide monitor

Price when reviewed: £1,499 | Check price at Amazon || Size: 40in | Resolution: 5,120 x 2,160

The LG 40WP95C ultrawide 40in monitor pictured on a wooden table with white shutters in the background

In the Goldilocks Zone, between widescreen monitors that are not wide enough and those that are too wide, and between those that don’t curve enough and those that curve too much, you’ll find the LG 40WP95C. A 40in, 21:9 IPS affair with a resolution of 5,120 x 2,160 and a subtle 2500R curve (think of it as an arc cut out from a circle with a 5m diameter), the 40WP95C delivers a crisp 140dpi image with enough curve to be immersive but not so much that you feel your eyes should be closer to where your ears are.

The LG packs a decent array of I/O ports with Thunderbolt x 2, DisplayPort 1.4 x 1, HDMI 2.0 x 2, USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 x 2 and 3.5mm audio, all available. The only thing it lacks is an RJ-45 port. There’s plenty of colour on hand with gamut volumes of 135% sRGB, 95% DCI-P3 and 93% AdobeRGB while the Delta E variance of just 1.22 vs the DCI-P3 profile is very impressive.

It’s not the brightest monitor, maxing out at just 278cd/m² and without a Mini LED backlight, the HDR performance is nothing to get excited about – the HDR certification is a very basic HDR10. The two 10W speakers are loud and tuneful, however, which makes the LG great for media consumption. This LG monitor is not cheap, but it is very impressive.

Read our full LG40WP95C review for details

Other key specs – Screen technology: IPS; Video inputs: 2 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x DisplayPort 1.4; Other ports: 2 x Thunderbolt 4, 2 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1 x 3.5mm; Speakers: Yes; Refresh rate: 72Hz


10. Dell UltraSharp U2720Q: Best 4K monitor

Price when reviewed: £677 | Check price at Amazon || Size: 27in | Resolution: 3,840 x 2,160

The Dell UltraSharp U2720Q pictured at an angle, facing right, against a white background

Are you after a practical, colour-accurate screen that minimises the cable nest beneath your desk? This 27in 4K screen fits the bill, and it does so at an RRP that, while not exactly cheap, certainly belies its feature set and performance. It’s not the most exciting monitor on the planet, but with a vast number of useful features and a gorgeous IPS panel, it’s quietly impressive.

The Dell UltraSharp U2720Q boasts a hearty selection of ports, with DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.0 inputs sitting adjacent to an eye-popping two USB-C 3.0 ports (one downstream, one upstream). It also has a three-port USB-A 3.0 hub for peripherals, one of which delivers up to 2A of power. The OSD is navigated via four small buttons mounted at the bottom of the screen. We prefer joysticks on the whole but found that we had zero difficulties navigating the user interface – the function of each button is clearly labelled and contextually specific, which helps a great deal. Our only issue was that the monitor wobbled a tad on its stand each time we pressed a button.

This is also one seriously adjustable monitor. On top of the usual 130mm of height adjustment and 90 degrees of rotation, the UltraSharp can also pivot 45 degrees from left to right, making it easier to adjust for odd viewing angles.

Top all this off with some stellar results in our various benchmarking tests and you’ve got yourself a great all-rounder.

Read our full Dell UltraSharp U2720Q review for details

Other key specs – Screen technology: IPS; Video inputs: 1 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x USB-C 3.0 (upstream); Other ports: 1 x USB-C 3.0 (downstream), 3 x USB-A 3.0, 1 x 3.5mm; Speakers: No; Refresh rate: 75Hz


How to choose the best monitor for you

What monitor size and resolution should I buy?

Full HD: A resolution of 1,920 x 1,080. In the office space, these are generally the cheapest and are available in 24in to 27in sizes.

WQHD: A resolution of 2,560 x 1,440. The sweet spot for office and gaming, WHQD monitors are available at a huge range of prices and usually measure between 27in-32in.

UHD: A resolution of 3,840 x 2,160. Normally not very cheap (although sub-£400 models do exist). These monitors also tend to come in 27in to 32in sizes.

Ultrawide: Most commonly a resolution of 3,440 x 1,440, although 5,120 x 1,440 and 2,560 x 1,080 variants also exist. These are usually more expensive but the 21:9 aspect ratio gives you tonnes of screen real estate.

For gamers, the resolution you choose will be tied to the power of your gaming console or PC, but normal office users shouldn’t worry about this. For you, price is the most important consideration here, followed by the amount of room you have at home, followed by the amount of space you need on your screen.

We usually recommend 27in WQHD monitors as a great starting point both in terms of price and performance.

READ NEXT: The best budget monitors to buy

What panel type should I buy?

A monitor’s panel – that is, the screen – will perform differently depending on the type of technology used. IPS panels are the most common kind: these have great colours, viewing angles and response times but generally have mediocre contrast. VA panels are cheaper than IPS and have worse viewing angles, response times and colours, but they’re known for great contrast. TN panels are uncommon these days: they’re cheap, super responsive and have good viewing angles but have poor colours and contrast.

Don’t limit yourself to a single panel type; the gaps between each type are always shrinking. We list this information so that you know what to expect from the monitor you choose.

READ NEXT: The best gaming monitors to buy

What refresh rate do I need?

The refresh rate is described as a number in hertz (Hz), where the number is how many times your monitor refreshes per second. The higher the number, the smoother all movements (such as scrolling down a page, moving your cursor or moving your camera in-game) will look.

You should expect any monitor you buy to have at least a 60Hz refresh rate. Some push that figure as high as 144Hz, 240Hz or even 360Hz: these are chiefly aimed at gamers, and you’ll need a powerful graphics card for your gaming PC to cope.

READ NEXT: The best 1440p monitors to buy

What extras should I look for?

Stand: A good stand will provide height adjustment, left and right swivel, forwards and backwards tilt and possibly rotation into portrait orientation. It’s worth spending a bit more on a good stand if you can – your back, neck and eyes will thank you.

Ports: Monitors offer more than just HDMI or DP ports. Some come with USB-A hubs for your keyboard/mouse, while others support USB-C for charging a connected laptop. Obviously, the more the merrier, but your budget will dictate how many extras you can afford.

Back to top