What's the 30" monitor to have these days?

Drawmonster

2[H]4U
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I've been using a LG 32LD450 LCD as my monitor for a few years now. Works great with a little tweaking. But have been thinking about getting a 30" monitor and re-purposing the LG back to a TV in my office. The last time I looked at monitors the 3007WFP was new and I read it was like having a stove sitting on your desk. Hot.

What's the go to 30" these days?
 
If you're a gamer or photographer, there isn't one. Some good 27" 1440p's are available, but the 30" are meh.

For office work the Dell U3014 does alright and it's LED so you won't bake you in your own skin.
 
There is not much choise but probably the dell U3014 or the HP Z30i.

Given the multitude of QC issues with 3014, ...The HP is the one of the two to go for. Especially given the warranty service you get.
 
Yep, only two connections made it the best 1600p IPS gaming monitor that can also be used for graphic work.

I can vouch for that i still use 3007-HC it's still the best 30" for gaming lowest input lag and still great screen for any serious work.
I tried all new models up to 3014 and i keep going back to 3007-HC

Quick scan at my local kijiji i can still find one or two 3007-HC for $350-450 so if you can find one in good condition go for it.

Im still waiting after 6 years now to replace this one and nothing yet unfortunately in 30".
 
What's the go to 30" these days?

Surprise, no one has mentioned that the 30" models are wide gamut=inaccurate and over-saturated colors (unless they have an sRGB mode but the color settings are locked and the colors will be worse than a good 27") compared to your TV unless used with color managed programs (not games). The CFFL back-lit models all use grainy matte coatings and all 30" have poor black levels due to the low contrast (CCFL back-lit models) and more pronounced IPS glow when viewed from less than 4ft away. One can sit around 2ft away from a cheaper and superior 27" 1440p monitor and see far less glow as well as get better image quality.

Z30i vs. BL2710PT glow from 2.5ft

The real question is which 30" is the least mediocre compared to the cheaper and superior 27" 1440p models. All of the LED back-lit models except for the Z30i suffer from excessive overshoot ghosting but the Z30i lacks an sRGB mode so you will have to rely on color management to get proper colors. The Z30i is a rip off at 1300$ since one can buy 2x superior (for multi-media use) BenQ BL2710PT's (Review) or 3-4x 27" 1440p Korean monitors (Qnix QX2710 & Crossover 2755AMG) for the same price.

As far as black levels go your TV is actually worse than most 30" monitors (0.25cdm/2 black @120cdm/2 measured by HDTV Test), so if you actually want to truly upgrade to 2013 black levels instead of 2007 quality blacks get a 27."
 
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Go either 27" or TV. Right now 30" LCDs are a major letdown for gamers. By the time the manufacturers of 30" pull their heads from their butts 4k will probably trounce them and trounce them hard. Just my own opinion.
 
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