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The Best 24-Inch Monitor

By Dave Gershgorn
Updated
The Asus ProArt PA248CRV showing a vinyard desktop background.
Photo: Dave Gershgorn

A 24-inch monitor can be a great companion to a laptop, offering a larger, space-efficient second screen that charges your device while you’re using it. The Asus ProArt PA248CRV is an especially good monitor for most people because it has a larger 16:10 display, USB-C charging, a USB hub for peripherals, and fantastic color accuracy. Because desktop users can easily link as many as four together for a multi-monitor setup, it’s also a versatile pick for PCs with limited ports.

Everything we recommend

Our pick

The PA248CRV is a great laptop companion with 96 W of charging over USB-C, and a 16:10 aspect ratio for more screen space.

Buying Options

Budget pick

The Asus VA24DCP is an inexpensive monitor that still delivers nice colors, high contrast, and a USB-C port that can charge a laptop at full speed.

Buying Options

If you’re looking for a less expensive 24-inch monitor, we recommend the Asus VA24DCP, typically priced around $170. It also has a USB-C connection that can charge most laptops, but it lacks features like a fully adjustable stand, and it doesn’t have a USB hub or the ProArt’s great color accuracy.

Our pick

The PA248CRV is a great laptop companion with 96 W of charging over USB-C, and a 16:10 aspect ratio for more screen space.

Buying Options

The USB-C port on the Asus ProArt PA248CRV makes it a fantastic 24-inch 1080p IPS display to use alongside a notebook PC. It has a 16:10 aspect ratio, which gives you more space to work and generally looks a bit nicer. The 90 watts of charging over USB-C means it will charge most laptops, and the sturdy, adjustable stand means you can use the monitor in a variety of configurations. It’s fairly color accurate out of the box, with great contrast and especially nice reproduction of white and grays, so you shouldn’t notice weird tinges of color when staring deeply into your blank Google Docs page. It also has a USB hub that can add four USB ports to your laptop.

Budget pick

The Asus VA24DCP is an inexpensive monitor that still delivers nice colors, high contrast, and a USB-C port that can charge a laptop at full speed.

Buying Options

For less than $175, the Asus VA24DCP is a capable 24-inch 1080p IPS display that has full USB-C charging at 65 watts. It’s a great basic monitor for those who want something to hook up to their laptop or PC to browse the internet and get some office work done, as its colors look good for day-to-day use, and it has better contrast than many higher-cost monitors. For more than $100 less than our top pick, you’re giving up a better, more adjustable stand, a USB hub, and some color accuracy, but if those aren’t important to you, this is a nice monitor for a great price.

Senior staff writer Dave Gershgorn has reviewed and covered technology since 2015 at publications such as Popular Science, Quartz, Medium, and now Wirecutter. He covers all computer displays for Wirecutter and is a certified display calibrator through the Imaging Science Foundation.

A 24-inch monitor is perfect for those who want a second screen for their laptop that won’t take over their desk, or for desktop owners who want a dual-screen setup while saving space and money.

Our picks are especially good for laptop users, as they all have a USB-C connection with at least 65 watts of charging power. Our 2022 round of testing was the first time we’ve been able to find this feature for all of our picks.

These monitors also represent a good value for those with a desktop. They all have enough color accuracy and contrast to look great for day-to-day use, and the more you spend on our picks the better picture you’ll get. Our top and upgrade picks can also be daisy-chained when using two or more monitors, meaning you can connect the second display directly to the first, instead of having to run two cables from your computer. This saves some clutter, and can be helpful if you have a limited number of display outputs on your machine. (Laptop owners can also do this, but you’ll need to make sure your laptop has a DisplayPort, and not just an HDMI port.)

This class of 24-inch monitors is also generally cheaper than 27-inch, 32-inch, or ultrawide monitors, making them a good budget option. But if you have the space and budget and are looking for a sharper, higher-resolution display, it might be worth checking out our guide to the best 27-inch monitors.

Monitors with a 1920×1200-pixel resolution give you 120 more vertical pixels than a 1080p monitor, making the screen slightly taller but giving you enough extra room to view a few extra rows in a spreadsheet, or to read another paragraph in a document or article without scrolling.

