New monitor choice for gaming(Asus/BenQ/Eizo)

[Xussy90]

So I'm looking for a new monitor. I have/had no knowledge of the tech in this area so I did some research and was pretty set on the ASUS VG248QE, but after some more reading I'm pretty torn between the few options I have now.

I'd want a 24" and the main purpose is gaming (fps, rpg). Besides that I do the occasional Photoshop and I watch movies/shows.

I'm doubting between the following;

BenQ XL2420T
BenQ XL2411T
ASUS VG248QE
EIZO FS2333 (The only IPS and 23")

I have a single GTX680.
Also I'd like to refer to this topic which gave me my doubts;
http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3140598

Many thanks for the help

 

[CraigN]

Depends on how much color accuracy you need while you photoshop. The color quality will be more than good enough for movies/shows. They're not as accurate as other IPS panels tend to be, but after messing around with the on-screen menus, you'll be more than fine for every day use.

I personally have the VG248QE and it looks great after adjusting some of the settings, I love it. Currently thinking about two more for Surround. No checkerboard artifacts either. Some websites have reviewed that the latest 24" BenQ model (I think it's the 2411T) might have better color-accuracy than the ASUS, but nothing you can't calibrate to get to.

The GTX 680 will push more than enough fps to get up to where you'll actually benefit from the high refresh rate too. I'd say go for the ASUS or the BenQ 2411T. Hope that helps.

 

[Xussy90]

Thanks for your reply! Looks like I'll be going for either of those then.
I only occasionally do some Photoshop for some fun so, no worries there.

As far as gaming is concerned I'm let to believe there's no reason to pick a IPS over a TN besides personal preference in response time, input lag and refresh rate VS better colors

 

[CraigN]

You're on the money there. If you're only a light photoshop user, I'd say you should be fine with either of those monitors. Yes, the color accuracy will be less, but you can get it to the same level you were comfortable using before, plus the added smoothness for running at 120 or 144 Hz.

Not to mention I think both (the VG248QE has been mentioned for sure, dunno about BenQ) monitors will support the recently announced nVidia G-Sync with a $175 DIY kit.

 

[jaguarskx]

Well personally I like IPS panel monitors so I would naturally gravitate more towards the Eizo. However, that is the most expensive monitor on your list. and if your 1st priority is playing games, then I would not recommend it as your 1st choice because it only operates at 60Hz which means a max of 60 FPS.

Depending one which games you play, the GTX 680 can push more than 60 FPS. For example, it should be able to push at least 90 FPS in Bioshock Infinite and more than 100 FPS in Borderlands 2 which are not very demanding games. As stated before, getting the Eizo will limit the actually displayed FPS to 60 even if the graphics card can push more than that.

The other monitors are based on TN panels which are generally less expensive to manufacture than IPS panels and allows for both faster response times and higher frequency; up t 144Hz. With these monitors you can see all the frames the GTX 680 can draw; up to 120FPS / 144FPS. The problem is color shifting which basically means the more off center you are the more the colors begin to fade or turn negative (the opposite color). IPS monitors generally do not suffer as much color shifting as TN panel monitors.

You can likely view this effect at home. Many people have HDTVs and they more or less use either IPS or PVA (another panel tech) panels. You can simply turn on the HDTV and start off viewing the screen dead center, then shift over to the right or left. As you shift more right or left you should see just a minor shift in colors (unless it is a really cheap HDTV with a cheap LCD panel). Most people who have LCD monitors have a TN panel monitor. Do the same thing stare directly dead center on the screen then shift left or right and you should see that the colors shift more dramatically than IPS panel monitors.

If for whatever reason you don't have a LCD HDTV or a monitor, then you can go to a local electronics store and do this.

 

[Xussy90]

Yea I've noticed the effect. My laptop has a LED screen and a poor viewing angle. It was fine for school back then but I'd hate to have such a screen for gaming. I'm going to look at a few random TN & IPS screens in a store and check out the difference soon. The 60Hz is a bit of a pickle though (some on 75), not sure which I'd value more. colors or the Hz

Also I've noticed most IPS screen are 23" minus a handful. Now I've never sat behind one yet and I have a 24" at the moment (1920x1200) and I'm a bit 'afraid' that I'll miss the bigger screen when I go to a 23", but I'll have to look at that in the store as well.

And speaking of Gsync, I was even thinking if I should wait until the new versions instead of doing it yourself (if I do got for the asus or benQ TN) but that'll be some time away

Thanks for your replies!

 

[jaguarskx]

I don't think going from a 24" to a 23" monitor will be that much of a difference. However, loosing 120 rows of pixels kinda sucks since I prefer 1920x1200 resolution monitors. I didn't have many problems transitioning between my 25.5" 1920x1200 and 23.6" 1920x1080 which are connected to different PCs.

One interesting feature of the EIZO FS2333 is the Super-Resolution Technology which can be turned on to decrease image noise and improve image quality and sharpness. However, I am sure this is going to increase the input lag, because the monitor's internal electronics will need to do some hardware post processing to "clean up" the images before being displayed on the screen. I cannot tell if the monitor uses the less expensive e-IPS panel tech or the more expensive H-IPS/S-IPS/P-IPS panels.

Another interesting tech is Smart Insight which automatics increase the brightness and maybe auto adjusts the contrast as well for in game low light conditions. It likely works with movies too so that you can see more details in dark scene. I think it might considered sort of a cheat for those survival / horror games where you are using running around in very dark environments... kills the mood...

Overall, I think the EIZO FS2333 a very good gaming monitor as long as you don't think it is too expensive and you don't really care about having a 120Hz monitor. Should either of my 25.5" H-IPS monitors die (hopefully later rather than sooner), then I personally think the EIZO FS2333 would be worth a look. If they had a 1920x1200 version it would likely be a no brainer for me.

 

[jaguarskx]

Here's a pretty in depth review of the Eizo Foris FS2333-BK if you have not read it yet...

http://www.prad.de/en/monitore/review/2012/review-eizo-foris-fs2333-bk.html#Introduction

 

[Xussy90]

That's good to hear, one less thing to worry about

I visited a store today to check out the difference in TN vs IPS, which pretty much confirmed what I've read the last couple of days. Unfortunately they didn't have a single monitor I have on my 'candidate' list and their monitor guy didn't seem to know what he was talking about.

So right now I'm left with a small list.
I got my TN choice sorted out; the BenQ XL2411T.
As for the IPS models I'm pretty much stuck after narrowing it down through reviews & comparisons.

AOC i2369Vm
AOC i2367FH
Asus PB238Q
Asus MX239H – @75Hz but only has HDMI . As far as I know HDMI doesnt go over 60? seems a bit odd to me. Not sure if it's a great gaming monitor either.
Dell P2414H – Not much info on this yet
EIZO FS2333

I think I'm leaning towards the Eizo though.

 

[jaguarskx]

DVI and HDMI are basically the same other than the audio signal. Both of them transmit the same video signal it is just the ports that are different; the pins are arranged differently.

For a 60Hz monitor the only way to get 75Hz is to use a resolution lower than the monitor's native / maximum resolution. Therefore, the Asus MX239H will likely allow you to use 75Hz when the monitor is set to 1600x900 or lower resolution.

 

[Xussy90]

Alright
Well then I've narrowed it down to just a few.

BenQ XL2411T - TN
AOC i2369Vm
EIZO FS2333
Dell P2414H

There's not a whole lot to see yet about the Dell besides the review on tftcentral so I might drop that in the next few days if no others pop up.
I'll let it rest for a few days, many thanks for the assistance