Need help picking two LED 1080p IPS monitors

[slugg]

Hey guys. I'm looking to replace my monitors (Dell 2007WFP) with something that doesn't get so hot. The power consumption and heat dissipation from my monitor is pretty insane. Unfortunately, there's a lot of CRAP monitors out there and it's kind of hard to sift through it.

I'm thinking either two 1080p displays. They must be IPS; my eyes are very sensitive to crappy view angles, especially with dual displays or a large display, since view angles are even more exaggerated. It bothers me... IPS is a must.

I've heard of those cheap Korean brand displays that are about $350 and are a massive 27 inch, 2560x1440 IPS panel. But what about some cheap-but-good 1920x1080 panels monitors?

Thanks

 

[TourGuide]

How do you feel about e-IPS offerings? I bought the Dell U2412M and have been very happy with it. It does sacrafice some connectivity but is a nice 1920x1200 display. Great viewing angles.

 

[slugg]

How do you feel about e-IPS offerings? I bought the Dell U2412M and have been very happy with it. It does sacrafice some connectivity but is a nice 1920x1200 display. Great viewing angles.

I'm honestly ignorant about the different variations of IPS (e-IPS, S-IPS, ???) technology. But 1920x1200 sounds fantastic; I have a Dell 24007WFP on my lab computer at school and it's a fantastic resolution. I prefer it to 1080p, but I figured they were a bit hard to find.

The Dell U2412M seems to hover around $300. A bit more than I'd like to spend, considering that I'm buying two, but I do know that the quality is there and it may be worth it. What else is out there?

 

[ShintaiDK]

Dell U2412M, else Dell U2713HM.

 

[djsb]

There could be other difference I don't know about, but e-IPS panels generally have dithered 6-bit color like TN monitors, while still retaining the wide viewing angles and lack of color shifting that IPS panels are known for. They are also less expensive. I'm personally sensitive to the lower color depth because I use my monitor for art creation, but for gaming it's generally pretty hard to tell the two color depths apart.

 

[blanketyblank]

I have a dell u2311 and a ST2201 (something like that). Both are e-IPS panels, and I'm pretty happy with them. THE ST2201 is a touch screen and glossy, but the blacks are darker but it is reflective. I think you can find these types of panels for around $200 or so.

 

[rickon66]

Why 1080p? At least go with 1200p

 

[slugg]

Why 1080p? At least go with 1200p

Mainly price. Right now I have 1680x1050, so 1080p (1920x1080) would still be an upgrade. 1200 sure is nice.... and expensive...

Are there any other S-IPS monitors around the same price range? I would really prefer the entire 8 bit color depth. While I'm not an artist, I do a lot of image processing work (development, mainly) so it would be beneficial to see the most amount of detail possible.

Thanks

 

[slugg]

Well, I thought about it... and if I'm going to get stuck with these monitors for a few years, I may as well spend a little more money and get the good stuff. My 2007WFP's were awesome and I've been using them since 2006. I'd say I got my moneys worth, for sure. I'm selling them to a friend so he can set up a triple display (he already has a single 2007WFP).

So... I sprung on this deal and bought two Dell U2412M's. I understand that they're e-IPS and are really just a 6 bit panel with dithering, but we do have these monitors in our lab and I was able to mess around with one. It's good enough for me, really. My main concern was the view angles; the colors still do look pretty good. And believe it or not, it actually handles gradients better than my current monitor, which is S-IPS. Weird. Perception is reality.

 

[slugg]

Just got the two monitors today. Hooked them right up and I'm very happy that I spent the extra money on these 1200 horizontal lines versus 1080. The monitors are great, have great stands, look good (no shiny, ugly plastic) and carry a great warranty. I'm quite happy with them.

 

[PlasmaBomb]

Glad you like them... I would consider replacing my 2405 with some but the UK prices are ridiculous (£322.80).

 

[slugg]

Interesting observation... While these monitors are 6 bit and my previous was 8 bit, these still don't have any weird color banding issues like the old 2007WFP (8 bit IPS). So the 6 bit panel with the dithering is actually better than my old 8 bit panel. If I remember reading many years ago, the 2007WFP's issue was in the decoder chip, not the panel itself. Anyhow, my eyes can't really see the dithering in typical usage. Even a full screen gradient in Paint.NET looks good.

Now, for the digital artists out there, I can't really comment. I do know that they make very high precision monitors for a reason, and this monitor is not one of them. But you could literally get 4 of these monitors for the price one one 10 bit monitor...

 

[Aikouka]

I know what you mean about Dell monitors being usable as space heaters. When I used two Dell U2709W monitors, it was easy to tell when they were both on, because the room got a bit uncomfortable temperature-wise!

 

[jiffylube1024]

Another vote for the Dell U2412M - it's a great monitor at a good price. Wait for a sale and you can get it for $50-100 off easy.