Generally, you can’t find 24-inch monitors with a 4K resolution (or 3840×2160 pixels). For those, you’ll need to step up to the 27- and 32-inch models we recommend in our guide to 4K monitors. The higher resolution can display sharper text and more detailed images, and you can make the picture larger or smaller without losing detail or making things look blurry or overly pixelated.

When we research monitors, we’re looking for the following:

  • Size and resolution: On a 24-inch screen, 1080p resolution (1920×1080 pixels) looks reasonably sharp, and text and images should be large enough for most people to see without straining their eyes. Taller monitors, with a 1920×1200 resolution, can provide more usable screen space without an increase in footprint.
  • Display technology: We look for monitors that use IPS (in-plane switching) display panels, not TN (twisted nematic) panels. TN panels are cheaper, but not by much, and IPS panels offer better viewing angles and color reproduction.
  • Ports: We require that 24-inch monitors have a USB-C port with at least 65 W of charging power, as well as an HDMI port. Other ports like a USB hub are a nice plus, especially for laptop users.
  • Price: Good 24-inch 1080p monitors generally cost $150 to $250. Taller 1920×1200 monitors usually cost between $200 and $300.
  • Stands and VESA mount support: We look for stands that can swivel, raise and lower the monitor’s height, and pivot 90 degrees into portrait mode. For cheaper monitors, a stand that can tilt the monitor up and down without wobbling too much is the best you can hope for. All the monitors we recommend support VESA mounts, if you want to hang them on your wall or use a separate monitor arm.
  • Contrast ratio: Contrast ratio is the difference between the brightest white and the darkest black that the screen can display. A contrast ratio of 1000:1 or higher (note that higher is better) is typical of the IPS panels we recommend; it makes the dark areas of a screen easier to see when you’re watching a movie or playing a game.
  • Color accuracy: A monitor’s color accuracy ensures that your images look the way you intend them to when they appear on another screen or in print. Some come calibrated from the factory to ensure more consistent and accurate color; budget monitors typically don’t. Most people don’t need perfect color accuracy, but it should be good enough that photos from your phone or movies you download don’t look weird.
  • Warranty: Every monitor we recommend includes a warranty of one year or longer. We also pay attention to each manufacturer’s dead pixel policy—the number of bright or “stuck” pixels and the number of dark pixels that a monitor needs to have before the manufacturer will repair or replace it.

To test monitors, we have a two-fold approach. First, we unbox the monitors and use them for a day or two of work, which includes writing and editing documents, researching online, looking at photos and videos, and the usual corporate communication platforms like Slack and email. We then go through our more objective testing, by hooking each monitor to an X-Rite i1Basic Pro and a Calibrite ColorChecker Display Plus, which measure the light from the display. We then run those readings through the Calman Ultimate software to determine the maximum brightness, contrast, and color accuracy of the monitor, among many other granular calculations.

A gif showing our ColorChecker testing process.
To assess the color accuracy of each monitor’s display, we used customized tests in the Calman software calibration suite and high-end hardware. Shown is our ColorChecker test, which runs through more than 100 colors. Video: Rozette Rago
The Asus ProArt PA248CRV showing a vinyard desktop background.
Photo: Dave Gershgorn

Our pick

The PA248CRV is a great laptop companion with 96 W of charging over USB-C, and a 16:10 aspect ratio for more screen space.

Buying Options

The Asus ProArt PA248CRV blends a sharp 1200p display with features such as 96-watt USB-C charging, a USB hub, and a sturdy stand for less than $300. The monitor also impressed us with its grayscale accuracy, as its shades of white and gray weren’t noticeably tinged with red, green, or blue.

It’s a newer version of a previous top pick. We previously recommended the Asus ProArt PA248CRV as a top pick in this guide, which is now out of stock in many retailers. The newer PA248CRV offers a few modest improvements, like an improved 96W of USB-C charging, improved coverage of the DCI/P3 color gamut, and a slightly brighter display. If you can still find the PA248CNV, it’s still a great monitor, it’s just being replaced with a new model.

It’s a great monitor for laptop owners. The PA248CRV has a USB-C port with 96 W of charging output, which can charge nearly any laptop at a normal rate, even higher-powered laptops like the Dell XPS 15 and MacBook Pro. The monitor also has a USB hub with three USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports and one USB-C port, perfect for connecting more devices to a laptop over the USB-C connection. (We like these ports for adding accessories such as webcams and wireless mouse dongles.)

