With a desktop computer, all the energy is usually spent on the box that contains the hard disk and processor, and the poor old monitor is ignored. But, you really should consider monitor upgrades when casting a critical eye over your rig.

Why? Because the monitor is crucial to reading and examining all other images, and the worse the screen, the more problems with eyesight and other kinds of disorders.

So, always get the best monitor you can afford, because it will help your eyesight, as well as your work rate.

Technology has come on apace recently and monitors nowadays are light years ahead of where they were some years ago. And the biggest development has been size, with modern monitors only inches thick, whereas they could be over a foot thick with the old Cathode Ray Tubes.

Ironically, flat screen monitors are a great advancement in convenience, but not necessarily quality. A powerful Cathode Ray Tube type monitor can actually provide a better quality of picture with deeper hues and contrasts, than their flat-screen equivalents. But as technology progresses, this might be an anomaly which soon passes.

The latest monitors are based on a thin film transistor liquid crystal display which is known as an TFT-LCD screen.

The Cathode Ray Tube was the previous technology, but suffered from the fact that the depth of the screen had to match its width, which always meant that they were difficult to place on desks without taking up too much room and being very hard to handle.

But Cathode Ray Tube monitors were the top choice from about the 1980s to the turn of the century. The very first were attached to the computer, then became stand alone before offering colour in 1981.

Liquid crystal is now the technology of choice and mass production, as well as constant refinements, means that LCD screens are now offered at amazingly low prices and provide a high viewing experience. And because liquid crystal technology was mainly developed for laptops, it was easy to adapt the screens for use in standalone monitors which were ideal for computer desktops.

The latest technology used in monitors these days is TFT which is a variant of liquid crystal display, which involves active matrix colour. They consume less power than their predecessors, the Cathode Ray Tube monitors, are far less bulky and are far lighter. And because TFT-LCD technology involves less screen flickering, they reduce eye strain.

And that’s the key reason to keep upgrading your monitor. New models are easier on the eye. Also, modern screens do deteriorate over time and white spots appear as the liquid crystals fail. This signals the time to change a screen and get a new model.

The main problem with TFT-LCDs, and this is most apparent on laptops, is that they have a narrow viewing field, which means that the angle of ‘approach’ when working on the screen is crucial.

But as with all technology these days, something is in the wings to take over from the dominance of the TFT-LCDs. Are These Organic Light Emitting Diode monitors (OLEDs for short). Their great advantage is that they have a higher contrast and offer better viewing angles.

Experts believe that once the prices start to drop and they become mass produced (as part of the standard technology evolutionary approach), they will eventually replace TFT-LCDs.

They key thing to remember is that because technology moves quickly and new developments are being introduced all the time, it is best to upgrade your monitor at least every two years. This is really the maximum modern technology lifespan for most modern computer products. Not because they no longer work, but because it takes about 24 months to travel from advanced technology to old technology.

Cost is an issue of course, but many people find that within that two years period, the prices have dropped considerably and products once deemed too expensive, are available at competitive price points.

So if your computer monitor is looking a bit jaded, think about replacing it. Monitor upgrades are a sensible option.