March 10, 2025, 8:56 am | Read time: 5 minutes
Anyone who works from home more often will sooner or later think about a second monitor. The range is huge, but you should take a close look at offers around 100 euros.
The advertising promises are grand, and the selection is vast. Without understanding the technical jargon, one might hastily conclude that high-quality computer monitors are available for as little as 100 euros. However, experts caution against choosing a cheap monitor.
“Although various manufacturers offer monitors just under the 100 euro mark, there are significant compromises to be made in terms of features, connections, and ergonomics,” says Andreas Roth from the display portal Prad.de. Moreover, within this price range, the availability of monitors with a 23-inch diagonal — considered the minimum size for a home office — is quite limited.
A Cheap Monitor Usually Has Many Drawbacks
“Investing 150 euros, however, can net you a robust monitor with a 24-inch diagonal, superior ergonomic features, and robust technical specifications suitable for office use,” says Roth.
At the 100 euro price point, only standard features can typically be expected: “These simple office monitors usually have a Full HD display with a 16:9 aspect ratio and are generally fitted with TN panels,” explains Matthias Wellendorf from the technology portal Inside-digital.de. The panel serves as the heart of the monitor. It consists of millions of backlit pixels that generate the image.
The Different Displays
TN, short for Twisted Nematic, refers to the specific arrangement of liquid crystals within the screen. “TN panels are comparatively simple and can be produced cost-effectively. They are also characterized by fast response times and require little power,” says Wellendorf. Almost all entry-level monitors, therefore, have TN panels.
However, one of the disadvantages of TN panels is their limited viewing angle. “If you look at a screen at an angle from below, you can immediately spot a TN panel due to a lack of contrast and distorted color reproduction,” says Andreas Roth. Monitors with an IPS panel would provide a much better picture here.
With this technology, known as In-Plane-Swiching (IPS), the crystals are arranged in parallel on top of each other, which ensures better colors and greater viewing angle independence. “The IPS panel is, therefore, a good choice for the office sector,” says Roth.
A third technology on the market is panels with a technology that is called Vertical Alignment (VA). They are sometimes seen as a compromise between TN and IPS screens. “VA panels have the best contrast values, therefore deliver the richest blacks and also have a relatively high viewing angle stability, even if this does not come close to that of IPS panel technology,” says Roth.
The reason for this is the vertical arrangement of the crystals. At the same time, VA panels are somewhat more expensive to manufacture. They also have a higher power consumption and rank behind TN and IPS panels in terms of response speed.
Check Pixel Density
If you tend to prefer a large monitor, you should keep an eye on the pixel density. “A large display with a low resolution naturally provides a poorer quality image than a small display with the same resolution,” says Matthias Wellendorf. A good interim solution, however, is a 27-inch screen with IPS technology and 2560 x 1440 pixels (1440p). “Instead of two screens, a widescreen display would also be an alternative — but these are significantly more expensive,” says Wellendorf.
Buyers should make sure that the monitor has all the necessary connections. “Even in the lower price range, monitors should be equipped with a digital HDMI input, or even better with an additional display port,” recommends Roth. Ultimately, however, the decisive factor is which outputs are provided by the computer’s graphics card. “Today, an analog VGA connection is probably only of interest to users who use an ancient PC or an old notebook.”
USB Hub and Speakers?
An integrated USB hub can also be useful, says Wolfgang Pauler from the trade magazine Chip. “You can also find them on inexpensive monitors.” USB-C, on the other hand, is hard to find in the entry-level monitor price range.
However, you shouldn’t be blinded by extras such as built-in speakers. “They are often of such poor quality that any external sound solution is better,” says Wellendorf. Decisions should primarily be based on the panel technology.
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A Cheap Monitor Often Comes Without an Adjustable Stand
Light plays an important role when choosing the right position for the monitor. Light sources such as lamps should not shine directly onto the monitor; a window at the back is also unfavorable. This is because both make it difficult to read and, therefore, work.
Users should also pay attention to the correct sitting height and the height of the monitor. The distance between the eyes and the screen should be at least 50 centimeters. Ideally, the viewing direction should also be slightly downward when sitting upright. An adjustable stand is helpful for aligning the monitor. This makes it possible to adjust the height of the display up and down or even rotate it in order to read the display in portrait format (pivot). However, especially affordable monitors seldom include such an adjustable stand.