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What are the features that make for the best 40-inch monitor? To start, an ultrawide monitor that’s worth it should give you consistent image quality with at least a 4K screen resolution, a high static contrast ratio for deeper blacks, fast refresh rates for gaming, and vibrant colors.
Your 40-inch monitor should also give you a functional screen-split mode so you can multitask with ease. With added screen real estate, your ultrawide monitor gives you more room to arrange full-size windows side-by-side so you never have to Alt+Tab between open applications.
Since 40-inch monitors are larger screens, it’s also important that they give you adjustable height settings and wide viewing angles. This way, you don’t have to deal with shifting their bulkier weight around every time you need a better viewing angle to lessen eye strain. These are usually flat-screen monitors nowadays, in contrast to a CRT monitor from the past.
Keep reading to learn all about the best 40-inch monitors and the wide variety of features they offer. After reading through this guide, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge you need to make an informed buying decision when getting the best computer monitors in the market.
Award: TOP PICK
WHY WE LIKE IT: This monitor features a selection of ports that support a number of computers and gaming consoles. With wide viewing angles, this monitor is a good choice for offices and home theaters.
Equipped with a rich selection of ports, the Hannspree HL407UPB 40-inch monitor simplifies connecting to various computers and gaming consoles. This monitor has a Full HD display, rendering super-clear visuals with vibrant colors. The monitor has a very bright screen that reaches 260 nits. With wide 178° viewing angles, this device provides a clear image when viewed from the sides. However, the fixed stand on this unit does not support tilting, swiveling or height adjustment.
With a 200mm x 100mm VESA mounting interface, this computer monitor can easily be fixed on the wall or third-party stands. It has a dual speaker system that supports hassle-free video chats and music playback. This display has a 60 Hz refresh rate that’s ideal for movies and casual gaming. With VGA and HDMI inputs, this device connects seamlessly to older and newer computers. It also boasts a USB hub, rendering content from thumb drives easily.
Award: HONORABLE MENTION
WHY WE LIKE IT: Thanks to a remarkably wide color gamut and impressive color accuracy, this monitor is ideal for content creation workflows. It has a native 5K 5120 x 2160 resolution, delivering very detailed pictures.
The Dell UltraSharp U4021QW 40-inch monitor combines sleek aesthetics with incredible picture quality, making it a good addition to any office or home theaters. It boasts an expansive 40-inch screen that comes in handy for graphic designers and other professionals. With a 5K 5120 x 2160 native resolution and a 140 ppi pixel density, this monitor offers intricate details, so it’ll appeal to gamers and content creation professionals. However, it takes up considerable desk space.
Featuring a smooth 2500R screen curvature, this monitor is eye friendly, delivering a hypnotic, strain-free viewing experience. It has a remarkably wide color gamut, covering 100% of the Rec. 709 color space and 98% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. This monitor has accurate colors and will appeal to photo and video editing professionals. With integrated 9W speakers, this device provides pleasant audio playback. It produces a whopping 1.07 billion colors, delivering gorgeous content.
Award: BEST FOR GAMES
WHY WE LIKE IT: With a gentle screen curvature and an ultra-wide screen, this monitor provides an immersive experience. It boasts an outstanding refresh rate and a host of advanced features that will appeal to gamers.
Featuring a flawless 3000R screen curvature, the Sceptre Nebula Series C408B-QWN168W 40-inch computer monitor provides a wide field of view without straining the neck. This device has an expansive screen that eliminates the need for a dual-monitor setup. With a refresh rate of 165 Hz, this display provides fluid, smooth visuals at high frame rates. It has an ergonomic stand that supports height adjustment and tilting. However, text appears a bit blurry on this unit.
The monitor boasts AMD FreeSync Premium, offering flawless gaming content in conjunction with Radeon graphics cards. Covering a whopping 99% of the sRGB color gamut, this gaming monitor offers accurate colors and can be used for some graphics work. This gaming monitor boasts a fast 1ms MPRT response time, giving gamers an edge. It has sleek aesthetics with a wide color scheme that will raise the look of any room and it is HDR400 certified, producing visually pleasing imagery.
