Monitor Advice

[bc289]

Hi guys,

I was hoping to get some advice on which monitor I should get in about a month from now. Here is what I know so far:

I want something at least 24 inches, but I am toying around with the idea of a 30 inch.
I plan on using this monitor for games (right now I play L4D and TF2), surfing the web, watching movies, and probably some work. It will not be a TV replacement. I don't use any graphical applications.
I know I will have my monitor in my room, but I am not sure of the exact setting (the lights, how much sunlight there will be, etc.) because I don't know where I will be living yet. I like that the gloss monitors seem to make the colors "pop" more, but at the same time I do not want to be concerned about reflections during the daytime.
The cheaper the better, and I probably will only look at TN panels. I do not care for color accuracy very much. At the same time, if a 30 inch is that great, I will spend more for it.
Preferably I'd like a monitor that can be rotated, but it's not necessary. Just a minor want.
I'd like a monitor with HDMI and some USB ports.

So here are the questions:
Is 30 inch worth the jump, or should I just go with 24?
Should I get matte or gloss?
What monitor should I buy?
At what point are monitors "too cheap?" In other words, say I find a monitor that seems to fit the above criteria but sells for $200. Should I stay away from it? Will it suck?

Thanks!

 

[octopus41092]

I say get dual 28" monitors if you have the money. A 30" is over $1000 where as a 28" is only ~$400-500. This way you also don't have to get a super video card for 2560x1600 and you can just stick with 1920x1200. Dual monitors is awesome, you end up with tons of screen space running in windows and in games you have one 28" which is plenty big enough and runs well. Even if you don't think you really need it, I'm sure you can find uses. Right now I'm watching a movie and browsing Anandtech. I'd say dual 28" monitors would be the best option.

I would recommend getting matte as there's less reflection also it's generally easier to find matte monitors. As for which monitor you should buy it's really up to you. There's TN, MVA, PVA, and IPS panels, in order of cheapest to most expensive that you could choose from. If you're generally using for games and movies a TN or MVA is fine. As for an IPS you only really need it for graphical work. For which monitor, I usually go by reviews but these are a couple of pretty good brands: Samsung, Viewsonic, Hanns-G, Westinghouse, Acer, Soyo, and ASUS all are pretty good.

Usually the "too cheap" ones are random brand ones. They usually have worse color reproduction and might look washed out. I would say check out reviews of monitors or in stores before you buy them. Even if you're not buying from stores it's not a bad idea to go check them out.

One major concern is that you have to make sure your computer has the power to run things at native resolution. LCD monitors won't look good unless they're running at native resolution. Anyways, if you want more info there's the LCD thread under Video Cards and Graphics

http://forums.anandtech.com/me...=2049206&enterthread=y

 

[bc289]

Ignore technical constraints, because I was also planning on buying a new computer that would be able to go up to the 30 inch resolutions.

The dual monitor idea is interesting and I've had other suggest it as well, but I think I'd rather stick with one monitor because of the whole gaming thing. A 28 inch monitor is also interesting, but I know 28 inches isn't very common. I was thinking I'd either go cheap with the 24, or go all out with a 30.

Yeah I guess matte is probably the smarter way to go, since I know I won't have any major concerns with it. At the same time, when there is no reflection, I really like those gloss monitors. I am 100% sure that I'm going with TN panels. They're cheaper and I don't need wide viewing angles or more color accuracy.

With all that in mind, maybe I should just go with Dell's 2409. It's matte, it's cheap, and it has HDMI (but no USB). By cheap, I'm not referring to random brands exactly - I'm referring more to the brands that you listed, but for whatever reasons, sell for lower prices than other models from the same brand.

Thanks for your opinion. I will probably go check out monitors at best buy before buying it. Does anyone have any compelling reasons for why one might get a 30 inch monitor, or for why gloss might be better? Any specific monitor recommendations?

 

[xdarkfluxx]

Especially for gaming and movies glossy monitor looks superior. You get more vibrant colors and the picture just looks sharper. The only problem is that they are very suspectable to glare so if you have alot of light coming behind you in that room get matte.

Also I really would recommend two 24" monitors, 24" monitors are at a price sweet spot you can get very good ~$250 monitors from Asus or Acer. I find 30" to be way too expensive ($1000 for not that much more real estate compared to two 24"), big, and heavy but that's just my own preference. The main selling point of two monitors would be you can play a game on one monitor and have like a webrowser open on the other or aim or w/e. Also its really nice if you are doing research or something you can have your word document open and a web browser open on the other monitor really handy. Its really a multi tasker's heaven.

 

[bc289]

You've sold me on getting two monitors. This means I'll have to buy a 24 inch, and also that I'll get a matte one initially at the very least. I'll buy a matte 24 inch now, and then another 24 inch later when I move into my apartment. If the lighting is favorable, I'll get a glossy one and use that as my main monitor for gaming. I'll probably get the Dell 2409 initially then... unless someone has any other reasons to get something else?

Thanks for your advice!

 

[Howard]

You'd better have enough desk space for those.

Also, figure out where you're going to put your speakers. I can't use dual monitors because I like my triangle setup too much.

 

[bc289]

Pretty sure I'll have enough desk space, and I was planning on just getting regular desktop speakers. BTW I've changed my mind, I think I'll go with the HP w2408h, as it's a bit cheaper than dell's and has a bit more features. I'll live with the gloss!

 

[Howard]

Yes, but where will you put the speakers?

 

[bc289]

on my desk to the left and right? I was sort of assuming my desk would have enough space so that I wouldn't need to think about where to put them. I only plan on having two. Is that something I should think about?