Another what monitor ...... - very basic

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taxboy

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Being of simple mind when it comes to IT stuff :help:. A very basic couple of questions. I'm looking to upgrade my 17" CRT moniter to an LCD. What is the optimum size to go for i.e. is the bigger the better ? or presumably is it better to get a better quality smaller panel rather than a cheaper larger one ?

Also my graphics card is an NVIDIA 660OGT which I believe has a resolution of 2048 x 1536. Will this have an impact on my choice

TIA

Andrew
 
Moving to computers. Might get more response there :)

Personally I'd go for as big as you can afford. Pick one you like the look and price of then search google to see if it has any bad reviews.
 
You'll get a very good 22" lcd for about £220 these days, resolution 1680x1050 is the norm for that size so your card should be fine.

I have two Samsungs, a 20" and a 22" both the same resolution and the 22" is also a digital tv.
 
I would go for Click me
I have Dell 24 and it uses samsung lcd...and colors are brilliant :)
Samsung and Dell for me all the way:)
Or Eizo if u only can afford :D
 
Bigger really is better when comparing monitors which are OTHERWISE THE SAME (as far as I am concerned). This does however hang on the OTHERWISE THE SAME part. You can go out and buy a 37" HDTV for £450 which has a resolution of 1280X768 (or thereabouts) but it wouldn't be any good as a computer monitor but a DELL 30" 3008 monitor with a resolution of 2560x1600 would really be the ultimate YET IT WOULD BE SMALLER....

Basically you need to set a budget first then look at the monitors available within that budget. You need resolution AND size but in the right circumstances one can make up for the other. My main two screens are:

1) DELL 2407 wfp 1920x1200, which is a 24" monitor with really good colour and contrast

2) Apple macbook pro with hi-res option giving 1920x1200 on a SEVENTEEN inch screen !

ie BOTH monitors are the same resolution and to me are as good as each other so it would appear that resolution is more important!

However given the choice I would use the DELL sat in front of me WHY because the colour balance in slightly better and the screen size is larger...

I realise that this post is a little confusing but what I am trying to say is that you need to look at the whole picture. If your budget is £400 then look at EVERYTHING that is available at that price range and if possible try them out. If you can find several monitors that are 24" but one has a higher resolution then that could be better. Don't discount a 23" because the size is an inch less if the resolution is better... Also consider the quality of the LCD panel involved and ask about specific models on here. There are hundreds/thousands of users and we probably use 1-4+ monitors each.

Lastly also consider the number of inputs and what they are. If you have a choice go for DVI rather than VGA/HD15.


Given all this my choices would be...

<£200 DELL E207wfp or DELL 2009 wfp / Ilyama / LG - 20" - 22" numerous models.

£200-£300 DELL E248WFP or Ilyama E2607 (the 2607 is a larger screen and at 1920x1200 is also a larger resolution)

£300+ DELL 2407 - my monitor also see 2408 basically 24" 1920x1200 res monitor with superb colour, res, inputs etc etc - this is what I use at the moment and is the dogs danglies at about £400

+++++ ££££ DELL 3008 - 30" version of previous monitor with DUAL input DVI at 2560x1600 resolution screen which is simply stunning but requires the right video card ie x1900 or better (not yours) CHECK THIS FIRST
 
cowasaki said:
Bigger really is better when comparing monitors which are OTHERWISE THE SAME (as far as I am concerned). This does however hang on the OTHERWISE THE SAME part. You can go out and buy a 37" HDTV for £450 which has a resolution of 1280X768 (or thereabouts) but it wouldn't be any good as a computer monitor but a DELL 30" 3008 monitor with a resolution of 2560x1600 would really be the ultimate YET IT WOULD BE SMALLER....

Basically you need to set a budget first then look at the monitors available within that budget. You need resolution AND size but in the right circumstances one can make up for the other. My main two screens are:

1) DELL 2407 wfp 1920x1200, which is a 24" monitor with really good colour and contrast

2) Apple macbook pro with hi-res option giving 1920x1200 on a SEVENTEEN inch screen !

ie BOTH monitors are the same resolution and to me are as good as each other so it would appear that resolution is more important!

