If you want to get things done with precision, slick ergonomics and outstanding connectivity, try the new HP Series 7 Pro 727pm for size. It's a 27-inch 4K monitor with fantastic connectivity, plus a few extra useful frills that help it rank among the best business monitors.

The main attraction is a 27-inch 4K LCD panel using LG's IPS Black technology for heightened contrast. To that HP has added a suite of features aimed at maximising utility. That starts with truly comprehensive connectivity, including both Thunderbolt 4 and DisplayPort in and out, monitor daisy chaining, a KVM switch, and full hub functionality with ethernet.

You also get a pop-out 5MP webcam with Windows Hello and AI head tracking capability. In productivity and connectivity terms, this monitor really has all your bases covered. However, it's slightly less impressive from a multimedia perspective.

HDR support is limited to DisplayHDR 400 and this monitor only runs at 60Hz. But those are expected limitations for this class of display, even if higher refresh rates of 120Hz and beyond are arguably becoming more mainstream and do have benefits beyond just gaming.

HP Series 7 Pro 727pm: Design & features

• Slick, slim-bezel design
• Outstanding connectivity
• Above-average integrated webcam

The HP Series 7 Pro 727pm conforms to HP's latest premium productivity design language. So, it's clean, modern and minimalist. The slim and symmetrical bezels on all four sides of the display make for a contemporary looking and compact monitor. You won't need a huge amount of desktop space to accommodate this 27-inch monitor. It's also nicely engineered with a metal stand and base that offers a full range of adjustment and thus excellent ergonomics.

The plentiful range of ports on the rear are likewise especially easy to access, with all ports located on the chassis back panel with cables and connectors exiting straight out the back as opposed to directly downwards. That includes the power cable, which slots neatly into the rear with neat flush-fitting attachment.

You can also plug a standard kettle-style power cable into the rear, but the bundled connector with its flush attachment is a nice touch and speaks to the attention to detail to which HP has gone with this display. Speaking of those connections, there's quite the array of them on the rear. You'll find two Thunderbolt 4 ports, one input with 100W PD and one output with 15W PD, another USB-C in, USB-C out, DisplayPort in and out, HDMI, ethernet and two USB-A out.

That little collection means you have support for everything from single-cable laptop connectivity to sharing this monitor across two PCs or Macs via the integrated KVM switch, plus monitor daisy chaining that allows you to run a dual-display setup via just one cable. It really is a comprehensive setup.

To that you can add the integrated 5MP webcam. It pops out of the top bezel manually, which means it can be hidden away for totally reliable security and offers both Windows Hello support for quick and secure Windows logins and AI head tracking.

The latter works better than some competing cameras with similar functionality, tracking you accurately as you move around the camera frame. Admittedly, the tracking is a little slow and laggy, but it does offer you a little more freedom of movement than a conventional fully static webcam.

What's more, the image quality is a clear step above both most integrated monitor webcams and those typically found in laptops. In other words, you'll very likely benefit from the HP Series 7 Pro 727pm's webcam almost regardless of what laptop you're currently using.

HP Series 7 Pro 727pm: Performance

• Crisp, precise 4K visuals
• IPS Black tech isn't that impressive
• Limited HDR support

In theory, the main visual attraction of the HP Series 7 Pro 727pm is its 27-inch panel. Partly that's because it offers a full 4K resolution of 3,840 by 2,160 pixels. Sure enough, that translates into excellent pixel density of 163DPI.

The result is really crisp, clean fonts and razer-sharp image detail. That applies to both Windows and MacOS, the latter being particularly good at making the most of this HP's pixel density when it comes to rendering really lovely looking fonts.

In practice, the other key element from an image quality perspective isn't quite so successful. HP has gone for LG's latest IPS Black panel tech. On paper, it offers all the usual benefits of IPS panel technology, including excellent colour accuracy, good viewing angles and fast response (in an LCD as opposed to OLED context) and adds increased contrast.

It's contrast where IPS is weakest versus VA panel technology, with most IPS panels coming in at 1,000 or 1,300 to one ratios. This IPS Black panel increases that to fully 2,000 to one. That's a big boost even if it's still well short of the 3,000 or 4,000 to one of most VA-equipped monitors, never mind the perfect per-pixel lighting and effectively infinite contrast of an OLED display.

