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MONITOR MEGATEST

Whatever size, shape or price of monitor you’re looking for, one of these 22 displays holds the answer

What to look for when buying a monitor

Before you jump into individual reviews, it’s worth considering the bigger picture when selecting which display is right for you

Batteries that eat carbondioxide

The trends and technologies that are the shape of things to come

Next month

ON SALE Thursday 4 September Features 10

Jon Honeyball wants to make you Wi-Fi Aware as a new standard comes into town

T h ere’s a potentially fun and funky

My Microsoft lover only ever has one thing on its mind

I s there a single person alive who

The A-List

The best products on the market, as picked by our editors

Readers’ comments

Your views and feedback from email and the web

Readers’ poll

In light of our monitors megatest this month ( see p74 ), we asked our followers on Facebook and X which of these statements most applied:

UK reaching for the Starlink

Background and analysis on all the important news stories

Microsoft tests self-healing Windows

And it’s going to let you ditch default apps, too

Developers dictate your broadband deal

Millions of people moving into new builds are finding their broadband choices are limited, reports Barry Collins

Some like IT hot, but surely not their USB drives

If you’ve been wondering why your USB drive has been doubling as a thumb warmer, Dick might just have the answer

If Europe can’t fix the App Store, no-one can

There’s only one real lesson to draw from the Apple App Store vs European Commission battle, which is that digital markets are broken

Crypto lessons from Pratchett’s Discworld

Tempt enough people to believe in crypto and watch trust in “real” money implode

WINDOWS 11 ALL YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

The support deadline for Windows 10 is perilously close. Lee Grant explores your options if you’re still clinging to a Windows 10 PC

WINDOWS 10 MOVING DAY: GRAB YOUR COPY OF LAPLINK PCMOVER EXPRESS

We’ve teamed up with Laplink to give PC Pro readers software that makes it even easier to migrate from an old PC to a new one – for free

THE WI-FI WARZONES

FROM MUSIC FESTIVALS AND SPORTS STADIUMS TO 100MPH TRAINS, BARRY COLLINS DISCOVERS HOW WI-FI IS INSTALLED IN CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENTS

KEEP YOUR COOL

IF YOU WANT A FAST, RELIABLE COMPUTER, HEAT IS THE ENEMY. DARIEN GRAHAM-SMITH EXPLORES WHY THERMAL MANAGEMENT IS SO IMPORTANT, AND HOW TO KEEP YOUR OWN PROCESSOR RUNNING COOL

ENHANCE YOUR PHOTOS AND VIDEOS WITH AI

Nik Rawlinson explores the tools that use artificial intelligence to transform your images and video footage

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7

The biggest, best, most exciting products in technology – reviewed and rated

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7

The bigger “Flex” display is the undoubted star, and it’s now more flexible than ever thanks to AI enhancements

Nothing Phone (3)

The most expensive Nothing phone yet also packs in the latest tech, a zoom camera and a distinct design

Lenovo Yoga Book 9i Gen 10

(14in Intel)

Razer Blade 14 (2025)

The best 14in gaming laptop thanks to its lovely OLED panel, decent battery life and relatively quiet disposition

Medion Erazer Scout 15 E1

A keen price for an RTX 5050 laptop means this is a good buy if gaming on the move is your main priority

Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2025)

A sleek device capable of great on-the-go-gaming with the inevitable caveat of a stonkingly high price

HP OmniBook 5 NGAI 16-ag1001na

Affordably priced with a roomy keyboard, but its dull display and lacklustre performance hold it back

AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT

The 16GB version is worth the extra due to its overall gaming performance and value compared to Nvidia

Asus ZenWiFi BD4

A decent mesh for a very fair price, but a regular Wi-Fi 7 router will do all that most people need

Your bonus software

We scour the globe to negotiate the best software deals for our readers, from extended licences to full programs you don’t need to pay a penny for. Here’s this month’s lineup

Lenovo Legion GoS (SteamOS)

Puts the Windows 11 version to shame thanks to its snappy interface and far stronger performance

Zoner Studio

This photo-editing app is loaded with all the core tools that intermediate users will need to fine-tune images

Adobe Premiere Rush (2025)

Easy to use with hidden power, even if it lacks the sophisticated effects of DaVinci Resolve 20

DaVinci Resolve 20 (2025)

You can’t argue with free professional-grade editing tools, even if some of the best features are kept for Studio

AOC 24B3CF2

The cheapest monitor on test, but this 24in USB-CFull HD display is a great choice if the size is right

Asus ZenScreen MB249C

A portable 24in monitor that’s a big step up from its 15.6in siblings and can lead a double life as a desk screen

