Replacing my old monitor - is there anything good in ~$400 price range?

[Tigro]

So 5 years after buying my current monitor, which is HP w2228h, I'm slowly thinking about a change. I'm not quite up to date with the technology of current displays so I don't know how it has changed here but would like to ask if there is anything in the ~$400 price range that would seriously make me notice the upgrade.

I'm gonna be using it for both everyday work (programming, sometimes photo editing) and gaming. My current monitor is 22 inches so I think something bigger but not above 24" would be good. No preferred brands, no brands detested either. Also, I'm not planning any multi-display setup so this will be my main and only monitor.

Has the technology regarding monitors changed over the years enough to make me really wow at something not more expensive that $400 in comparison to my current display? What would you recommend?

 

[ronintexas]

Two things that make a remarkable difference are the response times and the accuracy of colors displayed. If you are a gamer, playing high FPS, a lower response time (<=2ms) will be great - but you can get those for half the price.

The second is the accuracy of the colors - if you are a photo editor, video editor or graphic artist, this will make a tremendous difference.

I have used a wide variety of monitors - costing anywhere from $100 - $400 (22" - 24" LCD/LED), and the very cheap (usually <$150) are inaccurate in colors and refresh rates >=5mS. Monitors in the $175 - $299 range tend to be the sweet spot - and the $175 is a sales price. $200-$299 normal price will give you a great monitor.

Here is a Tom's Hardware Smart Buy Reader's Choice Award winner - on sale!

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236313

 

[aevm]

This one supports 144Hz and has a 1ms response, great for gaming:
ASUS VG248QE Black 24" 144Hz 1ms (GTG) HDMI Widescreen LED Backlight LCD 3D Monitor $280
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236313&ignorebbr=1

And here's one that has a better resolution (1920x1200) and an IPS panel, great for work, photos and movies:
Dell UltraSharp U2412M Black IPS Panel 24" 8ms Pivot, Swivel & Height Adjustable LED Backlight Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2, $300
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824260047&ignorebbr=1

The Dell has a lower response time (8ms) and a lower refresh rate (60Hz),which means the other one is better for gaming.

Maybe you should get one of each. I have two monitors at home and two others at work and it's quite convenient.

 

[aevm]

LOL, Ron and I came up with the same monitor in the same minute

 

[ronintexas]

Usually the great monitors aren't on sale....I was drooling....I use a 3-monitor configuration on my home PC, and 2-monitor at work, none of my monitors are that nice

 

[bambiboom]

Tigro,

A lot of choosing a monitor depends on your use. As I am working with CAD, rendering, and graphic design, if I were upgrading my monitor I would buy a 27", 2560 X1440 for detail, to be able to judge small fonts, and display multiple applications, and a lot of menus. I have an HP 2711X 1920 X 1080 and while it make s very good image, small fonts are just not detailed enough.

If you are set on 24" you might consider >

NEC Display Solutions EA244WMi-BK Black 24" 6ms HDMI Widescreen LED Backlight LCD Monitor, IPS Panel 350 cd/m2 DCR 25,000:1 (1000:1) Built-in Speakers > $380 (Newegg)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824002784

> which is 1920 x 1200, very fast response, has an IPS Panel, a lot of color and image refinement controls, and D-Sub, DVI, HDMI, and DisplayPort connections. In other words, a bit more screen area, and all the modern conveniences and specifications that would be a revelation after your 22"1680 x 1050 HP. I've not seen this monitor in person, but always had good results with NEC, having had three NEC monitors- starting with a 3V in 1993 and until a 19" LCD in 2007- and they always had a good image, controls, and lasted as long as I cared to use them- I used the 15" 3V CRT ($550 new!) with my recording computer until the 2007 NEC LCD and the 3V still works perfectly in my "vintage" system ( 1998 Dell XPS T700R Pentium III 750MHz).

I strongly recommend seeing any monitor under consideration in person to check the image, controls, and buying locally can be an advantage in case there are dead pixels or damage in shipping. The few Dollars more may save considerable time in returning, replacing, or dissatisfaction buying sight unseen.

Cheers,

BambiBoom

 

[aevm]

I looked at the 27" monitors with 2560x1440 capabilities too. There are a bunch under $400 but they're all from dubious brands I don't trust.

A Dell Ultrasharp 27" 2560x1440 IPS is about $700. That's what I'd get...

