The 5 Best Monitors For Programming - Fall 2024

The best monitor for programming we've tested is the Dell U2723QE. It's a 27-inch, 4k monitor with a ton of useful productivity features. It has a massive USB hub with three USB-Cs and five USB-A ports, so you can easily connect various devices. It supports DisplayPort Alt Mode with 90W of power delivery, which is great if you want to connect a laptop and charge it using a single cable. It even has a KVM switch that makes it easy to switch between two different computers and use the same keyboard and mouse connected to the monitor.

Besides that, the high resolution means you can easily read your coding text and view more lines simultaneously. It also uses an IPS Black panel that has a decent contrast ratio, especially for an IPS display, and it's good enough to use in dark rooms. However, if you code in a dark room and want something with deeper blacks, check out the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx. It uses Mini LED backlighting and has decent local dimming, but it has a smaller USB hub than the Dell and costs more.

If you want an ultrawide screen to open multiple windows next to each other, check out the Dell U4025QW. It has a wider 21:9 aspect ratio than the Dell U2723QE, so it's easier to see more of your work at once. With a 5120x2160 resolution, it has a similar pixel density as the U2723QE, resulting in fantastic text clarity. It also uses an IPS Black panel like the U2723QE, so it's good enough to use in dark rooms.

This monitor is great for multitasking as it supports Picture-in-Picture and Picture-by-Picture modes, and it has a KVM switch that makes it easy to switch between two computers connected to the monitor. It has a massive USB too, with five separate USB-C ports so you can connect various devices. Two of those ports support Thunderbolt 4, with one of them meant for daisy-chaining a second monitor directly to this one, and the other supports at least 90W of power, so it can charge your laptop while you're working. However, it costs a lot, so you can also check out the smaller Dell U3425WE if you want to save some money. It has similar features as the U4025QW, but text isn't as sharp.

If you don't want an ultrawide monitor like the Dell U4025QW and find the Dell U2723QE too expensive, the ASUS ProArt Display PA279CRV is a good alternative that you can often find for less than the other Dell monitors. Although it's designed for content creators, it still performs well for productivity because it has similar specs to the U2723QE and many of the same features, but there are some trade-offs for the cheaper cost. It doesn't have an IPS Black panel like the Dell monitors, so it has a worse contrast ratio, and blacks look gray in dark rooms. It lacks a KVM switch too, so it's not as good of a choice for multitasking, but it still supports Picture-in-Picture and Picture-by-Picture modes.

Besides that, it has everything you'd want in a monitor for programming, as text looks sharp, and it gets bright enough to fight glare in a well-lit room. Plus, it still has a USB hub that includes a USB-C port with DisplayPort Alt Mode and 90W of power delivery, so you can connect your laptop to work on it and charge it with a single cable.

If you're looking for the best monitor for coding on a budget, check out the Dell S2721QS. It's a step-down model from the ASUS ProArt Display PA279CRV in terms of features, but it's still very similar in display specs as it also has a 27-inch screen and 4k resolution, resulting in extremely sharp text. That said, the main trade-off for getting something cheaper is that it has fewer features, as it doesn't have any USB ports, so you can't connect any extra devices to it. If you want something with USB ports, you can also consider the ASUS ProArt Display PA278CV, which has a lower 1440p resolution, so you must decide between the higher resolution or extra features.

On the plus side, you can easily use this Dell in a bright room without issues, thanks to its high brightness and good reflection handling. However, like the ASUS, it has a low contrast ratio and blacks look gray, which is disappointing if you plan on using your system or program's dark mode.

Should you be looking for the best monitor for coding that's cheap and simple, then look into the Dell P2425H. It's a basic, entry-level monitor that has a lower resolution and smaller screen than the Dell S2721QS, which is what you have to expect from low-cost monitors. This means there's less screen space to view your code than on the S2721QS, and the text isn't as sharp, but the text clarity is decent. This makes it a good choice if you need something small or you want to get two of them to use side by side.

Regardless, it has more features than other cheap monitors as it has a USB hub, which the S2721QS doesn't even have. It has three USB-A ports and a USB-C port, but it doesn't support DisplayPort Alt Mode, so the USB-C port is meant for data transfer or charging, and not for video signals. Besides that, it also has an incredibly ergonomic stand, so it's easy to adjust.