Gaming monitor suggestions needed!

[massacah]

Hey guys,

Well as the title suggests, I am in need of a gaming monitor. I have two monitors in mind, but can't really make a decision.

1) Dell Ultrasharp U2410

2) Asus VW266H

My questions are:-

A) I'm looking for a 1920x1200 24''-26'' monitor. Are there any other options I should consider?

B) I have never really made a decision between HDTVs/Monitors until I can actually see them in front of me, in real life. Unfortunately, I don't have the liberty to do so, since there are no retail stores in my current city I know of, that have them both on display. How would I make my decision between these two? What should be "my unit of measurement" if you will?

C) I am considering going dual monitor in the near future, or maybe EYEFINITY if funds are available. Does one monitor out-perform the other in dual monitor config/EYEFINITY considerably?

D) Is the $200 difference between the two monitors justifiable?

Many thanks in advance guys,

Mass

 

[jaguarskx]

The Dell U2410 uses a H-IPS panel while the Asus VW266H uses a TN panel which is the main reason for the $200 price difference.

TN panels are cheap to manufacture with fast response times and are generally marketed to the average consumer who wants the best bang for the buck. However, viewing angles are not particularly good, even sitting directly in front of a TN panel monitor you can notice color shift merely looking at the left / right edge of the screen. Some TN panel monitors are better than other, but they all have this issue. TN panel monitors are also less color accurate, but it should not affect the average user unless you really want better accuracy.

H-IPS panel monitors are more expensive to produce because they are generally more color accurate. Due to the design they also have better viewing angle abilities than TN panels, therefore colors do not shift as much or as dramatically. Slightly slower response times of 5ms vs 2ms for TN panels, but ultimately not very meaningful.

Go to any computer store and look at a monitor, they will all be TN panel monitors so that you can note the possible color shifts the more off center to view the screen. See following link for more info about panel tech:

http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/specs.htm


Here's a review of the Dell U2410:
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/dell_u2410.htm

Here's my review of the Asus VK246H which uses a TN panel:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/54250-3-asus-vk246h-review-final-update

This is a more professional Asus review published after my personal review:
http://www.prad.de/en/monitore/review/2009/review-asus-vk246h.html

 

[massacah]

Thank you! I'll have a look.

Cheers,
Mass