Award: BEST FOR COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS
WHY WE LIKE IT: This monitor has a very bright screen and features wide viewing angles, so it’s ideal for mounting in waiting lounges, classrooms, and public transit systems. It has an incredible selection of ports.
Designed with commercial establishments in mind, the NEC V Series V404 40-inch monitor boasts a number of features that will appeal to business owners. It has a large screen size with narrow bezels that’s ideal for digital signage, classrooms, and waiting lounges. The monitor supports both portrait and landscape placement, offering installation flexibility. This monitor is equipped with an impressive collection of ports, including HDMI, DVI, VGA, and DisplayPort. However, its 8ms response time is not ideal for professional gaming.
A built-in Ethernet port allows daisy chaining with other devices on the local area network (LAN), while a USB interface allows attaching flash drives. This computer comes with a remote control for simple operation. With 178-degree and vertical viewing angles, this monitor provides great picture quality when viewed from tight angles, making it a good choice for wall mounting. With a maximum brightness of 500 nits, this display fights glare in brightly lit spaces.
WHY WE LIKE IT: This monitor provides an engaging viewing experience. It features PBP and PIP tech, enhancing the user experience when working with multiple open windows and PCs.
The Philips BDM4037UW 40-inch computer monitor has a stylish design with a sleek silver finish that will make a lasting impression. This monitor has a dynamic contrast ratio, supporting outstanding movie playback and gaming. With a 100mm VESA interface, this device supports wall mounting, and it boasts a native 3440 x 1440 resolution, producing very detailed pictures. This monitor has PBP and PIP tech, simplifying working with multiple input devices. However, this model has so-so viewing angles.
This monitor features an IPS panel with an outstanding contrast ratio, offering great dark room performance. It has VGA, DisplayPort, and HDMI inputs, allowing users to switch between various input devices easily. With a 144Hz refresh rate and a 2ms response time, this monitor is well suited to gaming, and it has a 100mm VESA interface that facilitates mounting on the wall or on a third-party stand. The 5W stereo speakers on this device offer incredible audio playback.
Award: BEST ANALOG CONNECTIVITY
WHY WE LIKE IT: A Full HD display offers detailed imagery with natural hues. This monitor boasts wide horizontal and vertical viewing angles, making it a good choice for deployment in lobbies.
With TFT active matrix tech, the Samsung 400DX-3 LH40CSPLBC/ZA provides outstanding response times and refresh rates, making it a good choice for light gaming. This monitor has a native 1920 x 1080 Full HD resolution, delivering colorful, sharp content. It boasts a very high contrast ratio, producing deep dark colors, so it’s ideal for movies and gaming. However, this model falls short when it comes to aesthetics, featuring a bland design.
It has wide 178-degree horizontal and vertical viewing angles, so it’s ideal for wall mounting and deployment as digital signage. Equipped with D-Subl, HDMI, DisplayPort, and DVI inputs, this Samsung monitor connects seamlessly to devices ranging from laptops to desktops and gaming consoles. With an 8-bit color system, this device produces 16.7 million colors, offering natural imagery. This device has considerable screen real estate and is a good choice for lounges and other public spaces.
A 40-inch monitor is a display device that hooks up to your laptop or computer via a display cable such as a DisplayPort cable or an HDMI cable. Once connected to your computer, your monitor displays information from your computer so you can see the applications, video games, or internet browser you’re using. This is similar to how the highly-rated gaming monitors for Nintendo Switch work.
Most computer monitors offer the same form factor, but there are a variety of different types of monitors to consider. In general, though, most 40-inch displays are either LCD or LED monitors, and they most commonly use an IPS panel technology. Which, you’ll want an IPS monitor, since they’re perfect for color accuracy and are considered some of the best monitors for graphic design.
