Best Monitor For Programming (How To Buy The Best 2020)

Setting up a new personal computer or upgrading an existing one is always a very stressful yet exciting task, especially when you’re planning to use it for something demanding like programming and development.

Every component should be at its best and appropriate to the task you are doing, may it be Web development, application programming, or even game development.

From the storage, memory, and core processors, down to the input and output components, everything should be considered for you to get the most efficient and effective setup as possible – and of course also bearing in mind your budget.

Computer monitors aren’t often the first on the line when it comes to this. Most programmers, especially new ones, don’t usually give much importance to good computer monitor specs. But when you get to experience the difference in working using a very good one compared to a crappy one, you’d get to realize that a good screen actually helps to improve your efficiency, flexibility, and would also reduce eye strains from long exposures.

Quick Summary

In this article, we are going to list down some tips and things to consider when it comes to choosing the best monitor for your programming work. And here are also our top three for this category:

1. Acer SB230 Bbix 23″ Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS Ultra-Thin Zero Frame Monitor for pure, simple and straight forward monitor experience
2. Philips 246E9QDSB 24″ Frameless Monitor, a beautiful monitor with great color rendering and elegant design
3. HP VH240a 23.8-inch Full HD 1080p IPS LED Monitor, a monitor that has it all and more

Who Should Get This?

If you are a programmer or aspiring to start a career on this field or if you are just someone who’s looking for a better monitor for your professional use, then you should include these items in your list.

The monitor is the face of a computer set, and it is the primary output component for a personal computer. And everyone using a computer is also affected by the pros and cons of the monitor attached to their computer set. So, if you’re considering an upgrade or just planning out to buy your new computer set, this guide is for you.

What To Consider: Buying A Monitor For Programming

Purpose and Usage

The first thing to consider when buying a new monitor is the purpose and usage. You must first know what you need and what you don’t need. With this, you will able to maximize what you paid for while not getting less than what you are going to use. So before buying a monitor, first think about the projects you are going to use it for, determine if it is to be used as a primary monitor or a secondary one, and the graphics requirement for your work.

Web developers would need a higher resolution than backend programmers. Game development would also require intensive graphics display and details. Having this in mind, you should be able to decide better and more efficiently.

Size

Unlike in gaming, which requires full immersive and realistic experience, monitors for programming and for general use don’t always need to be huge. If you’re going to use it for your work, then you should bear in mind that you are going to spend a lot of time in front of it. This increases your risk of getting strains due to long exposure. Having a huge monitor plays a role in this. The bigger the monitor is, the higher the risk of strain. So, before buying those giant monitors, first consider if you’d need that size.

Resolution

There’s no mistake when it comes to resolution, higher resolution is always better. This determines the clarity, sharpness, and details that your monitor can offer. The resolution just tells you how much pixels the monitor has horizontally and vertically. Larger monitors can offer higher resolution, but some are more optimized than the others. So, if you find monitors with same size but different resolution, consider buying the higher one.

Refresh rate

Refresh rate is the frequency or number of times that your monitor is updating the display. Lower refresh rate can cause lags and blurs on the display. This is usually not noticed at first, but this is very important when you’ll be using your computer for long periods of time, since the lag and blur may cause eye strain.

Blue Light Reduction

Blue light is the spectrum of light visible from sunlight, and on device monitors, like PC and mobile phones. Continuous exposure to blue light is often linked to eye strain and impaired vision, so many devices now offers blue light reduction. This feature reduces the blue light emitted from the screen, thus reducing the risk of eye strain and impaired vision.

Flexibility

Spending so much time programming is often tiring and stressful. And doing it all while staying in place increases the strain that your body experiences. So every once in a while, you should be able to move in place and change position. A monitor that provides flexibility is something that you should consider when you are planning to use it for activities like this.

Best Monitor For Programming 2020: (3 Amazing Choices)

1. Acer SB230 Bbix 23″ Full HD IPS Ultra-Thin Zero Frame Monitor

With its thin and minimalistic design, this monitor is really proving that great things may come from small packages. This monitor offers more than mid-range monitor capabilities. It has AMD Radeon Freesync which allows the monitor to adjust the refresh rate based on the video card, thus improving the display. This is really something special compared to other monitors on its price range.

Pros:

• High refresh rate (75 Hz)
• Low response time (1ms)
• Lightweight and simple design
• Has AMD Radeon Freesync
• Has full HD display (1920 x 1080)
• Has a superior viewing angle (178 degrees horizontally and vertically)
• VGA and HDMI support with audio port

Cons:

• IPS technology are prone to backlight bleeding, which are not really noticeable

2. Philips 246E9QDSB 24″ Frameless Monitor

A monitor that has a very stylistic design with narrow borders and rich color display, this offers a beautiful monitor experience for users.

Pros:

• High refresh rate (75 Hz)
• Has Philip Ultra Wide-Color technology with 129% sRGB & 108% NTSC color gamut coverage
• Has AMD Freesync technology
• Has Low Bluelight and flicker free capability
• Has full HD display (1920 x 1080)
• 178 degrees viewing angle
• VGA, DVI-D and HDMI support
• Wall mountable (VESA mount)

Cons:

• IPS technology are prone to backlight bleeding, which are not really noticeable
• No internal speakers

3. HP VH240a 23.8-Inch Full HD 1080p IPS LED Monitor

A truly flexible monitor, which offers a complete ergonomic experience, HP VH240a has everything you would need in a monitor plus more.

Pros:

• Has Built-in speakers
• 90° rotation for horizontal (landscape) and vertical (portrait) viewing modes
• Adjustable height and tilt (-5° to 30°)
• 178° viewing angle
• Has full HD display (1920 x 1080)
• 178 degrees viewing angle
• VGA and HDMI support with HDCP
• Wall mountable (VESA mount)

Cons:

• IPS technology are prone to backlight bleeding, which are not really noticeable
• Only 60 Hz refresh rate

Additional Tips

If you are looking for the best monitor for your programming use, you should always remember to consider your specific usage needs. Always put comfort and safety first than other things. You may refer to this article by Harvard for other tips .

Conclusion

In choosing the best monitor for programming, there are many choices and criteria. There are so many features being offered and products to choose from yet you’d only need the most appropriate one for you. But in the end, you would still have to decide for yourself. We hope that this guide was able to help you have a better view for this.