Resolution
The native resolution of the monitor. Ideally, the resolution of the video signal should be the same, then the quality of the image on the screen will be maximum.
In general, the higher the resolution, the higher the detail and the more advanced the screen is, but the more expensive it will cost (ceteris paribus) and the more power the graphics card will need to work properly at that resolution. As for specific values, they are quite diverse in modern monitors, but all resolutions can be divided into several general categories:
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HD (720). Screens suitable for HD video with a resolution of 1280x720. Note that this category also includes models with a resolution of 1024x768 — this figure is somewhat less than necessary to display HD in its original size, but the quality of the HD picture on such a screen still turns out to be quite high. The most popular option among HD monitors is 1366x768, there are also models 1280x768, 1280x800 and non-widescreen (5:3) 1280x1024.
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Full HD (1080). Full HD monitors. The classic, most popular version of this resolution is 1920x1080 (
16:9 format), however, there are other options among monitors, including such specific ones as
ultra-widescreen (32:9) 3840x1080, as well as 1600x1200 (a 1920x1080 frame “does not fit into it”) ” in width, but this resolution is still commonly r
...eferred to as Full HD). To date, Full HD is a good compromise between image quality, screen cost and graphics card requirements. As a result, it is this format that is most popular among modern monitors.
— Quad HD. A kind of intermediate option between the popular Full HD and advanced demanding Ultra HD 4K. It covers resolutions from 1920x1440 to 3200x2400, although most modern Quad HD monitors fit into a narrower range — from 2560x1440 to 3840x1600. Such a screen can be a good option for those who “Full HD is not enough, but 4K is a lot.”
— Ultra HD (4K). This standard assumes a horizontal frame size of approximately 4000 pixels, but specific resolutions may vary. Popular options found in monitors include 3840x2160, 4096x2160, and 4096x2304. Overall, UHD 4K gives you 4 times more pixels on screen than Full HD; such resolutions are typical for high-end monitors and are most often combined with a large diagonal — from 27 "(although there are exceptions).
— Ultra HD (5K). An even more advanced standard than UHD 4K, which assumes a horizontal frame size of about 5000 pixels — for example, 5120x2160. It is used extremely rarely, mainly in top professional screens.
— 8K. Further, after 5K, the development of HD standards, which provides for a frame with a horizontal size of about 8000 — for example, one of the 8K resolution options in monitors is 7680x4320. Allows you to get extremely clear and detailed images, but such high-resolution monitors are very expensive, and it is not so easy to find a signal source in such a resolution. Therefore, only single models of 8K monitors are currently on the market.Pixel size
The size of one dot (pixel) on a monitor screen. This parameter is related to the maximum resolution of the monitor and its diagonal size — the higher the resolution, the smaller the pixel size (with the same diagonal) and vice versa, the larger the diagonal, the larger the size of one pixel (with the same resolution). The smaller the size of one pixel, the clearer the image will be displayed by the monitor, the less grainy it will be noticeable, which is especially important on large monitors. On the other hand, a small pixel size creates discomfort when working with fine details and text — this mainly applies to monitors with a small diagonal.
Colour depth
The colour depth supported by the monitor.
This parameter characterizes the number of shades that the screen can display. And here it is worth recalling that the image in modern monitors is based on 3 basic colours — red, green, blue (RGB scheme). And the number of bits is indicated not for the entire screen, but for each base colour. For example, 6 bits (the minimum colour depth for modern monitors) means that the screen is capable of producing 2 ^ 6, that is, 64 shades of red, green and blue; the total number of shades will be 64 * 64 * 64 = 262,144 (0.26 million). An
8-bit colour depth (256 shades for each base colour) already gives a total of 16.7 million colours; and the most advanced modern monitors support
10-bit colour, allowing you to work with more than a billion shades.
Screens with support for FRC technology are worth a special mention; nowadays, you can find models marked "
6 bit + FRC " and "
8 bit + FRC ". This technology was developed to improve picture quality in situations where the incoming video signal has a greater colour depth than the screen, such as when 10-bit video is fed to an 8-bit matrix. If such a screen supports FRC, the picture on it will be noticeably better than on a regular 8-bit monitor (although somewhat worse than on a full-fledged 10-bit monitor, but “8 bit + FRC” screens are much
...cheaper).
High colour depth is important primarily for professional graphics and other tasks that require high colour fidelity. On the other hand, such features significantly affect the cost of the monitor. In addition, it is worth remembering that the quality of colour reproduction depends not only on the colour depth, but also on other parameters — in particular, colour gamut (see below).Wall mount
The size of the
VESA mount included with the monitor.
VESA is the standard wall mount format for modern TVs and monitors. The mounting base is a rectangular plate with four screw holes in the corners. The distance between these holes vertically and horizontally in millimetres is the main characteristic of the fastening — for example, one of the most common is the size of 100x100. For small screens, 75x75 mounts are provided, for large and heavy monitors — 200x200 and more (up to 800x400).
Power consumption
Rated power consumption of the monitor. Usually, this item indicates the maximum power that the device can consume during normal operation — that is, the energy consumption at maximum brightness, the highest volume of the built-in acoustics, etc. Actual power consumption can be noticeably lower, however, when choosing, it is still best to focus on the value stated in the specifications.
In general, the lower the power consumption, the more economical the device in terms of electricity consumption (ceteris paribus). In addition, this characteristic can be useful when selecting an uninterruptible power supply for a PC and in other specific situations when it is necessary to accurately determine the power consumption of equipment.
Energy class (new)
This parameter characterizes the efficiency of electricity consumption. Classes are designated in Latin letters from A to G, in ascending order of energy consumption. Actually, this was originally conceived, until more energy-efficient models pulled up to class A, which eventually received the marking A +, A ++, A +++. Further development of technologies allowed us to go even further, and in order not to produce pluses in energy efficiency labeling, in March 2021, manufacturers returned to the previous indices from G to A, where A is the most energy efficient monitor. Accordingly, the 2021 models will have modern markings, while older models will be marked in the same way.
