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PC monitor recommendations

seagull

seagull

Seabird flavour member
Hi all

Any ideas for monitors c. 27" or 28" or similar.

This will be for work purposes not gaming.

Thanks in advance

Seagull.
 
You need an IPS one. That's what my IT mate told me when I replaced mine. So I did as I was told. On the one hand, IPS is some technology or other that improves picture/image quality (so that wouldn't matter in a toaster, but it would be a Good Thing in a monitor), on the other, specifying IPS is a good way of getting your long list down to a short list. If you wait a bit longer someone who actually knows something about the subject will be along....
 
Hi, you make no mention of the nature of the "work" for which this monitor will be used, nor do you list any minimum specifications, both of which make it difficult to recommend any specific monitor (except using some assumptions - which would, more than likely, be wrong... :(

What can be safely assumed is, being used for work, the amount of time spent gazing at the images displayed on the monitor would be a fair proportion of the working day. If correct, then one aspect that should be important lies in the quality of the images displayed and the "ease of prolonged viewing" to reduce unnecessary strain on the eyes.

IPS (which, by the way, is an acronym for "In-Plane Switching" - a technology that delivers better colour accuracy and wider viewing angles without colour shift) as mentioned in another post is, currently, the best compromise between display quality and purchase price for extended usage.

There are basically two levels of "quality" within the IPS range:

1) A-IPS: Advanced In-Plane Switching is the "consumer-level"
2) AH-IPS: Advanced High-Performance In-Plane Switching is the "professional-level"

Lacking details of the nature of the work (and other) usages, you will need to either provide a list of the applications used or a list minimum display specifications required (typically display resolution, response time, colour gamut, etc).

LG Electronics are probably the major manufacturer making IPS panels and their range of IPS monitors is fairly extensive and reasonably priced - albeit targeted more at consumers than professionals.

The typical spec level for a consumer 27" monitor would be:

a) Resolution: 1920 x 1080 (aka FHD)
b) Response Time: 5-6ms
c) Colour Gamut: >90% SRGB and ~70% Adobe RGB

Asus, while also offering consumer models, also offer better-spec'ed models targeted at professional users (typically Photoshop users) and their 27" offering (PA279Q) has the following specs:

a) Resolution: 2560 x 1440 (WQHD)
b) Response Time: 5ms
c) Colour Gamut: 100% SRGB and ~95% Adobe RDB
d) Delta-E (colour accuracy): ~2

These monitors are also factory calibrated and shipped with a calibration certificate for the specific unit as tested. Out-of-box is great but does come at a price premium.

I started out with an LG IPS236V - a 23" 1920x1080 consumer A-IPS panel and blew the socks off my previous Samsung 23" model. (I still have it and use it on my laptop when at home as an extended desktop display).

Link: LG UK - IPS Range

Next, I got myself what can best be described as a "prosumer" Asus monitor, their ProArt PA248Q A-IPS display - a 24" 1920 x 1200 intermediate A-IPS panel.

Link: Asus PA248Q

Finally, I decided to go the whole hog and get the Asus ProArt PA279Q a 27" 2560 x 1440 professional AH-IPS panel.

Link: Asus PA279Q

I flogged off the PA248Q to a colleague who nagged until I gave in... but that PA279Q is a real keeper - really great colour rendition, decent resolution and wide viewing angles when showing others the work I've completed. Its also an extremely versatile monitor which excels at Photoshop thanks to its colour depth and accuracy, performs great with movies due to resolution and colour rendition and permits extended working time due to low eye-strain.

BTW, both of these Asus ProArt PA2xxQ monitors come with a really great (and very stable) stand that also permits height adjustment and pivoting between landscape and portrait orientation in addition to the usual tilt/swivel.

While the prices may tend to make you baulk at opting for one these ProArt monitors, it is wise to remember that a monitor is one part of any PC that you use the most and - in the long run - it's worth it to skew any budget in favour of a better monitor.
 
I you didn't already and dismiss the idea, consider 2 x 23" rather than a single 28", for me personally a pair of 23" suit my work needs much better.
 
Thanks for the replies (especially DevilEars).

I am a software developer using tools like eclipse, sqldeveloper, m$ office etc. Mostly text based stuff.



I work from home one or two days a week.

There is no room for two screens and it would be driven by a laptop when working.
 
We run dual Dell U2412 monitors at work. Probably the cheapest way to get maximum IPS screen space and Dell backup is good.
 
Hi SG,

A few questions...

1) Does your laptop have either HDMI or DisplayPort video out sockets?
2) Do you plan to use laptop display AND external display?
3) Would I be right in assuming you multiple tiled windows when working?

Reasons for questions:

1) VGA D-SUB is analogue only and typically limited to 1920 x 1080
2) Goes to required level of resolution (2 displays - lower res needed
3) Multi-tile usage tends to demand higher res

I would recommend a 1920 x 1080 resolution display as a maximum for the following reasons:

a) Laptop video outs on most non-gaming units limited to 1920 x 1080
b) If laptop has a discrete GPU card, it will most likely be low-spec and might battle to drive 2560 x 1440 display plus laptop display.

Finally, at 1920 x 1080, a 27"/28" monitor is likely to be a bit grainy at usual work viewing distances, so maybe it would be better to opt for a 23" / 24" monitor size with a 1920 x 1080 resolution level (also cheaper... :) )

While a 16:10 24" 1920 x 1200 monitor may sound an attractive option, I've found having different aspect ratios between 2 monitors in extended desktop to be disorientating and would recommend you standardised on 16:9 on both.

