5 Best Monitors for a Dual Monitor Setup

1. Best Pick: Dell U2718Q

View on Amazon

Editor’s Rating: 4.5/5

One of the best IPS monitors currently out, the Dell U2718Q is an outstanding all-around display that will work exceptionally well as the main screen in your dual monitor setup. It has a 4K resolution, a standard refresh rate of 60 Hz, a fast response time, and HDR support.

A 27-inch display, the U2718Q has the same design as most other Dell UltraSharp monitors, featuring a well-built frame with very thin bezels, easy-to-use control buttons, and a clean back panel with a 100 x 100 mm VESA mount. It has a sturdy stand with cable management. The stand offers full adjustability, with a 45-degree swivel range in both directions and a 5.1-inch height adjust. You can easily remove the stand if you want to mount the unit to a dual monitor arm.

All connection ports are located on the back panel. The ports include one HDMI port, one DisplayPort, one Mini DisplayPort, one analog audio port, and a total of four USB 3.0 ports, two of which support fast charging. Of the four USB 3.0 ports, two are located on the monitor’s side for quick access, while the rest are down-facing just below the VESA mount.

The U2718Q is a versatile 4K monitor that’s great for photo editing, web development, graphics design, editing spreadsheets, internet surfing, watching movies, and regular gaming, among other things. Overall picture quality is great, with wide viewing angles, good brightness, and almost perfect coverage for the sRGB color space once fully calibrated.

On the flip side, the contrast ratio of this Dell offering is not that great, so don’t expect very deep blacks when viewing dark images. While it’s better than TN monitors and most IPS monitors, it’s not in the same league as VA monitors. The same thing can be said about the monitor’s black uniformity – better than most monitors but still subpar overall.

Make sure your PC can actually support this 4K monitor, though, especially once you factor in your second monitor. It can output in 4K at 60 Hz over both DisplayPort and HDMI, but HDR support is limited to HDMI, so keep that in mind when checking the connection ports of your second display.

In all, the U2718Q is a fantastic monitor to build around for a dual monitor setup, especially if you want a more futureproof setup. It offers multiple input options and is easy to mount to a dual monitor arm or a wall mount. It’s great for productivity and general use, with its large screen and 4K resolution making it an ideal screen for multitasking.

If money is not an issue for you and your PC can drive it, you can go for a dual setup composed entirely of the U2718Q. As you can see in the promotional images, a multi-monitor setup with the U2718Q is beautiful due to the very thin bezels, not to mention the fully adjustable stand and the VESA mount will allow you to easily customize your setup.

2. Best Budget: HP VH240a

View on Amazon

Editor’s Rating: 3.8/5

If you want to build a dual monitor setup with a budget of around $300 for both screens, go for two of the HP VH240a, a 24-inch IPS display with a 1080p resolution and a 60 Hz refresh rate. It sells for less than $150 apiece at online stores, though it can be hard to find sometimes.

Compared to most other cheap IPS monitors, the VH240a has a more appealing design, featuring thin bezels at the top and sides, with the company logo on the slightly thicker bottom bezel. The on-screen display buttons are on the bottom-right corner, along with the power button, while the input ports – composed of one HDMI and one VGA – are located on the back panel.

Most cheap monitors come with a very basic stand with not much adjustment options, usually offering just a tilt option. That is not the case with this HP display. In addition to tilt, the VH240a also offers height and pivot adjustments. You can easily adjust the screen positioning, which can’t be said for some monitors out there.

The pivot option is great if you want to set the screen to portrait mode and use it as a side monitor right next to a larger main display. The stand also has a small hole for cable management, similar with our top pick. If you want to mount the screen to a monitor arm or wall mount, there is a 100 x 100 mm VESA mount on the back panel and the stand is very easy to remove.

While not as versatile as the Dell U2718Q, the VH240a is a reliable budget monitor for office work and general use. It has a decent picture quality for a low-end monitor, with good viewing angles and decent peak brightness. Assuming you run a decent PC, your graphics card will have no issues driving a dual monitor setup with two of this monitor.

For professional photo editing and other art-related work, this HP unit is not a recommended option since it can only cover around 72 percent of the sRGB color space. For general office work, as well as internet surfing and watching movies, it’s good but not great, so don’t expect too much from this budget product.

Overall, the VH240a is a solid budget IPS monitor that offers great value for the price. It has decent picture quality, good ergonomics, and thin bezels. It has built-in speakers as well – but don’t expect to get good sound quality from them. You can use this monitor as either the main screen in your dual monitor setup or a side monitor next to a larger display.

3. Best Value: Dell U2717D

View on Amazon

Editor’s Rating: 4.1/5

A QHD display, the Dell U2717D is a great option if you want a 27-inch screen for your dual monitor setup. You can use it as the main screen, with a smaller, 1080p screen right next to it, or you can build a dual setup with two of this monitor. Compared to our top pick, this particular UltraSharp model is more affordable, selling for just around $300-350.

The U2717D is an IPS display with a 16:9 aspect ratio and a 60 Hz refresh rate. It has the same no-frills design of other UltraSharp models, featuring a minimalist frame with thin bezels and a clean back panel with well-secured connection ports. The stand, which has a small hole for cable management, offers full adjustability, including a 21-degree backward tilt and an impressive 45-degree swivel range in both directions.

