A computer monitor is the display that shows a computer’s visual output — the screen you read and interact with, as opposed to the box that does the computing.¹

Overview

Most monitors are flat-panel displays built on LCD technology (with IPS, VA, or TN variants) lit by LEDs, while higher-end models use OLED for deeper contrast. The main specifications are size (measured diagonally), resolution (the pixel count, such as 1920×1080 or 3840×2160), and refresh rate (how many times per second the image updates, in hertz). A monitor is an output peripheral: it receives a video signal from the computer’s GPU over HDMI, DisplayPort, or USB-C and turns it into light.

Where it fits

A monitor pairs with any desktop computer, mini PC, or laptop, while an all-in-one computer builds the same panel into the system. Picking one is a trade-off: office and coding work reward resolution and screen area, gaming rewards high refresh rate and low latency, and photo or video work rewards color accuracy. For a GopherTrunk bench, screen area pays off — a wide or tall monitor keeps a waterfall, constellation plot, and call log all visible at once.

Sources

1. Computer monitor — Wikipedia, on display devices for computers. ↩

See also

• Peripheral
• Personal computer
• Desktop computer
• All-in-one computer
• Graphics processing unit (GPU)