22 vs 24 Inch Monitor
A 24 inch monitor has 19% more screen area than a 22 inch. It is 1.7 in (4.4 cm) wider and 1.0 in (2.5 cm) taller.
How do the 22 and 24 inch screens compare?
Screen sizes only. Frames and stands add a little, and you can see them on each size page.
On a desk, the 24 inch is about two inches wider and about an inch taller than the 22 inch. In screen area, that is a clear step up.
Which is sharper at the same resolution?
The same pixels look sharper on the smaller screen.
The percentage is the Windows scaling each needs for readable text.
Both look clear at 1920 × 1080, crisp at 2560 × 1440 and very sharp at 3840 × 2160. Neither screen moves into a different band at any resolution, so the gap is small in practice.
Windows scaling changes only at 2560 × 1440, from 150% on the 22 inch to 125% on the 24 inch.
How far should you sit from each?
Sit 26.3 in66.9 cm to 35.8 in90.9 cm from the 22 inch, and 28.7 in73.0 cm to 39.0 in99.1 cm from the 24 inch. In that range the screen fills 30 to 40 degrees of your view.
At 28 in71 cm, the 22 inch feels ideal while the 24 inch feels wide. Elsewhere in the table they feel the same.
How wide is a dual 22 or 24 inch setup?
Two 22 inch screens side by side span 38.3 in (97.4 cm) of glass, and two 24 inch screens span 41.8 in (106.3 cm). Add both frames from the maker's spec sheet before you measure your desk.
From 24 in (61 cm), the 22 inch pair fills 77° of your view and the 24 inch pair 82°. Angle both screens in toward you so the outer edges face your eyes.
Two 22 inch screens are a little narrower than one 45 inch ultrawide, with a frame down the middle. Two 24 inch screens are about as wide as one 45 inch ultrawide, with a frame down the middle.
Which should you buy?
It depends on your desk and what you do. These picks follow the numbers above.
What do real 22 and 24 inch monitors measure?
We list five 22 inch models, from Dell and ViewSonic, and eight at 24 inch, from Dell, AOC and ViewSonic. Dell and ViewSonic make both sizes here, so you can stay with one maker.
The lightest 22 inch is the Dell E2226H at 4.83 lb2.2 kg, and the lightest 24 inch is the AOC 24G50F at 4.96 lb2.2 kg. Off their stands, the thinnest are the Dell SE2225HM at 1.8 in4.5 cm and the AOC 24G50F at 1.4 in3.6 cm. An arm rated for 8 lb3.6 kg or more holds any of them, the Dell U2424H included.
Desk depth on their stands runs 6.7 to 9.0 in17.1 to 23.0 cm for the 22 inch and 6.7 to 7.6 in17.1 to 19.3 cm for the 24 inch. Every model at both sizes uses 100 x 100 mm VESA, so one arm fits either.
Shop 22 and 24 inch monitors
Affiliate linksMore questions about 22 and 24 inch monitors
Is upgrading from a 22 to a 24 inch monitor worth it?
You get 19% more screen area. At the same resolution you see the same content, only bigger. For more room for windows, pair the bigger screen with more pixels.
Is 24 inch too big for a desk?
Not if you can sit 28.7 in (73.0 cm) or more from it. Closer than that, the screen fills more than 40° of your view and you turn your head to see the edges.
Should a 22 or 24 inch monitor be 1440p or 4K?
At 1440 pixels tall, the 22 inch gives 134 PPI and the 24 inch gives 122 PPI. 4K looks sharper on both, but needs 150% scaling or more on Windows.
How much desk width does each need?
The 22 inch screen is 19.2 in (48.7 cm) wide and the 24 inch is 20.9 in (53.1 cm). Add the frame width from the maker's spec sheet.
How we measure
Width and height come from each diagonal and aspect ratio. Pixel density is the pixel diagonal divided by the screen diagonal. The comfortable distance keeps the screen between 30 and 40 degrees of your view.