Anyway, as we've found with all other IPS Black monitors, the subjective experience doesn't really match the on-paper advantages. For sure, this is a lovely 4K IPS monitor. It's vibrant, punchy and accurate. It just doesn't look obviously superior to other high-quality IPS monitors. As with all IPS panels, there's still a little light bleed and the contrast and black levels are subjectively very similar.

As for HDR performance, this monitor lacks local dimming and only offers HDR 400 certification, which is entry-level stuff. Ultimately, this isn't a true HDR monitor, but it can at least decode an HDR signal.

Elsewhere, the limitation to 60Hz is largely expected for this class of productivity rather than gaming monitor. But refresh is one area where this monitor ends up feeling a little dated in years to come. Once you've used a 120Hz-monitor as your daily driver, 60Hz panels like this do feel a tiny bit sluggish.

That said, the pixel response is zippy enough. HP has included four levels of pixel-accelerating overdrive in the OSD menu. The fastest setting really is pretty nippy and only suffers from a touch of overshoot. If you want to game on this monitor, you will actually get a pretty good experience, albeit it won't be a high-refresh experience.

HP Series 7 Pro 727pm: Final verdict

The new HP Series 7 Pro 727pm isn't cheap, especially not for a "mere" 60Hz 27-inch monitor using LCD as opposed to OLED technology. However, the 4K resolution makes for super crisp and precise visuals and lots of working space.

Admittedly, the supposedly next-gen IPS Black panel doesn't move the game on much, in subjective terms, compared with existing IPS screen technology. ANd the HDR support on offer is limited. But in terms of the clear productivity remit, this is a lovely monitor to use daily thanks to its vibrant, accurate visuals and excellent image detail.

But arguably the star of the show here is connectivity. HP has covered off just about every eventuality, with Thunderbolt 4, 100W charging, daisy chaining, a KVM switch, USB-C hub support, ethernet, the works—you name it, this monitor has it when it comes to connectivity.

The pop-out 5MP webcam is likewise a very welcome inclusion. Along with Windows Hello support, it sports AI-enabled head tracking that works better than many similar systems. It also offers much better image quality than most integrated webcams, be they in other competing monitors or in laptops.

All told, the HP Series 7 Pro 727pm offers a very strong productivity proposition. It's not the cheapest 4K 60Hz IPS panel out there. But if you're going to make use of a decent subsection of its feature set, it's definitely worth the extra cash over a screen with more basic connectivity and no webcam. Just don't go buying it expecting that IPS Black panel tech to be revolutionary.

For high-resolution displays, we've rounded up all the best 5K and 8K monitors.

For a brand that used to be unambiguously budget-orientated, AOC has come a long way. For proof, look no further than the new AOC U32U3CV. This is an extremely well specified 32-inch, 4K professional monitor.

Without giving away too much, too soon, its performance is also excellent. Happily, however, one legacy attribute AOC has retained is aggressive pricing. This is an awful, awful lot of monitor for your money. As the "Graphic Pro" branding implies, this monitor gives you a lot of the features and performance of much more expensive content-creation screens for a much more accessible price.

That starts with a high-spec 4K IPS panel which offers 98% coverage of the DCI-P3 gamut and Calman Ready support for rapid calibration. You also get HDR 400 certification and a USB-C hub with power delivery, KVM support and ethernet. For anyone looking for the best monitor for photo editing or the best video editing monitor, this is a strong contender for the price.

At the price point AOC is pitching the U32U3CV, it would look fairly appealing as a straight up 32-inch 4K IPS monitor. With the added professional features, it looks like a very strong proposition.

Of course, the spec list isn't absolutely comprehensive. There's no local dimming, for instance, and the refresh rate is only 60Hz. But you'd expect to pay at least twice the price for a 32-inch 4K display with high refresh of 144Hz-plus and full-array local dimming. So, that's not really a criticism.

