The best LED monitors for every activity

If you're looking for a monitor that has excellent picture quality, configurable backlight settings, and great response times, all while consuming less energy than other types of monitors, then an LED monitor is going to be at the top of your list. Whether you're looking for a monitor for the upcoming Silicon Mac Mini or a second monitor for your existing Mac Mini, there are lots of quality options. When it comes to picking the best LED monitors, we choose the HP VH240a 23.8-Inch FHD IPS LED Monitor as it features a generous-sized screen with built-in speakers and brilliant resolution for everyday use.

Best Overall: HP VH240a 23.8-Inch FHD IPS LED Monitor

The HP VH240a 23.8-Inch FHD IPS LED Monitor is a great monitor for basic everyday use. Measuring at 23.8 inches, this screen comes fully equipped with superb picture and video quality, spanning 16:9 aspect ratio and 1920 by 1080P HD. The built-in anti-glare IPS LED-backlit panel accommodates 2 million pixels and 16.7 million colors to ensure that you always experience beautiful images.

The HP VH240a 23.8-Inch FHD IPS LED Monitor is designed to optimize your viewing experience as it can rotate 90-degrees resting in a vertical or horizontal position. You can also adjust the height and tilt to parallel with your needs at any particular time. This monitor delivers a response time of up to 5ms, which means that it delivers a fluid stream of motion without any lagging or blurriness.

The design of the HP VH240a monitor is visually appealing. It features a super-thin frame, and an ultra-widescreen IPS LED monitor. It comes with the option to mount it on the wall via a VESA mount; however, it is not included.

Connect this aesthetically pleasing monitor to your laptop through a VGA and HDMI cable. When connecting this monitor to a MacBook, you will need to purchase a Thunderbolt 3 to HDMI adapter. Once plugged in, you can immediately start to use it.

Pros:

• Has horizontal and vertical viewing modes
• Response time of 5ms
• Visually appealing

Cons:

• Need Thunderbolt 3 to HDMI adaptor for MacBooks

Best Overall

HP VH240a 23.8-Inch FHD IPS LED Monitor

• $125 at Amazon $175 at Walmart

Rotating LED monitor

This visually appealing LED monitor can rotate and offer vertical or horizontal viewing modes.

Best for Streaming: Samsung C27F398 27-Inch Curved LED Monitor

The Samsung C27F398 27-Inch Curved LED Monitor features an impressive and immersive design that captures your attention and keeps you engaged. The screen has a 1800R curvature, which was designed to mimic the curves of a human eye. The style of this monitor is sleek and modern with its high-gloss black finish and incredibly slim profile, measuring at under 0.5-inches thick.

This monitor is excellent for streaming movies as it comes prepared for fast-moving segments with its AMD FreeSync Technology. FreeSync is an adaptive synchronization technology that avoids lagging and delivers smooth and seamless images. The Samsung C27F398 monitor has a quick response time of 4ms. With a 3000:1 contrast ratio, the quality of color, shades, and hues is brilliant.

If you're someone who is affected by blue light emissions, then you'll be happy to know that this monitor comes equipped with Eye Saver Mode. Simply press a button on the screen to reduce the amount of blue light that is projected. You won't have to worry about straining your eyes or experiencing migraines.

This monitor is compatible with Windows and comes with an HDMI and DisplayPort attachment for your computer or laptop. You can use a Thunderbolt 3 to HDMI adaptor to make it compatible with a Mac as well. This monitor is extremely lightweight, weighing in at only 9.03 pounds, so it can break quite easily.

Pros:

• Curved screen
• Lightweight
• Response time of 4ms
• Comes with Eye Saver Mode
• FreeSync technology

Cons:

• Can break easily

Best for Streaming

Samsung C27F398 27-Inch Curved LED Monitor

• $190 at Amazon $159 at Walmart $190 at B&H

Curved monitor with FreeSync Technology

This curved monitor comes equipped with FreeSync technology and Eye Saver Mode to ensure your viewing experience is great.

Best for Gaming: Dell SE2417HG 23.6-Inch Gaming Monitor

The Dell SE2417HG 23.6-Inch Gaming Monitor is a must-have monitor for all of you gamers out there. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned vet in the gaming world, this monitor comes packed with excellent features to make you a winner.

This monitor comes equipped with dual HDMI ports, which means that you can easily switch between your PC and gaming console. It has a response time of 2ms, making transitions from one scene to another flawless and free of interruptions. It also comes prepared to deliver an incredible viewing experience with 1920 by 1080P HD resolution and reflection-resistant properties. This, along with the 1000:1 contrast ratio, makes this monitor's quality of color impeccable.

The design of the Dell SE2417HG 23.6-Inch Gaming Monitor is sleek and modern. It features a 23.6-inch matte screen with a piano black and aluminum painted frame. Place this monitor in your gaming room to optimize the aesthetics. You can tilt the screen to make it comfortable, no matter where you're sitting.

