Trying to decide on a new monitor setup for Gaming at home.

[pimpin-tl]

I currently have a Dell 2405FPW and a Asus VH242H monitor for my system setup at home. I also have two Visiontek 6970s in CF mode with a i7 2600k processor. The system can handle the resolution of anything that is thrown at it now. But I want to get some monitors or a big monitor to handle what I want.

I want to replace these with either one, or up to 3 monitors to have better color, response, graphics in the games. I also do some photo editing so that would be a plus too.

At work I use a Dell U2410 (I think the model was) IPS panel, and it has crisp colors and it is nice. What is funny right next to it I have a Dell 2408FPW TFT so I can see the difference between the two panels are like night and day.

My question to you guys, what can I get that is recommended? I really don't want to stay with 24". Rather do 27" or higher. But if I do stay 24", I would want all matching monitors and have three of them with small bezels. I read something about a new Asus coming but never found a model # of it to read up on it that everyone is going crazy about. I also in a way prefer glossy monitors over AG ones due to the clarity is better. But not many choices on that.


1) I know I did but I left it open to suggestions. Reason I mentioned gaming as I play on my 2405fpw now and it's acceptable. I don't want ghosting and want a good response time. I also hate back light bleed.

2) Input latency I think would be a concern because if someone is firing at me and I don't see it right away, I would get shot more often. Just a guess if I understand that right. So I want low latency.

3) I play BF2, BFBC2, BF3, Black Ops mostly right now. Mostly those type of action games. I am considering a EyeInfinity setup. But I am also considering a 27-30" monitor too. My cost max is what I can get one 30" monitor for basically.

4) If the Benzel isn't too big, I wouldn't mind I guess. But you have me concerned on the games not supporting EyeInfinity too. I could always get a big 27-30" monitor, and use my current 2405fpw and Asus on the sides for multiple windows maybe? The issue I have is the Asus was loaned to me from work so I had a 2nd monitor, my Dell is 6 years old, and takes a little longer to brighten up. They are also not the same resolution or side. The Asus is like a 23.6 at 1080p and my Dell 24" at 1200.

5) Not sure if my budget will allow 3 27" monitors. That is the question depending on how good the screens are. I just worry about the AG issues on the big Dell's and HP's. As I am sensitive to that.

 

[kamikazekyle]

You're probably going to need to specify a specific budget. 30" monitors range from $250 1080p TN panels to $2000+ IPS panels like some professional NECs. I'll assume about $1500.

If you want color accuracy, go with a single, larger monitor such as the Dell U27 or U30 series. Note that there are complaints on the AG coating on the U27 series, but supposedly you can actually remove the AG coating. There's a photo step-by-step somewhere out there in the vast internet.

If you're willing to drop the quality requirement you can grab three 27" or 30" TN panels running at 1080p within your (well, assumed) budget. Most of those are all going to fall into the same ballpark. I don't like TN's at all or the very poor pixel densities at 1080p at anything higher than 23", so I can't really recommend any personally. Note that these TN panels will offer better response times, but also have lower image quality than an IPS monitor.

If you still want to keep image quality and a threeway setup, look into the Dell U2412M. It's an eIPS panel so it's not as good as a normal IPS like the Dell U2410 or the U27/30 series, but it's still much better than a TN. It's also 1920x1200 so you don't sacrifice pixel density.

Finally, if you *really* want minimal response time and anti-ghosting, grab a 120Hz monitor. They're only going to be 1080p but I think they just came out with a 27" model (normally they're 23" on average). They are also TN panels, so you sacrifice color accuracy in return for a smoother experience. Oh, and they also *tend* to run in the $350 range for a 23" version not on sale. Not sure how much more the 27" is. By contrast, a non 120Hz 23" 1080p TN panel monitor with the same inputs will probably be just over $100; $175-$225 for a bit better quality TN.

Anyway. If you want my *personal* recommendation, I'd say go with either three Dell U2412M's as a good compromise between your requirements, or a single Dell U30 for "everything in a single monitor". BTW, as of this post the Dell U2412M is on sale for about $330 each, savings of $70.

Viewsonic is putting out an MVA-based 27"-er soon for a reasonable price point - VP2765-LED. It's AMVA, so it has a better image quality than a TN but still maintains good response times, and is more affordable than an IPS display. It's listed as 1920x1080. I'd probably look into this one if you want a bigger screen than the Dell U2412M, but still want a better image quality than a TN panel (or if you can't foot the bill for the U27 or U30 series). It *should* run about the same price as the U2412M.

Oh, nearly forgot. If you want an excellent IPS screen with a glossy coating, look into the Apple cinema displays (27" and 30"). They're the same price as the Dell U27/U30 when the Dells aren't on sale. However, they used to have poor support on Windows machines since their controls are totally driven via software, which was lacking on Windows. I'm not sure if that's improved or not.