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Geek Culture / Need help picking out a proper monitor!

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Yodaman Jer
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Posted: 28th Jan 2015 02:36
Alrighty, fellow forumers!

Last year I built myself a rather awesome gaming machine, however I am still using a rather poor-quality 24" HDTV as a monitor. I know, it's very cringeworthy, a lot of you told me not to do it, but it was the only way to save money. It was my brother's old TV that he didn't need anymore, so, you know, my budget was happy.

However, I am wanting to do a lot more development with Unity and Unreal, and as you can imagine, programming on this thing looks AWFUL. The text isn't clear and it just generally looks like crap. Now, I have gotten used to my iMac's resolution of 2560x1440,and that may have spoiled me, but even so there's no excuse for this TV displaying text as poorly as it does. Utterly despicable.

And so! I have decided to right this wrong by using some of my tax refund to go towards a proper monitor, one that is good for both gaming and game development. I want the screen size to be somewhere between 20" and 25" inches, and the resolution absolutely HAS to be at least 1920x1080.

I think this already looks like a good deal, it's even on sale, but if anybody else has any other suggestions I'd love to hear them!

Also, IPS please, since everyone says it reproduces colors more accurately. My major complaint about this TV I'm currently using is that everything looks flat, even after playing with the contrast for hours trying to get it right.

Thanks to any who help!


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MrValentine
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Posted: 28th Jan 2015 03:36 Edited at: 28th Jan 2015 03:36
You need to dish out your budget, before people can make a recommendation

Yodaman Jer
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Posted: 28th Jan 2015 04:04
Oh, golly! I thought I had included that, I shall add that now!

Basically my price range is anywhere from $150-$250, I know finding a decent IPS monitor in that price range might be hard, hence why I'm asking here.


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Indicium
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Posted: 28th Jan 2015 04:26
I thought IPS was only important if you were doing colour-sensitive work?
Yodaman Jer
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Posted: 28th Jan 2015 04:31
Indeed, but it can also be beneficial to game design. Not to mention they also tend to be sharper and so are much better for things like programming and video editing.

However, I won't be doing any video editing on this machine (that's what my iMac is for), but I will need accurate color information for game development. IPS also tends to be easier on the eyes, too!

I found a Dell UltraSharp which sounds like a pretty good deal, a little outside my budget but if my tax refund is enough to cover it I don't think it would hurt to spare the extra cash!


It's back, baby!
Phaelax
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Posted: 28th Jan 2015 04:34 Edited at: 28th Jan 2015 04:35
I just bought this one not too long ago and love it so far.
Asus PA248Q 24"

Awesome color, includes 4 usb ports, and my favorite part about this monitor is it's not a shiny piano black finish!


It's a little more than your budget though, but for me 16:10 ratio was as must. And unlike 99% of other LCDs out there, this stand is very very sturdy. As in, the monitor does shake and move about when someone walks into the room or you hit your desk after someone shoots you in COD.


"I like offending people, because I think people who get offended should be offended." - Linus Torvalds
Yodaman Jer
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Posted: 28th Jan 2015 04:53 Edited at: 28th Jan 2015 05:07
Ooh, that's a pretty one! I've always liked Asus monitors as well.

Is there a big advantage to a 16:10 aspect ratio? I know it adds 120 more pixels vertically, so it could be a *tad* more useful there, but wouldn't some games look kind of off with that AR? Or does it do some kind of letterbox-thingy?

EDIT: I'm starting to think I should just save up for the best monitor that I can, without really worrying too much about the price. I found a gorgeous one but even with my tax refund it would be quite a stretch to get!

I really would love to get a monitor with a matching resolution to my iMac, although they don't seem to make any with that resolution under 27". 27" is a bit big but I suppose I could try to get it to work.


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Phaelax
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Posted: 28th Jan 2015 07:00
The aspect ratio isn't an issue unless a game didn't support that resolution for some odd reason. But I highly doubt you'd come across such a thing. Only time you'd see any letterbox is on movies.


"I like offending people, because I think people who get offended should be offended." - Linus Torvalds
Van B
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Posted: 28th Jan 2015 10:44
I like BenQ monitors, I'd seriously just pick the one that is the right price (e.g. as much as you can afford). I got one of the older 144hz gaming monitors and I really like it - bezel is a bit chunky but its a solid and smart looking monitor.

One thing, if possible get a 120hz/144hz monitor - people say that human eyes can't percieve high frame rates beyond a point, well the point is above 60hz that's for sure! - when setting the frame rate to 144 there is a massive difference to how smooth everything is, plus a 120hz monitor will support 3D as well. It's a no brainer for a gaming monitor.

