---
# YAML Metadata
title: "Guidance for Screen Specifications"
author: "NetBuddy.Net"
version: "1.0"
date: 2025-06
license: "CC BY-SA 4.0"
tags: [monitor screens, specifications, beginner, markdown]
description: "A compact guide to help people quickly understand the basic characteristics of a PC monitor screen."
---
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# 🖥 PC Screen Specifications
## 💻 Monitor screens for PCs explained
When choosing a PC monitor, it is important to balance image quality with cost. Monitor quality is typically judged by factors such as _black levels, contrast, brightness, color accuracy, and pixel density_. Today, nearly all PC monitors are __LCD__ (Liquid Crystal Display) flat panels, with __IPS__ (In-Plane Switching) being the most common LCD technology. More advanced, but also more expensive options include __OLED__ and __Mini-LED__ displays.
__☑ Contrast Ratio:__ Most LCD monitors have a contrast ratio between ___1000:1 and 3000:1___, which is sufficient for everyday work. Higher-end monitors can offer ratios of ___4000:1___ or more, especially in the case of OLED displays.
__☑ Brightness:__ It is measured in candelas per square meter (cd/m2), typically ranges from ___200 to 500 cd/m2___ for standard LCDs, while high-end models can exceed ___1000 cd/m2___. Higher brightness is particularly useful in well-lit environments or for HDR content.
__☑ Color Bit Depth__ and __HDR:__ Modern screens can display ___millions of colours___, which is generally enough to represent the full range of natural hues. However, more important than quantity is color accuracy, how faithfully a monitor reproduces those colours. A newer feature, HDR (___High Dynamic Range___), enhances realism by improving contrast and color vibrancy, especially in highlights and shadows.
__☑ Refresh Rate:__ It refers to how many times per second the image on the screen is updated, measured in hertz (Hz). For basic office work, ___60Hz___ is typically sufficient. However, for tasks involving fast motion, such as video editing, gaming, or 3D rendering, higher refresh rates like ___100Hz, 144Hz___, or more, offer smoother visuals.
__☑ Response time:__ How quickly a pixel changes color, also affects performance. For general use, ___8ms___ is adequate. For demanding tasks or gaming, ___2ms to 5ms___ is better, and ___1ms___ is ideal for high-performance gaming.
__🚩 Pixel Pitch:__ Often overlooked, pixel pitch, is the centre-to-centre distance between two adjacent pixels, each consisting of a group of sub-pixels (RGB). Lower pixel pitch is crucial for clarity, especially at typical viewing distances of around 45 cm. Lower pixel pitch means higher pixel density and therefore sharper images. A standard pixel pitch is ___0.28 mm___, while high-resolution monitors can have ___0.22 mm___ or even ___0.16 mm___. Pixel pitch is directly related to ___PPI___ (Pixels Per Inch).
__☑ Connectivity:__ Most modern LCD monitors support ___HDMI___ connections (versions 1.4, 2.0, or 2.1), with newer versions offering support for higher resolutions and refresh rates. Another common option is ___DisplayPort___, which is often preferred for high-performance displays due to better support for high refresh rates and resolutions.
__☑ Resolution:__ The number of pixels on a screen, measured ___horizontally x vertically___. Monitors can display various (virtual) resolutions, provided the ___aspect ratio___ (width to height) remains the same. However, each monitor has a ___native (physical) resolution___ that it’s optimized for, and using it generally produces the best image quality. Exceptions may apply for users with specific vision needs.
__☑ Aspect Ratio:__ The proportional relationship between width and height of the display area. Common aspect ratios include: ___4:3___ - Standard (less common today), ___16:9___ - Widescreen (most popular), ___21:9___ - Ultra-Wide (ideal for multitasking or cinematic content), ___16:10___ - Found on some productivity-oriented monitors, offering extra vertical space.
__☑ Common Screen Size:__ The diagonal measurement of a screen in inches, typically associated with certain native resolutions. Popular screen sizes include ___24", 27"___, and less often ___19"___.
### 💻 List of Popular Resolutions and their optimal size(s)
|Name |Horizontal|Vertical|Total|Aspect Ratio| UK| US| EU|Screen Size | Optimal |
| --- | -------- | ------ | --- | ---------- | - | - | - | ------------ | ------- |
|XGA |1024 |768 |0.8M | 4:3 |4% | | | | |
|HD |1280 |720 |0.9M | 16:9 |5% | | |15.6" - 21.5" | |
|WXGA |1280 |800 |1M | 16:10 | | | | | |
|FWXGA|1366 |768 |1M | 16:9 |5% |8% |8% |18.5" - 20" | |
|QVGA |1280 |960 |1.2M | 4:3 | |7% | | | |
|WXGA+|1440 |900 |1.3M | 16:10 |6% |5% |4% |19" - 20" | |
|FHD __\*__ |1536 __\*__ |864 __\*__ |1.3M | 16:9 |10%|7% |13%|_same as FHD_ | |
|WSXGA|1600 |900 |1.5M | 16:9 | | |3% | | |
|UXGA |1600 |1200 |1.9M | 4:3 | | | | | |
|FHD |1920 |1080 |2M | 16:9 |30%|23%|30%|21.5" - 27" | 24" ✅ |
|2K |2048 |1080 |2.2M | 17:9 | | | | | |
|WUXGA|1920 |1200 |2.3M | 16:10 | | | | | |
|WQHD |2560 |1440 |3.7M | 16:9 |4% |4% |5% |25" - 32" | 27" ✅ ❗ |
|UWQHD|3440 |1440 |5M | 21:9 | | | |34" - 45" | 34" ⭐|
|QSXGA|2560 |2048 |5.2M | 5:4 | | | | | |
|4K |3840 |2160 |8.3M | 16:9 | | | |27" - 32" | all ✅ |
__\*__: Virtual resolution zoomed @ 125%,
__Q__ stands for Quad,
✅ ❗: Most popular size providing FHD, WQHD & 4K,
⭐: Ultra-Wide,
__all__ ✅: All sizes good but smaller is better.
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