Help on Monitor Choice Please

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davetay14

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Jun 27, 2013
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Hi - I'm very near to pulling the trigger on a new PC build and am now trying to decide on new monitor to accompany it, but am torn between two options!

I'm looking at putting together a new rig with a GTX780 SC, which I know will run games like Battlefield 3 at high FPS (I play a lot of BF multi-player) without too much sweat... so I was initially leaning towards a 120MHz monitor with low input lag & response time...

However this new rig will likely have to last me five years with one decent GPU upgrade halfway down the road and I want to be able to run Battlefield 4, Crysis 3 & future titles maxed out on it too, so I'm thinking that this will entail 60FPS or less further down the road... in which case the 120MHz idea seems a little pointless if I won't always achieving 60+ FPS in games...

So the other idea was to invest in a decent IPS monitor with a relatively low response time, which would help show off all the eye candy of future games... something which I know unfortunately the TN 120MHz monitors won't do quite as well.

I've had my eye on the following 2 models for the above reasons:

IPS = Asus P248Q (6ms response time)
120MHZ = BenQ XL2411T (or 2420T)

Really I was just after people's opinions on which would be a better model to go for given that most of the time I will be playing around 60FPS, but I still tend to play mostly FPSs so would perhaps benefit from the lower input lag / response times that go with the 120Mhz?

Are the colours / image quality really that bad in 120Hz TN monitors for example?

Thanks in advance for any advice!
 
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Dell do have RTC overdrive (all the big monitor manufacturers do) but its effectiveness varies a lot depending on the model. Control is a lot less granular than the ASUS (I think with Dell it's a choice of on/off, if that) so you have to hope Dell got the voltage perfectly balanced against overshoot (where excessive voltage is applied and simply inverts the trails to light). The ASUS isn't as expensive as you think though:

http://www.pcbuyit.co.uk/asus-pa238q-23-ips-widescreen-monitor-p-2185.html
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sam_p_lay

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Mar 26, 2010
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I'd massively recommend the IPS and you made a good choice there with the ASUS. They have the best RTC overdrive technology (called "Trace Free") for eliminating trails, giving you the best of both worlds (set it to 40 for best results). You seem to have a good understanding already of the pros/cons of each and have given it careful consideration. As for TN colour quality, you couldn't pay me to use one.
 
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MauveCloud

MauveCloud

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Response times are often measured significantly differently for different monitors, so they're not a useful metric. A 120hz (not megahertz!) vertical refresh rate is useful for frame-interleaved 3d with shutter glasses or if you can get well over 60fps. Otherwise, it's questionable.
 
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sam_p_lay

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+1 re response times! Almost as useless as those dynamic contrast ratios... only other benefit of 120Hz refresh is v-sync. I don't use it at 60Hz but I'd consider using it at 120Hz. Not a big deal though - I'd 100% stand by the IPS recommendation.
 
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davetay14

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Jun 27, 2013
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Thanks guys!

I thought the IPS might be a better option considering I want to see the best of graphics and am unlikely to be rocking more than 60FPS most of the time. I had read about the ability to reduce trailing on the PA248Q so that sounds like it might also be a bonus in games particularly 

I have also stumbled across the Dell U2412M which is considerably cheaper than the Asus here in the UK (£100 cheaper in fact!). It has good reviews & apparently has as good if not better colours / picture than the Asus, but I think the response time might be a bit slower (taken with a pinch of salt like you say)… and I’m not sure if you can reduce the trailing on it either like you can the Asus – so I’m still leaning towards the PA248Q since it seems to offer the best of both worlds.

Does anyone have experience with the Dell to get an idea of how it compares?
 
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sam_p_lay

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Mar 26, 2010
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Dell do have RTC overdrive (all the big monitor manufacturers do) but its effectiveness varies a lot depending on the model. Control is a lot less granular than the ASUS (I think with Dell it's a choice of on/off, if that) so you have to hope Dell got the voltage perfectly balanced against overshoot (where excessive voltage is applied and simply inverts the trails to light). The ASUS isn't as expensive as you think though:

http://www.pcbuyit.co.uk/asus-pa238q-23-ips-widescreen-monitor-p-2185.html
 
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davetay14

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Jun 27, 2013
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Thanks for the link to the PA238Q - although it looks like that is the 23 inch model & I was pretty set on a 24 inch, but for the money it might be worth dropping an inch for a better quality monitor!

I just realized I had been writing MHz instead of Hz - too must time looking at GPU clock speeds I think!

I'm still torn, because I've also come across the Dell U2410 which is a bit pricier, but also has a 'gaming mode' apparently which reducing input lag etc at the slight cost of quality, but you can always switch that off when surfing the web, looking at photos etc.

I've also stumbled across the Eizo Foris FS2333 which seems to tick all the boxes as it's an IPS designed for gaming, the only downside is that they only do a 23 inch version :(

Does anyone have any experience with the Dell 2410 or the Eizo at all? :)

Sorry to keep going around in circles over this, but I really want to spend my money well & get a quality monitor that displays great & is also better suited for games - yes I know I want my cake & all that!
 
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sam_p_lay

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Ah sorry - my mistake. I don't consider the 24" models personally because they're pretty much the same size in my mind and it tends to cost a hell of a lot for that extra inch! But yeah, the 24" model is a little pricey. I get muddled up with all these Dell models but I have a feeling the U2410 is one of their really excellent models for eliminating trails and exceptional colour quality. I don't think gaming mode will even hurt image quality much at all - simply disables some post-processing you probably don't really want anyway. Is that Eizo affordable? They're incredible displays, but generally very expensive.
 
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davetay14

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Jun 27, 2013
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Sorry just released I didn't answer your question about the Eizo!

It's about £280 from Amazon in the UK, which is about the same as some of the other models I was looking at, but it is also 1 inch smaller for the same price!

I read Eizo usually make professional grade photo-editing monitors & have now turned their hand to gaming too - hence the FS2333.

It does get amazing reviews, but I don't think it has quite the colours of the U2410 & also has a slightly lower max resolution... although the input lag / responsiveness is obviously lower on the Eizo since it was designed with gaming in mind.

I don't think I'm massively going to notice the difference in lag times with the Dell though in gaming mode & it seems like the better all rounder (albeit pricier!) - plus it is 24 inch too :)

Thanks again for your input!
 
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sam_p_lay

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Haha not a problem :) That's actually not as expensive as I'd expect for Eizo. They had a stunning PVA panel (the Foris FS2331) that launched at £450 a couple of years ago. I think one retailer still has a few in stock and they're going for £240, though I've been told to avoid this particular retailer. And glad to help - you've made an excellent choice. Hope you enjoy your purchase :)
 
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