Can't decide on a monitor

MasterCalaelen · 2012-08-22, 12:09 PM

I've been looking at all sorts of monitors for a while now and I can't seem to decide on one.

The main issue is that I can't decide on whether I want a 24" or a 27". I've always had a 27" monitor in mind long before I got serious about a new computer, but didn't do any research into it at the time.

Is a 27" monitor with a maximum resolution of 1920x1080 worth it, or will you notice the image becoming less sharp and smooth in certain scenarios? If 2560x1600 is sort of required for a 27" than I can just stop looking into them. I was looking at something like that Asus VE278Q if I were to go with a 27".

The 24" I had in mind is the Dell UltraSharp 2412M which in all honesty seems perfect in all departments, short of the response time which would've been better at 5ms or lower but not a deal breaker since my current monitor is 8ms as well and I've never noticed any lag/ghosting/tearing. One thing is that it's got a resolution of 1920x1200, would this cause any issues for gaming or watching movies?

Price range is € 300,- and the use would be for gaming, watching movies, PhotoShop work and some video editing.

The logical side in me says the UltraSharp is a better buy, but I can't shake the feeling that I'd regret not getting a 27" especially because I'd be watching a lot of movies/shows on it, even though a 24" would be a huge upgrade from my current 4:3 19".

Hoping someone here has any experience with either monitor or can talk some sense into me if I'm leaning towards a wrong decision.

Rbstr · 2012-08-22, 12:35 PM

24 v 27 is all about how far away from the screen you are.

I've got a 24 and a fairly shallow desk and I find it hard to imagine that going larger would be much better unless it bumped the resolution up too.

MasterCalaelen · 2012-08-22, 12:42 PM

My desk has a depth of 75 cm, and I'm sitting at 63 cm from my current monitor (not when watching movies). I guess that's relatively close?

What's the ideal distance?

Rbstr · 2012-08-22, 05:08 PM

I have no idea what's ideal.
My monitor is a max of about 60cm away from my face. (it's actually a 23.1inch)

MasterCalaelen · 2012-08-23, 01:45 PM

Anyone else have any input on the matter?

Vancha · 2012-08-23, 02:27 PM

What monitor are you moving up from?

MasterCalaelen · 2012-08-23, 03:24 PM

An Acer 19AL16.

Vancha · 2012-08-23, 05:09 PM

I'd go with a 24", then. You'd still be getting a big jump in real estate and resolution.

As far as getting the U2412M, you'll end up with bigger black bars above/below videos and games might stop supporting 1920x1200 sooner than 1900x1080, but otherwise you shouldn't have any problems.

Edit: Are 2560x1440 27" monitors out of your price-range?

MasterCalaelen · 2012-08-24, 03:14 AM

It'll indeed be a big jump in size and resolution either way, though I am used to a 27" as well as that's what I have at work.

Regarding the 1920x1200 resolution for movies/games, wouldn't setting the resolution to 1920x1080 solve this, or isn't it that simple?

I was planning on spending around €300,- on a monitor, and the cheapest 2560x1600 27" I've seen are around €600 so unfortunately that's too much. Otherwise the choice would've been easy.

Vancha · 2012-08-24, 07:02 AM

It's not that simple. LCD monitors have an intended resolution, so while 1900x1080 might work, it'd either be stretched vertically (and slightly horizontally), or you might just end up with the black lines somewhere else.

Rbstr · 2012-08-24, 10:27 AM

Originally Posted by MasterCalaelen

Regarding the 1920x1200 resolution for movies/games, wouldn't setting the resolution to 1920x1080 solve this, or isn't it that simple?

That'll screw up the aspect ratio. I'd try to stick with something that's 16:9 or deal with black bars on video like you would with an older 1680x1050.