AOC Graphic Pro U32U3CV: Design & features

• Outstanding feature set
• Great connectivity
• Patchy ergonomics

For the money, the AOC Graphic Pro U32U3CV gives you a remarkable amount of monitor. Along with the 32-inch 4K IPS panel, you get a nicely-engineered metal stand and slick, slim-bezel aesthetics. That includes comprehensive adjustability, with tilt, height, swivel and rotation into portrait mode.

Practicality is also boosted by a small collection of additional ports behind the left-hand bezel covering USB-A, USB-A with charging, USB-C and headphone. However, the ergonomics aren't flawless. The U32U3CV has an unusually large and wide stand base. It juts out quite a long way in front of the display as well as stretching across most of its width.

It certainly makes for good stability, but is surely overkill in that regard and eats pretty horribly into desktop space. It's hardly a deal breaker, but the stand base ergonomics are a notable misstep in what is otherwise a well-considered package.

As for connectivity, it's truly comprehensive. There's a full USB-C hub with 96W of power delivery and DP 1.4 Alt Mode, two HDMI 2.0 ports, and DisplayPort. Complementing the USB-C hub are four USB-A ports and ethernet. What's more, the display has full KVM switch capability, allowing you to share this monitor across two PCs or Macs.

As the HDMI 2.0 spec implies, however, it's worth noting that you are limited to 60Hz at 4K. This isn't a gaming monitor, so high refresh is not critical. However, 120Hz and above brings benefits beyond gaming and refresh is one of the few areas where this monitor could feel lacking in the long run.

Of course, this is a display designed for serious work and content creation in particular. To that end you get <2 DeltaE factory calibration and Calman Ready support for rapid hardware calibration. The U32U3CV's OSD menu is also comprehensive, offering a wide array of SDR gamut presets, including but not limited to sRGB, Adobe RGB, DCI-P3, Display-P3, and DCI-P3 D50, the latter being a version of wider P3 gamut with a D50 white point for printing.

AOC Graphic Pro U32U3CV: Performance

• Lovely 4K IPS panel
• Excellent calibration
• Comprehensive gamut support

If there's one aspect that really makes the AOC Graphic Pro U32U3CV stand out, it's out-of-the-box calibration. This monitor is really lovely. That applies across the multiple colour space presets, including sRGB, DCI-P3 and the rest. It's just a really beautiful IPS display which also benefits from the excellent pixel density offered by any 32-inch 4K panel.

It's punchy, too, and if anything the subjective experience exceeds the 400 nit specification. As that number implies, this is a VESA DisplayHDR 400 Certified monitor. That means it has entry-level HDR support, but lacks local dimming. In other words, it's not a true HDR monitor but can at least decode an HDR signal.

That said, it is also very nicely calibrated in HDR mode and offers multiple SDR clamps to various gamuts in the OSD, which can make it easier in terms of running this display in HDR mode all the time and not having to jump back and forth between SDR and HDR modes depending on content type.

Another relative limitation is the 60Hz refresh rate. Historically, high refresh hasn't been a clear part of the remit for a professional display like this. But that's arguably beginning to change and a higher refresh would make for a more responsive computing experience.

That said, the actual pixel response is just fine for this class of IPS monitor. AOC has included three levels of user-configurable pixel overdrive in the OSD and the fastest setting makes for reasonable blur reduction without introducing excessive overshoot or inverse ghosting. Long story short, it's unlikely you'd reject this monitor on the basis of pixel speed.

But really, it's the combination of broad colour coverage, excellent calibration and the 4K pixel grid that's the main appeal here. By those metrics, the AOC Graphic Pro U32U3CV punches well, well above its weight.

AOC Graphic Pro U32U3CV: Final verdict

True professional-grade monitors are and remain extremely expensive with price tags running into five figures. Where the AOC Graphic Pro U32U3CV aims is that difficult-to-define zone in between those exotic displays and generic productivity monitors.

Many such monitors attract a significant price premium. But not the AOC Graphic Pro U32U3CV. It's barely any more expensive than a basic 32-inch 4K monitor, but offers fantastic connectivity features as well as an lovely IPS panel that's at least as well calibrated, if not more so, than monitors at twice the price.

