With the display port built into the Surface? No external dock?
No external dock. DisplayPort is awesome!
But you need the display that supports it. Meaning, the monitor must have a DisplayPort OUT.
Example of some displays with such ability:
- Dell U2414H. It's also the only actual thin boarder display, making great for multi-display setup.
- Dell U2413. If you seek really good color reproduction (at a consumer level), with AdobeRGB and sRGB pre-color calibrated profiles. The monitor is 1920x1200 (16:10)
- Dell 2713HM. 2560x1440 affordable 27inch monitor, comes with sRGB color profile pre-calibrated at the manufacture for the best color out of the box (ok well, out of the box, and you go on the monitor on screen menu, and select "sRGB' color profile. Same for the U2413 above.
They aren't many monitors with it, as it's fairly new, but Dell has it as they are a string supporters of DisplayPort.
All monitor listed are IPS panels. The U2713HM and U2413 features a true 8-bit IPS panel (I don't know about the U2414H, could be 6-bit IPS panel with FRC, going by the price). All monitors features 3 year warranty, and a very competitive faulty pixel policy: 6 or more anywhere dead pixel, no zones or distance policy crap to not cover you. and a 1 or more stuck or bright pixel. That is right.. a single stuck or bright pixel -> replacement. Dell pays shipping for any warranty claim BOTH directions, and you always have a monitor on your desk. Meaning when you place a warranty call, Dell will ship you a your replacement monitor, while you keep yours. Once you receive yours, you just swamp it, and in the box you'll find a pre-paid shipping label. Just stick it over the old one, and call the mail carrier to come and pick it up. Dell does not charge you anything on your credit card and puts no holds (at least in Canada and U.S, I can't comment about the warranty on other regions, I don't know).
One thing that Dells knows how to make is monitors. If you never had one, the first reaction would be "Why doesn't the rest of the company look at their monitor division and take a page from it.". Ask anyone, their monitors are solid.
Oh forgot t mention, the monitor features a solid, well constructed, reinforced by metal stand, with metal mechanical system so it doesn't become loose over time. They are all fully adjustable, and non-glossy.
If you are interested, and it's a bit over your budget, if you are in the U.S or Canada, be sure to pick up the phone and negotiate a price on the phone.. yes you can do that.

My Dell 24inch monitor was 750$, I paid 500$. And, at least the one I got, is worth every penny of that 750$ price tag. That was back in 2009, IPS panels, with good response time, where more expensive. They pretty much just recently (the past few years) touched the high-end consumer market, and when I got mine, it was when they were fats enough for comfortable gaming. Obviously, as you can see, IPS panels got far cheaper rather quickly, thanks to the introduction of 6-bit panels with FRC (to emulate 8-bit colors per channel, much like what most people use today (TN panels)), and of course natural price reduction of the panel due to higher demand, and improved manufacturing process.