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Skullzer
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Monitor suggestion please

Wed Feb 13, 2013 6:06 pm

Hi gerbils,

I'm in the market for a new monitor. My uses will be gaming, web browsing, music production, media consumption (1080p format movies), and some photo viewing. I currently use an acer h213h, I think that's the model number, and a Samsung non-widescreen as a secondary. I plan on keeping the acer as a second monitor to have up my web browser, iTunes, etc while I'm gaming on the new monitor. I seriously don't know how people can survive with just one monitor these days lol. My budget will be around $400 US, I live in Northern California and can shop online or drive a few hours to Fry's. I think the San Jose micro center closed :(

Anyhow, I've read through a few other threads and I think the recommendation will be the Dell u2410. I have access to a employee purchase program an they are quoting $399, which I'm not sure is a good deal or not. I know I want to go IPS for sure, unless someone can talk me out of it based on my needs. I definitely want something in the 24-27 inch range. My current main monitor is 21.5 I believe and I can see too much of the wall that's behind it :) I noticed dell had a few other options that were a little cheaper but if like to hear some thoughts on those monitors. I don't necessarily prefer dell over brands however it seems like they arethe most recommended. I've read about the Korean monitors but I don't want to risk it, unless I can get one locally.

Anyhow, let me know if you guys need any more info. My PC specs are in my signature.
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Voldenuit
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Re: Monitor suggestion please

Wed Feb 13, 2013 6:25 pm

Skullzer wrote:
My uses will be gaming,...


Stop right there. With an input lag of 33 ms, the U2410 is not a good choice for gaming. The U2412M has a 6-bit e-IPS panel with AFRC dithering, and has an input lag of 9.4 ms. If you're not doing serious photo work or printing, the e-IPS panel is going to give you better viewing angles and colors than a cheapo TN panel and nearly as good colors as a regular IPS panel.

If you are doing serious photo work, the U2413 is the successor to the U2410 and has a 14-bit LUT compared to the 10-bit LUT of the U2410. Bear in mind that you need to activate Game Mode to turn the average input lag of the U2413 (24 ms) into something amazing (9 ms).

I recently bought a hp ZR2440W (e-IPS panel) over the U2412M because I use my monitor as my TV screen and the U2412M lacked a HDMI input or 1:1 pixel map feature.
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JohnC
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Re: Monitor suggestion please

Wed Feb 13, 2013 6:27 pm

Dell UltraSharp U2412M or U2410 are both fine models if you prefer a proper aspect ratio and IPS displays. If you're into hardcore gaming you might consider a TN monitor instead with higher refresh rate, like Asus VG248QE or its overpriced "competitor" from BenQ... Of course those TN monitors will have **** aspect ratio, viewing angles and out-of-box color accuracy, so... Whatever you prefer :wink:
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JohnC
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Re: Monitor suggestion please

Wed Feb 13, 2013 6:35 pm

Voldenuit wrote:
If you are doing serious photo work, the U2413 is the successor to the U2410 and has a 14-bit LUT compared to the 10-bit LUT of the U2410. Bear in mind that you need to activate Game Mode to turn the average input lag of the U2413 (24 ms) into something amazing (9 ms).

That thing would be a little bit out of budget of "around $400 US" :wink:
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Voldenuit
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Re: Monitor suggestion please

Wed Feb 13, 2013 7:25 pm

JohnC wrote:
That thing would be a little bit out of budget of "around $400 US" :wink:


He did mention he had access to an employee purchase program, but I don't know how significant the discounts will be for the OP...

I suggested the U2412M first based on his usage model, which listed gaming first and photo viewing but not processing or print workflow.

I'd also like to say that TN panels are not required to get good input response these days. The U2412M has a 9.4 ms input lag, and the Benq GW2450 (8-bit AMVA panel) gets an astounding 6 ms input lag. Basically, the only reasons to get a TN monitor today is if your budget doesn't support an e-IPS, IPS, PLS or *VA panel.