If the AOC Graphic Pro U32U3CV had either the connectivity features it offers, including USB-C and KVM support, or the elevated colour support and calibration, it would look like a good deal. With both attributes, it's an absolutely fantastic package for the price.

For high-resolution displays, we've rounded up all the best 5K and 8K monitors.

The importance of connectivity is such a given these days, it's normally hard for a monitor to stand out by that metric. But the new 34-inch ultrawide HP Series 7 Pro 734pm meets that challenge handily thanks to one of the most comprehensive features sets around, putting it immediately in the running among the best business monitors we’ve tested.

Highlights include Thunderbolt 4 in and out, an additional USB-C input, a multi-port USB hub, ethernet and more. Along with the explicit connectivity of physical ports, this monitor's 5MP pop-up webcam further adds to its connected functionality by enabling a great video conferencing experience.

The 34-inch widescreen form factor also makes for a great basic productivity proposition and the use of LG's IPS Black panel technology puts it at the cutting edge of LCD technology when it comes to inherent contrast and colour performance.

All that said, this is a very expensive display, especially for a 34-inch ultrawide model. That makes the relatively low 3,440 by 1,440 resolution and mediocre pixel density that comes with that a little hard to stomach. Likewise, the limited HDR support included is that much more conspicuous at this price point.

HP Series 7 Pro 734pm: Design & features

• Nicely engineered
• Fantastic connectivity
• Strong productivity package

HP's latest ultrawide productivity monitor, the HP Series 7 Pro 734pm, is very nicely put together. The stand base and vertical support are both made from robust alloy and the rest of the chassis is plastic but fairly high quality. Of course, that's the least you'd expect at this elevated price point.

With slim bezels on three sides and a mix of black and silver surface finishes, it's a tidy, reasonably slick device even if you probably wouldn't pick it purely on looks. More likely to swing it in your favour is the outstanding array of connectivity. For starters, you get both Thunderbolt 4 in and out, the former with fully 100W of power delivery for keeping a laptop charged.

There's also a further USB-C input with 65W of power delivery, plus a KVM switch, multiport USB hub and ethernet. That means you could actually share this monitor across two different laptops, keeping both charged and connecting them to a range of peripherals like keyboard, mouse and external storage, all hooked up to the display.

Oh, and you can also use those inputs to run two PCs fully in parallel thanks to split-screen capability, which includes HP's Device Bridge 2.0 for secure file sharing. For the record, HP Device Bridge 2.0 supports both PC and Mac.

Notably, all the ports including the power connector are located within easy reach on the rear of the chassis. You don't have to reach or peer under the lower bezel to connect any cables and the manner in which they all exit perpendicular to the rear of the chassis helps with cable management, too.

To that you can add a 5MP AI webcam. It pops out of the top bezel, which ensures full physical security and offers built-in AI functionality including face tracking and lighting adaptation.

As for the 34-inch LCD panel itself, it's the latest IPS Black technology from LG with enhanced contrast. However, it offers a pedestrian if conventional 3,440 by 1,440 native resolution, which makes for unimpressive pixel density.

It also only meets VESA's DisplayHDR 400 standard, which means that it's not a true HDR display and doesn't support local dimming. Still, there's decent colour coverage at 98% of DCI-P3 gamut.

HP Series 7 Pro 734pm: Performance

• Punchy IPS panel
• Great webcam
• Low pixel density

The HP Series 7 Pro 734pm sports LG's cutting-edge IPS Black panel tech. On paper it offers much higher inherent contrast than competing IPS screens at 2,000:1. Anything from 1,000:1 up to 1,300:1 is more typical for IPS.

In practice, however, it's hard to see the difference in subjective terms. If you want really good inherent LCD contrast, VA panel tech offers up to 4,000:1 and a more noticeable upgrade in terms of black levels. Of course, OLED and its per-pixel lighting is the ultimate in contrast performance, but that's a whole different type of display.

Either way, IPS Black does make for very accurate colours, something which HP has capitalised on with a very nice factory calibration setup in sRGB mode. You can also choose from DCI-P3 and a range of other gamut presets or go with a user-defined solution.

