Should I get talked out of buying a 27" 1080P monitor?

[zanemoseley]

So in my other thread I'm debating between two 24" monitors. Now I've almost got myself talked into buying the 27" Viewsonic VX2703MH-LED monitor that is 1080P. My viewing distance ranges from 24" - 30". It seems to get very good reviews on Amazon, am I going to be happy with the image quality. I saw a 27" LG LED monitor today at Sam's and it seemed to look pretty crisp but it was just running a demo.

[RaistlinZ]

Up to you and your budget. Personally, I think 1080p on a 27" screen would be to grainy. You can get the same resolution on a 5" smartphone now. 27" needs something higher than 1080p resolution to really enjoy it, IMO.

[zCypher]

Originally Posted by RaistlinZ

Up to you and your budget. Personally, I think 1080p on a 27" screen would be to grainy. You can get the same resolution on a 5" smartphone now. 27" needs something higher than 1080p resolution to really enjoy it, IMO.

While I agree, the price of 2560x1440 monitors are still quite high in comparison, unless you risk going with one of them Korean A- panels like Crossover or Catleap.

I find 1080p is already borderline too low of a resolution even on 23-24" monitors. There is also the problem of computer horsepower too. You might need to upgrade a bit to keep things smooth at 1440p. I know I will...

[goobernoodles]

I have a crappy 28" Hans-g 1920x1200 and I think it was a step up from my 23" 1080p monitor in terms of overall preference. That said, I'm not very critical when it comes to display quality.

[kleinkinstein]

27" @ 1080p is a bad sidegrade. Save your money for at least 1440, and skip some lunches for 30" @ 1600 if you really want a mesmerizing upgrade.

[JamesV]

I have a Samsung 27" (SA350) running 1920x1080... no idea where you guys are getting this 'grainy' idea. I also sit close to it, and have never noticed any issue in video quality (like you might running 800x600 on the same monitor).

[Vinwiesel]

I have a 25.5" 1920x1200 and it is a little grainy on small text. A 27" 1080p would be even worse.

1440p looks great at 27" though. If my shimian died, I'd buy another one.

[zCypher]

Originally Posted by JamesV

I have a Samsung 27" (SA350) running 1920x1080... no idea where you guys are getting this 'grainy' idea. I also sit close to it, and have never noticed any issue in video quality (like you might running 800x600 on the same monitor).

For me it's not a question of graininess as it is a question of desktop real estate and higher resolution gaming. I'm sure the picture looks great on that Samsung, but IMO it would feel a bit cramped in there. After I bought my Samsung 2343BWX (23.6" 2048x1152) when I first built this computer, I picked up a 24" Samsung 1080p for my mother's new build I put together. I couldn't find any decent relatively cheap panels with more than 1080p anymore by that time (my Samsung was ~$170 if I recall correctly, pretty good). On her screen, while the quality doesn't seem too bad, it just feels like it's missing a bit. I know it's a pretty small difference from 1920x1080 to 2048x1152, but if that is noticeable then just think how much more space you get at 2560x1440 vs 1920x1080

[dragantoe]

korean panel, no contest.

[piasabird]

My 40" TV is 1080p, but a monitor should be able to get a better resolution.

[corkyg]

Originally Posted by piasabird

My 40" TV is 1080p, but a monitor should be able to get a better resolution.

I buy that! 1080P is TV/video standard, and not really up to snuff for a computer monitor. It has become too much of a buzzword these days.

For a 27-incher, I would want 2560x1440.

[TC777]

Originally Posted by JamesV

I have a Samsung 27" (SA350) running 1920x1080... no idea where you guys are getting this 'grainy' idea. I also sit close to it, and have never noticed any issue in video quality (like you might running 800x600 on the same monitor).

I agree. It seems many have fallen for the Apple bs and their "retina" display.

There are also drawbacks to running such a high resolution.

[thecoolnessrune]

Originally Posted by TC777

I agree. It seems many have fallen for the Apple bs and their "retina" display.

There are also drawbacks to running such a high resolution.

