Choosing the right size monitor that fits your purposes can be an extra challenge added to other considerations like technical features and budget.
One of the most popular monitors in terms of size is the 27” display, which offers great features such as resolution.
However, you may be worried that a 27” monitor is too big to fit your space.
Therefore, you should know its physical dimensions.
How Big Is A 27-Inch Monitor?
Monitor, TV, and other display sizes are measured diagonally.
While you may think a 27” is a screen’s area, it’s the distance between the screen’s top right and bottom left (or vice versa) corners.
It’s the display’s diagonal size, not the actual monitor’s dimensions.
If you want the actual dimensions of the monitor, you can have them with or without the bezel size.
A 27” monitor is typically 24 inches (60.96 cm) wide and 17 inches (43.18 cm) high.
These dimensions create a 16:9 aspect ratio, perfect for wide screens and the standard in most monitors.
The bezel can also be two or three inches thick, adding to the overall dimension of the monitor.
Another size consideration is the depth of the entire monitor, which can affect how much space you should give it on your desk.
A monitor’s depth refers to the area behind the monitor, which has decreased significantly over the past few years.
A 27-inch monitor’s depth depends on the manufacturer, but it can vary from one to three inches.
The stand can also add around seven inches, so you should take it into account when considering placing a 27” monitor on your desk.
You may also be concerned about the monitor’s weight if you plan to mount it on the wall or doubt your desk can bear it.
While a monitor’s weight is less predictable than its dimensions, you can expect a 27” monitor to weigh between nine and 13 pounds.
Who Should Get A 27” Monitor?
Computer monitors are getting bigger to offer more detailed images and bigger space for different tasks.
However, not everyone can benefit from a big monitor due to space limitations.
In addition, if a screen is too large, it can cause eye strain instead of offering crisper images.
That’s why a 27” monitor remains among the most popular choices despite its seemingly small screen.
Contrary to popular opinion, a 27” monitor isn’t small for many purposes.
Here are the primary ones:
1. Multitasking
A 27” monitor is big enough to open multiple windows simultaneously, which is a great option for multitaskers.
With 408 square inches of total display area, it provides ample real estate to work on several tasks.
It’s also a great option for split screen, allowing you to divide your display space into several windows without reducing image quality.
Of course, a bigger screen is always better for multitasking.
However, we’re talking about the minimum screen size that can give you a decent experience without making your eyes uncomfortable.
2. Gaming
Twenty-seven-inch monitors are highly popular in the gaming world, and there’s a wide selection of gaming monitors of this size.
The most important reason for this popularity is resolution.
Most 27” monitors have enough space to allow for 4K resolution.
While you may get 4K resolution with smaller monitors, the pixel density isn’t easy on the eyes.
However, screen size is subjective, especially when it comes to gaming.
One of the primary factors that make a gamer go for smaller screen sizes is head movements.
With a 27” monitor, you may have to move your head right and left to grasp every graphical detail and movement in the game.
That’s a dealbreaker in high-speed FPS games, where split-second reactions can make the difference between winning and losing.
Therefore, many gamers prefer to sacrifice resolution and stick with 1080p to get more control over the screen.
However, if you’re not competitive and value picture quality over speed, a 27” monitor is your perfect pick.
3. Video Editing
Here’s another task you can perform on a 27” monitor thanks to its 4K resolution.
It also has enough screen real estate to open multiple images and videos.
Of course, a bigger screen may be better, especially for video editing.
However, it doesn’t mean that a 27” monitor doesn’t give you enough space, resolution, and picture quality required for editing.
What About Curved Monitors?
Curved monitors have existed for too long to be considered a fad.
On the contrary, they’re popular among gamers and general users thanks to their unique features and picture quality.
Thanks to the better viewing angle, a curved monitor can offer a more immersive experience and more comfortable eye movements by mimicking the human eye’s curvature.
However, a curved monitor has to be at least 30 inches to offer the best viewing experience it’s designed to create.
In addition, it’s more prone to glare, which requires certain positioning and adjusting different settings.
Regardless of these monitors’ pros and cons, they have different dimensions than their flat counterparts.
Most curved monitors come in higher aspect ratios to offer wider viewing angles.
Plus, you can find curved monitors with different widths and heights.
For example, this HP 27-inch curved monitor is 24.15 inches wide and 14.32 inches high.
Similarly, this Samsung 27” CF398 Curved LED Monitor is 24.52 inches wide and 14.47 inches high.
In contrast, this Sceptre Curved 27” 75Hz LED Monitor is 15.09 inches wide and 7.02 inches high, much smaller than the other two.
27-inch Monitor Vs. 24-inch Monitor
If you’re looking for a monitor for home, work, or gaming, 24” and 27” monitors are the most widespread options you’ll see on the market.
Regardless of other technical features like refresh rate, response time, or panel type, you may wonder which option is better.
Here are the differences you should consider in making your final decision:
1. Size
While a 27” monitor is 24 inches wide and 17 inches high, a 24” display is 20 inches wide and 12 inches high.
Both offer the same aspect ratio of 16:9, creating a wide viewing angle.
However, as you can see, the 27” is a bit larger than the 24” monitor, giving you more display space.
If you have space limitations on your desk, you should use the 24” monitor to give you enough space for other peripherals and tools.
More importantly, a larger screen requires a longer viewing distance to avoid eye strain.
Depending on the resolution, you may need to sit one to three feet away from the monitor.
Otherwise, you’ll get a limited field of view that forces you to move your head and eyes to catch the entire screen, leading to eye and neck fatigue.
In addition, sitting too close to the screen will make the pixels more noticeable, creating a negative viewing experience.
Therefore, you shouldn’t choose a 27” screen if you can’t have this distance.
2. Resolution
In terms of resolution, 27” monitors take the crown.
While the maximum resolution for 24” monitors is 1080p, 27” monitors can have both 1080p and 4K resolution.
You may find 4K resolution in 24” monitors.
Still, they don’t offer the quality that you expect.
On the contrary, 1080p is perfect for 24” monitors because it offers a great PPI and creates sharper images than a 1080p 27” monitor.
As a result, getting the right monitor size based on the resolution will depend on your tasks.
For example, to play 1080p games, your best bet is a 24” monitor because this resolution is perfect for its size.
In addition, it gives you a great field of view without straining your eyes.
You can use custom scaling to match the size of text, applications, and games to your screen resolution.
However, if they don’t support it, you may experience inconveniences like out-of-place buttons.
If you need your monitor for general use, like typing documents or excel sheets, a 24” is a perfect choice.
Conversely, a 27” monitor is better for advanced tasks like editing and 4k gaming.
Is 27” Good For Dual-Monitor Setups?
Dual monitor setups are popular among multitaskers, editors, and gamers.
As mentioned, a 27” monitor is a decent choice for these purposes as it offers enough screen real estate.
If you want more space, you can use two 27” monitors placed next to each other to double the screen space to perform multiple tasks at a time.
The high resolution is also a great plus compared to a dual setup with 24” monitors.
The only considerations are space and price.
You need a large desk with great depth to install the two monitors side by side.
In addition, 27” monitors are generally more expensive than the smaller, lower resolution 24” monitors.
However, suppose you can afford the price.
In that case, the 27” dual setup is more advanced and future-proof, as many users don’t recommend any resolution under 1440.
However, if you have space and budget limitations, you can pair your current 27” monitor with a 24” one.
It’s all about personal preferences and how comfortable you feel with your setup.
Leave a Reply