Help me pick a 30" monitor

I'm set on WQXGA (2560x1600) at about 30". I have an old Dell 2001FP (1600x1200) I plan to put in portrait and may try to find another somewhere (that 2100fp was a great buy for $700 in 2001!).

I hate glossy/reflective coatings. I like IPS panels. I'm a gamer, but not fast enough to care about > 60Hz, and 6ms response time should be fine, my current main monitor is a doublesight 263N, I don't know what it's response time is but it must be 6-8ms and it's fine for me. I've never noticed any motion blur. I don't want the colors to be cartoonish, but I'm not going to notice slight color infidelity. I've got an HP ZR30w at work that I like, so I'm tempted by the $500 refurbished ones I see on newegg, but I'm scared to buy refurbished.

Preferred: tilt, display port and DVI-D
Nice to have but negotiable: height adjustment, USB, lack of leds on the front,
Not needed/don't care: swivel, rotate, back plate mounting, speakers, HDMI

I don't want to spend more than I have to, and probably won't buy anything if I'd have to spend more than $1200 to get something as good as the DS-263N I have now (except bigger).

So have I eliminated all possibilities or is there a match out there?

TIA

Have you thought of slightly smaller res but slightly bigger screen like 32" 2560x1440 Benq BL3200PT with VA panel? Imho cheaper then average IPS 30", deeper blacks, no ips glow, normal gamut. It's no "gamers" screen, as it's lag is average, but i find it very pleasant to game at, due nice colors & big size (thus immersive wide POV). also this Benq's stand has full adjustment possibilities, including rather uncommon for 30" pivot (of course all the rest included, like height/tilt/..).

I don't think IPS is even physically capable of 6-8 ms. The manufacturer might claim it based on some cherry picked black-to-black numbers, but grey-to-grey peaks on IPS is still in the 20ms range for today's panels.

Really? Well, the number isn't important, I was just trying to say an average-speed IPS was fast enough. I don't like TN panels.
I'm not interested in a 2560x1440. I've tried them at work and I love the extra vertical a 16:10. Not as much for gaming as for everything else I do on the computer. If they didn't make 2560x1600 I'd just wait and not buy anything.

The 2200$ NEC PA302W is the only 30" which does not outright suck compared to the slew of 27" 1440p AHVA/IPS/PLS panels available for under 500$ (recommendations here).

If you want another monitor with poor black levels, a grainy matte coating, more pronounced IPS glow in the bottom corners (worse vs. your current monitor) and inaccurate+over-saturated wide gamut colors, then 30" monitors are a good option. 30" CCFL back-lit, multi-input Crossovers are available from eBay for 650$ and single input Yamakasi's are available for <500$ (search eBay for <insert brand> 2560x1600), they suck compared to the 27" 1440p monitors, but they do have proper brightness controls while most of the non-Crossover, multi-input Korean brands do not. Single-input monitors are delay free.

Any other responses?

BenQ BL3200PT/BL3210PT

Avoid anything manufactured by LG.Display and you should be ok.

You are aware that a few displays come with glossy, but also anti-reflective, coatings for displays. It is never worth destroying the image quality in order to eliminate the reflections, which is exactly what you are doing by getting a matte monitor. You can turn the monitor away from light sources or turn off lights, but you can never remove a matte coat (not counting the extremely dangerous "glossy mod", which is how I destroyed my VG248QE).

I give a vote to the benq bl3200pt. I own it and now that i found great settings i love it.

Due to the fact that CRT monitors are not made in sizes above 24 inches, I recommend a 31.5", 16:9, 2160p display. I much prefer taller aspect ratios myself, but because the industry has turned its back on the superior "midscreen" (16:10 & 3:2) and fullscreen (4:3 & 5:4) aspect ratios, the only good LCD option is 16:9. That fact sucks, but it is unfortunately the case.

rabidz7 said:

Due to the fact that CRT monitors are not made in sizes above 24 inches, I recommend a 31.5", 16:9, 2160p display. I much prefer taller aspect ratios myself, but because the industry has turned its back on the superior "midscreen" (16:10 & 3:2) and fullscreen (4:3 & 5:4) aspect ratios, the only good LCD option is 16:9. That fact sucks, but it is unfortunately the case.

