Best 27" LCD monitor for...

LightningRider

Senior member
Feb 16, 2007
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Hey guys

I'm itchin' to get a second monitor and I'm wondering who holds the crown for the top 27" LCD monitors.

I've done a quick search but there doesn't seem to be as much info for 27" as for 24" monitors so I'm hoping you guys here can give me some pointers.

I'm looking for something that:

- Will not give me any ghosting when playing games or with any other fast movement on the screen.

- Good colors / Image quality / Contrast ratio

- Non TN Panel

- Good for reading text and programming

- I don't want a cheap monitor but I don't want to spend in the thousands either

Basically, a monitor that encompasses as many of these pros as possible without being too draining on my wallet. Also, just the clarify... Most 27" LCD are 1920x1200, correct? I just want to confirm that because I think that 2560x1600 would be too much for games.

Any suggestions, advice or things I should watch out for would be greatly appreciated. Upcoming models that are worth waiting for I would be interested in hearing about too...
 

Denithor

Diamond Member
Apr 11, 2004
6,298
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Dell Ultrasharp 2709W

Incredible monitor. More inputs than you can probably use (HDMI, DisplayPort, 2xDVI-D, VGA, component, composite) along with a built-in 4-port USB hub & 9-in-2 card reader. Very well built with a solid base that is very easy to swivel.

Nice clear text (and much easier to read on 27" versus 24" at 1920x1200). I can fit two full-size Word pages side by side and have no problem reading them.

Perfect gaming monitor, even S.T.A.L.K.E.R. with the new graphics enhancement mod installed plays nice with no ghosting/lag at all. WoW looks simply awesome on this monitor.

Excellent for watching HD DVD/BluRay movies, beautiful colors and no motion blur that I've noticed.

I've had mine for about three months now and couldn't be happier.

Best yet, I got it with the 25% cashback deal on eBay for a total cost of $630 shipped.
 

ther00kie16

Golden Member
Mar 28, 2008
1,573
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How about a 26"? Doublesight DS-265w available at newegg right now for $780 shipped but if you wait awhile, more places will have it in-stock and the price should be about $700.
 

Chronoshock

Diamond Member
Jul 6, 2004
4,860
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Originally posted by: ther00kie16
How about a 26"? Doublesight DS-265w available at newegg right now for $780 shipped but if you wait awhile, more places will have it in-stock and the price should be about $700.

Do NOT get the DS-265W, there are a ton of horror stories about it on hardforums. Build quality is down, promised features aren't there, and its more expensive than the 263 when its really not better. There are labels on the bezel for inputs that don't exist.

If you want a 26" monitor, look at the DS-263N (if you can find it anywhere), the Planar PX2611W (I'm using this now, great monitor), or the NEC 2690wuxi. All 3 use the same IPS panel. The NEC is more expensive and has input lag, but it has better color uniformity, calibration options, and a polarizer. The Planar is in the middle pricewise, I believe better customer support compared to the DS, lacks a polarizer, and has <1 frame of input lag. The DS is discontinued, the cheapest, and sometimes comes with a polarizer (but DS is inconsistent about whether or not it should have one or not).
 

LightningRider

Senior member
Feb 16, 2007
558
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I like the sound of the Dell Ultrasharp 2709W.

Are there any other user experiences or other suggestions though?

And is 1920x1200 really better suited to a 27"? You don't find that some things are too big?
 

Chronoshock

Diamond Member
Jul 6, 2004
4,860
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Originally posted by: LightningRider
I like the sound of the Dell Ultrasharp 2709W.

Are there any other user experiences or other suggestions though?

And is 1920x1200 really better suited to a 27"? You don't find that some things are too big?

I believe you will get better image quality (colors, backlighting, contrast) with the IPS monitors I suggested over the Dell. Read some reviews out there before you make a decision
 

LightningRider

Senior member
Feb 16, 2007
558
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I took a look at the ones you mentioned Chronoshock. Both look like nice choices too except I'm worried the NEC's input lag might be too high and the Planar seems to have a lower contrast, though it still seems like a contender, even if it is a bit smaller than the Dell.

I like the Dell but even on that one I'm wondering if 6ms is not too high for input lag. Also I read that the monitor needs to be calibrated before it shows good colors, though once it is calibrated the color accuracy is very very good. I'm used to TN Panels so I'm used to seeing very low input lag like 2ms or 5ms knowing that those are usually safe. Can you even see a difference between 2-3ms and 6ms?

Another thing I really like about the Dell is the inputs. It really has everything you need, and even composite which is great for hooking up a console.

The only thing I'm kind of worried about and this is I guess in general with non TN panels not just these models is input lag. How much is too much? How much is an amount I will notice?

Also another question, sorry :p... what monitor calibrator is the best to get? Some of them seem to cost upwards of 300$... but there are more affordable options as well. How much is overkill for a monitor calibrator?

Thanks a lot you guys.

EDIT: Another thing I'm noticing is pixel pitch on the Dell. It has a high one - 0.303, it seems all 27" do. I'm not sure what it translates out to meaning if it's a good thing or a bad thing though people say it makes the image less sharp so I guess it can only be negative to have a high pixel pitch. Any opinions? Would a 26" be better because of this issue?

Also, what do you guys think of the Samsung 275T?
 

postmortemIA

Diamond Member
Jul 11, 2006
7,721
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So really all 27" monitors use Samsung S-PVA panel and options are limited to 2709 (generation after 2707) and samsung 275T+ (generation after 275T). There are 27.5" TN monitors, 25.5" TN monitors and 25.5" S-IPS monitor like that DS.

275T+ is almost as cool as 2709, and is currently $890+ shipping at the new egg.
 

kmmatney

Diamond Member
Jun 19, 2000
4,363
1
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The pixel pitch on the 27" monitors will be about the same as the pixel pitch on a 19" 1280 x 1024 LCD. I think its perfect (I used a 27.5" LCD at work).

The only reason to calibrate the screen is if you do professional printing and you absolutely "need" the printed output to match what you see on the screen. For most monitors you can just download color calibration files that other people have already created using a calibrating tool, and that works well. I personally don't like my colors to be completely accurate, since I don't care how much by screen matches my printed output, and I like more vibrant colors for gaming and web browsing.

The Dell LCD is very nice - they used to use S-IPS panels, but I believe now use MVA panels, which are still very good.
 

LightningRider

Senior member
Feb 16, 2007
558
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Well update.

I've decided to simply go for a 26" TN panel. I'm hearing bad things about the Dell 2709W's input lag (around 3 frames) and it's also very expensive after warranties and tax. I'm also not sure about the pixel pitch after reading more about it. And since I can't try it without buying it I don't think I want to spend that much money on something I cant try first. I also like buying my monitors at Futureshop or BestBuy because of the incredible warranties they offer. And they don't sell any non-TN panels... as a matter of fact, it's kind of hard to find all of the non TN panels anywhere known in Canada, let alone Quebec, except the Dell one which you order from dell.ca. I think TN panels are more suited to me anyways since I play games and viewing angles don't really affect me to be absolutely honest since it's usually just me and/or one other person watching, yet it's usually head on more or less.

So after all that, I'm thinking of the Samsung Syncmaster T260. I have had good experiences with Samsung and most people say this is an excellent TN panel monitor.

http://www.samsung.com/us/cons...model_cd=LS26TWHSUV/ZA

There's the link on Samsung's website if you guys wanna take a look. It has a pretty slick design too.

I appreciate all those who responded and if anybody wants to make a comment or two on what I'm doing now... go ahead.