27" vs 30" Displays

[Spyder22446688]

The 30" on the other hand gives you the vertical space you need. It feels like a different class of monitor.

I have to admit, I agree with this statement 100 percent. I often sit down and wish I had went with the 30" Ultrasharp instead of the 27" version. However, three things swayed me to go with the 27" U2713: (1) literally half the price; (2) noticeably better response rate; (3) games run a bit better at the lower resolution.

In an ideal world, I would have a 30" Ultrasharp for general use, and a 24" monitor with a 120Hz refresh rate for gaming.

[DeadOfKnight]

I have to admit, I agree with this statement 100 percent. I often sit down and wish I had went with the 30" Ultrasharp instead of the 27" version. However, three things swayed me to go with the 27" U2713: (1) literally half the price; (2) noticeably better response rate; (3) games run a bit better at the lower resolution.

In an ideal world, I would have a 30" Ultrasharp for general use, and a 24" monitor with a 120Hz refresh rate for gaming.

No way. I would trade responsiveness for a better and more immersive image any day, even for gaming. I'm not a pro gamer, what do I care if it doesn't update for two frames instead of just one?

Input devices are a different story though. It will drive me crazy if my mouse lags behind.

[Spyder22446688]

No way. I would trade responsiveness for a better and more immersive image any day, even for gaming. I'm not a pro gamer, what do I care if it doesn't update for two frames instead of just one?

I like to play a lot of shooters, and playing with a ghosty or laggy screen really becomes a problem. I used to have a 17" Viewsonic with terrible ghosting, it was miserable.

Eh, in an ideal world I'd have a 30" 16:10 IPS display with a 120Hz refresh rate, but that does not appear likely anytime soon.

[DeadOfKnight]

I like to play a lot of shooters, and playing with a ghosty or laggy screen really becomes a problem. I used to have a 17" Viewsonic with terrible ghosting, it was miserable.

Eh, in an ideal world I'd have a 30" 16:10 IPS display with a 120Hz refresh rate, but that does not appear likely anytime soon.

I like shooters too, but I play mostly single player or co-op. I don't even notice the latency, or maybe I'm just used to it. I haven't tried them side-by-side to know what all the fuss is about gaming monitors. Anyway, I think I'd have to get a lot better than I am now for it to really make a difference. Twitch style shooters never really appealed to me anyway. The only game I've been even remotely competitive with is Starcraft. Of course, for Strcraft 2 you wanna stick with 16:9 res and you're better off with a 27" so you can more readily see something far off to the edge of the screen, at least if you sit as close to the screen as I do. I think sitting up close to a 30" would be even better than triple monitor for immersion.

[Spyder22446688]

I haven't tried them side-by-side to know what all the fuss is about gaming monitors.

After reading how smooth everything becomes, I have been intentionally avoiding looking at 120Hz monitors. I am afraid that I will see one and instantly be ruined for all other monitors. It's such a shame that the technology is only currently available in crappy 23" 1080p TN panels.

[DeadOfKnight]

After reading how smooth everything becomes, I have been intentionally avoiding looking at 120Hz monitors. I am afraid that I will see one and instantly be ruined for all other monitors. It's such a shame that the technology is only currently available in crappy 23" 1080p TN panels.

Apparently some of those 3D displays are kind of exceptions to the rule of TN being crappy, from what I've read. They are essentially the cream of the crop as far as TN panels are concerned. Better, more vivid colors and even wider viewing angles than you're used to seeing on most TN panels. However, they still fall very much short of what we're used to on IPS etc. You just can't deny the awesomeness of using a higher resolution than 1080p.

[michael_d]

I have been using 30" for the past 3 years and cannot imaging going back to anything of a lesser size.

AA is still required because jagged lines are still visible even at 2560x1600.

If you are planning to play games I would recommend to invest in high performance Video Card such as HD7970 as it has excellent AA performance.

[DeadOfKnight]

I have been using 30" for the past 3 years and cannot imaging going back to anything of lesser size.

AA is still required because jagged line are still visible even at 2560x1600.

A 27" has noticeably smaller pixels and pitch than the 30" though, so I think you could easily get away with 4xMSAA and the jaggies will disappear completely.

[DeadOfKnight]

If you are planning to play games I would recommend to invest in high performance Video Card such as HD7970 as it has excellent AA performance.

I will most likely be getting a GTX 670 or similar of 2013's upcoming cards.

[Spyder22446688]

I have dual 670s. Very nice. I am able to run Excel at full detail, max quality.

[DeadOfKnight]

Part of me just can't wait for 4K@120Hz to be the new standard. I just wonder what's taking so long. These monitors have just been stagnating at the same prices for years now with small revisions that don't change a whole lot of anything.

Only recently do they seem to be releasing more mainstream versions of the high-end monitors, but the high end hasn't really moved at all.

[jihadjoe]

I've gotten pretty comfy with a dualhead setup using two U2311Hs.
My main work monitor is on the left, and then the right side monitor is for having a runtime display of whatever i'm working on, or for playing movies while I work.

You guys think upgrading to a U3011+U2711 is a good idea? I figure this way my left-side work monitor gets the extra space from 16:10, while the right side monitor keeps the 16:9 aspect ratio and avoids black bars when playing movies.

[DeadOfKnight]

I've gotten pretty comfy with a dualhead setup using two U2311Hs.
My main work monitor is on the left, and then the right side monitor is for having a runtime display of whatever i'm working on, or for playing movies while I work.

You guys think upgrading to a U3011+U2711 is a good idea? I figure this way my left-side work monitor gets the extra space from 16:10, while the right side monitor keeps the 16:9 aspect ratio and avoids black bars when playing movies.

I honestly don't get the aversion to black bars. If I get a 30" I can still run games and movies in 16:9 and they'll be bigger and use the same amount of pixels. The pixels will be bigger. That's the only downside, unless you have bad eyesight.