The back USB hub of the Asus ProArt PA248CNV.
Photo: Dave Gershgorn

The ProArt PA248CRV’s stand is sturdy and fully adjustable. You can tilt or swivel the monitor, lift it up or push it down, and rotate it into portrait mode. A small clip on the back of the stand helps with cable management, as well.

Its display has nice brightness and contrast. Like all of our picks in this guide, the PA248CRV is a 24-inch IPS display. We measured a contrast ratio of 1083:1, which makes images with variation between light and dark look realistic and vibrant. The monitor can reach 350 nits of brightness, 50 nits brighter than the previous model, and above the threshold for getting a good-looking picture in a typical office with some sunlight.

Our tests showed fantastic color accuracy. This monitor has accurate-enough color for most uses, especially for those writing documents, making presentations, and doing other office work. This is where the grayscale accuracy factors in—when you’re staring at a blank page wondering how to start that paragraph, at least you won’t be noticing a strange red tint that sends you down a Google rabbit hole and further delays that project you were supposed to turn in last week. Luckily, this display is exceptionally color-accurate, even better than our previous Asus ProArt pick. It even rivals our upgrade pick in some areas, though the Dell monitor still wins out for creatives because it offers more adjustability in calibrating the display in professional settings. The table below outlines the color accuracy of this monitor in comparison with our other picks.

GrayscaleCMS (Color Management System)ColorCheckerSaturation
Asus VA24DCP3.505.924.604.69
Asus ProArt PA248CRV2.01.551.201.22

The PA248CRV is an especially great monitor for multi-display setups. For those who are considering a multi-monitor setup, the ProArt PA248CRV also supports daisy-chaining up to four displays. One DisplayPort cable connects your desktop to your first monitor, and then you can run a cable directly out of that monitor to the next one. You can link up to four PA248CRV units together this way (though you can’t mix in other monitor models). This flexibility is great if your desktop has only one DisplayPort, and it can reduce the nest of cables coming from your PC.

You’ll be covered for certain screen defects. Asus covers the PA248CRV with its Zero Bright Dot policy: The company will swap out your monitor if any stuck bright pixels appear on the display during the three-year warranty period. One of the best warranties in the industry, this policy helps guard against one of the most annoying monitor defects.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

We generally like this monitor and haven’t found issues with it. However, as we mention in our How we picked and tested section, if you’re planning on using this monitor as your main work display, you might want to consider a higher-resolution 27-inch monitor. (Our top pick in our guide to the best 27-inch monitors is just a larger, higher-resolution version of this same monitor.) On that kind of monitor, you have more screen space, and text is a bit sharper and easier to read. But if you’re already working on a 1080p laptop screen or monitor and satisfied with the image quality, that’s great! The Asus ProArt PA248CRV will be a quality replacement or upgrade.

Our budget pick for the best 24-inch monitor, the Asus VA24DCP.
Photo: Dave Gershgorn

Budget pick

The Asus VA24DCP is an inexpensive monitor that still delivers nice colors, high contrast, and a USB-C port that can charge a laptop at full speed.

Buying Options

The Asus VA24DCP is a 24-inch 1080p monitor that has nice contrast, reasonable color accuracy, and a USB-C port capable of 65 W for charging a laptop. It also has an HDMI port and an audio jack.

It has excellent brightness and contrast for the price. Typically, IPS monitors less than $200 exhibit some display weakness, like poor contrast or backlight brightness. The Asus VA24DCP surprised us, performing fairly well at everything. Its 975:1 contrast ratio is just a smidge lower than the 1000:1 standard for IPS monitors. The VA24DCP also kept up with more expensive monitors when it comes to display brightness, maxing out around 270 nits. Our top pick and upgrade picks measured around 300 nits, a difference most people wouldn’t notice in daily usage. While images and video looked natural on the display, we would caution that it’s not a great pick for people that need accurate colors for creative work. The monitor is bright and the colors look nice, but they’re not the exact same colors you’ll see on every other calibrated display in the world.

It's missing a fully adjustable stand. Instead, the small stand included with the display only tilts up and down, and you can’t change its height, orientation, or swivel it side to side. But you can always stack some books or a riser underneath the display if it’s too low, or mount it on a VESA-compliant monitor arm for a more flexible setup.

