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The 5 Best Monitors For Dual Setup - Spring 2023 Reviews

Updated
Best Monitors For Dual Setup

Setups with two or more monitors provide a great deal of freedom, making it much easier to work with multiple windows open. When shopping for monitors for a dual setup, the selection criteria are different than if you were looking for a monitor on its own. You'll want to look for great ergonomics to easily adjust the screen, and it's also beneficial to get a display that supports daisy chaining so you can connect it directly to another monitor. However, if you get monitors that don't support daisy chaining, you can connect two HDMI or DisplayPort cables directly from your computer. You just need to make sure your computer has two video ports. If it only has one HDMI port plus a USB-C port, you can use a cheap USB-C hub with HDMI for the second monitor, as long as your USB-C port supports video out.

We've bought and tested over 270 monitors, and below are our recommendations for the best monitors to buy for a dual setup. See our recommendations for the best work monitors and the best vertical monitors, and if you prefer one larger display for multitasking, check out the best ultrawide monitors.


  1. Best Monitor For Dual Setup

    The Dell U2723QE is the best monitor for dual setup we've tested. While its 27-inch screen size may seem big with two placed side-by-side, it offers a ton of space for multitasking. It's an impressive office monitor with many features, and it delivers clear text thanks to its 4k resolution. It has remarkable ergonomics, meaning it's easy to adjust to your ideal viewing position. Also, it has a ton of connectivity options, including a DisplayPort output, meaning you can send a 4k @ 60Hz signal to a secondary monitor with only one cable between the two displays.

    If you need to connect multiple devices to your dual monitor setup, this display is also a great choice, as it has a KVM switch. It means you can connect your mouse and keyboard directly to the monitor and control both devices. In terms of picture quality, it displays a wide range of colors with excellent accuracy, and even though it has disappointing reflection handling, it gets bright enough to fight glare if you want to use it in a well-lit room.

    See our review

  2. Best Mid-Range Monitor For Dual Setup

    If you want to save money and get something in the mid-range price category, check out the Dell S2722QC. It's a lower-end model compared to the Dell U2723QE, and while it costs less because of this, the main trade-off is that it has fewer features. It has a smaller USB hub and doesn't have a KVM switch, so you can't easily switch between two devices and use the same keyboard and mouse. It doesn't support daisy chaining like the U2723QE, so you'll have to connect your video cables directly from the PC to the monitors.

    Besides that, it's still an excellent productivity monitor because it has a 27-inch screen with a 4k resolution. This results in remarkable text clarity, and you can read fine text without issues. Although it has worse accuracy than the U2723QE, it's still decent enough that you won't have to worry about it unless your work requires perfectly accurate colors. Luckily, its reflection handling is even better than on the U2723QE, and combined with its great SDR peak brightness, you won't have issues using it in a bright room.

    See our review

  3. Best Lower Mid-Range Monitor For Dual Setup

    If you want the best secondary monitor in the lower mid-range price category, consider the ASUS ProArt Display PA278CV. It has a lower 1440p resolution than the 4k resolution of the Dell S2722QC, meaning text isn't as sharp, but that's the sacrifice you need to make for something cheaper. However, getting two 1440p displays is easier on your graphics card than two 4k displays. Unlike the S2722QC, this monitor supports daisy chaining, meaning you can connect a second monitor, and it has a USB-C input that makes it easy to connect a laptop and charge it using a single cable.

    It has outstanding ergonomics as you can swivel it 45 degrees in each direction and even rotate it into portrait mode, making it easy to adjust next to another display. It has remarkable image accuracy before calibration, so you don't need to calibrate it for accurate colors. However, it doesn't support HDR, so if that's important to you, the Dell UltraSharp U2520D is another 1440p option that supports HDR and is great for multi-monitor setups, but it has a slightly smaller screen.

