I tested cheap monitors for the office - this $80 MSI is one of the few I'd actually recommend

## Summary
Close Home Home & Office I tested cheap monitors for the office - this $80 MSI is one of the few I'd actually recommend MSI's Pro MP243W 24-inch monitor pairs well with other budget laptops for an affordable home workstation. ZDNET RECOMMENDS MSI Pro MP243W 24-inch monitor This $84 monitor is a solid pick for budget workspaces. details View at Amazon Specs and build Physically, the Pro MP243W has a minimal footprint and is rather lightweight at 6.8 pounds. This 24-inch monitor could be a great companion for the Neo, doubling the Neo's small 13-inch screen for less than $100 and creating a dual-screen home workstation in the process. ZDNET's buying advice MSI's Pro MP243W is a solid 24-inch budget monitor that gets the job done for $84 -- a price you can't argue with.

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I tested cheap monitors for the office - this $80 MSI is one of the few I'd actually recommend
MSI's Pro MP243W 24-inch monitor pairs well with other budget laptops for an affordable home workstation.
Written by
Kyle Kucharski,
Editor
Editor
April 3, 2026 at 9:27 a.m. PT
MSI Pro MP243W 24-inch monitor
3
/ 5
Good
pros and cons
Pros
Incredibly affordable
Lightweight, plug-and-play
Thin bezels, compact frame
144Hz, adaptive-sync
Cons
Visual quality for everyday use
300 nits of brightness
Built-in speakers are an afterthought
$84.99 at Amazon
$84.99 at Best Buy
$89.99 at B&H Photo-Video
more buying choices
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As high-end monitors reach for the stars with QD-OLED technology and
1,040Hz refresh rates
, products on the opposite end of the spectrum can offer better baseline value for less than a hundred bucks.
Case in point:
MSI's Pro MP243W
, a 24-inch monitor for just $84. Budget monitors in 2026 look a whole lot better than they did a few years ago, and after going hands-on with this one, I found it to be a good value for students, kids, and budget-conscious users who use their computers for everyday tasks.
Also:
A week with this Samsung smart monitor convinced me I might be done with TVs
That said, there are certainly trade-offs with lower-end monitors, and they won't come as a surprise: less flexibility, less connectivity, and, most importantly, a less vibrant image. With the right expectations, however, a lower-end display can be a smart buy instead of dropping hundreds on something that's overkill.
ZDNET RECOMMENDS
MSI Pro MP243W 24-inch monitor
This $84 monitor is a solid pick for budget workspaces.
details
View at Amazon
Specs and build
Physically, the Pro MP243W has a minimal footprint and is rather lightweight at 6.8 pounds. The bezels are thin on all four sides, and the white plastic doesn't exactly scream premium, but it's neutral and looks fine on a desktop.
Unfortunately, it only comes in said white colorway, which might be more of a deal-breaker than the technical specs for some. The monitor's base is just shy of nine inches at the widest part, and the notch offers a convenient place to prop up your phone, a touch that teens will appreciate.
Also:
Don't ignore your desktop PC's empty M.2 slots - they're more useful than you think
It features a 23.8-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) matte LCD display with a 144Hz refresh rate and built-in speakers. It's nothing fancy, but it gets the job done. The fast refresh makes things look smooth, but it lacks the superior viewing angles of higher-end monitors. This is the first big trade-off.
Sitting directly in front of the monitor will give the best viewing experience, as moving from one side to the other will dim and obfuscate the opposite corner. High-end monitors are very good at projecting an evenly illuminated, bright image across the entire screen, no matter the angle you're viewing from. Not the case, here.
The matte display is reflective if not placed well.
Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET
The matte surface is also prone to reflections when light comes from a single source, such as a bright window in front of the monitor. This, with the maximum 300 nits, means it's not the brightest monitor on the market; the second big trade-off. For that reason, I'd recommend placing the monitor facing away from a window or ligh

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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
N/A

### Areas for Consideration
- Also: MacBook Neo review: My biggest concern with Apple's near-perfect budget laptop Of course, you don't need a MacBook Neo specifically to have an affordable workstation -- any laptop will do; I just mention this use case as it correlated with my recent experience.

### Implications
- When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission.
- When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions.
- This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay.
- If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers monitor, zdnet, neo topics. Areas of concern are also raised. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 1450.