Dual 32 Inch Monitor Setup

Looking for a good and reliable display for a multi-monitor setup?

In this buying guide, you will find the most cost-effective displays for the best dual monitor setup, including monitors with thin bezels, plenty of screen space, VESA mount and other useful features for office, professional and productivity work.

best value

Acer CB242Y

acer cb242y

Accurate and consistent colors
Full HD resolution
Fully ergonomic stand

best overall

LG 27QN600

lg 27qn600 monitor

Accurate and consistent colors
Quad HD resolution
VESA-mount compatible

These are the best monitors for a multiple monitor setup. As you can see, they differentiate by screen size and resolution as well as connectivity choices, VESA mount compatibility and even panel type.

In order to be certain you're getting the right monitor, make sure your graphics card can support the resolution you want and that its ports match those of the monitor.

Also, remember that all monitors in this list have an integrated low blue light filter and a flicker-free screen.

In case you are sensitive to screen flicker or you often work for a prolonged time or at night, these two features will prevent eye fatigue and headaches.

For gaming, we don't recommend dual monitors as you'd always have an annoying gap right in the center of the screen — unless you plan on gaming on one monitor and web surfing, chatting, etc on the other.

A triple monitor setup for gaming makes more sense as you simply extend the screen at the sides.

But this method is more expensive, and if you're after such an immersive gaming experience, you should consider getting an ultra-wide gaming monitor.

If a monitor supports VESA mount, you can detach its base and mount it on a third-party desk or wall mount which will give you more desk space and therefore further increase your productivity.

In case the monitor has no VESA mount compatibility and limited ergonomics, you may want to consider getting a monitor riser so that you can adjust the height of the screen for your viewing position.

Visit our best monitor stands and risers buyer's guide for the best deals.

You can also view our changelogs for this buying guide at the end of this guide.

Best 1080p Monitors For Dual Setup

The following category consists of reliable and cost-effective displays for the best budget dual monitor setup.

Acer SB220Q

Best For Budget Dual Monitor Setups

Size: 22"
Resolution: 1920×1080
Panel: IPS
VESA: No
Ports: HDMI, VGA

The Pros:

Slim bezels ideal for multi-monitor setups
Plenty of gaming features including AMD FreeSync up to 75Hz
Rich colors and high pixel density

The Cons:

Tilt-only design
No VESA mount

About The Monitor

The Acer SB220Q is not just the best monitor for a cheap dual monitor setup, it's the best budget monitor for gaming and overall everyday use under $100. You can read our full review of it here.

Update: It seems that due to the increasing popularity of these 22″ IPS monitors combined with the monitor components shortage, the prices have basically doubled. The SB220Q used to go for ~$80, and now it's usually over $150. The same goes for all 22″ 1080p IPS models.

So, if your budget is around $150, we recommend going with a 24″ variant instead. Get a 22″ model only if you can find it under $100.

Image Quality

The monitor is based on an IPS panel, which will provide you with vibrant and consistent colors and wide viewing angles, meaning that the picture won't shift in color, contrast, or brightness if you're looking at the screen for skewed angles.

So, if you were to take three of these screens and align them at an angle to form a cockpit-style screen, the image of the monitors at the sides wouldn't degrade in quality.

Although the Acer SB220Q is only 21.5″ in size, it has a Full HD screen resolution which will provide you with a rich pixel density, or in other words, plenty of screen real estate for your apps, browsers and whatnot.

Features

As previously mentioned, the Acer SB220Q is also great for gaming.

You get the AMD FreeSync technology, which allows you to synchronize the monitor's refresh rate with GPU's frame rate, thus eliminating screen tearing and stuttering — given that you have an AMD FreeSync card.

Moreover, the monitor offers a 75Hz refresh rate, which gives you a small but noticeable boost in motion clarity for fast-paced gaming.

Other gaming related features include 'Aim Point' with customizable crosshairs, 'Black Boost' for better visibility in dark games and pre-calibrated picture presets.

Design & Connectivity

Unfortunately, the Acer SB220Q monitor has a tilt-only design and lacks the VESA mount pattern. So, if you want to be able to adjust its height, you will need a dual/triple monitor stand riser, such as this one.

As you can see, the display has very thin bezels and a slim design, which makes it ideal for a multi-monitor setup. Connectivity consists of one HDMI input and one VGA (D-Sub) port.

Alternatives

You might be also interested in the AOC 22V2H which is based on the same panel as the SB220Q, but it has a different design with a fixed stand and a headphone jack.

The Philips 226E9QDSB uses the same panel as the SB220Q and the AOC 22V2H, but it has an extra DVI-D port and its screen is VESA mount compatible (75x75mm), but it's slightly more expensive.

Acer CB242Y

Best Value Monitor For Dual Setups

Size: 24"
Resolution: 1920×1080
Panel: IPS
VESA: Yes
Ports: HDMI, VGA

The Pros:

Fully ergonomic stand with VESA mount and thin bezels
Rich colors and decent pixel density

About The Monitor

The Acer CB242Y is slightly more expensive than the Acer SB220Q, but it will provide you with a larger screen and a fully ergonomic stand with VESA mount compatibility.

