Looking for a better monitor for my desktop.

HardToSpell

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Sep 18, 2012
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Greetings,
I'm sure the Monitor Authorities get this a lot, but what would us laymans do without you? <3
So I currently own a SyncMaster 2232bw by Samsung and use it mostly for gaming.
An issue I've always had but got used to it was the fact that the upper part of the screen was always darker than the lower because of the angulation from my sitting position and increasing brightness was just hurting my eyes, so I wanted help choosing a monitor that has not only higher definition but also better ergonomics.
Size-wise, 22'' fits my desktop like a glove, so there's no need to go higher than that.
Thanks in advance.
 
Solution
it sounds like you may be getting some color shift due to the monitor being a tn panel.

this can happen when the viewing position is not directly in front of the screen due to the tn panels limited viewing angle.

you can fix this by raising/lowering the panel to view it on center or going with a panel with a higher viewing angle.

both va (mva, pva, spva, etc) and ips (e-ips, ah-ips, s-ips, p-ips, h-ips, etc) offer better viewing angles than tn. both have higher response times though and a higher cost.

you can likely get a mva, pva, e-ips or ah-ips (6bit) for $150-300 depending on what you pick out and what sales are on at the time.

the higher viewing angles would solve your issue. either that or you could just move the monitor to...
it sounds like you may be getting some color shift due to the monitor being a tn panel.

this can happen when the viewing position is not directly in front of the screen due to the tn panels limited viewing angle.

you can fix this by raising/lowering the panel to view it on center or going with a panel with a higher viewing angle.

both va (mva, pva, spva, etc) and ips (e-ips, ah-ips, s-ips, p-ips, h-ips, etc) offer better viewing angles than tn. both have higher response times though and a higher cost.

you can likely get a mva, pva, e-ips or ah-ips (6bit) for $150-300 depending on what you pick out and what sales are on at the time.

the higher viewing angles would solve your issue. either that or you could just move the monitor to your viewing plane so your current monitor doesnt shift on you.
 
Solution

HardToSpell

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Sep 18, 2012
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I see,
My current monitor can't shift down to my viewing angle, and since you said that tn panels don't have as much response time as the others, I believe I should stick to another one of these that has at least a tilt function. :I
Now, regarding image quality, what are also relevant factors? I've been told that LCD, LED and '3D' monitor types don't hold much influence on this factor.
Thanks for the prompt answer. :)
 
higher response time is worse not better.

lower numbers mean faster (ie less "lag")

lcd/led? they arent different... dont worry everyone seems to make this mistake.

led refers to led backlighting only. models labeled lcd have ccfl backlighting. honestly there isnt much performance difference but leds save money on the power bill. cheap monitors with leds however can appear blue (they cheap out and dont use white leds but ones with a phosphor coating).

image quality?

i would say pixels per inch has to do with this... this affects sharpness. ie a 1080p 20" is sharper than a 22". also color accuracy (but under $300 they are all going to be 6bit so its negligible). also viewing angle (again, causing color shift like your current monitor). i suppose brightness of the backlight matters as well... dont pick anything too dim or too bright. also screen coating can matter. glossy looks more vibrant but has high glare (bad), anti glare doesnt have the glare but looks grainy. matte finishes do not have the grainy finish but arent as vibrant as glossy (but i think this is best).
 

HardToSpell

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So wrapping it up what i'm looking for is basically a 22" tn panel led monitor with high pixel density and a tilt function. Sweet. Now the only thing that's left to decide is manufacturer, which shouldn't be too hard. Let's just hope prices aren't too sour. ;)
You've helped me immensely, man. Big props. :)
 
just to reitterate:

a tn panel is what you have now.

it could still have the same viewing angle issues that you have now. although recent panels have been much better than those in the past. i just want you to realize this before you get all excited. however, with that said a tilt function will help and newer panels arent quite as bad as they used to be.

personally i would look more towards va or ips subtypes but that is your choice. adding an adjustable base might fix your situation.

a high pixel density means a smaller screen. something around 20-22 is typically average. it looks like you have the size right. all i'm saying is that the smaller the screen the sharper the image. honestly its no so much of a huge issue.

again... you might already know what i said above. just being perfectly clear so you know what you're getting into.
 

HardToSpell

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I've been searching and BenQ's XL2420T specs appeased me more. It's a 24" but it shouldn't be a problem if I got the dimensions right. Only thing that got me wondering was how the Gray to Gray response time would affect overall gaming performance but apparently it wont, so I'll probably get one of those. :)