Has nothing to do with that. Its more the fact that today's consumer has a higher expectation of display quality than in the past.

You may not have the eyes for it, and that's fine, but there's is a HUGE visual difference between 1440P and 1600P monitors vs 1080P monitors. The PPI is far more acceptable, especially in today's world where ~300PPI displays has become the expectation rather than an unachievable fantasy.

There are definitely drawbacks to a high resolution monitor, primarily in graphics requirements. If you are gaming on this monitor, willing to buy said $700 monitor, but too cheap to put in the $500 or so required to get a GPU that can keep up, that's on you. I use my setup mostly as a work area. My U2711 allows me to have several Windows up, as I need, and gives me the freedom to work in the fashion that I want to. I do not need high graphics power for that. If you do, balance your needs.

Your one-size-fits-all approach of saying that there is little need for a high PPI monitor is absolutely silly.

[lakedude]

It really depends on what your "deal" is. I don't notice the grain of my ViewSonic VX2770Smh-LED IPS panel. In fact for the $250 I paid I like it a lot, but that is just me.

I would say 1080p is minimum for a 27" screen.

When I got my first 27" it seemed huge, now smaller monitors seem, well, small.

Really it depends on you. People swear by those Catleaps...

I've got several of those HZ281 Hanns-G @ 1920 by 1200 monitors and I like them a lot (enough to have purchased several).

[Bat123Man]

I have an Asus VE276 27" LCD which I bought in 2010. The native resolution is 1920*1080, which is one reason it only got 3/5 stars on CNET reviews. However, I don't find it in the least bit grainy. BluRays look fantastic on it, games look amazing. Response time is 2ms, there is no lag. It has HDMI , D-Sub, DisplayPort, and DVI-D.

Best monitor I have ever owned, would buy it again in a second. I have a good friend who constantly makes fun of me because his supports some fantastically high res, but you should see the size of his fonts, even on a 27" screen. Hilarious, he doesn't seem to notice that he leans into his massive screen to see them. He also paid 3 times the price for his.

Just my 2 cents worth.

[atomheart]

Originally Posted by Bat123Man

I have an Asus VE276 27" LCD which I bought in 2010. The native resolution is 1920*1080, which is one reason it only got 3/5 stars on CNET reviews. However, I don't find it in the least bit grainy. BluRays look fantastic on it, games look amazing. Response time is 2ms, there is no lag. It has HDMI , D-Sub, DisplayPort, and DVI-D.

Best monitor I have ever owned, would buy it again in a second. I have a good friend who constantly makes fun of me because his supports some fantastically high res, but you should see the size of his fonts, even on a 27" screen. Hilarious, he doesn't seem to notice that he leans into his massive screen to see them. He also paid 3 times the price for his.

Just my 2 cents worth.

I'm not sure if you do any professional work on your home PC, but it absolutely makes a difference. Though I'm still a student, using autoCAD would have been immensely more productive on a high-res display. My classroom had 900p monitors (I think) and it was a constant battle for screen space with the various tool bars. I can only imagine someone trying to make a living with such little screen real-estate that 1080p gives.

[Bat123Man]

Originally Posted by atomheart

I'm not sure if you do any professional work on your home PC, but it absolutely makes a difference. Though I'm still a student, using autoCAD would have been immensely more productive on a high-res display. My classroom had 900p monitors (I think) and it was a constant battle for screen space with the various tool bars. I can only imagine someone trying to make a living with such little screen real-estate that 1080p gives.

None whatsoever! Games, browsing, mail, DVDs, and BluRay, that about covers it. When I am done at work (working on my laptop), I get to feast my eyes on this 27 inch beauty and kill a few more Templars in Assassin's Creed.

And just to let you know, my friend with the ultra-high res 27 incher also does no professional work on his either. Games and HD video, that's about it.

[chimaxi83]

IMHO, 27" at 1920x1080 makes no sense to me. That res is too small for that screen size. I have a 27" 2560x1440 panel from Microcenter, and I love it.