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Phaelax
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Posted: 28th Jan 2015 13:36
That BenQ monitor claims 1.07 billion colors. That's way way beyond the 16.7m mine states.


"I like offending people, because I think people who get offended should be offended." - Linus Torvalds
MrValentine
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Posted: 28th Jan 2015 14:13
http://www.bing.com/search?q=Display+Colors++1.07+billion++&src=IE-SearchBox&FORM=IESR02

Not unusual...

I bought this, this week... http://www.hannspree.co.uk/en/touch-monitor/ht271hpb

Soooo GOOOOD! 80,000,000:1 Active Contrast is so lovely when working on 2D stuff! if you are not bothered by ~5ms Response times...

View Angles LR,UD(CR>10) H/V 170°/160° (or IPS)

And only costs me some £20-25 per year to have it on almost 24/7

Already making a difference for me, but you need Windows 8/10 to make use of the 10 point touch, [Can be used without it though] and this is so good!

And not expensive at all! there is a 23" one as well with similar contrast, which I have tested for a client whom I built a custom NUC system for... it was ok albeit a bit odd... but it is £100~ cheaper

Asked a friend for a recommendation and got this lol

http://gaming.benq.com/gaming-monitor/xl2411t

Dark Java Dude 64
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Posted: 28th Jan 2015 14:24 Edited at: 28th Jan 2015 14:25
Quote: "1.07 billion colors"
Do those monitors still take in a 24 bit color signal? If so, how do they know when to produce the extra colors?

\"It\'s not a bug, it\'s a hidden feature!\" - Yodaman Jer
MrValentine
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Posted: 28th Jan 2015 14:45 Edited at: 28th Jan 2015 14:52
Quote: "24 bit color signal"


Still rocking Windows 98 are we?

EDIT

My point explained:


Quote: "
Industry support[edit]

The HDMI 1.3 specification defines bit depths of 30 bits (1.073 billion colors), 36 bits (68.71 billion colors), and 48 bits (281.5 trillion colors).[16] In that regard, the Nvidia Quadro graphics cards manufactured after 2006 support 30-bit deep color[23] as do some models of the Radeon HD 5900 series such as the HD 5970.[24][25] The ATI FireGL V7350 graphics card supports 40-bit and 48-bit color.[26]

The DisplayPort specification also supports color depths greater than 24 bpp.

At WinHEC 2008, Microsoft announced that color depths of 30 bits and 48 bits would be supported in Windows 7, along with the wide color gamut scRGB (which can be converted to xvYCC output).[27][28]
"


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_depth#True_color_.2824-bit.29

Clonkex
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Posted: 28th Jan 2015 14:57
I bought the BenQ RL2455HM 24" 1080p Gaming Monitor. I love it. I did a more detailed review here

Yodaman Jer
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Posted: 28th Jan 2015 16:33
@Van B:
I would love to get a monitor with a higher refresh rate, would be great for intensive gaming!

AS a result it looks like I'll be sticking with the BenQ product line, while the monitors are not IPS, they have many other advantages.

The one Clonkex showed me looks amazing and is way within my budget, so it's a serious contender! As far as I can tell it has most of the features its higher-up siblings offer, but its refresh rate is about 75MHZ (still better than 60HZ). It's response time is 1ms though, so that more than makes up for it!

Otherwise, the next model up (which also has blue light reduction technology, which would help make the colors look a lot more natural despite it being a TN panel) seems to be this one, which is also just within my budget.


Thanks for the suggestions everyone, certainly very helpful!


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Dark Java Dude 64
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Posted: 28th Jan 2015 23:46
Quote: "Still rocking Windows 98 are we?"
Hey now, this forum shall not segregate against operating system usage!!!!!!

\"It\'s not a bug, it\'s a hidden feature!\" - Yodaman Jer
MrValentine
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Posted: 29th Jan 2015 01:29
Windows 98SE was my Fav from the era!

Phaelax
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Posted: 29th Jan 2015 04:42
Quote: "Hey now, this forum shall not segregate against operating system usage!!!!!!"


OSX ftw! ......... (awaits flaming)


"I like offending people, because I think people who get offended should be offended." - Linus Torvalds
Indicium
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Posted: 29th Jan 2015 06:29
OSX actually is the best though.
Dark Java Dude 64
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Posted: 29th Jan 2015 06:46 Edited at: 29th Jan 2015 06:49
Quote: "OSX actually is the best though."
I disapprove of your operating system, but I will defend to frustration your right to use it.

As for buying monitors, my silly little $100.00 Acer is a piece of crap. In all honesty, it works great for me in terms of displaying everything I throw at it (not much), but the build quality is sad. For two and a half years of owning it, I never knew that it could tilt at all. I had tried to tilt it before, but became afraid of breaking it because of the force I was applying. Upon taking the stand apart recently, I found that there is indeed a hinge mechanism in there. It just takes a ton of force to tilt, and the monitor's plastic backing warps like crazy while I do it.