Featuring a 100 x 100 mm VESA mount, the back panel looks good, with almost all of the ports located below the stand connector. You’ll find one HDMI port, one DisplayPort, one Mini DisplayPort, one audio out, and four USB 3.0 down ports on this monitor, with two of the USB 3.0 ports located on the monitor’s side for quick access.

One of the side-facing USB ports supports fast charging, and the entire USB hub itself can still function even when the monitor is in standby mode. Moreover, the U2717D also comes with a DisplayPort Out for daisy chaining, which is great if your second screen also supports it. A daisy-chained dual monitor setup makes for a more clutter-free setup, with fewer cables to worry about since only one unit needs to be directly connected to your PC.

The U2717D is an excellent monitor for productivity and general use. It’s got good viewing angles and almost perfect coverage for the sRGB color space, which is great for photo editing. In addition, it has good peak brightness and reflection handling, allowing it to work well in a bright room like in a typical office setting. On the other hand, the U2717D has a low contrast ratio and a mediocre black uniformity, which is noticeable when viewing dark images in a dark room.

Although not as versatile as our top pick, the U2717D is a great unit for a dual monitor setup, offering good value for the money. It has multiple input options, good ergonomics, wide viewing angles, and thin bezels, all of which make it a very suitable screen for a dual setup.

4. LG 24MP88HV-S

View on Amazon

Editor’s Rating: 3.7/5

The LG 24MP88HV-S is a good alternative if you don’t like our budget pick. It’s a 24-inch 1080p display with a standard refresh rate of 60 Hz, selling for just around $200. It’s great for a dual monitor setup due to its very thin bezels at all sides.

An IPS display, this LG offering has a minimalist design, featuring a white back panel and a fixed stand with a crescent base. Of the products in this guide, it’s the only one that’s begging to be mounted to a flexible monitor arm due to its mediocre ergonomics. It can only tilt forward and backward, not to mention the stand has some wobbling issues.

If you want to build a dual monitor setup with two of this LG product, it’s best to use a dual monitor arm right off the bat. But take note that the VESA pattern on the back panel is 75 x 75 mm, instead of the usual 100 x 100 mm. If your second monitor is different and has the more common 100 x 100 mm VESA mount, make sure that you buy a dual monitor arm that supports both sizes.

Like our budget pick from HP, the 24MP88HV-S has limited connectivity, which becomes more pronounced when you compare it to the Dell and ViewSonic products on this list. For video input, it has two HDMI ports and one VGA port, with no DisplayPort. In addition, it has one audio out and one audio in, both of which are outward-facing on the back panel, along with the main inputs.

The 24MP88HV-S is a good monitor for office work and general use. It has good color accuracy and is much better on that end than our budget pick, with almost perfect coverage for the sRGB color space, which is great for photo editing. It has good viewing angles and decent peak brightness, but on the flip side, it has a low contrast ratio, which is a common issue among IPS displays.

If you want a good budget monitor for your dual setup, the 24MP88HV-S is another great option. It has good picture quality for a budget IPS display and is very easy to mount to a monitor arm or a wall mount for more screen adjustability. It has surprisingly decent built-in speakers as well, which is a nice bonus, especially if you don’t want to set up a dedicated audio system.

5. ViewSonic VP2768

View on Amazon

Editor’s Rating: 4.1/5

The ViewSonic VP2768 is an excellent QHD monitor built for professional use, featuring an IPS panel, good ergonomics, and lots of connection ports. It’s a bit more expensive than the Dell U2717D, selling for around $400. You can use it for productivity, general use, and even regular gaming, with the monitor offering a surprisingly low input lag for a non-gaming display.

A 27-inch display, the VP2768 is a well-designed product with good build quality. It has very thin bezels, which makes it perfect for a dual monitor setup, especially if you want an aesthetically pleasing setup. It comes with a sturdy stand that easily supports the screen and offers full adjustability, including the option to pivot to portrait mode in both directions. There is also a 100 x 100 mm VESA mount on the back panel if you want to mount it to a dual monitor arm.

The menu controls and the connection ports are all located on the back panel, which has a clean design with the company name plastered at the top. Composed of clickable buttons, the menu controls are on the left side, while the connection ports are down-facing below the VESA mount. The ports include two HDMI ports, one DisplayPort, one Mini DisplayPort, one audio out, and a total of four USB 3.0 down ports. Like the Dell U2717D, this monitor also comes with a DisplayPort Out for daisy chaining, which is nice for a dual monitor setup.

Out of the box, the VP2768 is impressive. It has good out-of-box color accuracy, which can’t be said for a lot of monitors on the market, and is easy to set up. It has good picture quality overall, with wide viewing angles, good peak brightness, and great coverage for the sRGB color space. You can use this monitor for photo editing, graphics design, coding, video editing, and general office work, among other things, with the large screen and QHD resolution making it suitable for multitasking.

All in all, the VP2768 is an excellent option if you want to build a dual monitor setup composed of a pair of 27-inch QHD screens. It has good picture quality, thin bezels, good ergonomics, and a bunch of connection ports – including a DisplayPort Out for daisy chaining. If the Dell U2717D is not your cup of tea, consider this ViewSonic product instead.