Inexpensive monitors can also please you with good picture quality.
They are usually purchased with the expectation of 5-10 years of use. Therefore, it is important to choose a model that does not tire your eyes, with a high-quality matrix and a comfortable stand. Then you won’t have to regret the purchase or think about replacing it ahead of time.
We’ve selected seven of the best monitors of different sizes and for different tasks: watching movies, playing games, reading news and working with documents. Also at the end there are some tips on choosing for those for whom our options were not suitable.
The selection includes only models up to 40,000 ₽. There are many more expensive options on the market, up to RUB 330,000, but they are intended for professionals and experienced users with high requirements for color rendering, brightness and refresh rate.
We have already analyzed monitors for professional photographers and designers
Budget for work – Asus VA24ECE, 24″
The Asus VA24ECE performs surprisingly well for its price range, with decent color reproduction and plenty of useful features. There is a USB-C connector , which is almost never found in budget monitors. Useful for transmitting a video signal – for example, you can connect a MacBook.
The monitor differs from very budget models by its IPS matrix . Compared to TN and VA, it reproduces colors better and does not lose saturation at angles. The model cannot be recommended for photo processing, since the brightness is only 250 nits. But the monitor is comfortable and pleasant to watch TV shows and scroll through websites on the Internet – thanks to the flicker-free backlight. There is a blue light filtering mode to prevent eye fatigue.
The monitor is also suitable for occasional gaming. It supports Adaptive Sync to synchronize the screen refresh rate with the game frame rate, so the image becomes smoother at low or unstable FPS. The maximum refresh rate is 75 Hz, which is slightly smoother than the standard 60 Hz.
FPS, or frames per second, is the frame rate, that is, the number of frames per second. The higher the FPS, the smoother the picture
Otherwise, this is a typical monitor for office and work from home. It’s made of creaky plastic and overall doesn’t feel durable, but it’s not particularly noticeable when in use. The power supply is built into the monitor, so there will be no “brick” on the wire getting in the way under the table.
The stand is low, without height adjustment. But the standard VESA mount is compatible with brackets and stands to suit your needs.
The monitor only has one HDMI, but it has a USB-C input with support for video signal transmission. However, if you connect a laptop to it, you won’t be able to charge it from the monitor. The port power is only 15 W, and the computer requires at least 30 W.
You can also connect a smartphone with OTG support to the monitor; some Samsung and Huawei devices have it. All that remains is to add a wireless keyboard and mouse to the scheme, and you will get a good replacement for a laptop for studying, communicating and working with text.
Budget for gaming – Acer Nitro XF243Y, 24″
Acer Nitro XF243Y is one of the best monitors for gaming and work under RUB 20,000. An IPS matrix with natural color reproduction and fast response is installed here .
Most competing models are equipped with VA panels – they have deeper blacks and often higher brightness, but the shades are oversaturated or simply incorrect. At the same time, the IPS screen is well suited for watching movies, working with text and amateur photo processing, since even with factory settings the shades are quite realistic.
The most noticeable drawback of any inexpensive monitor is the so-called backlight glare or leakage. On a dark background, light spots are visible along the edges due to uneven illumination and imperfectly fitted frames. Each specific monitor is unique in this regard; the size and brightness of the spots are different everywhere. Therefore, it is better to purchase inexpensive IPS from a store that will let you check the product before purchasing or will accept returns without unnecessary red tape if the highlights are too obvious.
The backlight brightness is 250 nits, which is enough for not too bright rooms. The manufacturer claims that the monitor is harmless to the eyes, and thanks to the IPS matrix, the screen is less susceptible to high-frequency PWM flicker. This flicker causes some sensitive people to quickly get tired eyes and get headaches.
PWM is used to reduce screen brightness by flickering
The screen refresh rate reaches 165 Hz. The monitor is suitable for beginner eSports players and fans of online shooters who value a smooth and fast picture. Unlike more expensive models, the monitor suffers from image retention, or ghosting, when when the picture changes quickly, the pixels do not have time to update and a barely noticeable “trail” trails behind the image. This is also noticeable when quickly scrolling through long texts, especially on a gray or other dark background.