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The only good lcd option is 16:9 for you. Other people may want 16:10, so don't make your opinion out to be a factual statement.

eastwind said:

Any other responses?

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No, there's no other decent options unless you're willing to ditch 16:10.

NCX knows what he's talking about; the 30" options are all terrible. Plus you could buy two 27" 1440p monitors for the price of one incredibly awful 30" 1600p monitor.

try out nixeus 30" 2560x1600 16:10 monitors. they have pretty good rating on amazon. it may be cheaper on newegg. i see them go on sale sometimes. i got theri 27" display port and it has been holding up amazingly. nice color and picture.

http://www.amazon.com/Nixeus-Vue-25...ie=UTF8&qid=1412368621&sr=8-6&keywords=nixeus

If you really insist on getting a 30" monitor I think you may as well buy it used on ebay instead of paying 1000+ on a new monitor, or you can check your local craigslist listings. sometimes on craigslist there are just people that just want to get rid of their 30" monitor. If you want a working 30" monitor with display port you should look to pay around $500. If you are really persistent you can watch many auctions and pay around $400. When buying used there is a chance of getting a bad monitor so be careful when selecting a monitor to buy. Here is where I start when looking on ebay.

rabidz7 said:

You are aware that a few displays come with glossy, but also anti-reflective, coatings for displays. It is never worth destroying the image quality in order to eliminate the reflections, which is exactly what you are doing by getting a matte monitor. You can turn the monitor away from light sources or turn off lights, but you can never remove a matte coat (not counting the extremely dangerous "glossy mod", which is how I destroyed my VG248QE).

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Thanks, I wasn't aware there was a 3rd option.

I have an HP ZR30w at work, it's supposed to have an anti-glare coating -- is that considered matte or glossy but anti-reflective?

I like the ZR30 just fine.

eastwind said:

Thanks, I wasn't aware there was a 3rd option.

I have an HP ZR30w at work, it's supposed to have an anti-glare coating -- is that considered matte or glossy but anti-reflective?

I like the ZR30 just fine.

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Please ignore all posts by rabidz7 as he is the resident [R]etard of [H].

Your HPZR30w is a CCFL back-lit monitor which uses a very grainy matte coating.

Church said:

Have you thought of slightly smaller res but slightly bigger screen like 32" 2560x1440 Benq BL3200PT with VA panel? Imho cheaper then average IPS 30", deeper blacks, no ips glow, normal gamut. It's no "gamers" screen, as it's lag is average, but i find it very pleasant to game at, due nice colors & big size (thus immersive wide POV). also this Benq's stand has full adjustment possibilities, including rather uncommon for 30" pivot (of course all the rest included, like height/tilt/..).

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Scottyl39 said:

I give a vote to the benq bl3200pt. I own it and now that i found great settings i love it.

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Panmaster said:

BenQ BL3200PT/BL3210PT

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THISSSS. I've owned 4 30" monitors and while good, the BenQ is better in several ways and I don't miss the extra 160 vert pixels.

Panmaster said:

Avoid anything manufactured by LG.Display and you should be ok.

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My awesome experience with my 34UM94 would lead me to disagree with you, but I understand there have been some issues with some of their products. Though you could say that about nearly ANY monitor manufacturer.

I suppose I'll be a little more thorough.

First off, CCFL back-lit 30" monitors; all of these monitors use a very heavy AG coating, that of which we call grainy. It's called such because it severely reduces image clarity by producing a sparkly or hazy effect on the screen. Such coatings can severely effect whites by making them appear pink or other colors, causing text to appear less sharp, as well as potentially causing eyestrain due to loss of clarity.

Every 30" CCFL back-lit monitor, whether it be the HPZR30w, or the Nixeus mentioned by computerESCOBAR, as well as any other Korean monitor will use this coating.

Now, there exists LED back-lit 30" monitors such as the Dell U3014, and the HPZ30i. Both of which use a semi-glossy coating (also known as semi-matte), which protects from reflections without damaging image clarity (no sparkly or haze effect).

Unfortunately, both of these monitors are wide gamut.

Wide gamut monitors produce extremely over-saturated colors; skin tones can turn red, and in general the monitor is not accurate for sRGB content. Another issue with wide gamut monitors is that they suffer from more pronounced IPS glow than their regular gamut brethren. This strong IPS glow will cause black levels to be almost non-existent no matter the measured contrast ratio of the monitor.

