When shopping for computer monitors, you need to pay attention to a few key features: size, resolution, response times and contrast ratio. Manufacturers always try to play up these features, so understand what you’re getting and what you want before you make a purchase.

Size Matters
As technology improves, desktop computer monitors are getting thinner and bigger while their prices are dropping. Years ago, a 15-inch monitor was pretty standard. Today, monitors typically start at 19 inches and go up from there, some reaching the size of 30 inches. Think about how you want to use your computer monitor and what size is appropriate. For typical computer functions, a 19-inch monitor is fine. If you use your computer for gaming or watching video, or if you use complex design programs with lots of on-sreen menus, you might benefit from a larger screen.

The Higher the Resolution, the More You Can Display
LCD computer monitors are slightly different than CRT computer monitors in one big respect: they have a native resolution. Most LCD monitors are designed to look best at a specific resolution, and while you can view things at different resolutions, the picture may appear to be stretched or distorted. The higher the resolution, the smaller the print but the more things you can fit on your screen. Higher resolutions are popular in larger monitors, although you might want to consider a high resolution if you do graphic design or other tasks where you’d want a large viewing area.

Check Response Times
Response times are one of the biggest differences between today’s monitors and the LCD monitors made just a few years ago. LCD computer monitor response times haven’t always been great, and CRT monitors were once preferred for certain applications because LCDs couldn’t keep up with fast-moving video. This resulted in ghosting, where an image didn’t change fast enough to keep up with the video, making it blurry or demonstrating display artifacts.

Today’s monitors come with faster response times, ranging from 2 to 10 milliseconds. The shorter the response time, the better, especially if you use your computer to watch video or for gaming.

Contrast Ratio Gets Skewed
Contrast ratio is important. It’s the difference between the darkest black and the whitest white that a screen can produce. A higher contrast ratio produces more vivid pictures and color depth, as blacker blacks and greater color differences make the picture really pop. Unfortunately, contrast ratio isn’t a standard measurement, and different manufacturers use different ways to determine the specs. You might see manufacturers advertising contrast ratios as high as 10,000:1, but that number is probably theoretical and you’ll never see a picture with that contrast ratio in practice. Look for a good contrast ratio, but focus on what looks best to your eyes, rather than relying on marketing promises.

Get Connected
Since the wireless computer monitor isn't yet a reality, you'll need to consider connection to your PC. DVI and DVI-D are the most common connection types for computer monitors today, and they’ve been gradually replacing VGA inputs for years. If you want to use your computer monitor for high-definition content, you might also want an HDMI input for HDMI sources, such as a Blu-ray player. Think about how you want to use your monitor and what connection types your video cart supports when you’re evaluating monitor features.