EDIT: I see you alluded to 120 Hz TN monitors for hardcore gaming. I agree that they might be of interest to hardcore gamers, but I also agree with you that the tradeoffs you mentioned are not worth it for regular users.
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JohnC
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Re: Monitor suggestion please

Wed Feb 13, 2013 7:48 pm

Input response is not very relevant, refresh rate is - a huge visual difference between monitors stuck at 60Hz and monitors that support 120Hz and higher refresh rates, especially if your video card is powerful enough. I can't really notice difference between monitors with low input response and the ones with 2x higher input response, but I can clearly perceive difference between 60Hz monitors and 120Hz monitors when playing some games... Although like I said, these TN monitors with high refresh rates have a lot of drawbacks which I'm not willing to trade for.
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Voldenuit
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Re: Monitor suggestion please

Wed Feb 13, 2013 8:02 pm

JohnC wrote:
Input response is not very relevant, refresh rate is


Well, I have to say I have the opposite opinion. Coming from an old *VA panel with a lot of input lag, I noticed more responsiveness on my new hp (even though at 20 ms, it's not especially responsive by today's standards) in FPS games. Granted, I haven't used a 120 Hz monitor, but like you, am unwilling to trade for the drawbacks of TN panels (even though my secondary monitor atm is a TN panel with lousy colors and viewing angles - I mainly use it for IRC and secondary web browsing).
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Skullzer
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Re: Monitor suggestion please

Wed Feb 13, 2013 10:25 pm

Thanks for all the responses guys. I won't be doing any professional photo work so a full blown IPS is definitely not needed. I also am not by any means a pro gamer, so I think a 120hz model is a little overkill too. I would like to stick to the 16*10 ratio, I think the extra vertical space would be nice and would make the screen feel much bigger. I know media and games are optimized at 16*9, but my media will mostly be played on my secondary monitor.

As far as the EPP is concerned, it looks like I don't get a discount on any of the monitors dell offers, that's too bad. I looked into the HP equivalent but I didn't like the bezel.

It looks like an E-ips model would fit my needs best. Ill look around for something with a low response time and good ratings. I think the dell u2412m might be the best fit. Dell has them for $369, any idea if they go on sale regularly?
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JustAnEngineer
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Re: Monitor suggestion please

Wed Feb 13, 2013 10:25 pm

Skullzer wrote:
I think the recommendation will be the Dell u2410. I have access to a employee purchase program an they are quoting $399, which I'm not sure is a good deal or not.
That's a good price on an excellent monitor.
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JohnC
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Re: Monitor suggestion please

Wed Feb 13, 2013 10:48 pm

JustAnEngineer wrote:
Skullzer wrote:
I think the recommendation will be the Dell u2410. I have access to a employee purchase program an they are quoting $399, which I'm not sure is a good deal or not.
That's a good price on an excellent monitor.

...the current price for u2410 is $399.99 for everyone, so I wouldn't say it's a "good price" when counting in EPP "discount" :wink:

Anyway, I'd suggest getting u2412m instead and then also invest some $$$ into basic monitor calibrator, like for example Spyder4 Pro, which is an easy to use and accurate enough model (unless you'll get a defective unit). Your total price will be more than $400, but good calibrator is worth it (regardless of the quality of your monitor), especilly if you have several displays in use (and maybe also laptops).
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Voldenuit
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Re: Monitor suggestion please

Wed Feb 13, 2013 10:59 pm

Skullzer wrote:
It looks like an E-ips model would fit my needs best. Ill look around for something with a low response time and good ratings. I think the dell u2412m might be the best fit. Dell has them for $369, any idea if they go on sale regularly?


Provantage has them for $299 with $32 shipping. I bought my hp from provantage for $346 and it came pretty quick (ordered on Sun night, arrived wed morning). BHPhotovideo has the U2412M for $339 with free shipping. Newegg had them for $319 ($9 shipping) but they're out of stock atm.
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JohnC
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Re: Monitor suggestion please

Wed Feb 13, 2013 11:30 pm

Voldenuit wrote:
Skullzer wrote:
It looks like an E-ips model would fit my needs best. Ill look around for something with a low response time and good ratings. I think the dell u2412m might be the best fit. Dell has them for $369, any idea if they go on sale regularly?


Provantage has them for $299 with $32 shipping. I bought my hp from provantage for $346 and it came pretty quick (ordered on Sun night, arrived wed morning). BHPhotovideo has the U2412M for $339 with free shipping. Newegg had them for $319 ($9 shipping) but they're out of stock atm.

Provantage is also out of stock...
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Prestige Worldwide
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Re: Monitor suggestion please

Wed Feb 13, 2013 11:49 pm

I know most folks around here will recommend an IPS monitor, but for gaming, the BenQ XL2420T isthe best purchase I have made in quite a while. I didnt quite know what to expect from 120hz but it blue me away in terms of fluidity and responsiveness. Making the jump from a Samsung 2253bw to the benq was a phenomenal leap and the 3 friends of mine who have also purchased one can't say enough good things about it.
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JohnC
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Re: Monitor suggestion please

Wed Feb 13, 2013 11:59 pm

Prestige Worldwide wrote:
I know most folks around here will recommend an IPS monitor, but for gaming, the BenQ XL2420T isthe best purchase I have made in quite a while. I didnt quite know what to expect from 120hz but it blue me away in terms of fluidity and responsiveness. Making the jump from a Samsung 2253bw to the benq was a phenomenal leap and the 3 friends of mine who have also purchased one can't say enough good things about it.

