After all, they do end up emitting quite a bit of visible light (5-10W maybe?).

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Are you claiming that if you had six 14" monitors on in an otherwise unlit room, it would be as bright as if lit by a single 60Watt bulb?

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Monitors put out kind of a directional light though. Maybe if you had them pointing all around the room, or if you diffused the light somehow. Also, the wavelength is different than an incandescent bulb, which makes it seem less bright than it really is. For example I have a 6500K (the light looks like it's blue) fluorescent lamp at about 20W, and a cool white lamp (looks like a very slight yellow) also around 20W, and the cool white lamp just seems to brighten up the room a lot more. I am assuming they have the same efficiencies.