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Your monitor is an important accessory to your computer. Computer monitors are available in different sizes and styles and some offer various functions, such as a built-in speaker system. You will obviously consider how much you want to spend on a monitor but may also want to consider how you will be using your computer and how much time you will be spending at the computer.

Understanding Computer Monitor Sizes

Monitors are available in 15, 17, 19 and 21 inch sizes. The size of a monitor is the viewable area of the screen, which is measured diagonally (i.e., from the upper left of the screen to the lower right of the screen and vice versa). These diagonal measurements are of the screen only and not the casing of the computer monitor. Regardless of what type of monitor you decide to purchase, the larger the monitor, the more expensive the monitor will be. However, if you use your computer several hours a day, you will experience less eye strain with a larger monitor.

Cheap Computer Monitors

If you are looking for an extra monitor or just want something cheap for your kids or home office, the CRT monitor may be your best priced option.

Although they are big and bulky, CRT monitors will work just fine for basic home computer uses such as sending and receiving email, playing video games, or running a word processing program. These types of activities do not require an elaborate or expensive monitor.

A standard CRT (cathode ray tube) computer monitor works like a standard CRT television, accounting for its television-like appearance and bulk. Many people are switching to slick, flat screen monitors and as a result, the prices of CRT computer monitors are dropping. I have found refurbished CRT monitors at auction for just $12. New CRTs cost anywhere from $40 to $100, which is just a fraction of the cost of the flashier LCD monitors.

Prices Are Dropping on LCD Monitors

They look sharp. They're elegant. And they don't take up a lot of space. For these and other reasons, many computer users these days are buying the more advanced LCD (liquid crystal display) computer monitors for home and business use. Nowadays, the flat screen LCD monitors are often packaged with a new computer system. LCD monitors are lighter and flatter than CRT monitors, and are generally more energy efficient and produce sharper pictures.

Although prices for LCD monitors are dropping since they initially came on the market, they are still more expensive than CRT monitors. Generally speaking, an LCD monitor will cost around four times as much as a CRT monitor.

Things to Consider When Buying a Computer Monitor

Whether you choose to use a LCD or CRT computer monitor, you will want to choose the size that works best for you. As mentioned above, the more time you spend working at your computer, the more you will benefit from a larger view screen. Although larger monitor screens can be beneficial, you want to make sure that the monitor will fit in the area where you will be using it, and will fit your budget as well.

Online vendors offer some terrific deals for just about any type of computer monitor. You can save quite a bit of money by purchasing refurbished models. Before buying a new or refurbished computer monitor online, however, make sure it has a warranty. Check out the shipping costs, too. Because of their bulk, shipping costs for CRT monitors will be higher than LCD monitors. Some online vendors offer free shipping.

Estate sales, garage sales and the local classifieds are great resources for used CRT monitors ... and of course, you avoid shipping fees when you shop locally. When buying from individuals, see if the seller can plug the monitor in and demonstrate that it is in good working order. You can find any type of monitor at your hometown computer retailer.

Whether you are getting a new monitor online or offline, make sure that it is compatible with your computer.