How big is too big for monitors?

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Inquisitive Builder

Inquisitive Builder

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Jul 16, 2013
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Hey guys,

I just recently built my first rig, but I'm still using it with my old accessories (old monitor, etc. ) I was looking into a newer monitor, but then I realized that I had a flat-screen HD TV (about 1 foot tall and 2 feet wide) that wasn't getting a lot of use. But then I started wondering:

What would you guys say are the ideal dimensions for a desktop monitor? At what point does it start to get so big that looking left to right gets annoying? (You know, like when you sit too close to the screen at a movie theater)

Thanks :)
 
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ingtar33

ingtar33

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Dec 17, 2012
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i have a 21" 1080p desktop monitor. It's about 3 feet in front of me, and seem to be an ideal size to me. If anything it might be too big. That said it looks great, i can watch movies from 8 feet away comfortably. overall i can't imagine a bigger monitor.
 
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ronintexas

ronintexas

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Dec 10, 2012
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I have found that at a standard desk, 22" - 24" monitors are about the right size, assuming that you sit about 18"-24" away from the monitor. 27" monitors are becoming popular now....I don't plan to upgrade any time soon....

I have a 32" that is utilized at my HTPC, and a 60" that I have tried on with the HTPC. In both cases, sitting at a desk with the TV as a monitor, would have been "too big". The plasma doesn't look good until you get at least 6 to 8 feet away from the monitor, and the 32" has about 3 to 6 feet before the monitor starts looking great.

Most "PC Monitors" are designed to work well with text (i.e. a word processor, spreadsheet and/or web page) at 12 inches to 24 inches away from the screen.

Most TV's will not display text well until you are at least 3-6 feet away. TV's were not designed to render the text of a spreadsheet, word processor or web page - they were designed to display TV signals.
 
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17seconds

17seconds

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Jul 27, 2010
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If you're gaming, the bigger the better. Remember, a lot of people spend major dollars to put three monitors side-by-side. That should give you an idea that really you can go big if you want.

My monitor is 27 inches and I would easily get a bigger one with no hesitation. At that size, a resolution higher than 1080p would lead to text that is too small and difficult to see. That said, it sounds like your TV is actually pretty small in comparison. My recommendation is 27"-30" at 1080p/1200p for gaming and general desktop applications.
 
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rayden54

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May 14, 2013
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For me, there's a point where I have to sit so far back I can't see without my glasses (I'm pretty near sighted). I'd much rather have a smaller monitor that I can see well sans glasses than a bigger one. Most people probably wouldn't have that problem.

Tell you what though, you've got the tv already. Why not hook it up and see if you can use it? If it's too big/too blurry then you've got a better idea of what to look for in a new monitor.
 
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rothingham

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Aug 24, 2012
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What you use, is what you'll get used to.
I usually use a 24" 1080p monitor, which is awesome.
But about a 2 months ago it broke down, so I had to use my 32" 720p tv.
Which was horrible at first (very low pixel density, and too big).
But after some time I got used to it (well at least to the size, 1080p would have been much better).
32" at maybe 2(-3) feet away is amazing, you might need a bit more head-movement, but it feels so much more immersive.
Sadly, since I share this tv with other people, it had to move.
And now I (temporary) use a 22" 1080p monitor.
It's okay, I suppose, but my standards where raised to at least 24", and I can't seem to bring it down.

So, conclusion: Anything is good, as long as you don't go lower than your current screen size.
Make sure your pixel density isn't too low. I think 1080p on a 32" is pretty much the max you can go.
But if you want to have a crisper image, 22-27" will suit you better. Although I (personally) find a bigger screen more enjoyable.
 
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ronintexas

ronintexas

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It comes down to pixel density. HD format is 1920 X 1080, and on a 22" monitor, the pixels (2,073,600 pixels) are displayed in 1334 square CM. In a 42" HDTV, the pixels are the same - 2,073,600 pixels, but they are displayed in 4863 square CM (3.65 times the area). Even though the screen is less than half the "size" (42" vs. 22"), the area of the monitor covers 3.65 times the area.

So the pixel density on a 22" monitor would be 1,554 pixels per square CM, and on a 42" monitor/HDTV it would be 426.4 pixels per square CM - about 1/4 the density of the 22" monitor.

This is a lot of math to say this - the 22" monitor will display things like text with a more crisp definition of the characters - this is why a 22" - 24" monitor is common for a desktop at native 1080p resolution, as you sit less than two feet away from the screen, and for viewing TV. Sitting that close to a 42" monitor, and you will notice that the text is more difficult to read - but move back to 8-10 feet away from the screen, and the display will look a lot better.
 
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ronintexas

ronintexas

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Another thing to consider - I game with 3 24" monitors on my desktop. Each monitor displays 1920 x 1080, so effectively, my desktop is 5760 x 1080 - a lot more real estate is displayed on the monitors. Even though a 42" monitor would give more "screen room", it only displays 1920 x 1080 (1/3 the resolution).
 
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