I’ll be honest. Testing out the latest OLED gaming monitor or eye-popping 6K monitor is a lot more fun than the cheap stuff. But I’m not delusional. I know that when it comes to computer monitors, most people just want something affordable that gets the job done. Not miserable to look at or use. But also not expensive.

The truth is, I don’t come across as many affordable monitors as I’d like. They’re not the hottest and most exciting thing that monitor manufacturers want to talk about. So I had to do a bit of hunting to find cheap monitors that are actually good.

The Best Monitors Under $200

When you’re shopping in the “budget” tier for monitors, you’re looking at anything under $200. And in today’s landscape, monitors under $100 will still always be 1920 x 1080 resolution. These are usually 23.8-inch or 27-inch size options, while even the cheapest 32-inch monitors will cost you over $100. (For more information, check out our How to Choose a Monitor guide.)

I will get to this lower price point in a second, but I think most people should aim to start slightly higher. Here’s where you find lots of different options that give you flexibility to trade higher resolution for a USB-C hub or higher refresh rate or better adjustability. Here are a few options in $100-$200 range that I was really impressed by.

I have to start with the Dell 27 Plus (S2725HSM). I had a feeling I would like this monitor, as I’m a big fan of the 4K model, which remains at the top of my list for best overall monitor. This cheaper version has everything I liked about that model, including the highly adjustable stand, the sleek white design, and the really solid image quality.

For $175 (or sometimes on sale as low as $140), it has really solid color performance and hits 300 nits of brightness. The most important feature the Dell 27 Plus has is its stand. You can adjust the height and swivel, with a built-in VESA mount, which would make it a very practical addition to your current workstation. The biggest thing it’s missing is ports. It only has two HDMI ports, so you’ll need to plug accessories directly into your laptops or into a USB hub. Still, when it comes to full-featured 1080p monitors, the Dell 27 Plus ranks among the best for the price.

The one monitor that compares to the Dell 27 Plus, only with a built-in USB hub, is the Samsung Essential Monitor S4. I haven’t seen it in person yet, but it’s also 1080p and has height adjustability at the same price. It has a lower claimed brightness as the Dell 27 Plus, though, at only 250 nits.

But like I said, if you’re shopping between $150 and $200, you’re not necessarily stuck with 1080p. I tested out the MSI Pro 27 (MP273QW E14), which has a 2560 x 1440 resolution and sells for $190. Not only does this MSI monitor offer more pixels per inch, it also has really fantastic image quality, almost so good it could be used for content creators and photographers. For a monitor of this price, that’s pretty incredible. It’s also brighter than any other monitor I’ve tested in this range, reaching all the way up to 427 nits.

The main drawback is the adjustability and ports. No built-in USB ports for connecting peripherals and no ability to adjust the height or swivel. The built-in stand is in a static position, so if the height isn’t perfectly suited for your desk, chair, and body, you’ll need a monitor stand. And while it technically supports VESA to connect it to a monitor arm, it doesn’t come with an included mount.

The Best Cheap Gaming Monitor

Another monitor I came across in my journey through cheap displays was the Lenovo Legion R27fc-30. This would my pick for the best budget gaming monitor and really surprised me with its image quality. I’m used to having to complain about the janky screens on cheap gaming laptops, but this far exceeded my expectations. Brightness is over 300 nits, and color performance is just as good as the MSI Pro 27.

ATC has unveiled the Statement EL50 Anniversary, a limited-run active three-way floorstander that evolves the company’s long-running 50-series blueprint.

Built around a newly developed discrete tri-amp platform and housed in a sculpted elliptical cabinet, the EL50 Anniversary is aimed squarely at audiophiles. It targets those seeking reference-level performance with statement design.

At its core is an all-new proprietary three-channel active “Amp-Pack”, delivering 200W to the bass driver, 100W to the mid-range and 50W to the tweeter. The design uses balanced inputs, fourth-order active crossovers and newly developed discrete gain blocks to lower noise and distortion.

