Thread: Looking at Monitors

Heavy

You want an IPS.

I've been happy with my Samsungs. I've had two....a 24" that I sold, and the 28" I am staring at now.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...ds=syncmaster+

I have the P2770 fwiw.

This is what I have and very happy with it.

Newegg.com - PLANAR PX2710MW Black 27" 2ms Full HD HDMI WideScreen LCD Monitor w/Speakers 300 cd/m2 1200:1

Here's some info I picked up recently when I purchased my monitor (Dell U2312HM)


$260 - Dell U2312HM 23" e-IPS 1080p 60Hz (Input lag measured ~ 1.5ms)
Dell UltraSharp U2312HM 23inch Monitor with LED Details

$360 - Dell U2412M 24" e-IPS 1920x1200 60Hz (Input lag measured ~ 10ms, still pretty low)
Dell UltraSharp U2412M 24inch Monitor Details

$400 - Benq 120Hz monitor 24" 1920x1080
BenQ QShop


TN - Cheap, Good response times, Bad viewing angles, Bad colour accuracy. Unfortunately, the only panel type for 120Hz monitors are TN.

IPS/e-IPS - Slower response times than TN, Excellent viewing angles, Excellent colour accuracy. (IPS > e-IPs but is more expensive)


Lots of FPS gaming - 120Hz
RPG gaming - IPS/ e-IPS panel
Non Competitive FPS + RPG - IPS/ e-IPS
Photography - IPS panel
Insane amount of movies - Plasma TV?

Originally Posted by Imisnew2

Fast refresh rate (< 4ms?) @ 60Hz (but 120Hz would be cool).
Good color contrast (unsure of good ratios 1500:1?).
Good viewing angles (15-20 degrees vertically and 45 degrees horizontal with as little washout as possible).
VGA & HDMI ports (others are simply bonus).

I'm seeing some monitors around $150, but I'm also seeing reviews related to faulty stands, bad colors, etc. Also, I'm seeing monitors around $300 but generally have no more than 1-2 reviews, which makes them unreliable. If anyone has some suggestions, I'd appreciate it. I don't really want to pay more than $300 dollars (not including shipping) if possible.

The cheapest seems to be some e-IPS (whatever that means) LCD Monitors by Asus, with some super expensive ones by Dell that are H-IPS, and some in-between LCDs by Samsung (also H-IPS?). Can anyone spot the difference here, like, why the insane price differences?

Thanks in advance.

Originally Posted by Imisnew2

Fast refresh rate (< 4ms?) @ 60Hz (but 120Hz would be cool).

What you are referring to here I think, is response time. There is another factor called input lag as well - both are measured in ms. However, response time is the detail that is usually presented. Note that monitors with a 60Hz refresh rate only display a new frame every 16.667 ms (1000/60) = 16.667). A 120Hz monitor would display a new frame every 8.333s. This is why 120Hz monitors look smoother than 60Hz monitors, and are preferred for FPS games - they show more detail (output more frames).
Response time is the time a pixel takes to change from one colour to another. Usually manufacturers measure the time it takes to change from a darker shade of grey to a lighter shade of grey (GTG - Grey to Grey), or vice-versa.

So if you play FPS games a lot, then go for a 120Hz monitor.
The Benq monitor linked below is probably the most popular one, being used in a lot of the sponsored tournaments.
BenQ QShop - ($400 Benq 120Hz)

Originally Posted by Imisnew2

Good color contrast (unsure of good ratios 1500:1?).

Wiki - Contrast ratios is the ratio of the luminance of the brightest color (white) to that of the darkest color (black).

IPS panels aren't the best, and in general offer pretty low contrast ratios. You can achieve 1500:1 with a TN or IPS panel with dynamic contrast on (not recommended, increases pixel response time), or buy a different panel type (usually unsuitable for gaming, also expensive).

Personally I think 800:1 is good enough.

There may actually be something called colour contrast that I am unaware of, but what is generally advertised is the contrast ratio. Also, keep in mind that advertisers like to use numbers as high as 100000:1. This is the dynamic contrast ratio and not the actual ratio.

Originally Posted by Imisnew2

Good viewing angles (15-20 degrees vertically and 45 degrees horizontal with as little washout as possible)

15-20 degrees vertically, 45 degrees horizontal is really bad in reality because the angles are measured for each pixel and not off the edges of the screen. The cheapest panel type TN (worst viewing angles) can be as low as 90°(H) / 50°(V) (advertised) and a colour shift can be noticed pretty easily. Some TNs offer better viewing angles than others but they can't compare to an IPS panel in this aspect.
IPS/e-IPS panels offer really good viewing angles.

Originally Posted by Imisnew2

VGA & HDMI ports (others are simply bonus).

Don't use a VGA cable to connect your monitor, especially at 1080p. VGA offers less bandwidth than DVI/HDMI. Being an analog signal, it is also susceptible to interference.


Do not go for a Wide Gamut monitor unless you know what it is and need it. Windows does not have a colour table for wide gamut monitors so your colours will be washed up.


For a Dell monitor, usually you'll find the best prices on Dell's website. Dell frequently puts their monitors on sale and I got my U2312hm for $260 shipped (cheapest shipping option). Their prices fluctuate a lot but I believe the cheapest the U2312hm sold for was $240 shipped. U2412m is usually $100 more than what 2312 sells for. Another reason to get it off Dell's website is their excellent customer service for their monitors. If you have any issue with the monitor for any reason, you can ask for a replacement and they will bring you the new monitor within the next 2-3 days and exchange it - no return shipping charges. You can do this multiple times. (only for the first 15 days or first month though). I'm not sure what their refund policy is though.


I own the U2312HM and currently use it for playing css and other games. I notice a fair amount of ghosting on it in css, and I think it might be what's holding me back. I still love it though, and I don't do too bad in the game. The stand is simply amazing. The screen can be raised about 3/4 of a foot, swiveled around, rotated 90 degrees to a portrait view, and tilted front and back by a good amount. It is also very very sturdy.


I have never used a 120Hz monitor but I've heard amazing things about it for FPS gaming and no complaints at all so far. (apart from it being confined to TN panels only, there are no IPS 120Hz panels yet sadly).

For monitor reviews, check out tftcentral.com, prad.de (german), or FlatpanelsHD - Guide to flat panel TVs & monitors.

For community reviews and discussion on monitors, check out the monitors section of [H]ard|Forum - Powered by vBulletin - Displays - [H]ard|Forum - google "<monitor name> hardforum"

Originally Posted by Imisnew2

What's everyone's thoughts on these three monitors?

Amazon.com: Asus PA238Q 23-Inch LED Monitor: Electronics
Amazon.com: ASUS VS248H-P 24-Inch Monitor - Black: Electronics
Amazon.com: Asus VS247H-P 23.6-Inch LED Monitor: Electronics

Amazon.com: Asus PA238Q 23-Inch LED Monitor: Electronics is the same panel as the U2312HM I believe. Dell has much better customer service though for their monitors.


If you end up buying a $160 TN panel (or a $400 60Hz TN panel, that's even worse) after this post, I might hunt you down!