Help with 30" monitor and graphics card

[egley]

I have an entrapped nerve which makes it impossible to sit like a normal person.
I just bought a used Emperor 1510 which will help keep my knees up and avoid irritating this nerve (after I've modified the keyboard tray).

I want to use a 30" monitor as the display instead of multi-monitors.
I've tried multi and don't like them.
Perhaps it is the software I use, but things never work quite right.

I don't know much about monitors or graphics cards.

Since I am also on the older side (60) I need a larger font for my eyes.
I don't know if I would be able to use the native resolution 2600x1560(?) because I'm afraid the letters will be too small for me to read.
I would like the full res though because I could keep more windows on the screen. I may have to forego the native res because of not being able to read the letters.

Any advice on 30" monitors and graphics cards?

Thanks,
EE

 

[KingFatty]

I believe you can keep the best of both worlds by using the native resolution to fit more windows, but increasing the native font size to be more readable. That way you won't have to degrade the quality by using a lower-resolution for the monitor.

For video cards, most anything nowdays would do it for typical desktop usage, even cards that go on sale for $15 after rebate occasionally.

You may want to consider getting a 27" monitor, which has the 2560x1440 resolution that is pretty close to the 30" 2560x1600 resolution you are considering. The reason being is you can walk into a store like Microcenter and walk out with that 27" monitor for $400, whereas the 30" will cost more than twice as much so it's a substantial price increase for a minimal screen increase. However, if you plan to run the monitor at lower resolutions anyway, you could also save money by buying a big screen that has a lower resolution (e.g., 1920x1080 27" display).

Probably best to try it out at a store, though sometimes the stores incorrectly hook up the monitors anyway so you don't see them at their "full glory". Notably, the high resolution 27" and 30" displays need a slightly different cable to get the full resolution, and sometimes the guys at the store use a plain/typical cable and just turn down the resolution.

 

[cantholdanymore]

Consider a HDTV

 

[rickon66]

I am well over 60 and I am running a Dell u3011, it works well for me. If you don't game most inexpensive 1GB video cards work just fine with it, just make sure they feature dual link ports. i would stay away from the 2560x1440 27" their pixels are very small.

 

[Bill Brasky]

I believe you can keep the best of both worlds by using the native resolution to fit more windows, but increasing the native font size to be more readable. That way you won't have to degrade the quality by using a lower-resolution for the monitor.

For video cards, most anything nowdays would do it for typical desktop usage, even cards that go on sale for $15 after rebate occasionally.

You may want to consider getting a 27" monitor, which has the 2560x1440 resolution that is pretty close to the 30" 2560x1600 resolution you are considering. The reason being is you can walk into a store like Microcenter and walk out with that 27" monitor for $400, whereas the 30" will cost more than twice as much so it's a substantial price increase for a minimal screen increase. However, if you plan to run the monitor at lower resolutions anyway, you could also save money by buying a big screen that has a lower resolution (e.g., 1920x1080 27" display).

Probably best to try it out at a store, though sometimes the stores incorrectly hook up the monitors anyway so you don't see them at their "full glory". Notably, the high resolution 27" and 30" displays need a slightly different cable to get the full resolution, and sometimes the guys at the store use a plain/typical cable and just turn down the resolution.

Just fyi, Microcenter carries the Dell 30" Ultrasharp. If anything, he could just see what to expect from a display of that caliber.

Do you have a Micrcenter in your city, egley? If not, I'm sure you could find a store that carries some monitors for you to try out, and I'm a huge supporter of seeing a monitor with your own eyes before buying. It's important to know what you're getting.

Sorry to go off topic, but I just looked up the Emporer 1510. Holy balls.

 

[egley]

Thanks so much for all the replies.
Holy balls is right! I got it for a fraction of the price too!
But its gaming capabilities are going to be wasted on me.