A couple of days ago, I compiled a detailed roundup of all the products we’re expecting from Apple at the upcoming media “experience” on March 4, 2026. In the story, we discussed new devices like new MacBooks, iPhone 17e, and a couple of other Apple devices, including the proposed Studio Display 2.

Now, folks over at Macworld have discovered something very interesting about Apple’s external display (or displays). Per the outlet, the public version of macOS 26.3 contains kernel extensions for not one but two new Studio Display models.

macOS 26.3 hints at two Studio Display 2 models

In total, the new software build contains alphanumeric codenames for three devices. The first, “J700,” is the internal name for the affordable 12.9-inch MacBook that is rumored to launch alongside the new M5 MacBook Air and the M5 Pro and M5 Pro Mac Pro versions.

However, the other two — J427 and J527 — are believed to be references to two different models of the Studio Display 2. Although there’s no information about the differences between the two models, Apple could use either size or features to differentiate them.

Currently, Apple’s first-generation Studio Display is available with a 27-inch 5K panel. So, there’s a chance that we see a 27-inch Studio Display 2, along with another model with either a smaller or a bigger screen.

Size or features: How Apple might differentiate between the models

The second (and the more likely) way is that the company could reserve some features for one model, which would be the more expensive of the two, and another, cheaper model (either retains the current set of specifications or gets only minor upgrades).

From what I know, at least one of the two rumored models could get a bump in refresh rate (up to 120Hz), a mini-LED backlighting panel for enhanced brightness and contrast, and a more capable A19 chip (also found on the iPhone 17).

Modern infostealers have expanded credential theft far beyond usernames and passwords. Over the past year, campaigns have accelerated, targeting users with little distinction between corporate employees and individuals on personal devices.

These infections routinely harvest credentials alongside broader session data and user activity. The resulting datasets are aggregated and sold by initial access brokers, then reused across attacks targeting both personal and enterprise environments.

To better understand the scope and implications of this activity, Specops researchers analyzed more than 90,000 leaked infostealer dumps, comprising over 800 million rows of data collected during active infections.

The datasets included credentials, browser cookies, browsing history, and system-level files stored locally on compromised machines.

What emerges is a clear picture of how infostealer dumps allow attackers to associate technical data with real users, organizations, and behavioral patterns, making a single infection valuable long after the initial compromise.

When stolen credentials become identity data

The biggest risk is how easily infostealer data ties multiple accounts and behaviors back to one real person. These dumps routinely expose reused account names across services, Windows usernames, files stored in user directories, active session data, and detailed records of activity across environments.

Combined, these signals let attackers move from a single compromised credential to identifying an individual, their employer, and potentially their role within an organization.

This convergence collapses the boundary between personal and professional identity that many security models still assume exists. What may start as a compromise on a personal device can quickly escalate into enterprise-level risk.

Specops Password Policy helps organizations break this link by continuously scanning Active Directory against a database of more than 5.4 billion known-compromised credentials, rather than only checking passwords at creation or reset.

Credentials that have already been exposed are blocked from being set or reused, even if they technically comply with policy, reducing the risk of compromised passwords being reused across personal and corporate accounts.

Where infostealers get your data and how they abuse it

The dataset contained credentials and session data associated with a wide range of services, illustrating how infostealer data exposes both identity and access.

Professional and enterprise-linked services

LinkedIn, GitHub, Microsoft Teams, Outlook, and corporate domains appeared frequently in the dataset. LinkedIn alone accounted for nearly 900,000 records, providing a direct path from stolen data to real names, job titles, and organizational affiliations.

For threat actors, this information enables targeted phishing, social engineering, and prioritization of access that may lead deeper into enterprise environments, especially where password reuse exists.

Personal identity and social platforms

YouTube, Facebook, and similar social media platforms also made high-volume appearances. These services often contain real names, photos, and social connections, making it easier to validate the identity of a compromised user and link them to other accounts.

