Monitors generally last so long that I often forget how significant an upgrade can be, but seeing some of the 4K displays and OLED panels in our recent reviews always proves they're among the best investments you can make. After all, you're looking at your PC monitor most of the time, so it's worth it.

• Back to school deals up to $900 off PCs and more at Dell

Sure enough, Dell is offering generous discounts on some of the best monitors we've tested, including a gaming variant in its Alienware subbrand. If you're thinking about a screen upgrade for your new semester, now's the right time to buy. Here's my curated collection of Dell monitors that are easy to recommend.

Does Dell make good monitors?

Dell has consistently impressed my team and me with each monitor that we've sampled — and in some cases permanently adopted — with accurate color representation on sharp panels with good contrast. Their construction is consistently above average, too, often with a toolless setup and included stands offering plenty of tilt and swivel adjustment options.

With its $200 saving, the 32 Plus 4K QD-OLED (S3225QC) stands out as the best deal, and we particularly praised its five-speaker array for delivering "some of the best audio you'll hear in a monitor or TV". Indeed, it includes a two-piece toolless stand for a straightforward setup and affordable access to a Quantum Dot OLED (QD-OLED) panel with "perfect" contrast.

One of the most important considerations is connectivity and whether your existing PCs and devices can connect to the monitor you buy. For example, the S3225QC offers a gorgeous panel, but it's limited to a single HDMI port and two USB-C ports — one of which supports DisplayPort 1.4 output — but there's nothing for a traditional full-sized DisplayPort cable.

The opposite side of that coin is the UltraSharp 27 4K (U2725QE) with its Thunderbolt Hub and two DisplayPort options, HDMI, alongside a positively huge array of USB-A and USB-C ports. For gamers, responsiveness matters more, and the Alienware AW3425DW dominates with a 240Hz refresh rate and a 0.03ms response time built into a 21:9 (3440 x 1440) panel.

Overall, our own testing proved that Dell monitors are great picks for practically anyone. Nevertheless, you should always consider your needs, including which display size best fits your desk setup (or whether you'll use a mounting arm over the included stands). Right now, availability is healthy at Dell's US store, with fast delivery times.

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I made the switch to a full-time OLED monitor a few months ago, and it's been a welcome upgrade on my desk for gaming and for work.

Apparently, I'm far from the only one who decided to make this upgrade.

The latest market research from TrendForce shows that the OLED monitor market picked up momentum as it moved through the second quarter of 2026.

In fact, TrendForce saw global OLED monitor shipments rise by a healthy 26.1% in Q2 2026 compared to Q2 2025. Year over year, shipments are up a whopping 98%. No, I don't think the OLED display market is in any jeopardy.

TrendForce posits that the OLED market's growth in Q2 2026 was largely driven by the launch of new models, especially those that measure 27 inches (the industry's most popular size).

This market segment includes the awesome Alienware AW2726DM I reviewed in May, which delivers some high-end features and a beautiful picture at a very affordable price.

Another market growth factor TrendForce includes is China's 618 shopping day. It's akin to the Black Friday/Cyber Monday events on this side of the Pacific, when countless people make tech upgrades.

ASUS remains at the top of the OLED industry with a healthy 23.1% market share. It notably launched the 34-inch ultrawide ROG Strix XG34WCDMS recently, which is currently being tested here in my office.

Samsung remains in second place with 13.1% market share, with MSI and AOC coming in at number three and four with 12.8% and 8.6% market share, respectively.

LG remains in last place out of the big brands with 8.4% market share, and I wouldn't be surprised to see that number drop next quarter as the company deals with fallout from its monitors installing unwanted adware on Windows 11 PCs.

The hidden driver behind the rise in OLED monitor sales

The TrendForce report suggests that improved OLED panel supply chains have helped smaller brands compete with the big names I mentioned above, but I suspect there's another reason driving monitor sales that TrendForce doesn't mention.

The ongoing RAM and storage crisis doesn't seem to have any end in sight. The rosiest of estimates puts a market correction towards the end of 2027, but more realistic estimates are pushing into the 2030s, barring some sort of AI bubble collapse.

The shortage of DRAM and NAND chips is affecting other hardware prices as well, including GPUs. When your next PC upgrade is looking, at best, like a motherboard and CPU swap, many enthusiasts are looking elsewhere for a meaningful (and not overpriced) upgrade path.

That's where OLED monitors come into play in a big way. The difference between OLED and more traditional panels like IPS or VA is incredible. Dark colors are actually dark, with no grey, washed-out haze. Colors seem real, displayed as they should be.

The recent drop in OLED prices, highlighted by the $350 Alienware AW2726DM monitor I reviewed, is making it a perfect time to swap monitors. And when other PC upgrades are off the table, OLED really starts to make sense.

Do you agree that sky-high PC component prices are forcing people to look at other upgrade avenues? Do you think OLED sales will level out in the next quarter as the market becomes more saturated? Let me know in the comments section below!

(via PCGamer)

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