The quality of the display monitor that you use on your trading computer can have a direct bearing on how efficiently you go about your trading activities.
It’s a simple fact: as a trader, you’re going to log quite a few hours in front of your computer screen. Therefore, it’s important to choose a setup that functions well and that allows you to clearly view charts and tickers.
Here, we’ll delve into what you should look for in a trading monitor setup, including our top picks.
Trading Monitor Setup Myths
Before we get started, let’s bust a few myths about monitors.
Myth #1: Monitors Don’t Matter
Some traders think that a monitor is a monitor, and it really doesn’t have an impact on your trading. However, this is somewhat short-sighted (pun intended).
Trading with a bad monitor can be tiresome. Just imagine peering and straining your eyes for hours, trying to view fuzzy charts and texts.
Before long, you’ll be suffering from serious eye strain, which will make you feel terrible. Not only will your health suffer, but it could affect your decision making capabilities.
Because of this, most traders gravitate toward newer-generation LCD monitors that feature great displays, better and more reliable image quality, and much lower heat than the tube-based monitors of yesteryear.
Myth #2: You Can Cut Corners
One of the biggest mistakes that traders make with monitors is going halfway with with high-end products. For example, if you have a high end PCI video card and pair it up with a poor quality LCD monitor, you won’t have great results.
Generally, expensive gadgets are best with expensive machine. In the world of tech, expensive and cheap are not good bedfellows.
Having said that, let’s get to the reason you’re here!
StockToTrade’s 6 Best Monitors for Trading
As a trader, it’s important to choose a monitor that strikes the right balance between image quality, contrast ratios, responsiveness, and cost. Here are our top picks:
1.) Samsung CHG90 Series 49″ Curved Gaming Monitor
Why it works: The curved panel allows you to see the entire screen easily. No matter how complex the chart or how tiny the numbers, everything can spread out right before you in billions (yes, billions) of shades of color, thanks to the Quantum Dot color technology.
Where to Buy It: Amazon.com
This monitor features a very fast 1ms MPRT (motion picture response time) as well as a fast refresh rate, so that you can keep track of stocks by the second without any motion blur on the screen.
2.) Samsung CF791 Series 34-Inch Curved Widescreen Monitor
What it is: A generously sized 34-inch widescreen monitor with a deeper than average curve.
Why it works: A 3000:1 contrast ratio allows for deep blacks, which means you’ll be able to see trading charts in great detail.
Where to Buy It: Amazon.com
The 100hz screen refresh rate means minimal stutter, and a 4ms response time means that the motion blur is minimal.
The screen resolution of 3440×1440 is 2.5 times the pixel density of Full HD, so that means no matter what you’re looking at, it’s going to be extremely sharp.
Finally, one of the great benefits of this monitor is a PBP (“Picture by Picture”) function that lets you connect two different input sources using HDMI and DP without sacrificing the original image quality.
3.) LG 34UC98-W 34-Inch Curved Monitor
What it is: A 21:9 Curved UltraWide QHD IPS Monitor
Why it works: The curved shape of the screen means that you can see everything at once and in great detail.
Where to Buy It: Amazon.com
An on-screen control system allows you to control how you configure the screen, which lets you customize your workspace with ease. Split screen and display presets help keep you organized.
The design of this monitor is thoughtful, with ergonomic touches like an adjustable height and tilt so that you can set up your display at your optimal eye level.
4.) Dell P Series 42.51″ Screen LED-Lit Monitor
Image Source: Dell.com
What it is: An LED-lit monitor with a massive flat screen.
Why it works: Look at that thing, it’s amazing! 🙂 This is our pick for the best single monitor for trading. (Besides the 49″, but let’s face it, that’s not super affordable for everybody)
Where to Buy It: Amazon.com
Within one setup you can replicate a four-monitor setting, as there are four inputs allowing for a single screen with a multi-display. You can easily rearrange or zoom to any of them, too.
The Ultra HD 4k display is beautiful with crisp detail, and nothing to break up your view. The colors stay consistent across the wide angle, too, letting you see clearly up to 178 degrees, which is impressive if you want to show your friends your latest chart pattern.
A matte finish and low reflectie rate means that this screen is easy on the eyes, so you won’t experience strain when logging long trading and research sessions!
5.) A Pair of Dell UltraSharp U2412M Monitors (24″)
What it is: The Dell UltraSharp U2412M is an IPS panel screen with LED backlighting; StocksToTrade suggests picking them up as a pair.
Why it works: By configuring two of these moderate-sized monitors, you can attain a massive 2400 x 1920 in portrait mode. With 167 million colors, the screen shows a beautiful, clear, crisp image.
Where to Buy It: Amazon.com
Each screen has built in pivot, adjust, and swivel function, so you can shimmy them into whatever alignment you like on your desktop.
The generous size of the screens combined means that you can configure your setup to create the “4 windows” look with two setups on each monitor.
A Pair of AOC i2367Fh 23-Inch Monitors
Why it works: At the time of this writing, each monitor is just about $130 each, making it StocksToTrade’s best budget monitor setup choice.
Where to Buy It: Amazon.com
The display is sleek and only 12mm thick; the ultra-narrow bezel on the edge measures just 2mm, making it ideal for a dual monitor setup.
The beautiful IPS panel allows for consistent image viewing from all positions, so that you can flick your eyes back and forth between screens without straining.
With a 250 cd/m2 Brightness and 5ms response time, the screen is fast to refresh and offers a beautiful visual for the price.
Note: Regardless of which monitor you pick, be sure to choose one that meets the StocksToTrade system requirements for the best results.
Conclusion
As a trader, your monitor setup is your gateway to trading. It’s important to choose a setup that allows high visibility and functionality so that you can easily see the tickers and charts in front of you on StocksToTrade Pro!
These monitors are all great picks for traders at all levels. Read through the choices above and let us know which one you like best!
What kind of trading monitor setup do you have?
Don’t be shy, let us know!