 

[bambiboom]

I looked at the 27" monitors with 2560x1440 capabilities too. There are a bunch under $400 but they're all from dubious brands I don't trust.

A Dell Ultrasharp 27" 2560x1440 IPS is about $700. That's what I'd get...

aevm,

I like the Dell Ultrasharp image and controls very much in general, but not so much the pebbly, whitish anti-glare coating. One of the main selling points of my current HP 2711x is that it has a screen without a noticeable anti-glare coating. It does require a position without lighting sources in the reflection, but the direct, saturated image is worth it. These anti-glare coatings are a principal reason to suggest seeing monitors in person- the images in photos of the catalog image are simulated and intrusive coatings not reproduced.

Yes, there are the various "off brands", but there are a limited number of makers of the panels, so monitors like the QNIX QX2710 (27" 2560 X 1440 for about $350) are advertised as having Samsung panels,and reviews of some of these have been positive. Still, if you're doing graphic design, photo editing, and/or video processing, the controls and color accuracy are critical and that's where Samsung or ASUS electronics will make the difference. Sorry to repeat this, but > another reason to see them in person.

Looking over the various 27", 2560 X 1440's, I can't decide between Samsung, Viewsonic, and ASUS. I recently changed to a Quadro 4000 (2GB) and have the idea that I might buy a Quadro K5000 (3GB) in about a year and at that time buy either a 2560 x 1440 or even a 3840 X 2160 if they're not outrageously expensive. My current first choice is >

ASUS PA279Q Black 27" 6ms WQHD HDMI Widescreen LED Backlight True Color Professional Monitor 350 cd/m2 100000000:1 Built-in Speakers height&pivot adjustable > $800

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236343

Besides great color accuracy, this has one of the best adjustable stands and I like the idea of the hood to at least make a border/mask for distracting backlighting.

> but I expect both QHD and 3840 to become more reasonable- and more choices in drivers and cards.


Cheers,

BambiBoom

HP z420 (2013) > Xeon E5-1620 quad core @ 3.6 / 3.8GHz > 24GB ECC 1600 > Quadro 4000 (2GB)> Samsung 840 SSD 250GB /Western Digital WD1003FZEX 1TB > M-Audio 192 sound card > AE3000 USB WiFi // HP 2711X, 27" 1920 X 1080 // Windows 7 Ultimate 64 > Autodesk Building Design Suite, Inventor Pro, Solidworks, Adobe CS MC, Corel Technical Design Sketchup Pro, WordP Office, MS Office Pro

 

[ronintexas]

Size does matter.....and bigger isn't always better. There are three ways you need to look at the size of a monitor:
1) Real estate of the monitor - by this, how much needs to be displayed at any given time. True HD (1920 x 1080) is best viewed on monitors 22" - 24" in size, if you are going bigger for a desktop monitor, you need a larger pixel display - i.e. 2560 X 1440 for the 25-27" monitors.
2) Real estate of your desk - in other words, does the damn thing fit? You also want to look at the distance from your eyes when seated at the desk to your monitor. The closer you are, theoretically, the smaller the monitor should be. A 27" monitor that is viewed 12-18" from your eyes may be very hard on your eyes....measure the desk for height and width to ensure the monitor fits, then approximate how close your eyes will be to the monitor. Go to a computer store and look at the monitors that distance away....
3) Multiple monitors vs. single monitors. Having multiple monitors (i.e. 3 monitors at 1920 x 1080 = 1 monitor 5760 x 1080) - you can place a lot more on the desktop vs. a single 27" monitor at 2560 x 1440.

So the things I would look at is what makes you comfortable, fits your desk, and displays what you want on the screens. One size doesn't fit all.

 

[Tigro]

Thank you all for the responses. I looked through all your recommendations and it seems I'll have to change my preferences a bit because - from what I see now, at least - all the good <24" monitors have one great con - they're just ugly designed. I know it's a matter of priorities and for some the monitor should work good and not look good itself but I'd rather something great on the inside just as on the outside.

Considering I'll be performing a little redecorations in my room anyway, I'll guess I'll go for a long, flat desk rather than the corner one I have now which will allow me to have practically no boundaries when it comes to monitors. Thus, I fell in love with LG 29EA93 as it's simply stunning and the reviews praise it as well. I'll think it over but I wouldn't it rule out as the evident conclusion of my problem