A semi-glossy Dell U3014, or HPZ30i will also cost upwards of $1000, which is very overpriced.

Photo depicting IPS glow courtesy of NCX with the HPZ30i on the left, and the regular gamut BenQ BL2710PT on the right

Photo courtesy of NCX depicting the over-saturation of skin tones with a wide-gamut monitor on the left, and a regular gamut monitor on the right.

NCX's review of the HPZ30i

And again, you can purchase two 27" IPS 1440p monitors, or even two 32" 1440p VA monitors (BenQ BL3200PT), both of which use semi-glossy coatings, are faster, standard gamut, have better color, and glow much less vs. one 30" LED 1600p monitor.

Also, please refer to NCX's post earlier in the thread which highlights monitor suggestions and links to multiple reviews. He's reviewed several monitors and is much more knowledgeable than anyone else in this thread.

NCX said:

The 2200$ NEC PA302W is the only 30" which does not outright suck compared to the slew of 27" 1440p AHVA/IPS/PLS panels available for under 500$ (recommendations here).

If you want another monitor with poor black levels, a grainy matte coating, more pronounced IPS glow in the bottom corners (worse vs. your current monitor) and inaccurate+over-saturated wide gamut colors, then 30" monitors are a good option. 30" CCFL back-lit, multi-input Crossovers are available from eBay for 650$ and single input Yamakasi's are available for <500$ (search eBay for <insert brand> 2560x1600), they suck compared to the 27" 1440p monitors, but they do have proper brightness controls while most of the non-Crossover, multi-input Korean brands do not. Single-input monitors are delay free.

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Also rabidz7, please stop posting.

Thus i'll mention again 32" 1440p monitors. Yes, 60px vertical less, yet also cheaper (that benq @amazon can be found for $585 or $585@newegg) and without ips glow, better blacks and standard gamut. Citing last post in it's thread: "This monitor is a pretty incredible deal at the current price. I've really enjoyed the 30" monitors that I've had, but this one costs half of what my U3011 did and is better in several ways."

If I understand this: http://www.web-cyb.org/images/lcds/4k_vs_27in_vs_30in_2560_same-ppi.jpg
the idea that the 160 pixels difference is subjectively about 3/4" top and bottom depends on comparing the 1440 and 1600 monitors from different distances. The trouble with that is I am going to put the monitor about 18" from my eyes no matter its aspect ratio. And a 1440 is going to feel cramped vertically. I've used them for a while at work, not just looked at them in stores, and they feel cramped, and the feeling doesn't go away, and that's why I won't buy one. No matter how much more someone else likes them, there's no way I'm going to buy one. It was a huge relief to swap the 27" 1440 I had at work out for the HP.

If I have a choice between a monitor that annoys me but NCX likes, or one annoys NCX but doesn't bother me, which should I buy?

eastwind said:

If I have a choice between a monitor that annoys me but NCX likes, or one annoys NCX but doesn't bother me, which should I buy?

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Nobody cares what you buy; it's your money.

You asked for help choosing a 30" monitor, and the forum response is that they're unanimously terrible.

Better suggestions at a more reasonable price point were given.

eastwind said:

If I understand this: http://www.web-cyb.org/images/lcds/4k_vs_27in_vs_30in_2560_same-ppi.jpg
the idea that the 160 pixels difference is subjectively about 3/4" top and bottom depends on comparing the 1440 and 1600 monitors from different distances. The trouble with that is I am going to put the monitor about 18" from my eyes no matter its aspect ratio. And a 1440 is going to feel cramped vertically. I've used them for a while at work, not just looked at them in stores, and they feel cramped, and the feeling doesn't go away, and that's why I won't buy one. No matter how much more someone else likes them, there's no way I'm going to buy one. It was a huge relief to swap the 27" 1440 I had at work out for the HP.

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OK, so you've used a 27" 1440p and it felt cramped. Fair enough. Have you used a 32" though? For days at a time? Take it from someone who would only use 30" monitors for years...you WILL get used to it after a few days.

Consider the fact that we've given you an option that meets all of the criteria in your original post and that comes in at hundreds of dollars under your max budget, leaving money for other things.