If you were to compare a 40-inch monitor to a traditional monitor in terms of general form and function, you likely wouldn’t be able to tell much of a difference. A 40-inch monitor doesn’t operate in ways different than a standard office computer monitor, although, you might see the difference in size compared to a high-end 38-inch monitor. But, you’ll have to look closely.
There is one major difference between 40-inch monitors and traditional computer monitors, though, and that comes into play when you consider the aspect ratio of the display. Most flatscreen monitors offer a 16:9 aspect ratio, which is considered optimal on many of the leading widescreen monitors. Most 40-inch monitors have a 21:9 ultrawide aspect ratio.
With a 21:9 aspect ratio, you get a lot more horizontal space than you do with a standard 16:9 aspect ratio. With larger displays like these, you’ll be able to multitask more easily since you can place full-size windows side-by-side. This feature alone makes 40-inch displays into the perfect professional monitors.
It’s also worth noting that many ultrawide monitors feature a curved screen. When you have an ultrawide configuration, it can be difficult to see everything on the display without turning your head all over the place. A curved screen eliminates this problem, so it’s a good idea to peruse the hottest curved gaming monitors now available.
Simply put, 40-inch monitors work by plugging into a wall outlet for power and then by plugging into your computer to receive the information. It’s practically the same process for any monitor, including the Dell Computer Ultrasharp U2415.
On the technical side of things, a 40-inch monitor generally uses LCD technology, which stands for liquid crystal display. LCD monitors feature two panes of glass with liquid crystals between them that activate and react to backlighting.
Ultrawide monitors usually use cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) or light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for backlighting. The top 40-inch monitors usually use LED lighting since they offer a wider brightness range and longer lifespan.
40-inch ultrawide monitors aren’t for everyone, but they make for excellent professional displays. If you want to more easily multitask or create a more immersive gaming experience, then a 40-inch ultrawide monitor is a perfect choice for you.
Most 40-inch monitors are either LCD or LED monitors, meaning you’ll get the most lifespan out of them. Most technology pros, like those at TechiExpert, agree that LCD monitors will last for 30,000 to 60,000 hours and that LED monitors will last for 80,000 to 120,000 hours.
Of course, the actual lifespan of your ultrawide monitor depends on how well you treat it. For example, if you don’t activate any kind of power-saving features, you’ll likely lessen the lifespan of your monitor. The same goes for keeping your monitor in a dusty and dirty environment.
Before you press the buy button or even before you start shopping for the best ultrawide monitor, you need to determine what features are the most important for your specific needs.
Read through the following questions to learn more about the key factors you should consider when shopping for a new 40-inch monitor.
40-inch monitors usually stick to one of two panel types in their display technology: VA or IPS. These panel types simply describe the way the LCD technology works in your monitor. Here’s an in-depth explanation of both so you can determine which one works best for you:
A computer monitor’s screen resolution is one of the most important qualities to consider, especially when it comes to visual quality and detailed images. Resolution is a measure of how many pixels are present in your ultrawide monitor, horizontally and vertically.
For ultrawide monitors like a 40-inch, the bare minimum resolution you should purchase is 2560×1080. However, this screen resolution can create some pixelated text and images thanks to the 21:9 aspect ratio.
For the best results, you should choose a 40-inch monitor with a 3440×1440 resolution. This is especially true if you’re a gamer or creative professional.
Some 40-inch monitors are starting to feature higher native resolutions than even 3440×1440. However, these are very expensive and uncommon at the time of publishing.
One of the biggest selling points of a 40-inch monitor is the potential for excellent picture quality, depending on the specific model you purchase. Take a look at the following features so you know what to look for in terms of picture quality:
If you’re a gamer, then you recognize the need for gaming-specific features on your monitor, whether you’re planning on using it as a PC gaming monitor or a console gaming monitor. Of course, it will be difficult to game even on the best 22 inch monitor.
You can, however, consider these gaming features:
Finally, consider how your 40-inch monitor will connect to your computer. There are a variety of connectivity options available on monitors today, but the specific connectivity ports on your monitor are important.