    See our review

  4. Best Budget Monitor For Dual Setup

    If you want something on a budget, there are plenty of good options, although you might not get the same features and inputs as higher-end monitors. If that's what you want, the Dell S2721QS is a great choice because it offers excellent office performance with impressive ergonomics, meaning you can easily adjust the screen. There are a few differences between this and the ASUS ProArt Display PA278CV, as it's a 4k monitor with sharper text, but it doesn't have extra features like a USB hub or a DisplayPort output for daisy chaining. This means you need to connect your PC directly to both monitors or use another monitor that supports daisy chaining if you want to use this in a multi-monitor setup.

    Like the ASUS, it also gets bright enough to fight glare, and the reflection handling is good. It has wide viewing angles, making it ideal for viewing from any position, and its stand offers impressive ergonomics. It doesn't have the same color accuracy as the ASUS, but it's still decent if your work doesn't require perfectly accurate colors.

    See our review

  5. Best Cheap Monitor For Dual Setup

    If you're looking for the best secondary monitor for cheap, check out the ASUS VG246H. There are some trade-offs you need to make by getting something cheaper, like the fact that it has a lower 1080p resolution than the Dell S2721QS. It means that text doesn't look as sharp, but the text clarity is still decent. However, its smaller 24-inch screen makes it easier to fit two monitors next to each other if you have a small desk. It doesn't have a USB hub or DisplayPort output, so you have to either ensure your PC has two USB ports or you can use a video splitter.

    Besides that, this monitor offers good office performance for its cost as it has remarkable ergonomics, allowing you to easily adjust the screen how you want. It also has wide viewing angles that make the image remain the same from the sides, and it's good if you want to use it in a moderately-lit room as it has good reflection handling and decent peak brightness. However, if you want something even brighter, consider the Acer Nitro XF243Y Pbmiiprx. That said, it costs a bit more than the ASUS.

    See our review

Notable Mentions

  • ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV: The ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV is cheaper than the ASUS ProArt Display PA278CV. However, it doesn't support daisy chaining and doesn't have a USB-C port, so if that's important to you, it's better to stick with the PA278CV. See our review
  • Dell U3223QE: The Dell U3223QE is a larger alternative to the Dell U2723QE if you want something bigger than 27 inches, but it costs a lot more, and colors are undersaturated. See our review
  • LG 27MN60T-W: The LG 27MN60T-W is a cheap 27-inch monitor, which is great if you want something bigger than the ASUS VG246H. However, it has terrible ergonomics, so only consider it if you'll use a mounting arm. See our review

Recent Updates

  1. Mar 30, 2023: Added the Dell S2722QC as the 'Best Mid-Range Monitor' to give another option; added the Dell U3223QE and the LG 27MN60T-W to Notable Mentions.

  2. Jan 27, 2023: Restructured the article to reflect office-oriented monitors regardless of their size; replaced the Dell UltraSharp U2520D with the Dell U2723QE because it's better overall; added the Dell S2721QS and removed the LG 24GL600F; renamed the ASUS ProArt Display PA278CV and the ASUS VG246H as the 'Best Mid-Range' and 'Best Cheap' monitors respectively; updated Notable Mentions based on changes.

  3. Nov 29, 2022: Restructured article to use smaller monitors with a lower resolution; removed the Dell U2723QE and the Dell S2721QS because they're big 4k monitors; replaced the ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV with the ASUS ProArt Display PA278CV because it supports daisy chaining and renamed to 'Best Vertical Monitor'; added the LG 24GL600F; updated Notable Mentions based on changes.

  4. Nov 10, 2022: Added the Dell UltraSharp U2520D to provide a smaller option to the ASUS ProArt Display PA278CV and updated text for accuracy, including with Notable Mentions.

  5. Oct 25, 2022: Replaced the Dell U2520D with the ASUS ProArt Display PA278CV because it's better overall for office use, and replaced the ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV with the Dell S2721QS because it has a higher resolution; updated Notable Mentions based on changes.

All Reviews

Our recommendations are based on what we think are the best monitors for a dual setup that are currently available. They are adapted to be valid for most people, in each price range. Rating is based on our review, factoring in price, and feedback from our visitors.

If you would prefer to make your own decision, here is the list of all of our monitor reviews. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. Most monitors are good enough to please most people, and the things we fault monitors on are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.