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Modern 1080p panels often also use IPS LCD technology, which offers great colours and viewing angles, good contrast and acceptable latency. Or VA LCD technology, which means very high contrast, good colours but inferior viewing angles and higher latency.
Panel technology: Unlike other kinds of monitors, 1080p monitors occasionally use older TN LCD panel technology. TN panels produce the lowest latency of the bunch, which is why they’re still common on 1080p gaming monitors, but they suffer from poor viewing angles and less vivid colours. They’re cheap to manufacture, however. The panel performed well on test, producing vibrant and accurate colours particularly in sRGB mode. It’s reasonably bright and punchy, with a tested peak brightness of 272cd/m² and a contrast of 1,165:1. Display inputs: Most have an HDMI input, while others still rely on VGA (D-Sub) and DVI-D inputs. You might even find DisplayPort takes centre stage on the pricier models. As you might have guessed, a built-in webcam is the highlight of this particular monitor. But we’re also fond of the stand, which has all four crucial adjustment options (including 150mm of height adjustment); the panel, which scored highly in practically every single one of our tests; and the port selection, which includes the highly desirable USB-C alongside a USB-A hub, HDMI and DP.It doesn’t matter what you’re into, either – there’s a Full HD monitor out there for every person, be they gamer, home worker or everyday PC tinkerer. Whether you’re after a cheap monitor for working from home, a monitor with an ultra-high refresh rate for competitive gaming, or something in between the two, there’s a display that will fit the bill. We often talk about monitors offering unbeatable value for money, and the BenQ GW2785TC is far and away the best example we’ve come across. This 27in 1080p panel has a huge feature set and a jaw-droppingly minuscule RRP. Vertical alignment panels (VA, AVA and MVA) generally have narrow viewing angles and very high contrast levels, although they don’t always have the greatest colour accuracy. There’s more than just panel size to think about, though – resolution is a key factor. For instance, while a 22in monitor with a Full HD resolution monitor will look pin-sharp, a 27in monitor with the same resolution will look softer and more pixellated due to the lower number of pixels per inch (PPI). To put that in numbers: a 22in Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) monitor equates to 100ppi, while a 32in Full HD panel is only 69ppi – 30% less.
The P2422HE performed reasonably well on test, but it’s not one for gamers or those with a need for colour accuracy. This is instead a purebred office monitor, complete with energy saving modes, low blue light filters and an exceptionally versatile stand that provides 150mm of height adjustment plus tilt, pivot and swivel. It’s a good-looking monitor, too, and it won’t take up much room on your desk. Finally, IPS/PLS screens generally have the best colour accuracy and viewing angles, but are also the most expensive, although the price gap between IPS/PLS, VA and TN has narrowed in recent years. Many 1080p monitors measure 24in across the diagonal as this offers a good balance between screen size and pixel density. We wouldn’t recommend going any higher than 27in – if you need a larger monitor, consider a higher resolution. The panel itself is the star of the show here: for the price, you’re getting remarkably accurate colours and decent brightness/contrast. The resolution is a tiny bit low for the size of the screen but we’re confident it’s not an issue unless you sit far, far too close. To assess a monitor’s panel, we run a series of tests that cover things such a colour accuracy, gamut coverage, peak brightness/contrast and motion handling. Motion handling tests can be done using a web application – we use BlurBusters’ suite of monitor testing tools – but for the rest, we use a colorimeter and professional display calibration and characterisation software. We use an X-Rite i1Display Studio colorimeter and DisplayCal software to generate our results.