\"It\'s not a bug, it\'s a hidden feature!\" - Yodaman Jer
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Quik
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Posted: 30th Jan 2015 23:23
Isnt having like 1-2ms responetime like superimportant for some reason?
Just asking since that's what i've been taught (with no real essence to it) so i saw that 6ms monitor and went like: That's reeeal expensive for 6ms..



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Dark Java Dude 64
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Posted: 30th Jan 2015 23:32
Quote: "Isnt having like 1-2ms responetime like superimportant for some reason?"
Yeah?... They are important for monitor races... Duh...

JK

\"It\'s not a bug, it\'s a hidden feature!\" - Yodaman Jer
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it" - Evelyn Beatrice Hall
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The Zoq2
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Posted: 31st Jan 2015 00:46
If you want to play fast paced games, low response time is important but you might want to focus on something else like clearer colors or higher resolution

Say ONE stupid thing and it ends up as a forum signature forever. - Neuro Fuzzy
bitJericho
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Posted: 31st Jan 2015 05:30
I'm on a 10ms screen and really you can't even notice it. Maybe if you are into Guitar Hero or CS:Go you potentially could. It'd be like adding 10ms onto your ping though.

Clonkex
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Posted: 31st Jan 2015 14:42
Quote: "The one Clonkex showed me looks amazing and is way within my budget, so it's a serious contender!"


It's a very good monitor, IMO. If you decide to get that one, I'll give you the settings my brother and I use (we have identical monitors) for best results (in our opinion)

Burning Feet Man
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Posted: 2nd Feb 2015 03:20
My 23" Alienware 120Hz monitor has been solid. At first I was worried that my downsize from 27" Samsung would be a backwards step... but after a day or two on using the 23" Alienware, with notably less input lag and the fluid 120Hz refresh, nup, it's been awesome!!

I rarely experience screen tearing under higher refresh rates too, so there's no need to engage/configure Vertical Sync.

I'm yet to be sold on these newer 4000k monitors... worried that you'd need some crazy graphics card to charge them.

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Indicium
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Posted: 2nd Feb 2015 03:41
Quote: "I'm yet to be sold on these newer 4000k monitors"


Yeah I agree that 4,000,000 vertical pixels is a raw deal for current day graphics cards.
Dark Java Dude 64
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Posted: 2nd Feb 2015 04:00 Edited at: 2nd Feb 2015 04:01
Quote: "Yeah I agree that 4,000,000 vertical pixels is a raw deal for current day graphics cards. "
I was going to say, "you mean 4,000 horizontal pixels?" but then I realized...

Indicium
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Posted: 2nd Feb 2015 04:02
You're half correct though, I forget 4k refers to the horizontal rather than the vertical.
Dark Java Dude 64
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Posted: 2nd Feb 2015 04:06 Edited at: 2nd Feb 2015 05:02
Quote: "I forget 4k refers to the horizontal rather than the vertical."
Lol, I had to look it up -- I also often forget which side it refers to.

This here comparison diagram really puts things into perspective -- look how small 1080p is



Seditious
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Posted: 2nd Feb 2015 13:58
Phaelax
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Posted: 2nd Feb 2015 15:15
I think that chart forgot to factor in one's eye sight. Further away I sit from the TV, my eyes start to activate my internal AA filter.


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Indicium
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Posted: 2nd Feb 2015 16:08
That chart doesn't sit right with me. Surely the full benefit lines should be flat? If I'm the same distance away but the screen size is bigger, I'm definitely going to notice the benefit of a higher resolution!
bitJericho
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Posted: 2nd Feb 2015 16:30 Edited at: 2nd Feb 2015 16:38
Come on sed can't you link to the whole article?

http://carltonbale.com/does-4k-resolution-matter/

And also:

http://carltonbale.com/1080p-does-matter/

It appears the article's point is that most people sit way too far away from their TV.

Seditious
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Posted: 2nd Feb 2015 18:16
Quote: "It appears the article's point is that most people sit way too far away from their TV."


If you sit closer, you'll notice the pixels. Sitting farther back means better perceived resolution.

The more you know.
Clonkex
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Posted: 3rd Feb 2015 00:28
Quote: "I think that chart forgot to factor in one's eye sight. Further away I sit from the TV, my eyes start to activate my internal AA filter."


lol

Phaelax
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Posted: 3rd Feb 2015 14:26
1080p definitely does matter, and I most certainly saw the difference when I bought my first HD player for my tv.