Here are two (awful) pics - laptop with 23" LG IPS236V and desktop with 27" Asus PA279Q:

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Laptop is an Asus N750JV with NVidia GTX 750M graphics card driving on-board 17.3" 1920 x 1080 display plus driving HDMI 1.4 port to LG IPS236V monitor. Both displays are 16:9 aspect ratio.

My $0.02 worth...

Dave
 
andyoz said:
We run dual Dell U2412 monitors at work. Probably the cheapest way to get maximum IPS screen space and Dell backup is good.
Click to expand...

Yes for workhorse monitors, Dell is the benchmark. Excellent kit, good prices and ticks all the boxes from an employer point of view in terms of support, warranty, etc. In Dell speak "UltraSharp" are the high spec ones designed for photographers, graphics types etc. You (almost certianly) don't want these but rather the cheaper type of IPS panels. Also not that an IPS panel means wide angle of view which is great for pairing/demos, etc..

And, to answer DevilEars question, his requirement is pixel hungry as the programming tools he is talking about love as many pixels as possible and then you want to run whatever it is you are developing as well. Most devs working on laptops in "docked" mode try to find some way to get either a very large monitor or, more likely, two 1920x1080s (at the current price sweet spot) if they have the ports to support it.
 
Thanks again for the input plenty to go on there.

In answer to DevilEars
1 no
2 yes
3 yes

The laptop (lenovo thinkpads) is loaned by the customer as they don't want us using our own PCs connecting to their network.

I am in the office today, I use a desktop here, it has two monitors an NEC ea190m (1280x1024) which I use for email, messaging and displaying useful information and an HP zr30w (2560x1600) as my main display.

We use virtual machines so I use the big screen for that.

I do the same at home, using the laptop display for info and communication and the bigger screen to work on.

I won't be pairing at home :)
 
With thinkpad and it's docking station you can use 2 external monitors (usually 1 analog and 1 digital, but depends on model, some even have pci-e slot for dedicated graphic card) + laptops own. DevillEars is little bit incorrect about d-sub maximum resolution - it is 1920x1200 for 16:10, but keep in mind that there is some quality loss through it because of d/a-a/d signal conversion (although irrelevant for your purposes i think).
 
ansis said:
With thinkpad and it's docking station you can use 2 external monitors (usually 1 analog and 1 digital, but depends on model, some even have pci-e slot for dedicated graphic card) + laptops own. DevilEars is little bit incorrect about d-sub maximum resolution - it is 1920x1200 for 16:10, but keep in mind that there is some quality loss through it because of d/a-a/d signal conversion (although irrelevant for your purposes i think).
Click to expand...

You're right - 1920 x 1200 DOES "function" on a D-SUB output (I used the Asus PA248Q at that resolution on an older Asus K52 laptop) - but there is a discernible loss in quality.... Given seagull's planned usage, that may not be a show-stopper.

WQHD resolution at 27" screen size does bring with it something of a price premium and if seagull is "not that young anymore" (like me), running a WQHD resolution without any zoom produces rather small character displays making for eye-strain. I run mine at around 150% text size for ease of reading but at 100% for image and video for reduced granularity. If age and age-related visual acuity are not a challenge then go for it... :)

Dave
 
Just been researching for a new office monitor and I see the Dell U2412M has been surpassed by the U2415 for around £240. One thing the U2412M doesn't allow is daisy chaining (we have the more expensive U2413 in the office) so watch out for that if ordering a U2412M.
 
I want an OLED monitor and I keep holding out for one. Believe it or not I'm still using CRT !

I just wish the manufacturers would get on with it. There is very little available and the market is not near mature enough to mean good value.

I want great picture quality AND speed.

Have I missed any recent developments here , anyone ?
 
Cloth-Ears said:
I want an OLED monitor and I keep holding out for one. Believe it or not I'm still using CRT !

I just wish the manufacturers would get on with it. There is very little available and the market is not near mature enough to mean good value.

I want great picture quality AND speed.

Have I missed any recent developments here , anyone ?
Click to expand...

Hi oh distant relative / member of the "ears" clan,

There is a consumer electronics store a few kilometres away in a rather up-market mall that always has on display some ridiculously expensive items that stir one's loins...

The first really noteworthy item was an LG 84" 4K UHD TV that was selling for the local equivalent of $25k (US) that, when on display, was playing some closed-loop native 4K material that was absolutely mind-blowing.

The panel of this TV was an IPS panel and it was this TV that triggered my interest in IPS for computer monitors.

At that $25k US price, it was way beyond my means, so stood and drooled and then went on with my life (sans 4K UHD). What I DID do, however, was go out and buy an FHD (1920x1080) 23" LG IPS monitor. (Subsequently still in use) and augmented/replaced by two Asus ProArt IPS monitors.

More recently, the same store had - in pride of place - another mind-bogglingly good TV - albeit, at 55", a baby in comparison that 84" behemoth. This TV was the LG 55" FHD curved OLED TV - without doubt the best display I've ever seen (extremely fast, extremely stable images and with deepest blacks I've ever seen on any display. One snag.... Price initially set at around $4.5k US. This was a 1920 x 1080 display and it blew away the 3840 x 2160 84" TV costing 5 times the price...

I've also been waiting for this OLED technology to filter down to PC monitors but it seems that "fast/stable/deep blacks" are not on the agenda for most PC screen shoppers and the 4K bug has bitten harder (here anyway).

Looking back with a modicum of hindsight, and then using that to peer into the future, it's my belief that, unless Hollywood jumps on the 4K bandwagon and starts to push for a 4K replacement technology for BluRay disks, the market for 4K TVs will fold and maybe - just maybe - a market will open up for the "fast/stable/deep blacks" of OLED... Who knows?

:cool:
 
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