Top monitor 2022
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Best monitor under $200 you can get for 2022A second monitor can make work or school much more productive, and you don't have to pay much to get a decent model from Dell, Samsung, LG or others.
Lori Grunin,
Joshua Goldman
Jan. 26, 2022 5:00 a.m. PT
Lori Grunin Senior Editor / Reviews
I've been writing about and reviewing consumer technology since before the turn of the century. I'm also a photographer and cat herder, frequently at the same time. See full bio
Joshua Goldman Senior Editor / Reviews
Joshua Goldman is a senior editor for CNET Reviews, covering laptops and the occasional action cam or drone and related accessories. He has been writing about and reviewing consumer technology and software since 2000. See full bio
If you're in need of a new monitor but you're on a tight budget, it's not as easy to find one as it used to be. While we've passed the shortages caused by the initial spike in demand at the beginning of the pandemic, when a huge number of people began towork from home, I'm beginning to see rising prices likely due to the pandemic-driven shipping delays and component shortages. Now even a 'meh' 24-inch monitor to meet your needs for work or school can run you over $150. Before you dig in, there are a few things to keep in mind: When buying a budget monitor, you should absolutely check out the listing of what's in the box. Make sure it's not missing items that would drive the price above that "cheap monitor" threshold, like a stand or appropriate cables. The stand might not be an issue if you're planning to use the VESA mount to put it on a wall or arm. But in that case, you should ensure the mount screws on the back of the monitor match yours: The bulk of these have 100-by-100-mm mounts, though in some cases, they have 200x200, 75x75 or don't support a VESA mount at all.
Got a Mac? If it's an old MacBook Pro and has an HDMI port, or an iMac or Mac Mini, you won't have a problem. MacBooks with USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 connections will require an adapter or cable with conversion built-in because they won't have a dedicated display port. You may also need to fiddle with the resolution and scaling settings in Mac OS, since it natively prefers a 16:10 aspect ratio, not the 16:9 aspect ratio that's much more popular on Windows. Read more: How to buy a monitor for gaming or working from home
Video: Watch me set up a TV review lab in my basementUnless you're a hardcore gamer or creative professional, many of the most technical specs -- latency and color gamut, for example -- won't really matter to you (though many of these could serve as a budget gaming monitor). You should always take them with a grain of salt, anyway.
For the money, you can generally expect to get:
Upping your budget to between $200 and $300 will bring more 32-inch screen size options and 2,560x1,440 resolution. And, of course, the more you're willing to spend, the more you're likely to find something in stock and ready to ship. Read more:Best speakerphone for working from home
Samsung T35F 27-inch FHD IPS monitor
If you are looking for budget gaming monitors, this budget FHD monitor's 75Hz refresh gives you a little latitude for gaming and has an IPS panel for better color and viewing angle in the sea of VA competitors; plus, this cheap gaming monitor option is pretty attractive with thin bezels and a stand that's less clunky-looking than some. You'll get an HDMI cable in the box, and it has a 100x100 VESA mount. There are some drawbacks, such as some backlight bleed that buyers have noticed, and it has an HDMI 1.4 connection instead of 2.0 (if you care), plus the stand only allows the screen to tilt, not raise or lower.
$200 at Best Buy $200 at Amazon
Dell 27-Inch Full HD FreeSync IPS monitor with stereo speakers (S2721H)
This comes in three confusing flavors, all based around the same 75Hz, 27-inch panel: the $190 S2721HN with two HDMI 1.4 ports and an audio line out, the $200 S2721H with those and a pair of 3w speakers and the $210 S2721HS which has a sleeker model of the stand, an HDMI 1.4 and a DisplayPort 1.2 connector. I think it's worth $10 for the speakers; they may not be great, but I really miss them for system sounds and all the other incidental sounds I encounter over the course of the day. These are newer versions of the last-generations S2719H-series we tested, but are, for the most part, just a lot prettier with some feature tweaks. Of that one, we said: This LED monitor is a good option for a dual monitor setup if you're fed up with eye strain and squinting at your work on a small laptop screen. The display's thin bezels and built-in power supply make it streamlined and tidy, and you're pretty much looking at all screen. The base does allow it to tilt -- there's no height adjustment -- and has a hole for cable management so you can pass its power cord and a VGA or HDMI cable through to the inputs in back (power and HDMI cables are included). Along with the screen size and design, you're getting a 75Hz refresh rate, 4ms response time and FreeSync support, which makes this a bit better for gaming and fast-moving video than your average office monitor. On the other hand, unexciting color performance and seemingly lower-than-spec brightness undercut it solely for that use. It's fine for mixed use even if it doesn't excel in any area. There are three similar 24-inch screen size models if you're looking for something smaller and less expensive -- they range from $170 to $185 at Dell. And if you want a slightly less expensive or smaller option with the speakers, the 24-inch version is identical to my recommended model for $185.
$240 at Dell $260 at Dell $190 at Dell
Dell 24-inch FHD FreeSync IPS monitor with stereo speakers (S2421H)
$270 at Amazon
LG 24-inch FreeSync monitor (24ML600M-B)
The LG is a solid, attractive general-purpose choice with some gaming perks. Though I'd hardly call it a gaming monitor, it has features for a good gaming experience, such as AMD FreeSync support, the ability to overdrive the response time, a 1ms motion-blur reduction mode and an optional center crosshair. It's slightly brighter than most, and there's a Photo mode that seems to improve the color accuracy. It's got a VGA connector in addition to the two HDMIs (though that's not uncommon in this price range) if you've got a really old device to connect. The 24-inch is a smaller version of the 27-inch monitor we tested which has since been discontinued (though still available in places at a much higher price).
$170 at B&H $170 at LG
LG 27MP60G-B 27-inch FHD IPS FreeSync display
This looks to be a more recent follow-up to the 27MK600M-B we tested, with a different stand and a DisplayPort connection instead of the second HDMI. Like that one, it's got some gaming perks, identical to the 24-inch LG I mentioned above.
$197 at B&H $177 at Target Great monitors just over $200
LG 29-inch UltraWide FHD FreeSync monitor (29UM59A-P)
This big 'un doesn't have ultraskinny bezels or a curved screen -- it's four years old -- but when you consider its size, a 75Hz refresh rate and USB-C DisplayPort connector (as well as two HDMI 1.4 ports), you get a lot for the money. LG has been known to sell it for $200, but it's normal price is $270, so I'm keeping it down here in case it drops again. It's still a pretty good value for the features at the normal price. There's a slightly more game-oriented model for $250, the 29WP60G-B, with FreeSync support, thinner bezels and a slightly sleeker design, but don't get FOMO over the "HDR" you'll see in the name; it has the same color and brightness specs as the cheaper model. LG has simply added decoding hardware that lets it more-or-less intelligently cram real HDR content to the dim, small gamut display, which is never pretty.
$260 at Amazon
Gigabyte G27FC A 27-inch 1080p 165 Hz curved gaming monitor
I don't like curved 27-inch monitors or VA panels much, but in a sea of 75Hz options under $200, the Gigabyte is a refreshing 165Hz. That makes it a lot more suited to gaming than all the 75Hz models. It also has a greater-than-sRGB color gamut, low-power stereo speakers and a USB hub, which you rarely find together in this price class. The price has risen to $220, which is still less than its typical $250, and I'm leaving it here temporarily in case it comes back at the lower price.
$230 at Amazon $230 at Best Buy More work-from-home and computing recommendations
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