Display Tools covers the math behind screens — how sharp a display actually is, how big a monitor needs to be at a given viewing distance, what resolution and aspect ratio combinations make sense together, and how refresh rate factors into the overall picture. These questions come up whether you’re buying a new monitor, comparing phone or laptop screens by spec sheet, or trying to understand why two displays with the same resolution can look noticeably different in sharpness.
Eight tools live in this section. DPI Calculator and PPI Calculator both deal with pixel density — DPI (dots per inch) is more commonly used for print and input devices, while PPI (pixels per inch) is the standard measure for screen sharpness; the Pixel Density Calculator generalizes this further across different device types. The Screen Size Calculator and Monitor Size Calculator help you reason about physical display dimensions (diagonal size, width, height) from the numbers on a spec sheet. The Aspect Ratio Calculator and Resolution Calculator handle the relationship between a display’s width-to-height ratio and its pixel resolution — useful when comparing something like a 16:9 monitor to a 21:9 ultrawide. And the Refresh Rate Calculator covers how refresh rate (measured in Hz) relates to frame timing and perceived motion smoothness.
These tools are commonly used together — for example, checking a monitor’s PPI with the PPI Calculator, then confirming its aspect ratio and resolution combination make sense with the Aspect Ratio Calculator and Resolution Calculator before you buy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between DPI and PPI?
PPI (pixels per inch) measures how densely a screen’s actual pixels are packed and is the standard way to describe display sharpness. DPI (dots per inch) is more commonly used for printers and mice/input devices. The terms are sometimes used loosely and interchangeably online, but they technically describe different things.
How do I know what monitor size is right for my desk?
It depends on your viewing distance, the resolution you’re pairing it with, and personal preference, but the Screen Size and Monitor Size Calculators can help you compare physical dimensions across different diagonal sizes and aspect ratios so you’re not guessing from the number alone.
Does a higher refresh rate always mean a better experience?
A higher refresh rate (measured in Hz) generally means smoother-looking motion, but the benefit is capped by your GPU’s ability to actually produce frames at that rate, and by how sensitive you personally are to the difference. See the Refresh Rate Calculator and FPS Calculator for how frame rate and refresh rate interact.