Image Quality

Just like the SB220Q, the CB242Y features an IPS panel with rich colors, wide viewing angles and Full HD resolution as well as AMD FreeSync up to 75Hz.

Due to its larger screen, it offers a bit lower pixel density than the SB220Q, but you will still get sharp and vivid text as well as plenty of screen real estate.

Since you can pivot the monitor's screen into the portrait position, the Acer CB242Y is also great for photographers and programmers.

Features

The Acer CB242Y monitor offers additional gaming features, such as 1ms Motion Blur Reduction and Black Boost for better visibility in darker scenes of video games.

Design & Connectivity

Moving on, the monitor has thin bezels and slim design with versatile ergonomics including up to 120mm height adjustment, -5°/20° tilt, 90° pivot and +/- 360° swivel to the left and right as well as 100 x 100mm VESA mount compatibility.

Connectivity includes one HDMI port and one VGA port. There is no DisplayPort input, so if you wish to use FreeSync with NVIDIA cards, you should look for another display such as the ASUS VA24DQ.

Other 24″ 1080p IPS monitors worth considering include the HP 24mh, the V24i, and the BenQ GW2480.

The 27″ model of this monitor, the Acer CB272, does have a DisplayPort input, but it also has a lower pixel density, which is why we don't recommend it for office-related use.

Best 1440p Monitors For Dual Setup

1440p or 2560×1440 gives you 1.77 times as many pixels as 1080p or 1920×1080. In practice, this gives you more screen space and more vivid details depending on the monitor's size.

LG 27QN600

Best For Dual 27-Inch Monitor Setups

Size: 27"
Resolution: 2560×1440
Panel: IPS
VESA: Yes
Ports: 2xHDMI, DP

The Pros:

Plenty of screen space and vivid details
VESA mount compatibility
Rich connectivity options
Dual Controller feature

The Cons:

Tilt-only design

About The Monitor

On a 27″ 1440p monitor, you hit the sweet spot between screen real estate and detail clarity; you get as much screen space as possible natively without having to scale the picture.

Although the LG 27QN600 is advertised as a gaming monitor, it's also the most cost-efficient 27″ 1440p display for productivity/office-related tasks.

Image Quality

Just like the previous monitors, the LG 27QN600 features an IPS panel with accurate and consistent colors. It has the standard ~99% sRGB color gamut, a strong 350-nit peak brightness, wide 178° viewing angles and a static contrast ratio of 1,000:1.

Due to its higher pixel density, you will be able to have two browsers next to each other and comfortably view both contents on a single screen.

Features

The LG 27QN600 supports AMD FreeSync with a 48-75Hz VRR range and, since it has a DisplayPort input, you will be able to use FreeSync with compatible NVIDIA cards as it's G-SYNC compatible (even though it's not certified as such by NVIDIA).

It also offers HDR (High Dynamic Range) support, but due to its limited contrast ratio, brightness and color gamut, HDR content won't get any better. The display can just accept and display the HDR10 signal. This is expected at this price range.

Other features include Black Stabilizer and various picture presets, as well as the advanced image adjustment tools, such as four gamma modes and 6-axis hue/saturation.

Additionally, the monitor supports Dual Controller, which allows you to connect two different PCs to the screen, and control both of them via a single set of keyboard and mouse.

Design & Connectivity

The LG 27QN600 monitor has a tilt-only design (-5°/20°), but it's VESA mount compatible (100x100mm), while the bezels are ultra-thin, making it a good option for multi-monitor setups.

Connectivity options include two HDMI ports and a DisplayPort 1.2 input — all of which support FreeSync and 2560×1440 up to 75Hz. You'll also find a headphone jack.

Alternatives

If you plan on doing color-critical work, we recommend checking out the ASUS PA278QV 1440p 75Hz IPS model with Delta E < 2 factory-calibration and a fully ergonomic stand, though it's more expensive (~$300).

BenQ EW3270ZL

Premium 32″ Monitor For Dual Setups

Size: 32"
Resolution: 2560×1440
Panel: VA
VESA: No
Ports: 2xHDMI, DP, m-DP

The Pros:

Integrated speakers
Cutting-edge eye-care technology
High contrast for an immersive picture quality

The Cons:

Tilt-only design
No VESA mount

About The Monitor

In case you are interested in something bigger for a dual setup and office work, look no further than the BenQ EW3270ZL with the innovative Brightness Intelligence Plus technology.

Keep in mind that a 32″ 1440p monitor won't give you more screen real estate than a 27″ 1440p monitor. You get the same amount of screen space as with a 24″ 1080p display, but a bigger picture/screen.

Image Quality

Unlike all the previously mentioned displays, the BenQ EW3270ZL features a VA panel, which sports a higher contrast ratio of 3,000:1 for deep blacks and bright whites.