At the end of the day, if you're absolutely dead set on 2560x1600, buy one of those and be happy. I've seen people trying to sell brand new U3014s on the forums in the $750 range, so that's between the price of the refurbed HP and the price of a new one from a store. I guess you won't know what you're missing if you don't try something like the BL3200PT. With a 30" panel you'll have your extra 160 vertical pixels along with poor black levels, poor contrast, IPS glow, etc...but if you're not open to trying what everyone else is telling you then there's not much we can do. There was a time when I couldn't really be convinced to use anything other than a 30" monitor too, but that phase has passed and I've been enjoying some really awesome monitors since then.

Here's a curveball for you - two 24" 1920x1080 displays in portrait mode like this...



Dell U2414H x 2 comes to a few pence shy of £400 here in the UK. The cheapest 32" 2560x1440 panel I can find is around £470. Gotta be honest if I had the vertical space on my desk I would be tempted myself!!

I wouldn't advise getting pair of monitors for few reasons. For example - nvidia has disabled support of 2xn monitor nvsurround support for their gaming gpu-s to artificially differentiate them from quadro line, and also in most shooters crosshair will be just in the middle where bezel will be. Also doesn't sound too good. If go for multimonitors, then at least for triple ones. I doubt multimonitors will fit for OP poster, as budget was brought up. Multimonitors = higher summary resolution = more expensive gpus required to drive that at decent fps. If he is set on not spending too much on monitors, will he pay a lot for 780ti/980 to upgrade current gpu?

This thread is pretty much convincing me to ditch my Dell 3011 for a Benq 32. I'm actually tempted to check out the Samung as well, as thats $90 cheaper here in Australia.

I've actually quite liked the Dell 3011 but then again I haven't had exposure to heaps of different monitors. As mentioned in other threads I do have a Crossover 27Q as well and that thing blows the Dell out of the water picture quality wise. I also much prefer the glossy screen. Unfortunately for home use I have multiple desktops which I do need a multi input monitor for and the Dell is much better than the Crossover for that.

Decisions, decisions..

imyourzero said:

Consider the fact that we've given you an option that meets all of the criteria in your original post and that comes in at hundreds of dollars under your max budget, leaving money for other things.

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Sorry, which one was that? The 32" Benq VA?

I wouldn't like the bezel in the middle, what I do now with two monitors is put the smaller one to the size and the bigger one in the middle. When gaming I don't extend the game onto the smaller monitor, I use it for maps or spreadsheets or guides or whatever. Partly why I wanted a 30" x1600 was to turn my 1200x1600 to portrait at put it to the side, and maybe get another used 1600x1200 for the other side for $50 or so. My video card right now is an AMD 7970 (just one of them). If I get a new monitor I haven't figured out what I'd do with my DS, maybe try to sell it.

To be fair, the cramped feeling was when using a x1440 at work, for gaming it might be ok. Vertical resolution is more important to me for coding where it makes a difference how many lines of code you can see at once, and extra width doesn't help that much because most code doesn't use line lengths that long. I'm not sure how stretching the 2560x1440 to a 32" monitor would work out, seems to me the clarity of text depends more on how many pixels high & wide a character is, so even though you have more vertical space you can't really put more lines of sharp text on the screen.

I do appreciate all the attention this thread is getting, and hearing different points of view.

Either I've missed it along the way but I dont think you've mentioned exactly what you use your home rig for other than gaming?

You should have mentioned requirement to reuse old monitor in portrait in multimonitor configuration in opening post. Then yes, maybe 30" can be better choice. Otherwise, if you just replace main monitor, imho 32" one is better choice on several accounts, like price, VA's blacks, standard gamut, absence of few ips flaws.

I used a Dell 3008WFP for about 5 years and loved every minute of it. I never noticed the so-called awful grainy coating or terrible lag. Not saying it didn't exist. I just never saw it. I'm a writer and work with big documents and lines of text instead of code. For casual gaming and our kind of work, a 30" can serve very well.

When my 3008 began to fail, last summer, I checked all the latest 30"ers. I liked the Z30 best, but once I got a look at the new 27" 1440p monitors, even I could tell they were so much better than any 30". I especially liked the combination of nearly the same resolution of a 30" in nearly the same form factor of a 24".

If you insist on a 30", I'd go with the Z30.