QHD IPS 27" Monitor Purchase Advice

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bluejayek

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Apr 3, 2013
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Hello fellow techies!

I am looking to purchase a new primary monitor for my desktop for gaming, netflix, and general internet surfing/word processing/minor programming etc. My current monitor is a slightly aged HP ZR24W (The old model with a CFL backlight). This is a 1920x1200 (16:10) IPS monitor that has served well (and still does). I simply would like more screen real estate / resolution. I am running this monitor with an (equally aged) PC with relevant specs:

ASUS P6T motherboard
ATI 5870 graphics (With a jerry rigged, decrepit cooling solution) [Upgrade pending] {Has DVI / HDMI / DisplayPort}
Intel i7 960 CPU (lightly overclocked, 3.4GHz)
12GB RAM OCZ Platinum 1333MHz (clock speed may be wrong)
Corsair HX750W power supply

I would like a monitor of about 27" size, and higher resolution then I currently have... which would mean QHD. I would prefer to keep the 16:10 aspect ratio, but that seems impossible outside of ultra-expensive professional grade monitors, so 16:9 will have to do.

My current monitor has quite spoiled me for the color fidelity and viewing angles of an IPS monitor, so I preferably would like to stick with IPS monitors, unless somebody can convince me that the benefits are not worth the cost. Additionally, the games I play (Recently minecraft, League of Legends, Kerbal Space Program, Civilization 5) are not particularly affected by the 'slow' response time of IPS, so that is not a mark in TN's favor for me.

Enhanced RGB color-space is unnecessary. Sound/speakers unnecessary. Screen must have scalar to display resolutions below without black bars (at same aspect ratio). 60Hz refresh is sufficient.

My requirements/preferences in a monitor (in order) would be:
27" / QHD
IPS
Respectable company / good dead-pixel exchange policy
Good panel uniformity/low backlight bleed
Matte/semi-matte screen
Good color accuracy
Solid contrast ratio
Decent response rate
Ergonomic adjustments on stand
USB ports are useful.

Budget: Up to ~800$ CAD (~750 USD), would prefer lower.


I am hesitant to consider the 'cheap' Korean manufacturers, as I am worried about QC and warranty policies. I don't know too much about them, and would prefer to stick with the bigger 'more reputable' companies, unless somebody can allay my concerns. In addition, some of these panels seem not to have scalars.

A monitor that seems to fit my bill is the ASUS PB278Q (presently 525$ CAD on Newegg.ca http://www.newegg.ca/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=+PB278Q&N=-1&isNodeId=1). The only two things on it would be that it lacks inbuilt USB ports for convenience (very minor concern), and that the non-calibrated coor accuracy is a bit poor according to this review: http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/asus_pb278q.htm.

Can anybody here give me reasons why this monitor may not be the best choice for me, or offer suggestions as to what I could purchase instead?

Thanks!

Edit: Fixed some formatting.
Edit2: Added some minor information.
 
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johnnyq1233

johnnyq1233

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My brother is using an LED lit 42" 1080p screen off the shelf from Future shop and it is an amazing screen!
It was 499.00 so why would you buy a screen that is smaller and more expensive for the ASUS name?
You do know that all the screens come from the same manufacturers.
It's an over priced 5ms POS!
My brothers LG 42" is a 2ms screen with LED backlighting and multiple usb , mem cards as well as network capabilities!
Plus you can watch TV on it if you want!
 
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bluejayek

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Johnny: That 42" TV screen has a few downsides that I do not want:

First and foremost, it is HD rather then QHD, a significantly lower resolution. Particularly once you make a screen that big, sitting as near to it as you typically would for a computer screen, I would notice the difference. Further, not having the higher resolution would mostly void my intended reason for upgrading.

Secondly, I believe most LCD screens are TN panels rather then IPS. These have lower viewing angles and is why the picture colors distort for people viewing from the side. They also generally have poorer color reproduction then IPS panels. I am pretty set on getting an IPS panel for these reasons.

Thirdly, 42" is really getting a bit too big for me. Bigger is not always better, and I don't know as a 42" would easily fit in the space I want it too, and it would be harder to transport when I eventually move.

Fourth, the '2ms' vs. '5ms' is a factor of the TV screen being TN vs. the monitor being IPS... IPS have lower response times. Those specs from the manufacturer are generally trash anyways and should be confirmed by looking at third part reviews (Although that TV probably still has a better response rate then the ASUS monitor, because, again, TN vs. IPS). The response rate improvement is not important for my intended use.

Fifth, I don't actually want to watch TV on my computer monitor. I do not have a cable subscription, and have no intention of getting one in the future because Netflix.

Sixth, while the USB connections would admittedly be useful, the existence of memory card readers and a network attachment are useless because the monitor will be connected to a computer that has / can have these things already.

Seventh, your comment about "the ASUS name" and "all screens come from the same manufacturers". This is probably correct in so far as it goes. Many of the panels that go into screens come from the same spot; this particular screen has a panel from Samsung that likely is the same as goes into many 27" QHD monitors. The difference is the package built around it, quality control, and warranty. These things affect how likely you are to get a monitor that is dead on arrival, or has some dead pixels. They affect how easy it is to exchange said dead monitor. They affect the quality of the initial factory settings for color settings etc., and the types of adjustments you can perform once you get the monitor. These things are worth enough to me to pay a bit extra for 'the ASUS name' vs. getting a QNIX or something from a company that I trust less. In fact, typically the cheap QHD monitors from 'the korean companies' are panels that were rejected from the big manufacturers (mainly apple aparently) by their quality control teams.

