How to Determine the Viewable Size of a Monitor

Computer monitors are mainly of two types: cathode ray tube (CRT) and liquid crystal display (LCD). In an LCD monitor, the monitor size and the viewable size are similar, but they may differ significantly in a CRT monitor. For example, a 17-inch CRT monitor has a viewable size of approximately 16 inches, but the viewable size of a 17-inch LCD monitor is close to 17 inches. Here's how to determine the viewable size of a monitor:

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Measure the diagonal length of the monitor screen (excluding the outer box to which the screen is fixed). This is the viewable size of the monitor.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a tape measure marked in inches to measure the viewable size of a monitor.
• Advertisements may be ambiguous. They often mention the monitor size or the nominal size; these are not the same as the viewable size.
• Avoid monitors that have a significantly lower viewable size than monitor size.