BenQ’s exceedingly affordable GW2785TC is well-made and packed with features
sRGB gamut coverage came in at around 90% in the default mode, with an average variance (delta E) of 2.09 and a near-perfect colour temperature of 6600K. We measured max luminance at 320cd/m² and contrast at 1,230:1; both of these figures are very good and are higher than those quoted by Philips. The results indicate that the 243B9H is an accurate, vibrant monitor with enough brightness for well-lit environments and no noticeable blue/red tint. The display nailed our tests, producing rich and accurate colours in the sRGB colour space used by the majority of the content you’ll be viewing on your PC. It didn’t quite reach the kinds of brightness or contrast levels we’d usually associate with a strong HDR performer, but this is pretty common for panels with an entry-level DisplayHDR 400 specification. What this means is that with HDR engaged, you’ll enjoy vibrant colours but miss the inky shadows. The panel is accurate and colourful, producing 95.6% of the sRGB colour gamut with a Delta E small enough to make any inaccuracies very hard to spot. You won’t struggle with a dim, washed-out picture, either: the GW2785TC reached a peak luminance of 272cd/m² with a contrast ratio of 1,165:1. We could go on, but the point is a simple one: Everything about this monitor is made all the more remarkable by its ridiculously good price. If you must have HDR, look out for a DisplayHDR certification (DisplayHDR 400, 600, 800 or 1,000, where higher is better) and ideally local dimming support. Again, these things will be very uncommon on 1080p monitors. Like its sibling, the BenQ GW2785TC does as much as a monitor can to ease the strain on your eyes. Unlike the GW2485TC, however, this monitor manages to keep IPS glow to an absolute minimum and has great panel uniformity, too.
It’s the panel that earns the Q27V4EA its place here, however. The monitor produced 88.7% of the sRGB colour gamut in default mode with little colour variance, a contrast ratio of 850:1 and peak luminance of 250cd/m². These figures are good for a budget monitor, and they mean that colours look natural and content appears bright, even in well-lit environments. With a response time of 4ms G2G, a refresh rate of 75Hz and AMD FreeSync support, moreover, casual gamers will find that the Q27V4EA is great for a couple of rounds of Apex Legends after work. If you’re looking for a monitor for gaming or work that doesn’t cost a fortune, a 1080p monitor is ideal. These monitors don’t put much strain on your hardware, making them ideal for modest gaming rigs or laptops with weakling graphics chips. What’s more, the money you save by opting for a lower-resolution monitor allows you to budget for work-friendly features such as adjustable stands and USB hubs. Are 1080p monitors good for gaming?
Whether you’re upgrading your home office or building a gaming rig, these are the best 1080p monitors to complete your setup
An adjustable stand: Having an adjustable stand will you give you much more flexibility – and you won’t need to stuff books or magazines underneath to raise it to a comfortable height. It’s not uncommon to find a budget monitor with tilt and height adjustment. It’s not impossible to find one that can swivel and rotate, too, even if it is more of a rarity. While it’s normally a touch on the pricey side by the standards of most 1080p monitors, but the EX2710 is still relatively inexpensive, and it represents phenomenal value for money. It’s a 27in panel with all the trimmings: 144Hz refresh rate, 2ms G2G response time, AMD FreeSync Premium and an entry-level HDR certification are but a few of the features that stand out.
Now to the panel itself. The BenQ GW2785TC is definitely an office monitor inasmuch as there’s nothing flashy to note here, but it does the job well enough. Out of the box this monitor produced 95.6% of the sRGB colour gamut with an average Delta E of 2.13 and this improved to 1.76 when I switched to the monitor’s sRGB mode. These figures are good by the standards of cheap office monitors and they indicate the GW2785TC is colour-accurate and neither excessively dull nor over vibrant.Our monitor testing process involves a combination of real-world examination and in-depth panel performance tests. Once the monitor is set up, we can immediately assess things such as build quality, stand adjustability and the number/type of ports, comparing these things against other similar monitors to help inform our judgement. READ NEXT: The best 4K monitors to buy The best budget monitors you can buy in 2023 1. Acer K273: The best budget monitor The USB-C connection that allows you to charge a plugged in laptop is really what makes this monitor more expensive than entry-level displays. And for anyone who thinks they'd use it the integrated noise-cancelling microphone and speaker setup for web calls, it's a unique perk that adds even more value to the monitor. All the settings and special features seem genuinely useful in different use cases and it’s even got an above-average 75Hz refresh rate for slightly smoother motion on the desktop and when gaming. Verdict
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