This correlation makes targeted exploitation far easier.

Sensitive and high-risk services

The dataset also included credentials and cookies associated with sensitive services, including government and tax-related domains such as the IRS and the Canada Revenue Agency, as well as adult content platforms. Access to these services introduces risks beyond traditional account takeover.

In previous incidents, threat actors have used data from adult platforms as leverage for extortion and blackmail. When that activity can be linked back to an individual’s real identity and employer, the potential impact escalates quickly.

Security-aware yet still exposed

Domains such as Shodan and even mil.gov appeared within the dataset, reinforcing an uncomfortable reality: technical awareness does not equal immunity.

Secure practices followed in corporate environments do not always extend to personal systems, yet exposure on those systems can still create enterprise risk.

Why infostealers remain so effective

Infostealer exposure isn’t driven by a single failure, but by a combination of common behaviors repeated at scale. Users install applications from illicit sources, reuse passwords across personal and corporate accounts, and rely on browser-based credential storage for convenience.

Browser-stored credentials and payment data are especially valuable to attackers.

When an infostealer compromises a system, these stores provide attackers with immediate access to high-value information, significantly increasing the impact of a single infection.

Reducing impact after credential theft

Once infostealer data has been collected and circulated, prevention is no longer the only challenge. The real question is how quickly defenders can neutralize it before it’s reused for lateral movement, account takeover, or ransomware deployment.

Because infostealer dumps often circulate for weeks or months before detection, effective mitigation must assume that some credentials are already exposed.

Password reuse remains one of the most reliable ways attackers operationalize infostealer data. Credentials harvested from personal devices are routinely tested against corporate environments, cloud services, and remote access systems, often with success even when those passwords meet standard complexity requirements.

Disrupting reuse directly reduces the operational value of infostealer datasets and shortens their window of exploitation.

Combined with stronger password policies that support longer passphrases and continuous enforcement, these controls shift password security from a static configuration exercise to an active containment measure.

Identity exposure increasingly begins outside the corporate perimeter, so reducing the reuse and downstream impact of stolen credentials remains one of the most effective ways to break infostealer-driven attack chains.

To see how Specops Password Policy helps block compromised passwords and reduce credential reuse in Active Directory, request a live demo from a Specops expert.

Sponsored and written by Specops Software.

With the iPhone 16e, Apple tried to revive the affordable iPhone segment by offering a familiar form factor and capable hardware. But despite that, 2025’s cheapest iPhone release wasn’t as hot and popular as the other ones. Well, that could change with the arrival of the iPhone 17e.

With detailed rumors pouring in for over six months now, the iPhone 17e is among the most-anticipated Apple product launches in the first half of the year, and so far, the rumor mill has only been kind to the device. So, without any further ado, here’s everything we know about the iPhone 17e.  

Release date and price rumors

While some rumors suggested a February 19 launch date for the iPhone 17e, that didn’t happen. Instead, the phone should break cover at the “special Apple experience” media briefing sessions on March 4, 2026.

Apple is holding press briefings in three cities around the world — New York, London, and Shanghai — which sounds like the perfect time to introduce the world to the new, better, and, most importantly, cheaper iPhone.

Pre-orders for the iPhone could begin either as the event ends or the next day, with general availability from around the second week of March.

But exactly how cheap could the iPhone be? Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggests that the iPhone 17e (128GB) could retain the iPhone 16e’s launch price of $599. Despite rumored hardware upgrades, the company might freeze the smartphone’s launch price for another year.

Despite all the reports about the ongoing memory crisis, Apple’s long-term partnership with its suppliers and the scale of its operations give it a unique advantage over other brands, even as other smartphone makers (including global giants like Samsung) struggle to control smartphone prices.