The 165 Hz frequency is only available when connected via DisplayPort – the cable is included. There are also a pair of HDMI 1.4 connectors for connecting a laptop or game console; one such cable is also included in the box.
The included stand is excellent: small but stable, it allows you to adjust the height of the screen and even switch it to portrait mode with a 90-degree rotation. This mode is good not only for an additional monitor for chats, but also for making it more convenient to connect cables.
Standard VESA mount fits any desktop or wall mount. The pair of built-in 2W speakers doesn’t sound very good. It is better to connect speakers or headphones via a 3.5 mm audio jack. There is no USB hub.
Optimal for work – AOC X24P1, 24″
AOC X24P1 is a mid-class monitor for home and office. With a sleek design, a convenient adjustable stand and plenty of ports. If you don’t like the standard black color, there is a light gray option.
A high-quality IPS panel is installed – without flickering and with good color rendition. This is enough for amateur photo and video processing. A brightness of 300 nits is quite enough for home and office, but it is better not to expose the screen to direct sunlight.
At a 24″ diagonal , the image is quite clear. Due to the 16:10 aspect ratio , the screen resolution is atypical – 1920 × 1200 pixels . This format is well suited for working with text, code, tables and graphic editors, since more lines of text or interface elements.
The maximum screen refresh rate is limited to 60 Hz. The AOC X24P1 wasn’t designed for gaming, but if you rarely run fast-paced platformers or competitive shooters, the standard frame rate will be fine.
The design of the stand is well thought out. You can adjust the tilt angle, change the height of the screen, and even rotate it 90 degrees into portrait mode, which is useful for working with text and reading websites, and simplifies connecting cables. There is a VESA mount to hang the monitor on the wall.
There is a full set of connectors: DisplayPort, HDMI, DVI and four fast USB 3.1 ports. The only thing missing is USB-C to display images from the laptop and charge it at the same time.
Optimal for home – Philips 275E2FAE, 27 inches
The Philips 275E2FAE looks great thanks to the thin bezels around the edges of the screen. They are almost symmetrical – the bottom one is slightly thicker than the others. With a 27″ diagonal, the resolution of the IPS matrix is 2560 × 1440 pixels , WQHD – standard Full HD is no longer enough for such a screen.
The screen is flicker-free and brightness is 350 nits, so you can work comfortably in a well-lit room. At the same time, the illumination is uniform: the specimen I tested did not have a single significant flare. For a non-professional monitor, color reproduction is good, the picture looks natural and rich.
Philips 275E2FAE is designed for watching videos, editing texts and amateur graphics work. At the same time, you can comfortably play most non-competitive games thanks to the 75 Hz screen refresh rate and support for FreeSync adaptive synchronization.
The stand is comfortable and quite compact; it has height adjustment and a channel for cable management. But some users may find the height a bit lacking: at its maximum position, the top frame is at eye level, not the screen.
To connect devices, there are two HDMI 1.4 , one DisplayPort 1.2 and a headphone jack. There is no USB hub . The built-in speakers are very weak and almost devoid of low frequencies, so it’s better not to rely on them.
For eSports – Viewsonic Omni XG2431, 24.5″
For competitive gaming, a small monitor with high clock rates and fast response times is best. The Viewsonic Omni XG2431 displays motion smoothly and without trailing, so even in fast-paced competitive shooters you can always see what’s going on.
The screen diagonal here is 24.5″, the resolution is 1920 × 1080 pixels. Among gaming monitors, there are often models with sharper QHD 1440 p screens , but here a lower resolution is more practical. This makes it much easier for the computer to achieve high FPS values so that games can fully utilize the capabilities panels with a frequency of 240 Hz.
Gigabyte used a high-speed IPS matrix with a response of 1 ms, a frequency of 240 Hz and a FreeSync Premium certificate. This monitor is quite suitable for professional games of fast shooters like Counter-Strike or Valorant.
The fast response without ghosting or afterimage is confirmed by the authoritative website BlurBusters – it was there that they invented the popular test with moving aliens. To adjust the speed and smoothness of the image, there are additional items in the menu: for most people, the factory preset is enough, but you can tweak something to your taste.