However given the choice I would use the DELL sat in front of me WHY because the colour balance in slightly better and the screen size is larger...

I realise that this post is a little confusing but what I am trying to say is that you need to look at the whole picture. If your budget is £400 then look at EVERYTHING that is available at that price range and if possible try them out. If you can find several monitors that are 24" but one has a higher resolution then that could be better. Don't discount a 23" because the size is an inch less if the resolution is better... Also consider the quality of the LCD panel involved and ask about specific models on here. There are hundreds/thousands of users and we probably use 1-4+ monitors each.

Lastly also consider the number of inputs and what they are. If you have a choice go for DVI rather than VGA/HD15.


Given all this my choices would be...

<£200 DELL E207wfp or DELL 2009 wfp / Ilyama / LG - 20" - 22" numerous models.

£200-£300 DELL E248WFP or Ilyama E2607 (the 2607 is a larger screen and at 1920x1200 is also a larger resolution)

£300+ DELL 2407 - my monitor also see 2408 basically 24" 1920x1200 res monitor with superb colour, res, inputs etc etc - this is what I use at the moment and is the dogs danglies at about £400

+++++ ££££ DELL 3008 - 30" version of previous monitor with DUAL input DVI at 2560x1600 resolution screen which is simply stunning but requires the right video card ie x1900 or better (not yours) CHECK THIS FIRST
Click to expand...

Many thanks for the clear explanation :clap:
 
The biggest you can afford, basically :) You can get a new 24" widescreen monitor for around £260-£270 - in fact, OcUK are doing the Dell 248WFP for £264.36
 It's strange, but Dell monitors are cheaper from resellers rather than direct...

I have a 24" Dell 2407WFP, and I'd just love a second one:D
 
Before you buy one try and see it in the flesh, everybody's eyes are different and the way they percieve contrast / colour etc does not always match what the reviewers say.

I'm typing this infront of a Samsung 215TW which I'm very happy with but will be "upgrading" to a 24" unit later this year (can never get too many pixels :D)


Ps. Before you buy check on the dead pixel policy, some manufacturers have it written into the contract that they are allowed a ceratin number of deads before it's a faulty unit
 
just going to add my tuppence

the one thing you must remember with an LCd monitor, they are deisgned to work correctly at a specific resolution (typically the highest they will run at) if you drop the rez down to suit your eyes, the image starts to degrade.

I mention this because.. if you are say used to realing a 17" monitor at 1024 x 800 for example and you move to a 24" at 1920 x 1200 you may well struggle to get used to it.

best bet would be try one in a shop, try a few resolutions and see which you prefer.

i just built a new pc for my camera club, and went for a dell 22" (had originally budgeted for a 24") for just that reason.

biggest isnt necassarily best, the biggest that suits your needs is the best
 
What about the different panel types? I've heard that some are better than others...
 
The best type of panel for monitors are the S-IPS type panels. Most are TN Film, which does not reproduce colours as faithfully as S-IPS. Naturally, an S-IPS panel is more expensive. If you are really into your photography, then you may want to consider paying the extra for an S-IPS panel especially if you do a lot of editing work.

Just like with TV's, the best way to choose is to see them up and running and choose the one that looks best to you.

EDIT: a link to a decent explanation of panel tech: http://www.pchardwarehelp.com/guides/lcd-panel-types.php
 
Gazza_DJ said:
Just like with TV's, the best way to choose is to see them up and running and choose the one that looks best to you.
Click to expand...

Sorry to appear dense but any suggestions as to where to view - presumably they need properly setting up so PC world etc is out of the question ??
 
taxboy said:
Sorry to appear dense but any suggestions as to where to view - presumably they need properly setting up so PC world etc is out of the question ??
Click to expand...


There is not much to setup, you just plug & play (generally speaking)

Comparing the "out-of-the-box" settings at PCworld etc is a good start. Your looking for solid blacks & good viewing angles (without the colours changing)
 
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