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7 Best Budget Monitors for Graphic Design in 2023

Article By: Faheem Hussain Published On: September 7, 2023 , Last updated on : October 1, 2023 | Reviewed by : Editorial Board
best budget monitor for graphic design

A quality monitor is essential for graphic design. So, being a graphic designer, monitors would be your first concern as that is your canvas. Good monitors are of great value for those who work with graphic design and video editing. And that’s why the best computer monitors for graphic design don’t necessarily come cheap, which often becomes a problem for beginners and non-professionals. Therefore, we are here to help you find the best budget monitor for graphic design, UX design, or video editing.

Best budget monitor for graphic design | Buying guide

It might sound surprising, but you will find plenty of options while searching for the best budget monitor for graphic design. Multiple brands have put quite an effort into making quality designer monitors within the budget.

While picking up such kinds of designer monitors, you should consider factors like display size and resolution, color accuracy, ergonomics, connectivity, and so on.

Display Size & Resolution

It is necessary for graphic designers to have a good look at what they are creating. That’s why the bigger monitor size is better. Usually, monitors within 25-34 inches are affordable within the budget. We would recommend using a monitor of at least 27 inches. If you have doubts and want to know more about which monitor would be the most suitable for you, check our in-depth review on 24 vs 27 vs 32-inch monitor comparisons.

Similarly, the resolution cannot be compromised with graphic design. 4K monitors are considered to be perfect in this case. But due to its high price, you can also work with something of lower resolution. Although, our suggestion would be to go for at least 2K. Another important thing is the refresh rate, which should not be less than 75 Hz.

Color Accuracy

Color accuracy is one of the most important traits for designer monitors, as designing demands different colors to be represented as perfectly as possible. To ensure good color accuracy, the monitor should have a quality panel. Generally, IPS is preferable to OLED or TN. Similarly, the monitor’s color space is also important. The greater sRGB color coverage provides better performance.

Another thing to look for is the color gamut range, which indicates the number of colors the device can reproduce in the given color space. A higher range of color gamut is considered to be a positive trait in the best monitors for designers. So, to find out the best budget monitor for UX design or video editing, you should look for the best budget color accurate monitor for having a greater effect.

Ergonomics

Ergonomics means the human advantages you get while using a device, such as the convenience with vision, neck, and back position. You should check if the monitor has an adjustable stand. This will certainly give you an advantage if you have to work long hours with your monitor for graphic or UX designing. Additionally, curved monitors are often preferable to give you a better view and color accuracy from every angle.

Connectivity

While working on graphic design, you can find yourself in a position where you might need to work with a range of different devices. For instance, you might need to connect two monitors side-by-side to get a larger workspace. As a result, great connectivity is a must for the best monitors for digital art. You should look for the latest versions of HDMI port, DisplayPort, and dual-link DVI ports. At the same time, check for a monitor with at least Thunderbolt 3 or 4. Having a headphone jack is considered to be a plus for most people.


ASUS ProArt Display PA329CRV

ASUS ProArt Display PA329CRV

ASUS ProArt Display PA329CRV is a great monitor of 31.5 inches with an IPS Panel and 4K resolution. It offers a color gamut of 98% for brilliant color accuracy. It also has a good ergonomic design and a wide range of ports, making it a great choice.
LG UltraWide 34WP65C-B

LG UltraWide 34WP65C-B

LG Ultrawide 34WP65C-B is a 34-inch monitor with a 21:9 aspect ratio, providing more screen space than most budget monitors. Its curved design, 99% color coverage of sRGB, and 164 Hz refresh rate make it a good pick.
SAMSUNG ViewFinity UR59C

SAMSUNG ViewFinity UR59C

SAMSUNG ViewFinity UR59C is a 31.5-inch curved monitor. Its 1500R curvature maintains focus distance from any angle. Additionally, 4K resolution and 2500:1 contrast ratio offer excellent color contrast, making it highly suitable for graphic design.
BenQ PD2705Q

