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The advertising promises are huge, the choice is huge.
And if you don't know what is hidden behind the many technical abbreviations, you will quickly come to the conclusion that there are really good computer monitors for as little as 100 euros.
However, experts advise caution: "Although various manufacturers offer monitors just below the 100 euro barrier, there are clear cuts to be made in terms of equipment, connections and ergonomics," says Andreas Roth from the display portal "Prad.de".
In addition, at this price, the selection with diagonals of 23 inches, which should be the minimum home office size, is then rather manageable.
Better to spend 50 euros more on a monitor
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"If you are willing to invest 150 euros, you will get a solid monitor with a screen diagonal of 24 inches, with good ergonomic properties and good technical equipment for office use," says Roth.
At prices around 100 euros, you can only expect standard equipment: "These simple office monitors usually have a full HD display with an aspect ratio of 16: 9, and TN panels are usually built in," explains Matthias Wellendorf from the technology portal " Inside-digital.de ".
The panel is the heart of the monitor.
It is made up of millions of glowing pixels that create the image.
TN stands for Twisted Nematic and describes the arrangement of the liquid crystals in the screen.
"TN panels are comparatively simple and can be produced inexpensively. They are also characterized by fast response times and require little power," says Wellendorf.
Almost all entry-level monitors therefore have TN panels.
Limited viewing angle
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The disadvantage of TN panels is, among other things, their limited viewing angle.
"If you look at a picture surface at an angle from below, you can immediately identify a TN panel due to the lack of contrasts and falsified color reproduction," says Andreas Roth.
Monitors with an IPS panel would provide a much better picture here.
With this technology called In-Plane-Switching (IPS), the crystals are arranged in parallel one above the other, which ensures better colors and greater independence of the viewing angle.
“The IPS panel is therefore a good choice for the office area,” says Roth.
If you buy an additional monitor, you should make sure that it has all the necessary connections
Source: dpa-tmn
A third technology on the market are panels with a technology called Vertical Alignment (VA), which are sometimes seen as a compromise between TN and IPS screens.
"VA panels have the best contrast values, thus deliver the richest black and also have a relatively high viewing angle stability, even if it does not come close to that of the IPS panel technology," says Roth.
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The reason for this is the vertical arrangement of the crystals.
At the same time, VA panels are somewhat more expensive to manufacture, have a higher power consumption and rank behind TN and IPS panels in terms of response speeds.
Check pixel density on monitors
Those who tend to prefer a large monitor should keep an eye on the pixel density.
“A large display with a low resolution naturally delivers a poorer quality picture than a small display with the same resolution,” says Matthias Wellendorf.
A good interim solution is a 27-inch screen with IPS technology and 2560x1440 pixels.
"Instead of two screens, a display in widescreen format 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, better still 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 should only be of interest to users who use an ancient PC or an old notebook."
USB hub and speakers?
An integrated USB hub can also make sense, says Wolfgang Pauler from the specialist magazine “Chip”.
“You can definitely find it on inexpensive monitors.” USB-C, on the other hand, is hardly to be found in the price range of entry-level monitors.
On the other hand, 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.
You should primarily decide on the basis of panel technology.
Don't forget ergonomics when buying a monitor
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When choosing the right location, light plays an essential role.
“It is ideal if other light sources such as lamps or windows do not shine directly on the display, because this makes it difficult to read and work,” says Matthias Wellendorf.
In addition, attention should be paid to the correct seat height.
“It is ideal if the line of sight goes slightly downwards and the distance between the eyes and the screen is at least 50 cm,” advises Wellendorf.
An adjustable stand is therefore important for correct alignment, says Wolfgang Pauler from the specialist magazine “Chip”.
"You often pay around 20 euros more for a height-adjustable and possibly rotatable stand."