And don’t use the speakers. They sound cheap and tinny. You’d be better served spending a bit more on some external computer speakers, which will undoubtedly sound better.

For gamers who want the most frames per second: We also tested the Dell Alienware AW2523HF, a newly released 1080p IPS display with a 360 Hz refresh rate. Many professional esports players prefer 24-inch, 1080p monitors because the lower resolution compared with 1440p and 4K means less of a load on your GPU and, in return, more frames per second. The AW2523HT delivers a consistent 360 Hz refresh rate if your computer is fast enough to keep up, along with a bunch of features we like on our main picks, including a USB hub, nice contrast, and a sturdy stand.

For more information on the 24-inch 1080p monitors we’ve tested, read our guide to the best budget monitors.

The Dell U2424HE is a sharp, accurate monitor with a great warranty and 120 Hz refresh rate. However, The U2424HE costs $100 more than the Asus PA248CRV, which has most of the same features and a larger screen due to its 16:10 aspect ratio. Dell also makes a U2424H, but it doesn’t have USB-C power delivery.

We re-tested the previous budget pick for this guide, the ViewSonic VA2447-MHU, as well as the previous top pick, the ViewSonic VX2485-MHU. In direct comparison to our new picks, both ViewSonic monitors had less than half the advertised contrast, worse color accuracy, and did not include USB-C connections. Our new picks are slightly more expensive but offer far better features and quality.

The BenQ GW2485TC is another 24-inch 1080p IPS monitor with a USB-C connection and 75 Hz refresh rate that’s prominently advertised on Amazon. In our tests, it couldn’t reach 200 nits of brightness and only measured at a 318:1 contrast ratio, which is significantly below our picks.

The LG 24MP400-B is a 24-inch 1080p IPS monitor that we also saw highly advertised on Amazon that lacks USB-C and most other creature comforts. We tested it to see whether you could save about $50 on this ultra-budget monitor and still get a nice display for desktop users. It turns out you can’t, at least not with this monitor: this display has a much dimmer backlight and far worse contrast than our budget pick.

The Dell S2422HZ is a decent 24-inch 1080p IPS monitor that includes a webcam and microphone for video calls. We think you’d be better served buying one of our picks and a standalone webcam, as the quality of the S2422HZ’s webcam was beat by the midrange Dell laptop we were using to test the monitor. We were also surprised by the 200-nit brightness of the screen and low 417:1 contrast that we measured, as Dell displays usually perform a bit better.

The HyperX Armada 25 is a 240 Hz gaming monitor with a 25-inch 1080p display. We liked this monitor and the fact that a monitor arm is included, but for the same price the Alienware AW2523HT mentioned above provides more frames per second and a USB hub for peripherals.

This article was edited by Signe Brewster and Arthur Gies.

Meet your guide

Dave Gershgorn

Dave Gershgorn is a senior staff writer at Wirecutter. He’s been covering consumer and enterprise technology since 2015, and he just can’t stop buying computers. If this weren’t his job, it would likely be a problem.

Further reading

  • Our pick for best 4K Monitor, the Dell UltraSharp U2723QE, shown next to an Apple Magic Keyboard, a mug and some notepads.

    The Best 4K Monitors

    by Dave Gershgorn

    If you’re a video-editing pro or love to watch high-res movies, the best 4K monitor is the Dell UltraSharp U2723QE.

  • The Dell P2721Q monitor on a desk with a wireless keyboard and mouse.

    The Best Monitors

    by Dave Gershgorn

    We’ve spent hundreds of hours researching and testing monitors of all shapes and sizes to find the best one for any need (or budget).

  • Our top pick for best 27-inch monitor, the Asus ProArt PA278CV, next to a coffee mug and an external hard drive.

    The Best 27-Inch Monitor

    by Dave Gershgorn

    For those who have the desk space, 27-inch monitors hit the sweet spot of screen size and resolution, and we have recommendations for almost every scenario.

  • Our pick for best portable monitor, the Asus ZenScreen MB16ACV, plugged into a laptop in front of a blue background.

    The Best Portable Monitor

    by Dave Gershgorn

    If you need to get work done on the go, our portable monitor pick is an excellent second screen.

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