BenQ PD2705Q

This BenQ PD2705Q is a 27-inch monitor with 100% coverage of sRGB. It has multiple connectivity options with built-in USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, and DisplayPort. A decent ergonomic design with great color accuracy and connectivity makes it a considerable choice among the best budget monitors.
LG Ultrafine 27BN88U-B

LG Ultrafine 27BN88U-B

LG’s Ultrafine 27BN88U-B is a unique monitor with a great ergonomic design and an extraordinary C-Clamp stand. It covers 99% of sRGB and has a built-in USB port. With its ergonomic design and high-quality display, it is a good choice for graphic designers.
ViewSonic VX3276

ViewSonic VX3276

This 32-inch monitor from ViewSonic provides 4K resolution. Adding to that, deep contrast, rich color accuracy, and details. Its connectivity options help you work with a laptop, Mac, or PC. All of this combined, it is also an affordable 4K monitor for designers.
Philips 288E2E

Philips 288E2E

Philips 288E2E is a monitor with an excellent color gamut of 120% of sRGB coverage and 107% of NTSC coverage. It contains 1.07 billion colors and 178-degree viewing angle, making it a great pick for graphic designers and editors alike.

The best budget monitor for graphic design | Our top 7 picks

The best graphic designer monitor within the budget should give you all the necessary advantages for graphic design within your affordable range. You may sometimes find it difficult to get such within your budget range. And that’s where this review helps you, providing the best budget monitors for graphic design from various aspects, features, and work purposes.

Below are the best budget monitors for graphic design in 2023

  1. ASUS ProArt Display PA329CRV
  2. LG UltraWide 34WP65C-B
  3. SAMSUNG ViewFinity UR59C
  4. BenQ PD2705Q
  5. LG Ultrafine 27BN88U-B
  6. ViewSonic VX3276
  7. Philips 288E2E

ASUS ProArt Display PA329CRV

1.ASUS ProArt Display PA329CRVScreen size: 31.5 inches

Display Panel: IPS

Resolution: 3840 x 2160

ASUS ProArt Display PA329CRV has a 31.5-inch screen with 4K UHD resolution and HDR display to provide you with the best visuals. It also has an IPS panel with a 178-degree wide view angle, complemented by its ergonomic design of tilt, swivel, pivot, and height adjustments. This will help you comfortably work for long hours.

Additionally, it offers a color gamut with 98% DCI-P3 accuracy. At the same time, it is Calman verified for Delta E < 2 which is a certification of displays with superior color accuracy. Its extensive connectivity, including DP over USB-C with 96W power delivery, DisplayPort (MST), HDMI, and USB hub, makes it one of the best among budget monitors for graphic design.

Pros

  • Big screen with a wide viewing angle
  • High resolution
  • Brilliant ergonomics
  • Wide range of connectivity
  • Top-notch color accuracy

Cons 

  • Contrast and brightness are not up to the mark
  • Inconsistent HDR behavior

All in all, the ASUS ProArt Display PA329CRV provides you with rewarding performance for the budget. It has its problems with brightness and contrast, but the high color accuracy more than makes up for its cons. As a result, this monitor came on top of our list for the best budget monitor for graphic design.

Quantitative Measurement

Display quality: 10/10
Color accuracy: 9.5/10
Ergonomics: 10/10
Connectivity: 10/10

LG UltraWide 34WP65C-B

LG UltraWide 34WP65C-BScreen size: 34 inches

Display Panel: VA

Resolution: 3440 x 1440

If you are looking for a wide monitor within the budget, then LG UltraWide 34WP65C-B can be a great choice for you. Its 34 inches curved screen with QHD VA display with a 21:9 aspect ratio offers you more screen space to work with. This eases your way of working with multiple projects at the same time. Its features place it among one of the best curved monitors for graphic design.