Strictly speaking, this isn't a professional grade content creation monitor. But it is Pantone Validated and well enough set up for mainstream image and video editing workflows. The HDR 400 certification means there's no local dimming and indeed limited actual HDR support. But it does ensure 400 nits peak brightness and a very punchy over experience. This is a vibrant, pleasant display to use day-to-day.

The exception to that is the mediocre pixel density. The 3,440 by 1,440 native resolution stretched over the gently curved, 21:9 aspect, 34-inch LCD panel makes for a pixel density of just 109DPI. For context, a 32-inch 4K monitor comes in at about 140DPI, a 27-inch 4K screen at 165DPI.

The result of that lower pixel density includes slightly rough looking fonts and a very slightly pixelated look and feel compared to higher density displays. This is far from unique to the HP Series 7 Pro 734pm, it's the norm for most 34-inch ultrawide panels. But given the four-figure price tag in both the US and UK, that's a little hard to swallow.

Still, the 120Hz refresh and reasonably zippy pixel response, the latter adjustable via four levels of pixel overdrive, certainly make for a versatile display. This isn't a gaming monitor, for instance, but it will turn its hand to that task very well, indeed.

Another highlight is the 5MP AI-powered webcam. It's certainly a cut above the norm for integrated webcams. It offers sharp, clear image quality and good colours. The AI face tracking also works reasonably well, even if it's a little laggy.

Less impressive are the integrated speakers. They put out plenty of volume, but it's a pretty thin, unpleasant din and not even a decent substitute to good laptop speakers, let alone a full desktop audio solution.

HP Series 7 Pro 734pm: Final verdict

HP is asking a lot of money for this 34-inch ultrawide display. In return you get fantastic connectivity and productivity features. There's Thunderbolt 4 in and out, support for two laptops attached and charging at the same time, KVM functionality, split screen, file sharing, ethernet, the works.

The 34-inch widescreen form factor is also great for multi-tasking and generally getting things done, while the IPS Black panel technology makes for a great viewing experience in terms of colours and vibrancy, even if the heightened contrast compared with "conventional" IPS technology isn't exactly obvious.

The 5MP AI webcam also performs better than most integrated webcams and adds to the overall utility and connectedness of this monitor. The one really obvious shortcoming is the 3,440 by 1,440 resolution and resulting low pixel density.

That's very much the most common resolution for a 34-inch ultrawide panel. But at this price point, the low pixel density is pretty conspicuous, something an upgrade to the 5K2K resolution of 5,120 by 2,160 pixels would fix.

Normally, 5K2K wouldn't be in the mix, it's a fairly rare and premium option. But with a price tag into four figures in both the US and UK, you'd be justified to expect a premium experience. As it is, if you're OK with the pixel density, this is otherwise a really excellent productivity display and an exceptional feature set.

For high-resolution displays, we've rounded up all the best 5K and 8K monitors.

Multiple monitors or one very big screen. That's ultimately what your choice comes down to if you want the very best in multitasking display support. And it's very much the single-screen option of the two that the new Philips 49B2U6903CH delivers on a very large scale.

This is a 49-inch ultrawide model that offers essentially the same screen area and resolution as a pair of 27-inch 1440p panels. To that basic productivity proposition Philips has added high specification connectivity features including Thunderbolt 4 and a KVM switch and basic HDR capabilities. You also get an integrated pop-up 5MP webcam with Windows Hello and AI tracking support.

If that all sounds appealing, the catch is the price. At over four figures, both in the US and the UK, it's much more expensive than a pair of equivalent 27-inch 1440p panels. So, the question of whether the convenience and seamlessness of a single-screen solution trumps the obvious superior value of going with two screens. Let's find out how Phillips' latest model compares to the best ultrawide monitors on the market.

Philips 49B2U6903CH: Design & features

• No nonsense aesthetics
• Great productivity feature set
• High-spec webcam

The Philips 49B2U6903CH is unambiguously a productivity panel, that much is abundantly clear from the simple black aesthetic. RGB lighting and other gamer-centric flourishes definitely do not feature. Still, this is a mostly well-engineered display with a fantastic feature set.