Please don't get the opinion that I was trying to tear you apart or anything. That screen probably works great for your brother; particularly if he plays first person shooters, the faster response time would be useful. I just wanted to clearly state why a TV screen like that does not suit me.

Edit: Grammar fix
Edit2: Typo
 
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bluejayek

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While that monitor does have good reviews, I'm not really sure I want an ultra-wide, partially for reasons of size possibly being too large. It also seems to have some problems with screen uniformity / backlight bleed which I don't really want. In addition, it unfortunately is about 500$ (http://www.ncix.com/detail/lg-34in-led-monitor-ultrawide-3b-97392.htm) over my (slightly flexible) budget of 800$ CAD.

edit: added uniformity comment
 
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MUdrummer99

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I went through this same situation a few months ago. I settled on the monitor that you are looking at and could not be happier. I actually came down in size from a 32" 1080p monitor/TV. I have nothing but excellent things to say about it. Gaming is really solid, I have never noticed any motion blur (I don't play FPS's though, so YMMV). Movies are absolutely beautiful. Video/photo work lays out incredibly well. My out of the box color accuracy was much better that that review states, but still left a bit to be desired. IIt was fairly easy to calibrate. Even my wife (who could care less about any of this) said, and I quote, "this monitor looks amazing, can we get TVs that look this good?" I then told her how much they would cost and that's where the conversation ended. I'm now considering a second one, and was very excited to see the price came down a bit since I bought mine.

TL;DR Buy the Asus, you will not regret it.
 
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tmacg55

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Surprisingly, I had worse problems with quality control from Asus's monitors always being delivered to me with dead pixels, and my co worker bought one of their 1200p pro art models and it made a horrible high pitch noise when ever operating. I bought a korean 1440p Yamakasi Q270 monitor and was delivered in perfect condition with zero dead pixels and no technical defects. According to newegg reviews on the asus monitors, I wasn't the only one with dead pixel problems, but some people did get lucky with perfect screens. Unless you're buying from companies like NEC, HP, Dell, or Eizo, the guarantee will be unstable and a risk factor will be included of stuck/dead pixels. Many people are happy with QNIX and I barely see dead pixel complaints from reviews, just make sure to buy from someone who offers a perfect pixel option (which may include additional cost). Don't be fooled by the price on the korean screens, they are using true 8-bit S-IPS/AH-IPS panels. Hope this helps you on your quest for a new monitor :)
 
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bluejayek

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Thanks for the reply MUd! I don't really play FPS games either, so my mileage probably will be the same as yours. The out-of-box color accuracy comment is encouraging, because I haven't really done color calibration of a monitor before, so having it just work would be awesome.

tmac: Are you saying that the dead pixel policy of ASUS is not very good? I admit I have not dealt with them before, but when I was looking, it seemed ok.

edit: added reply to tmac
 
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tmacg55

tmacg55

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Like I said, its a luck game, I am not trying to discourage the idea of buying from Asus, they have great products. Just be cautious and don't assume because it is not some unfamiliar korean company that they are perfect. 3/5 monitors I bought from them had at least 3 dead pixels. Dead pixels aren't too bad on a 1440p screen because the pixel density will compensate, but some people believe that they should get every pixel they pay for and respect that :)
 
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bluejayek

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Were these bright pixels, or dark pixels? The ASUS 2014 policy seems to say that you can exchange a monitor with >0 bright pixels under warranty; is this something you have seen them not honoring in the past?
 
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tmacg55

tmacg55

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My monitor was not valid for the warranty and actually had to purchase an RMA for one of the monitors, I decided to just keep the other ones just because I was not bothered to send them back. My pixels were not completely black, but rather different colors, some were red and others green. Tried a number of methods of trying to get them unstuck for days, and no results. I will still buy from Asus, but not with the same trust I had before.
 
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tmacg55

tmacg55

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I can't even answer that because Asus never got back to me about my complaint that I sent over 6 months ago. I even contacted their support on the phone because they did not answer my messages though contact support on the site. They received the monitor and just responded to me that I am not valid for a full refund. I stopped harassing them and they can keep the $50, I was spending more time than it was worth trying to resolve it.
 
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bluejayek

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That sounds troubling... Maybe I should look for other options.

Have you, or anyone else, anything to say about this BenQ monitor?http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824014357CVF
Comparable price, has USB ports, reviews seem good, color calibration out of the box maybe better then the ASUS, but it is AHVA instead of IPS (which seems comparable in meaningful performance statistics) http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/benq_bl2710pt.htm

I have used a BenQ before and was satisfied with it, but it was an 'ancient' 18" or so LCD.

Any thoughts? Or other suggestions?
 
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tmacg55

tmacg55

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My main gaming monitor is my BenQ XL2411Z and am in love with it. I am a big fan of benq and they have great praise for their color critical monitors just as much as their gaming line.
 
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