How do I choose a display with minimal heat output?

Question

I have a great desktop box that runs quietly and at an acceptable temperature, however any gains I have made in this area are far outweighed by the heat coming from my dual monitor setup. I'm running 2 x Dell Ultrasharp 2407 24in monitors which are putting out a lot of heat.

There seems to have been a lot of headway made into cooling PC/laptop setups but not much innovation surrounding monitor temps.

Are there any cooling strategies for PC monitors or recognised brands that perform well in regards to operating temperatures? Any reviews that focus on this aspect of a monitors performance? I can't seem to find any.

Is the best way to choose a cool-running monitor to look at it's power output or its operating temperature range?

Appreciate any guidance on the matter.

Answer 1

Yes, the main criteria I would look for is the power consumption (watts) of the monitor, relative to size and brightness, and can easily be found on the monitors's tech specs. A lower consumption monitor will generally result in less generated heat thanks to greater efficiency. For example the Dell 2407 was rated at 110watts, while a newer U2412M typically uses 38 watts, and is indeed much cooler (I have both).

This lower consumption and heat generation is attributable, at least partially, to the use of newer LED backlighting instead of CCFL.