Design and display

Apple’s iPhone 16e is often criticized for its outdated design (it’s the gigantic notch at the top of the screen that bothers some buyers). Well, that could go away with the iPhone 17e, as it’s rumored to replace the ugly notch with the Dynamic Island (as seen on the recent iPhones).

I strongly believe that the iPhone 17e could borrow its screen from the baseline iPhone 15, facilitating the Dynamic Island and thinner bezels. The choice of materials — an aluminum frame sandwiched between two layers of glass — should remain the same as well.  

Apart from the classic black and white finishes, the iPhone 17e should be available in a new purple or lavender finish, appealing to younger buyers and helping the handset compete with the variety of colors the Pixel 10a is available in.

Coming to the screen, the iPhone 17e is rumored to ship with a 6.1-inch OLED screen (smaller than the 6.3-inch screen on the regular iPhone 17) that supports a 60Hz refresh rate and 2,000 nits of peak brightness, making it, well, usable.

No ProMotion display, no dramatic upgrades in brightness, just the regular, Apple-fashioned refinement. In terms of design, the iPhone 17e will likely mirror the iPhone 15 from the front and the iPhone 16e from the back.

Performance and software

Under its familiar hood, the iPhone 17e should feature Apple’s A19 (3nm) chip, perhaps a binned version with one fewer GPU core (five instead of six). I’ve been using the iPhone 17, powered by the A19 chip, as a daily driver, and the chip has more computational power than I can use on most days.

Further, the chipset could be paired with Apple’s in-house C1X modem (similar to the iPhone Air), which should offer faster 5G speeds and up to 30% better energy efficiency than the C1 modem. If that happens, the ‘e’ series iPhone might also get the N1 wireless chip.

Like the iPhone 16e, the iPhone 17e could also feature 8GB of RAM, which is the bare minimum to support Apple Intelligence (both current and upcoming features).

The handset might get a storage upgrade to 256GB on the base variant, but I’ll not be surprised if Apple continues with 128GB base storage (since it is expected to retain the $599 price). The top variant, like last year, should get 512GB of storage.

Out of the box, the iPhone 17e should run iOS 26 (perhaps iOS 26.3 or iOS 26.4), with all Apple Intelligence features (including Writing Tools, Gemoji, Clean Up, and more).

And no, the revamped version of Siri might not be available on the iPhone 17e, as it’s delayed to iOS 26.5 or iOS 27. Like other iPhones, the cheapest iPhone should also get new iOS versions for around five to six years before Apple drops support.

Cameras and battery

The only back camera on the iPhone 17e should feature a 48MP Fusion camera sensor, which allows capturing images at 24MP or 48MP resolution, along with optical-quality 2x in-sensor zoom, and Dolby Vision HDR video recording (up to 4K at 60 fps).

What I’m curious to see is whether Apple goes with the same 1/2.55-inch sensor on the iPhone 16e or upgrades the camera with the 1/1.56-inch sensor found on the iPhone 16 or iPhone 17.

If you’ve heard about and envied the Center Stage camera on the iPhone 17, the iPhone 17e could be your chance to unlock the marvellous selfie experience for yourself and your friends. Rumors indicate that the latest ‘e’ series iteration could ship with the 18MP square-sensor front camera we’ve seen on the iPhone 17 series.

Beyond the cameras, the purported entrant to the latest iPhone lineup could come with a 4,005 mAh battery, which is larger than that on the iPhone 17. If that happens, the iPhone 17e could offer around 30 hours of video playback (up from 26 hours), making battery life a major selling point for buyers.

If that’s not enough, Apple is also considering adding MagSafe charging to the handset, and the faster one (up to 25W), no less. Apart from unlocking convenient wireless charging, MagSafe also unlocks support for plethora of accessories.

So, whether it’s the design, display, performance, optics, or battery life, the iPhone 17e should get upgrades across the board, which would make it one of the easiest recommendations for prospective iPhone buyers on a budget, but with known compromises like a single-camera setup and the lack of ProMotion (120Hz) display.