Before purchasing a monitor or laptop for trading purposes, a necessary factor traders ponder upon is screen size.
Having the correct screen size for trading could give you deeper insight into the market, save time, and allow you to see all necessary information simultaneously.
In trading, knowledge is power. The information you have at any given minute can determine your ability to respond to events and make all the difference between success and failure.
But is there one perfect screen size for trading? As with everything, it depends on what you are looking for, and here’s why.
The Most Important Factors When Selecting The Ideal Screen Size
Selecting the best monitors for trading largely depends on two main factors: the resolution and physical size of the screen.
1. Physical Size
The importance of the physical size of a screen can easily be understood because anyone can easily imagine what a 24 or 32-inch screen would look like on a desk.
If you are dealing with many numbers like prices, numerical results from technical indicators, and order flow numbers, consider a large monitor ranging from 14 inches to 34 inches.
In essence, the best monitor size allows you to view information quickly and clearly, especially when making quick decisions.
2. Resolution
Compared to physical size, it is more challenging to imagine what a difference a resolution would make. Many traders, especially those new to the market, need to learn what resolution is and know that it is just as important as other features of trading monitors.
So, What Is Screen Resolution?
Screen resolution refers to the number of pixels a monitor is able to show. A pixel is essentially a tiny dot of light, screens use pixels to produce the image you see on your screen, so a screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 means that the screen can display 1,920 pixels horizontally and 1,080 pixels vertically, this gives you a total pixel count of 2,073,600 pixels.
The main difference between a normal monitor and a trading monitor is the quality of its resolution or image quality.
This is because a trader spends long hours staring at the screen to pick out key details and absorb information to avoid making mistakes in markets like Forex and the stock market.
Benefits Of High-Resolution Screens
There are several reasons why traders should invest in high-resolution monitors:
1.) It Makes It Easier To See Details
The higher the resolution of your monitor, the easier it is to see candlesticks, sidebars, and other necessary figures for trading.
Images displayed on a higher resolution screen also appear smoother, sharper, and more detailed.
If you have two screens of the same size and one has more pixels than the other (I.e., it is a higher resolution).
The pixels on the higher resolution screen need to be smaller to fit them into the same physical size, this means that the images displayed on the higher res screen will look smoother or more detailed.
It reduces the need for zooming and scrolling because you can easily fit more charts and programs on your screen. It also protects eye health since you won’t need to strain to see anything on your screen.
2. More Screen Space
For instance, if you are working with an Excel spreadsheet with several rows and columns, it would easily take up all the screen space of a 1920 x 1080 monitor. This wouldn’t be productive or efficient if you had to look at a lot of information simultaneously.
You would have to constantly minimize one program to view the other, which can get confusing and frustrating after a while.
However, a monitor with a better resolution, like a 3480 x 2160, you will get a better user experience and a lot of screen space to work with.
You can have different services like Gmail and Yahoo running at the same time along with your trading platform and be able to move between these different programs smoothly.
Using UltraWide Monitors
Ultrawide monitors or screens are becoming fairly common for several reasons. These monitors tend to be wider than a normal widescreen and have different screen resolutions.
These monitors have an aspect ratio of 21:9 which is significantly larger than a traditional monitor or even a widescreen monitor.
For context, a regular widescreen monitor has a resolution of 1920 x 1080, which equates to a 16:9 ratio.
These types of monitors are gradually becoming favored among traders mainly due to their extra screen space and aesthetics.
With their extensive and usually curved design, ultrawides have a slightly futuristic look, making your desk look impressive.
In addition, the wider monitor means more pixels to display more programs which is useful for traders who have to make successful trading decisions.
So, for those who do not have the budget to get multiple monitors, getting a single ultrawide monitor could be a good way to save cost, save desk space and still increase the information you can see at once.
But ultrawide screens may not be the best choice for everyone. For one, they are more expensive than normal monitors or widescreens and cost $1000 or above.
If you want to get multiple ultrawides, it can lead to issues if you want to place them on the same desk unless you find a way to match the curves of the screens or stack them together. But this will take away one of the main advantages of ultrawides: its aesthetics.
Another major drawback of ultrawide screens is their pixel density. Most of these screens have a pixel pitch similar to a regular 21.5 inch widescreen which is not really good considering that it is supposed to be the better option.
Alternatives To Ultrawide Screens
Since ultrawides are not the most cost-effective, an alternative would be to go for two 21.5” 1920 x 1080 widescreens.
These two would still be relatively cheaper than an ultrawide screen and give you a total resolution of 3840 x 1080 which is a lot of usable space.
Buying three of these 21.5 inch screens will still cost less than a 29 inch ultrawide with a combined resolution of 5760 x1080, giving you 125% more space than a 29 inch ultrawide.
Purchasing two or more 27 inch OHD ( Quad high-definition) is also a good alternative to the ultrawide screen.
Buying two or even three of these may be slightly cheaper or the same price as an ultrawide while offering 123% more screen space.
Final Thoughts On Screen Sizes
When it comes to trading, purchasing good monitors is definitely one of the best investments you could possibly make.
But before making this all important purchase, you need to ask some crucial questions.
- Are you going to be trading with multiple time frames?
- Do you have the budget to purchase multiple screens?
- And if you do, how much do you actually need to display all necessary information comfortably?
The number and type of screens you have can either make your workspace comfortable and productive or overwhelming, which is the last thing you would want if you want to have successful trading days.
The most common options for traders are 40-inch or 43-inch 4K screens because they do not require any scaling with enough screen space for multiple programs.
However, using such a big screen can be a bit overwhelming for some, especially when they already have numerous smaller screens. In this case, it is preferable to go for screens around 27 inches or lower with good screen resolution.
If you want even more space for your programs, consider 25-inch or 27-inch QHD screens. This comes with a high-quality resolution for your charts and spreadsheets.