It is also a great color accurate monitor. Its resolution, combined with 99% coverage of the sRGB spectrum, provides fantastic color sharpness, offering you the best possible graphic design display to work with. In addition, its refresh rate of 164 Hz gives you some of the smoothest screen action possible.

Pros

  • Large screen space
  • Excellent color accuracy
  • Premium refresh rate
  • Smooth performance
  • Great value for money

Cons 

  • No built-in USB ports
  • Stand adjustment is less flexible than others

A minor issue with this monitor is that it has no built-in USB ports. But it has HDMI and DisplayPort, so it passes the minimum requirements. In terms of viewing, you can adjust the height and tilt the monitor, but it might not fulfill your exact type of adjustment. If these two don’t become an issue for you, then this monitor can easily be on your search list for the best budget monitor for graphic design.

Quantitative Measurement

Display Quality: 10/10
Color accuracy: 10/10
Ergonomics: 9.5/10
Connectivity: 9.5/10

SAMSUNG ViewFinity UR59C

SAMSUNG ViewFinity UR59CScreen size: 31.5 inches

Display Panel: VA

Resolution: 3840 x 2160

The SAMSUNG UR59C from ViewFinity series is a sleek designed and lightweight 31.5 inches display and one of the best curved monitors for graphic design. Its features make the monitor a visual comfort for your work. For instance, it helps you to maintain a focus point from any distance, thanks to the 1500R curvature. Moreover, it gives you excellent picture quality with its 4K UHD resolution. It has a billion hues and a 2500:1 contrast ratio, providing some of the best color contrast, hue, and brightness.

Another of its best features is that you can work with two different devices with this monitor with the same resolution and performance thanks to its multiple input ports. As a result, you can use this monitor for gaming, graphic design, UX design, and many other purposes.

Pros

  • Ultrawide screen with curve
  • Great visuals and picture quality
  • Top-notch connectivity
  • Good value for money
  • Lightweight

Cons 

  • Not enough height and tilt adjustments
  • No USB ports

Despite having HDMI and DisplayPorts, this monitor lacks USB ports. Additionally, It doesn’t offer the necessary adjustment flexibilities.

Nonetheless, its visuals, picture quality, and connectivity gives you some of the best experience, which makes up for the problem. Additionally, being lightweight might solve part of the issue. If you can adapt to the adjustment issue, then you can count on it to be among the best budget monitors for graphic design.

Quantitative Measurement

Display Quality: 9.5/10
Color accuracy: 9/10
Ergonomics: 8.5/10
Connectivity: 10/10

BenQ PD2705Q

4.BenQ PD2705QScreen size: 27 inches

Display Panel: IPS

Resolution: 2560 x 1440

BENQ PD2705Q is an ideal monitor for designers and professionals. It has 100% coverage of sRGB, which ensures great color coverage and accuracy, making it one of the best color accurate monitors for graphic design or video editing. Plus, it contains an IPS panel and 2K QHD resolution, which is ideal for a 27″ monitor.

It has built-in USB-C connectivity. Additionally, you can work with various devices with its USB-A, HDMI, and DP ports. You also have the luxury to tilt, swivel, pivot, or adjust the height, thanks to its great ergonomic design.

Pros

  • High color coverage and accuracy
  • Balanced resolution
  • Good ergonomic design
  • Multiple connectivity options

Cons 

  • Less brightness level than others

All in all, this monitor offers great value for money. It might not give top-of-the-table performance, but it sure does provide a steady one. So, you can consider it in your best budget monitor for graphic design shortlist.

Quantitative Measurement

Display Quality: 8.5/10
Color accuracy: 8.5/10
Ergonomics: 8.5/10
Connectivity: 9/10

LG Ultrafine 27BN88U-B

5.LG Ultrafine 27BN88U-BScreen size: 27 inches

Display Panel: IPS

Resolution: 3840 x 2160

This 27″ monitor offers you excellent resolution, connectivity, and ergonomics for you to work conveniently on a relatively smaller screen. It has a refresh rate of 48 Hz. Also, its 3840 x 2160 resolution is unique for a monitor of this size. It has an ergonomic stand with a C-Clamp which enables you to extend, retract, tilt, swivel, and pivot your monitor any way you want. You can extend or retract it to 180 mm, swivel for 280 degrees, or pivot for 90 degrees. Additionally, you can tilt it 25 degrees and adjust the height up to 130 mm.

