Whether you’re a professional video editor working from home or want to experience the best PC games at their finest, the best monitors can have a transformative effect for both work and play.

The best monitors you can currently buy will make every computing task you tackle in your daily routine that little bit more pleasurable and hassle-free.

1.Dell SE2719HR

The best monitor for general use

For a monitor that's great for everyday use and won't cost an arm and a leg, the Dell SE2719HR is our pick. Sometimes you just need a reliable, inexpensive display, and based on user reviews, this is a great one to get. The 27-inch Dell boasts an IPS panel, so the display will look great from any angle. While it won't match the resolution of a 4K monitor, the display is still sharp and clear, with vibrant color and deep black levels. With only HDMI and VGA inputs, it's not ideal for gaming (DisplayPort is better suited to the higher frame rates of a GPU), but most any other use should be ably handled by the 27-inch display, thanks to its minimal lag times and 75Hz refresh rate.

An adjustable stand lets you set the angle to your comfort and liking, while the bezels around the display are surprisingly slim. And with a relatively small stand, the footprint of the monitor is compact enough that you won't have to give up much of your desk space. Heck, with the sleek design and affordable price, you just might pick up two for a dual-screen workspace. For our favorite monitor in terms of function and value, the Dell SE2719HR is the best monitor on our list.

2.Apple Studio Display

The best monitor for MacBook owners

The 27-inch Studio Display ($1,599) is a great 5K monitor, one that delivers a lot of the value of Apple's $5,000 Pro Display XDR in a much more affordable (though hardly cheap) package.

Like the Pro Display XDR, the Studio Display offers useful features for creative professionals, including a range of reference modes and P3 wide color gamut support. But it also has unique features that any Mac user can enjoy, like a killer (for a monitor) six-speaker sound system and a 12MP ultrawide camera that supports Apple's Center Stage feature, courtesy of an onboard A13 Bionic chip.

With its ultrawide camera, fantastic speaker setup and gorgeous 27-inch 5K screen, this is easily one of the best monitors for MacBook Pro owners seeking an external display.

3.Samsung Odyssey G9

The best when you absolutely, positively, need the biggest curved monitor possible

Samsung's curved 49-inch Odyssey G9 Gaming Monitor is a strong overall performer, but its unwieldy design and sky-high price do not make it ideal for everyone.

Boasting top-notch functionality and impressive performance along every metric, the Odyssey G9 is worthy of serious consideration from anyone who can make full use of it. So if you have a high-end graphics card, a spare $1,700 or so, an excess of desk space (or a sizable hunk of wall), a stuffed-to-bursting game library you want to apply a unique (and not always completely complementary) visual spin to, and not much desire to use the monitor for everything else, you probably won’t be disappointed. Plus the next generation of the Odyssey G9 Neo, which replaced the original G9, is tipped to be the world's first 8K ultrawide curved monitor. Truly astonishing if it comes to fruition.