It's severely overpriced, at least here in USA... Asus' VG248QE model with basically same capabilities is much cheaper :wink:
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auxy
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Re: Monitor suggestion please

Fri Feb 15, 2013 4:49 pm

Prestige Worldwide wrote:
I know most folks around here will recommend an IPS monitor
Yyeeep.
Prestige Worldwide wrote:
for gaming, the BenQ XL2420T is the best purchase
JohnC wrote:
Asus' VG248QE model with basically same capabilities is much cheaper
Both of those 120Hz monitors are really nice and unquestionably the best choice for hardcore gamers who prefer zero-motion-blur gameplay for their fast action games.

However, for strategy gamers, or for more casual gamers -- and especially for things like movie and image viewing -- an IPS display is really much better. I recommend the HP2311xi or ASUS VS239H-P for entry-level IPS displays, both of which can be found for around $190. The HP has better response, but the ASUS has better inputs and VESA mounting. They're 6-bit+AFRC, but even those cheap monitors are a huge step up in viewing angle and color reproduction from even a good TN panel.

If $190 is still too rich for you, the VS229H-P is the same as the VS239, but an inch smaller and about $50 cheaper. I have two VS229H-P wall-mounted myself. I intend to get a VG248Q soon, though. :) Don't be alarmed by the long 14ms response time -- the display only changes once every 16ms at 60hz, so it's not a problem.
 
bernardo78
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Re: Monitor suggestion please

Thu Mar 07, 2013 3:34 pm

Prestige Worldwide wrote:
I know most folks around here will recommend an IPS monitor, but for gaming, the BenQ XL2420T isthe best purchase I have made in quite a while. I didnt quite know what to expect from 120hz but it blue me away in terms of fluidity and responsiveness. Making the jump from a Samsung 2253bw to the benq was a phenomenal leap and the 3 friends of mine who have also purchased one can't say enough good things about it.


I had the same experience when I tried out a higher refresh rate monitor. I had always heard about the specs and the lag that my 60hz screen had (I never really noticed it, so I thought it was BS). Even in the stores, the screens looked a little weird because of the settings or something. I did a lot of research online to see what it was all about and what the technology was behind it. I read an article about 60hz vs 120hz that really sold me on the differece. It was when I got one into my office and tweaked the settings until they were just right that I found what the deal was. I ended up with the BenQ XL2420T Professional Gaming Monitor. I found it on amazon for a pretty good deal. I thought so at least. Glad I did a lot of reading before I made the purchase.
 
druidcent
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Re: Monitor suggestion please

Fri Mar 08, 2013 3:13 pm

I know you said you weren't interested in Korean monitors.. but for your budget and requirements, I'd say take a second look. I'm from Nor Cal as well, and one of the best investments I made was $300 for a 27" IPS Catleap. I had zero pixel defects (you can pay a little more for this guarantee which I didn't), the shipping was perfect (box wasn't even dinged a little), and I don't have any issues with color calibration (I'm sure it can be better, but I don't plan on getting a colorimeter and trying to get a perfect match).

Anyway, feel free to PM me about any questions.. I was a bit nervous when I did it, but I'm glad I did.
 
BluePanda
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Re: Monitor suggestion please

Sat Mar 09, 2013 1:25 am

I just bought three of these little guys http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824176424.

Granted they were on sale a bit more than now -- but they are hella panels for what I paid. Unless you are an insane gamer and compete with the GODs or feel the need to have a super e-pein then you won't really notice that much lag in response time like some of the fellas on here.

To me I finally just needed to upgrade to the IPS world and get rid of the concept of Viewing Angle -- as with an IPS you don't have such -- it's nearly view-able at every angle.

I guess the big deal is what exactly do you want --
 
nanoflower
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Re: Monitor suggestion please

Sat Mar 09, 2013 11:31 am

I don't know how good these are but Best Buy has a deal on HP 25 inch IPS monitors (HP Pavilon 25BW ) for a nice price $220
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/HP+-+Pavilion+25bw+25%22+IPS+LED+HD+Monitor/7295041.p?id=1218838639178&skuId=7295041#tab=overview

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