Time to dock

USB-C ports are now ubiquitous, but that alone doesn’t make a docking monitor

Acer Vero CB272K bmiiprx

Starting to show its age in terms of connectivity, but still a high-quality 4K screen for a competitive price

BenQ BL2790QT

Not the most exciting monitor on test, but it meets all key criteria at an aggressive price

Dell 27 Plus 4K USB-C

Others offer better value, but this is a great choice if you’re after a compact and stylish 4K monitor

Eizo FlexScan EV2740X

This top-quality panel is backed with every feature you’ll need and the best warranty around

HP Series 5 Pro 527pm

It may seem overpriced in this company, but you’re rewarded with rich colours and excellent video skills

Iiyama ProLite XUB2797QSNP-B1

Yet another great-value monitor from Iiyama and one that begs the question: why pay more?

MSI Pro MP275QPDG

Cheap enough that you can buy two – and daisy-chain them – for a fantastic setup, but colours needs tweaking

Philips 27B2G5601

A perfectly good monitor with nice extras, but it’s made to look overpriced by several of its rivals

Sharp MultiSync EA272U

A high-quality panel supported by a solid and flexible stand, all backed up by remote management

ViewSonic ColorPro VP2788-5K

This 5K Thunderbolt monitor packs OLED-like intensity and amazing connectivity – for a price

Asus ZenScreen Smart Monitor MS27UC

An intriguing choice for hybrid workers and students, even if image quality can’t match the best

BenQ DesignVue PD2730S

If you’ll exploit its quality and its advanced features, this 5K panel is well worth the hefty investment

Acer SH322QU Abmiphux

We can’t criticise the price, but the low pixel density and limited features are hard to ignore

AOC Graphic Pro U32U3CV

A couple of rough edges, but this great-value 4K monitor delivers excellent colour coverage

HP P34hc G4 Curved Monitor

A high-quality panel, but this monitor shows its age when it comes to features – most notably a lack of networking

MSI Modern MD342CQPW

Arguably the best-value screen on test, with a high-quality panel and all the features most people need

Philips 34B2U6603CH

This Thunderbolt 4 monitor is an excellent choice for anyone on video calls all day, justifying its price

ViewSonic VG3457CV

If you’re stuck on video calls all day then consider this high-quality monitor, but it has its frustrations

Iiyama ProLite XCB3497WQSNPH

Plots the sensible middle ground to produce a great-value monitor that includes everything most people need

How we test

Details of the exhaustive procedures we put each screen through

Quality test results

COLOUR TESTING Note that colour space testing was

View from the Labs

We live in a golden era of choice, but still take time to choose wisely

Protect your business with UTM appliances

SMBs are under constant attack, but unified threat management security devices can provide a defence. Dave Mitchell explains what to look for

Barracuda SecureEdge

The flexible SecureEdge has a protection module for every occasion all wrapped up in one cloud management portal

DrayTek Vigor C510ax

The ideal security router for small businesses and remote offices, with unbeatable WAN redundancy features

WatchGuard Firebox T85-PoE

A powerful desktop security appliance offering tough security measures for SMBs and remote offices

Zyxel USG Flex 50HP

This top-value device delivers heaps of protection features plus unified on-premises and cloud management

Draytek VigorAP 905

A great choice for SMBs that want self-healing wireless mesh networks and top features at a very low price

Synology DiskStation DS925+

An affordable and flexible small business NAS with superb data protection features

Preparing for a network failure

It’s a fact of computing life that things go wrong. Steve Cassidy explores the measures you can take to reduce recovery times when the Bad Thing happens

“Every good intention appears to have ten bad outcomes in the modern computing world”

While Apple deserves applause for embracing the third dimension across all its products, its virtualisation missteps are cause for concern

“Somehow big tech gets a free pass in matters of ambiguity and blatant arse-covering”

As we shine a light on why small hard drives tempted Hercules towards infidelity, ask yourself: how many iPads are too many for one family?

“In uncertain times, clarity and accuracy aren’t luxuries, but obligations”

Some AI companies are using the complexity of law as an excuse for their actions, but fundamentally theft is theft – and that applies to SMEs, too

“Right here, right now, we’ve got to use what we’ve got, no matter how imperfect”

Is there a definitive method of dealing with the SMS attack threat? If you’re a Google Android user the latest version might just be it

“A tour of the features common in top-spec storage platforms is enough to induce confusion”

Storage synchronisation plays a vital role in today’s small business, yet it’s often misunderstood and mis-implemented. Here’s how to do it right

Amstrad PCW 8256

David Crookes takes a look at the first entry in Amstrad’s – and Britain’s – biggest-selling computer series from the 1980s