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liquidsquid
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Replacing x2 19" monitors with a single

Mon Oct 27, 2008 8:15 am

Hi all,
I have been doing a little research on this subject, but since I have a feeling there are folks here with a lot more background than I have, I will field this question.

I have two fairly decent 4:3 19" monitors which are pretty good for photography work and games (Hyundai ImageQuest 90D+) but I am tired of the bar between them when I am doing design work. At work I have the same issue, but they are Dell 19" monitors.

I would like to replace them with the same horizontal size, so that would be roughly 24-28" across. I would primarily like to gear the new monitor towards photography. I was ogling the Dell line-up, but there are so many other choices out there. I am not looking necessarily for the cheapest, though that does help. I just want to make sure that if I go this route it is worth it, and I get an image improvement over what I have now.

The primary task I do with my system is schematic and PCB layout, which translates to long hours looking at a LOT of lines and colors. A monitor which does not tire eyes out much would be great.

One other thing, I have a dual DVI card, but not Display Port. Would it be worth upgrading the card to Display Port to support a large monitor, or is dual DVI good enough?

Thanks!
 
stoydgen
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Re: Replacing x2 19" monitors with a single

Mon Oct 27, 2008 8:58 am

Hi Liquid (insert MGS reference here),

What is your budget? assuming you want good colours (for photography) and a high res (for viewing those PCB's in their full glory) i would be recommending a 30" mostly due to the res. However those are not cheap (I'm not sure where you are buying from, and my experience with US bargain hunting is limited). but a 24" at the least i think. Using a 30" monitor should literally give you more than twice the res of your current setup, meaning it should fit the bill nicely. I suggest something from the dell or the samsung line (are there other 30" screens?).

Also regarding Displayport vs DVI, dual link DVI should be fine, supports 2560*1600 resolution of the 30" screens just fine.

The resident bargain hunters should be able to help you deal wise.
 
liquidsquid
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Re: Replacing x2 19" monitors with a single

Mon Oct 27, 2008 10:43 am

Thanks, my budget is <$2K, depending when my customer gets around to paying me. My desk size is somewhat of a limit, and I sit close. 30" Would certainly be sweet, but that is HUGE. I don't think my peripheral vision goes that far... I would still consider it, but then I would have to lop off the top of my desk, which honestly is being used to store junk anyway. However the two 19" monitors don't fit either, but I don't like them that close.

Detail looking at PCBs is actually a detriment, it is too tiring. I spend most of my time zoomed in. Your brain simply cannot process the amount of detail on some of these boards they are that complex. Think 32-bit DDR bus and all control signals, all net equalized with trombones, etc. next to a 1000+ pin BGA.

I will have to look at Samsung, and see what it available.
 
JustAnEngineer
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Re: Replacing x2 19" monitors with a single

Mon Oct 27, 2008 7:57 pm

I recommend a monitor arm to suspend your monitor above the surface of your desk. That leaves the whole surface area still available for your junk.
 
liquidsquid
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Re: Replacing x2 19" monitors with a single

Mon Oct 27, 2008 10:19 pm

JustAnEngineer wrote:
I recommend a monitor arm to suspend your monitor above the surface of your desk. That leaves the whole surface area still available for your junk.


Hey, now that is a great idea! And junk I have! It is tough to squeeze a decent scope, emulators, and various trays of parts along with a soldering iron on a Bush computer desk from Staples :-)

By the looks of it I can take out the top shelf, and then hang the monitor from the top surface and that would give me GOBs of room!!! Gosh, now all I need is moola...

Moonlighting for extra $$$ is getting a bit tiresome when it is lacking the $$$ part...

-LS
 
DrDillyBar
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Re: Replacing x2 19" monitors with a single

Mon Oct 27, 2008 10:33 pm

I'd get a 27" LCD at 19x12 or 32" TV at 1080.
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Voldenuit
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Re: Replacing x2 19" monitors with a single

Mon Oct 27, 2008 11:01 pm

From the sounds of it, you need a high resolution monitor and good colour definition, although colour accuracy is not as important. You also probably want good viewing angles - you don't want to have to move your head to be able to see clearly, and you don't want false colours from different angles.

This rules out TN Film displays altogether.

There are several good consumer-level 24" displays on the market using *VA panels:
Benq FP241W
Dell Ultrasharp 2408WFP
hp LP2465
hp LP2475
Samsung Syncmaster 245T
These monitors are usually in the $600-800 range, and have a resolution of 1920x1200. They all use *VA matrices, except for the hp 2475, which uses H-IPS (a better display technology).

You can make a jump to a 26-27" display, such as the
NEC MultiSync LCD2690WUXi
Dell Ultrasharp 2707WFP
These monitors are in the $800-1200 range, but the same resolution as the 24" displays. I don't find much value in their larger dot pitch at the same resolution.

You can also consider 30" displays:
NEC MultiSync LCD3090WQXi
Dell UltraSharp 3007WFP-HC
Samsung SyncMaster 305T
They have a resolution of 2560x1600. The Dell is significantly cheaper than the NEC ($1400 vs ~$2000), but some have complained about a fuzzy image, so it may not be ideal for CAD/CAM work.

I'd probably get the Samsung 305T myself for your line of work. The Dell 3007 is tempting, but I'd want to see one in person to make up my mind about its reported fuzziness first.
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