How to Choose a Monitor for Coding, Design and Everyday Work

Your monitor is the part of your setup you look at for eight hours or more a day. Get it right and everything feels easier. Get it wrong and you spend months squinting, scrolling and fighting cables. Here is how to choose well.

Start with what you actually do

Different work needs different screens. Be honest about your day:

• Coding and writing: you want sharp text and enough room for an editor, a terminal and a browser side by side.
• Design, photo and video: colour accuracy and resolution matter most.
• Office work and spreadsheets: size and comfort beat raw specs.
• Work by day, gaming by night: refresh rate comes into play.

Size and resolution, together

Size alone tells you little. What matters is how sharp the screen looks at the distance you sit, usually an arm's length.

• 24 inch at 1080p: fine for basic office work, but text can look soft.
• 27 inch at 1440p: the sweet spot for many professionals and gamers.
• 27 inch at 4K: very crisp text, which developers and designers love, especially with a MacBook.
• 32 inch at 4K: loads of space without needing two screens.
• Ultrawide (34 inch and up): great for timelines, trading screens and long lines of code.

If you read code all day, sharper text is worth paying for. Your eyes will thank you by Friday.

Refresh rate: do you need 144Hz?

Standard monitors run at 60Hz. Higher refresh rates such as 120Hz, 144Hz or more make scrolling and motion smoother. For gaming this is a real upgrade. For pure office work it is a nice extra, not a must. Many buyers now choose a 1440p, high-refresh screen as one monitor that handles both.

Panel types in one line each

• IPS: good colours and wide viewing angles, the safe all-rounder.
• VA: deeper blacks, good for films and dark rooms.
• OLED: stunning contrast and colour, best for media and gaming. Ask us about usage habits before buying one for static work.

Ports decide your daily life

This is the bit most people forget. Check what your laptop or PC can output, then match it.

• USB-C with power delivery: one cable carries picture, data and charging to your laptop. Ideal for MacBook users and a clean desk.
• HDMI: universal, and great for consoles too.
• DisplayPort: common on PCs and graphics cards, and the usual choice for high refresh rates.
• Built-in USB hub: handy for keyboards, mice and webcams.

Before you buy, look at your machine's ports and write them down. It saves a second trip.

Comfort features worth having

• A stand that adjusts in height and tilt, or support for a monitor arm (VESA mount)
• Flicker-free backlight and a low blue light mode for late sessions
• A matte finish if your room gets bright afternoon sun

One screen or two?

Two matching monitors give lots of space at a sensible budget. One large 4K or ultrawide screen gives a cleaner look with no gap in the middle. Both work; it comes down to your desk width and your taste.

Your setup, sorted

Not sure which screen suits your laptop or workstation? Bring your questions to our Westlands store and we will talk you through it plainly, with transparent pricing and authentic products. Or browse our PCs, workstations and monitors and pair your new screen with the right chargers and cables.