This was in a Newegg email I got, $135 with promo code EMCANAP68
Asus VN248H-P

Looks pretty darn good for the money I think. Though some reviews are claiming it's not wakening after sleep when on HDMI.


"I like offending people, because I think people who get offended should be offended." - Linus Torvalds
Yodaman Jer
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Posted: 6th Feb 2015 07:44 Edited at: 6th Feb 2015 08:00
Well, thanks to my iMac suddenly deciding to become a very expensive paper weight (the warranty literally just expired not too long ago, too!), I am going to have to buy a better quality monitor sooner rather than later, because my eyes cannot take this crappy TV any longer!

Phaelax, that monitor looks good, but I found one still very much within my price range that seems to be slightly better: here

Although it is an inch smaller than I would like, it's hard to beat the quality. People say the speakers are great and work really well, and the 5ms response time is pretty great for gaming. Plus, it's a sexy monitor! Just look at that silver and thin bezel, a dual-monitor setup would be great with these two monitors.

EDIT: Ah ha, I found a 27" version for not that much more, practically the same model. The resolution is still only 1080p, but that's about what I can afford. Honestly, 1080p is fine, I just got spoiled by having 2560x1440 for a while. most of the time I didn't even really USE that extra space though, except for resizing windows to fit together nicely. And really, if I plan on using dual monitors, I won't really *need* a resolution that high. I can't justify buying a monitor with that high of a resolution just yet.

So, I think I know which monitor I'm going with, and that's it! reviews are generally positive (with some people complaining about the quality of the speakers, but I'll have a nice audio setup as well so that's nothing to concern myself about), and it also makes a great TV for smaller spaces. Yay!

Now to see if I can see it in real life at Best Buy or some such place

"If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe." - Carl Sagan
Clonkex
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Posted: 6th Feb 2015 08:20
Quote: "Honestly, 1080p is fine"


Yes! IMO, the 4K push in the computer monitor world is silly (aside from productivity uses such as video or photo editing) since you won't notice the difference in games except when they can only run playably on lowest settings. 1080p is an excellent midpoint.

On the other hand, 4K makes very good sense in the big-screen TV world. If you've walked into Harvey Norman recently, you will have noticed the 4K TVs, and MAN do they look crisp! The only issue then is that there's still very little 4K content to watch

Phaelax
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Posted: 6th Feb 2015 08:25
Not a fan of the silver but I like how thin that bezel is.


"I like offending people, because I think people who get offended should be offended." - Linus Torvalds
mr Handy
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Posted: 6th Feb 2015 12:15
Here is a small program to help you to choose monitor:



Yodaman Jer
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Posted: 6th Feb 2015 18:31
Quote: "IMO, the 4K push in the computer monitor world is silly (aside from productivity uses such as video or photo editing) since you won't notice the difference in games except when they can only run playably on lowest settings. 1080p is an excellent midpoint."


Well, 1440p looks amazing when you get used to it, but like I said I wasn't using its full advantage. Websites looks really, really small when you have a resolution as high as that, too.

The biggest video footage I'll be editing will be 1080p, so I should be fine with that 27" Asus monitor.

Quote: "On the other hand, 4K makes very good sense in the big-screen TV world. "


Indeed, but the lack of proper 4K content is very noticeable.
I have seen a 4K TV at a Sears location not too long ago, and it looked astounding. However, the TV was over $9000.00, so not going to be buying that anytime soon!

I think the 27" Asus will serve me quite well. Once I deposit my next couple of paychecks and pay my bills for the month, I should have enough to order at least one of the monitors.

"If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe." - Carl Sagan
BiggAdd
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Posted: 8th Feb 2015 11:12 Edited at: 8th Feb 2015 11:17
ASUS are releasing a 27", 1440p, 120Hz IPS panel some time soon. If you have an AMD card, the monitor supports freesync.

http://rog.asus.com/393632015/gaming-monitors/ces-2015-mg279q-27-inch-wqhd-ips-at-120hz/

I've heard rumours that the price will be around ~$500-$600. Way out of your projected budget, but worth thinking about saving more for if you are able.

I own the ASUS ROG Swift as my primary gaming monitor, and let me tell you, that G-Sync (AMD's version is freesync), is just incredible for gaming. No more screen tearing or frame judder/drops!

Playing a game at 40fps feels like I'm playing at 100fps, and because of that, it will extend the life of my graphics card. I will never game on a non G-Sync/Freesync monitor again, its really that good.

Yodaman Jer
User Banned
Posted: 8th Feb 2015 17:29
Oh good gravy, that is one beautiful display BiggAdd! I have bookmarked it.

I've read lots of great things about G-Sync/FreeSync, would be amazing to have that in my fingertips! Perhaps I can deal with this display a bit longer and wait to save up...

"If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe." - Carl Sagan

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