This monitor does not come with built-in speakers, but you can enhance the sound while gaming by easily connecting speakers to the audio output ports.

Pros:

• Response rate of 2ms
• 1000:1 contrast ratio
• Dual HDMI ports

Cons:

• Does not have built-in speakers

Best for Gaming

Dell SE2417HG 23.6-Inch Gaming Monitor

• $196 at Amazon $379 at NewEgg

LED monitor for gamers

This monitor is great for gamers as it comes equipped with dual HDMI ports to switch between your PC and gaming console easily.

Best for Photography: BenQ PD2700U 27-Inch LED Monitor

Calling all photographers and videographers! If you're in the market for a monitor that can enhance your creative process and help you deliver phenomenal edits, then the BenQ PD2700U 27-Inch LED Monitor is definitely one to have on your radar. Equipped with HDR10 technology, preview your work as you edit to see exactly how your finished product is going to look.

This 27-inch IPS LED monitor features 3840 by 2160 4K HD resolution, allowing you to see the finest details in every image or video. With a 10-bit color that displays over one billion shades, colors, and hues, the color quality is miraculous. You will be able to hone in on every single tone to ensure that your photographs are crisp, clear, and as life-like as possible.

With three specialized modes, you can release the designer in you and choose between CAD/CAM, darkroom, and animation modes for your projects. If you prefer to use two modes at the same time, you can do so through Dual View. This is great for adding special visual effects or animation to your creations.

The BenQ PD2700U 27-Inch LED Monitor considers efficiency and comes with a Keyboard Video Mouse Switch function, allowing you to control what is going on in multiple screens from just one monitor. This monitor is a daisy-chain enabled display. It can project your laptop's screen across multiple displays with its built-in multi-stream transport technology. However, this may not work on MacBooks that are newer than the 2016 models.

Pros:

• Equipped with HDR10 technology to preview work
• Three specialized modes
• Daisy-chain enabled display
• 10-bit display of over one billion colors

Cons:

• Multi-screen may not work with MacBooks models newer than 2016

Best for Photography

BenQ PD2700U 27-Inch LED Monitor

• $539 at Amazon $540 at Best Buy $539 at B&H

Ultra-high resolution LED monitor for photographers

This monitor features a 10-bit display of one billion colors and comes packed with features that cater to creating digital media.

Best Portable: ASUS MB168B 15.6-Inch LED Monitor

If you're someone who frequently travels for work or generates leads through small presentations, then the ASUS MB168B 15.6-Inch LED Monitor may be a great option for you. Known as the world's slimmest and lightest USB monitor, this LED screen delivers 1366 by 178 HD resolution and can be powered via a single USB 3.0 cable. This cable can be used for both power and transmission of data. This monitor is also backward compatible with USB 2.0.

This portable monitor can be used both vertically or horizontally as it automatically senses its orientation and adjusts itself accordingly. It also auto-detects the lighting and automatically adjusts the brightness levels to match your setting, much like an iPhone. The ASUS MB168B 15.6-Inch LED Monitor comes equipped with a built-in blue light filter to reduce eye fatigue and strain.

This lightweight monitor weighs in at only 1.76 pounds, making it extremely compact and portable. Pack it inside of your laptop case and bring it along with you for appointments on the go. To use the ASUS MB168B 15.6-Inch LED Monitor, you must have the system requirements of Windows 7 with 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo or above or MAC OS X 10.8.3. This monitor is not compatible with MacBook or MacBook Pro.

Pros:

• Lightweight and portable
• HD resolution
• Auto-adjusting orientation and brightness settings
• Equipped with a blue light filter

Cons:

• Not compatible with MacBook or MacBook Pro

Best Portable

ASUS MB168B 15.6-Inch LED Monitor

• $127 at Amazon $134 at Best Buy $280 at Walmart

Portable LED monitor

This portable LED monitor comes equipped with auto-adjusting functions for brightness levels and orientation settings.

Bottom line

Whether you're a photographer, videographer, gamer, student, or professional, having a high-quality monitor will set you apart from your competitors. With impeccable picture quality and configuration settings, you're able to zoom into the finest details, ensuring that your project is perfect from all angles. With fast response times and excellent contrast ratios, you can ensure that your projects are true to color and flowing seamlessly across the screen.

For a monitor that is great for everyday use with multiple tasks and activities, we recommend the HP VH240a 23.8-Inch FHD IPS LED Monitor. This monitor comes equipped with response times of up to 5ms, ensuring that your streaming is flawless. It also comes prepared to capture your attention with its excellent picture quality, built-in speakers, and visually appealing design.

Credits — The team that worked on this guide

Camille Sanghera is a freelance writer who loves telling stories through writing. When she is not content writing, you can find her watching movies, playing sports, or writing books. Check out her blog at www.happycoconut.ca.