But the best part remains its color. It covers 99% sRGB colors. Additionally, its brightness quality is top-notch. It furthermore contains a USB-C port to increase your level of comfort to work with multiple devices.

Pros

  • An excellent ergonomic stand
  • Great color and brightness
  • Easy to set up

Cons 

  • A bit more expensive for its size than the others

It is not the ideal budget-priced monitor for a 27″ one. But the features within are what make it worth it. So, if the exceeded amount doesn’t prove to be a problem for you, this can be one of your top choices for the best budget monitor for graphic design.

Quantitative Measurement

Display Quality: 8.5/10
Color accuracy: 8/10
Ergonomics: 9.5/10
Connectivity: 8/10

ViewSonic VX3276

6.ViewSonic VX3276Screen size: 32 inches

Display Panel: IPS

Resolution: 3840 x 2160

The ViewSonic VX3276 is a good budget monitor for graphic design. It has a wide screen of 32 inches with a resolution of 3840 x 2160. Alongside, it provides deep contrast, rich color, and vibrant details for your visuals with HDR10 support. You can use this monitor with a laptop, PC, and Mac thanks to its HDMI, DisplayPort, and Mini DisplayPort inputs.

Additionally, it has a unique feature of optimized view settings reserving presets such as game, movie, web, text, and mono.

Pros

  • Good value for money
  • Vivid picture quality and details
  • Supports a wide range of devices
  • Optimized view settings

Cons 

  • Poor stand quality
  • Complicated control settings

One thing that should be said about this ViewSonic monitor is its complicated settings. You might need to work to properly set it up. It should not be a problem though, if you’re good with the controls. And once you get past it, you can work with different devices and settings, which is a rare trait in such a budget option.

Quantitative Measurement

Display Quality: 8.5/10
Color accuracy: 8/10
Ergonomics: 8/10
Connectivity: 8.5/10

Philips 288E2E

7.Philips 288E2EScreen size: 28 inches

Display Panel: IPS

Resolution: 3840 x 2160

Philips 288E2E is best known for its color gamut range. It has an astonishing 120% sRGB and 107% NTSC color coverage. The IPS panel produces 1.07 billion colors for smooth detail. Another plus point of it is the 3-sided frameless design with ultra-narrow borders, giving a premium outlook and enhanced focus. Similarly, its Multiview feature helps you with your multi-monitor setup, letting you do various work at a time. If you regularly work with dual monitors and find difficulties with the placement, then our in-hand review of desks for dual monitors might come to your help.

Adding to all that, it has a moderate response rate of 60Hz. Also, it provides you with a convenient 178-degree viewing angle.

Pros

  • Great color accuracy
  • Good value for money
  • Wide range of connectivity

Cons 

  • The stands only offer height and tilt adjustments

Overall, this Phillips monitor offers good build quality and durability. The only downside might be the stand, which you can only use for height adjustment and tilt. If you want to swivel or pivot, then you have to find something with extra features.

Quantitative Measurement

Display Quality: 8.5/10
Color accuracy: 9/10
Ergonomics: 8/10
Connectivity: 8/10

Summarization

The best budget monitor for graphic design purely depends on your choice, the type of projects to work on, and most importantly, your wallet. So, finding and buying the perfect budget graphic design monitor is a choice solely you have to make based on your criteria. But don’t forget to consider the display quality, color accuracy, ergonomics, connectivity, and other necessary features while making that decision.

If this was helpful, check out our recommendations of the best touchscreen monitors and the top monitors to reduce eye strain during long working sessions.