However, VA panels don't have as wide viewing angles, so you should expect some minor changes in contrast, but only when you're looking at the screen from skewed angles.

Furthermore, VA monitors have a slower response time, but that's mainly an issue when it comes to fast-paced gaming.

The monitor covers the standard sRGB color gamut and supports 10-bit color depth, which, in addition to its high contrast ratio, allows the display to deliver an outstanding picture quality.

Features

The main feature of the BenQ EW3270ZL is the B.I. + technology consisting of built-in sensors that can automatically adjust the monitor's brightness and color temperature according to the ambient lighting.

You can also make the display gradually reduce its brightness over time. Overall, if you want the best monitor for your eyes, the BenQ EW3270ZL is the one.

In addition, it boasts the advanced Low Blue Light Plus technology, which filters out only the harmful blue lights and preserves the non-harmful blue colors for a better image quality.

Another feature you might find useful is Smart Focus, which allows you to highlight a specific area of the screen and dim the rest for minimal distractions.

Design & Connectivity

The BenQ EW3270ZL monitor has thin bezels and an overall slim design, but it's tilt-only and lacks the VESA mount pattern.

Connectivity includes two HDMI 1.4 ports, DisplayPort 1.2 and a mini-DisplayPort 1.2 input, as well as a headphone jack and two 3W integrated speakers.

Which Dual Monitor Setup Is Right For Me?

When buying a monitor or two for a multiple monitor setup, there are certain things you should take into consideration, the first one being — do you really need a dual monitor setup?

Let's say your work involves having multiple office applications open at the same time while researching with several tabs open in the browser.

In this case, getting an extra monitor will help you out more than any other PC component upgrade.

Compatibility

First, make sure that your graphics card supports dual monitor setups. Most older GPUs do, but some don't support triple display setups, so make sure to check your graphics card capabilities.

Naturally, also ensure that your GPU offers the same ports as the monitors you want, unless you plan on purchasing extra VGA-DVI, DVI-HDMI, DisplayPort-HDMI, etc. converters/adapters.

You don't need any extra multi-monitor tools or software as both Windows and Mac offer easy and user-friendly adjustments and configuration.

Best Size For Dual Monitors

Keep in mind that a bigger screen is not always better. First of all, a big monitor should have a proportionally high resolution if you wish to have a lot of screen space and a clear, easily readable text.

That's why we didn't include monitors with low pixel density. For instance, 27″ 1080p monitors have a low pixel density which results in smudgy text and limited screen space making 24″ 1080p monitors a much better (yet cheaper) choice.

Besides the pixel density, you should also take into account the total screen size of all monitors in the setup.

For instance, if you get three 27″ 1440p monitors and place them side by side, you might find that you have to move your head left-right too often and that a smaller 24″ monitor setup would've suited you better.

UltraWide Monitor vs Dual Monitor Setup

Not sure whether you should get two 24″-27″ monitors or a single 29″-34″ ultrawide display?

Well, a dual monitor setup will provide you with more screen real estate and overall better results for productivity.

However, if your work involves audio or video editing, an ultrawide display is a better choice as you get more horizontal space for video timelines and audio editing, arranging, etc.

Ideally, for video editing, you should get an ultrawide display and a good secondary monitor for previewing your work.

For gaming, we recommend an ultrawide monitor instead of a multi-monitor setup.

Picture Uniformity Across Multiple Displays

Another thing to keep in mind is that even if you buy two or three identical monitors for a multi-monitor setup, they may not have an identical image quality out of the box.

Since each panel is at least slightly different, you will likely need to calibrate the brightness, contrast, and color settings if you want an identical picture quality on both displays, which can be pretty frustrating and time-consuming.

In some cases, you may not be able to get perfect results without professional calibration tools. If you are sensitive to this, you might want to consider just getting a good ultra-wide monitor.

4K Monitors

We didn't include any 4K monitors as such high resolution is more demanding to run on a dual monitor setup.

Moreover, even on a 32″ 4K monitor, you'd have to scale up your interface as the text is too tiny to comfortably read it at the native pixel density.

Scaling will, therefore, decrease your screen space in favor of detailed clarity. Not to mention that 4K monitors are more expensive and that some applications don't scale well.

If you need a 4K monitor for content creation and color editing, then we recommend pairing it with a lower resolution display for a dual monitor setup.

Conclusion

Overall, the Acer CB242Y offers everything you need to boost your productivity and two or three 24″ 1080p monitors will suffice for most people.

If you can afford something pricier, a 27″ 1440p monitor such as the LG 27QN600 will provide you with considerably more screen space.

Have you found your perfect monitor for a multi-monitor setup? Feel free to leave any questions you might have in the comments below.

Changelog +

August 4, 2021:
– Updated the article to include more alternatives.
April 23, 2021:
– Major rewrite for better readability.
February 23, 2021:
– Replaced the AOPEN 27ML1U with the LG 27QN600.
– Removed the Dell S2718D and the AOC Q3279VWFD8.