25 vs 27 Inch Monitor
A 27 inch monitor has 17% more screen area than a 25 inch. It is 1.7 in (4.4 cm) wider and 1.0 in (2.5 cm) taller.
How do the 25 and 27 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 27 inch is about two inches wider and about an inch taller than the 25 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.
At 1920 × 1080, the 25 inch looks clear and the 27 inch soft. At 2560 × 1440, the 25 inch looks crisp and the 27 inch clear. At 3840 × 2160, both look very sharp.
Both need the same Windows scaling at every resolution in the table.
How far should you sit from each?
Sit 29.9 in76.0 cm to 40.7 in103.3 cm from the 25 inch, and 32.3 in82.1 cm to 43.9 in111.5 cm from the 27 inch. In that range the screen fills 30 to 40 degrees of your view.
At 24 in61 cm, the 25 inch feels wide while the 27 inch feels very wide. At 32 in81 cm, the 25 inch feels ideal while the 27 inch feels wide. Only the 25 inch reaches ideal within the table.
How wide is a dual 25 or 27 inch setup?
Two 25 inch screens side by side span 43.6 in (110.7 cm) of glass, and two 27 inch screens span 47.1 in (119.5 cm). Add both frames from the maker's spec sheet before you measure your desk.
From 24 in (61 cm), the 25 inch pair fills 84° of your view and the 27 inch pair 89°. Angle both screens in toward you so the outer edges face your eyes.
Two 25 inch screens are a little wider than one 45 inch ultrawide, with a frame down the middle. Two 27 inch screens are about as wide as one 49 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 25 and 27 inch monitors measure?
We list three 25 inch models, from Alienware and ViewSonic, and four at 27 inch, from Dell. No brand appears at both sizes in our table.
The lightest 25 inch is the ViewSonic XG2536 at 7.7 lb3.5 kg, and the lightest 27 inch is the Dell SE2726H at 7.96 lb3.6 kg. Off their stands, the thinnest are the ViewSonic XG2536 at 2.3 in5.8 cm and the Dell SE2726H at 1.9 in4.9 cm. An arm rated for 11 lb5.0 kg or more holds any of them, the Dell S2725QS included.
Desk depth on their stands runs 8.1 to 9.6 in20.6 to 24.4 cm for the 25 inch and 7.6 to 7.9 in19.2 to 20.0 cm for the 27 inch. They use two VESA patterns between them, so check the pattern before you buy an arm.
Shop 25 and 27 inch monitors
Affiliate linksMore questions about 25 and 27 inch monitors
Is upgrading from a 25 to a 27 inch monitor worth it?
You get 17% 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 27 inch too big for a desk?
Not if you can sit 32.3 in (82.1 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 25 or 27 inch monitor be 1440p or 4K?
At 1440 pixels tall, the 25 inch gives 117 PPI and the 27 inch gives 109 PPI. 4K looks sharper on both, but needs 150% scaling or more on Windows.
How much desk width does each need?
The 25 inch screen is 21.8 in (55.3 cm) wide and the 27 inch is 23.5 in (59.8 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.