The main negative from a design perspective is the stand. The stability of the panel itself on the stand isn't hugely reassuring, though that's not a huge issue in static use. What is more of a problem is the large size of the flat, solid stand base, which easts into desk space and isn't the most ergonomic solution to propping up a screen this big.

The other ergonomic issue you may or may not like is the location of the audio-out port and USB sockets on the side of the display. There's also USB connectivity on the rear, but if you run with an audio connection full time, it's a little unsightly sticking out of the side. Then again, it's easier to access when plugging in headphones.

Aside from the comprehensive connectivity including USB-C with a generous 100W of power delivery for single-cable laptop docking, Thunderbolt 4 support with daisy chaining, and full KVM functionality, one of the main attractions is the pop-up integrated 5MP webcam situated on the top bezel.

It definitely offers better image quality than most built-in monitor cams. It also supports AI tracking, the idea being that the camera tracks and follows you, removing the need to always sit perfectly centrally. In practice, it's very hit and miss to the point of routinely cutting your head off and being almost unusable. It's probably a software tweak away from being great. As it is, the AI tracking element is best ignored.

Philips 49B2U6903CH: Performance

• Nicely calibrated VA panel
• Epic desktop space
• Mediocre pixel density

The basic format of the Philips 49B2U6903CH isn't exactly novel. But the physical reality of a 49-inch curved monitor with a 32:9 aspect ratio is still very impressive. This is an awful lot of monitor.

The benefit for multitasking is obvious enough. Once you've got used to easily being able to run as many as four full application windows, side-by-side, going back to a standard 27-inch 16:9 monitor feels like a real injustice, it's just so constraining.

As for image quality, the biggest downside of this Philips is the pixel density. If you're familiar with 27-inch or 32-inch 4K monitors, the quality of fonts and image detail is a clear step down. However, for now there are no 32:9 aspect, 49-inch ultrawide monitors available with higher pixel density. So, if you favour this form factor, well, this is as good as it gets in terms of DPI.

Still, Philips has calibrated this monitor well, as indicated by the included calibration report showing an average DeltaE of just 0.88. In practice, that means the SDR colours look accurate and well balanced.

This is also a very punchy display, with a rated brightness of 450 nits SDR and 500 nits HDR. That's plenty for burning off even very bright ambient light conditions. What's more, the panel's SDR-calibration in HDR mode is bang-on, too. That means you can run this monitor in HDR mode all the time and with no need to switch between modes depending on content type.

That said, you do have to be realistic about the HDR capabilities of a display like this. There's no local dimming, let alone the per-pixel lighting of an OLED screen. Long story short, this isn't really an HDR-capable display, despite the VESA HDR400 certification. Indeed, VESA HDR400 pretty much tells you there's no real HDR capability, more support for HDR content rendered with correct colours, which is better than nothing.

Elsewhere, Philips quotes this monitor as being capable of 100Hz. However, in our testing it offered 120Hz and ran smoothly, so the quoted 100Hz may be an error.

Whatever, 120Hz is plenty for desktop responsiveness and smoothness. To be frank, even for a spot of gaming it's more than enough given the high resolution and likely frame rates as a consequence. Not that this is a gaming monitor, but it will do that job on the side just fine.

Philips 49B2U6903CH: Final verdict

From a productivity perspective, this is a very fine display tool. The huge workspace and outstanding connectivity see to that, while the webcam adds a further productivity flourish even if the AI tracking doesn't really work.

The image quality is likewise all you could ask for from this type of display. It's punchy, it's accurate, it's well calibrated, it's plenty quick enough. Sure, the HDR support is limited. But the real downside for productivity is that mediocre pixel density. For whatever reason, none of the very small number of actual LCD panel makers are currently offering a high density panel in this form factor. You can't blame Philips for that.

What you could take Philips to task over is the price. For sure, a monitor this size with the features it offers is never going to be cheap. But it's more expensive than some OLED 49-inch gaming panels with the same form factor, which doesn't really make sense. All that said, even at this high price, this is still an appealing proposition and a decent long-term investment.

For more content creation displays, we tested the best business monitors and the best monitors for a dual-screen setup.