These are the 5 best computer monitors for your home or office

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships so we may get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

People use their computers for a variety of reasons, from work to social media to watching videos to gaming. Depending on why and how often you stare at your computer screen, investing in a new monitor could be money well spent.

Of course, there are so many options, and if you're not well-versed in tech talk, it's easy to get confused by resolution, screen types, sizes, and other specs. Plus, with prices ranging from the low hundreds to the thousands, you want to try to choose the right monitor for both your price range and your needs.

That's why we did the research for you and came up with our top five computer monitors. We stuck to models less than $1,000, figuring that the average user won't want to (and doesn't need to) spend beyond that. Zoom in and see which one might be perfect for your desk:

Best bet for your buck

With a comfortable 24-inch screen size, this HD monitor has a 1920x1080 resolution, and is an excellent all-around monitor to ensure a solid screen experience. You won't get a lot of bells and whistles here or an adjustable screen height (thought it does tilt), but you will get a bright picture, vivid colors, and a respectable 5ms response time, which is more than ample for moving images and graphics that don't blur or ghost.

Another bright spot? Its eco-friendly power-saving setting will help keep energy costs down, and extend the life of the monitor.

Acer G246HL 24-Inch Screen LED-Lit Monitor, $129.99, available at Amazon.

Best for budget-conscious gamers

If you love the fast-paced action of video games, you want a monitor that can keep up. This BenQ model offers a remarkable 1ms response time, which pretty much guarantees that you won't have any lag.

Another cool feature, important for video games with dark scenes, is that the screen automatically adjusts its brightness so that you can see all of the important details to defeat your enemies. And, if you tend to take your gaming to the extreme, you'll appreciate the ZeroFlicker Technology that helps reduce eye fatigue for those epic hours-long tournaments.

Finally, the dual HDMI ports help you keep your other devices connected.

BenQ RL2755HM 27 inch Console Gaming Monitor, $259, available  at Amazon.

Best for general purpose

If you're willing to work with a higher price point, this very well-rated Dell monitor offers a 2560x1440 resolution. Although it's a 27" screen, the ultra-thin bezel makes the screen seem even bigger. If you plan to have multi-monitor set up, that's a feature you'll really appreciate.

The monitor pivots 90 degrees clockwise or counter-clockwise as well, which is helpful for coding and designing. If you're looking for a mid-range monitor with some nice features and a superior viewing experience, it's a hard pick to beat.

Dell UltraSharp U2715H 27-Inch Screen LED-Lit Monitor, $463.40, available at Amazon.