Dell Ultrasharpe 27" or 30"

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DeathSmasher

Gawd
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As the thread title states i want a new monitor what would you recommend? I'm going to be using it for games. I think if i did 27's i would some day like to go to eyefinity if i did 30" i dont think i would ever wanna go eyefinity as it seems to big. I currently run a junker 30" tv that runs 1360x768. I like the overall size but im not sure if the smaller size would hurt me. IE 3inch
 
It sounds like you're at least considering Eyefinity down the line, so that probably reduces your choice between the two to the U2711 and not the more expensive U3011. (Or, alternatively, the HP ZR2740W. Or, if you're feeling adventurous, this entire group of Korean-built monitors that can be had on the cheap.) The Dells are considered very good monitors, though the anti-glare coating isn't universally loved.

That said, if you're coming from 1366x768 you're going to get a massive resolution bump with any of the above monitors (2560x1440 for any of the 27-inchers, 2560x1600 for the 30-inchers) before you ever get to Eyefinity levels. So you really, really, really want to make sure your system's ready for that.
 
i was balancing the same kind of ideas when i picked out my new monitor. I went with the HP ZR30w because it has no lag due to the lack of internal scaler. I didn't want to use the dell because of the huge amount of lag on the 30", the increased price premium, and the horrible anti glare coating that shifts colors and makes the white glisten with greens and pinks. Best monitor I have ever had.
 
oldmanbal said:
i was balancing the same kind of ideas when i picked out my new monitor. I went with the HP ZR30w because it has no lag due to the lack of internal scaler. I didn't want to use the dell because of the huge amount of lag on the 30", the increased price premium, and the horrible anti glare coating that shifts colors and makes the white glisten with greens and pinks. Best monitor I have ever had.
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Have you run a game at a lower resolution than max? I'm wondering how good/bad the screen looks at 1920x1080 full-screen. Would you mind trying it out for me? I'm not sure how much time you have, but a picture of the it using the video card scalar @1920x1080 would be awesome.
 
I got the U3011, great choice. Like most things in life bigger is better. It's high quality and a large resolution. You could watch a movie on one half and surf the web on the other. For gaming it rules due to the size, thought a high quality video card is recommended.
 
jpinard said:
Have you run a game at a lower resolution than max? I'm wondering how good/bad the screen looks at 1920x1080 full-screen. Would you mind trying it out for me? I'm not sure how much time you have, but a picture of the it using the video card scalar @1920x1080 would be awesome.
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Yeah I run it at all sorts of different resolutions. It looks great at anything, completely natural. It's just such a huge monitor it's crazy. I have it about 6 feet in front of my 46" 3d plasma and they almost look like the same size sitting at my desk. It's really quite large. Running at 1080p feels very natural and looks great. 2560x1600 needs a serious amount of horsepower to run at over 60fps avg. i'd say it's about 1/2 the performance or less of 1080p. I went from two unlocked 6950's 2gb to 2 7970s in cf to run it properly maxed out. Only game that gets a minimum under 60fps is crysis 2 dx 11 hi res textures ultra at 1600p. That game is no joke in some spots.

I'll take a pic or screenshot of it tongiht when i get home from work. Honestly it's the best looking monitor i've used since my fw-900 crt. Those are just in a class of their own.

As for tweeking it, I use the Edid profile in CCC and turn up the color to like 130-140 for A HUGE GAMUT and intense vivid colors. Edid at nutral is very color accurate but a bit bland looking. Switching over to about 6500k doesn't give accurate flesh tones but is still another very vivid way to use it. You would never ever regret buying this display. I did however regret buying my u2410 from dell because of the mouse lag you notice from all the osd and internal scalers it has. also the grainy colorshifts on white drove me nuts.
 
I personally went with a U2711. I used a 30" at a local gaming center and it was just too big for my liking. 27" is my comfort zone for gaming. I personally have no problems with input lag but maybe I just can't see it. I play a lot of BF3 though and haven't noticed anything effecting the quality of my game play. The anti-glare coating also isn't a factor for me as I almost exclusively use the monitor for gaming and a second 24" for web surfing.
 
I have a U2711, and I've used it for gaming on a PS3 as well as on a desktop. I haven't really noticed any input lag either. However, although I really like my monitor, I feel as though 27" is too big for gaming. Perhaps it's just me, but in games like Starcraft II, I lose my peripheral vision of the mini map and get caught off guard sometimes. I guess it depends on how close your eyes are to the monitor too. I'm a fan of the monitor though.
 
People saying monitors are "too big." I'd be interested to know their viewing distances.

I'm considering a move on a 27 or a 30 myself even though I love my NEC 2490wuxi so it's not a burning desire but a mild interest if the situation were right.
 
ZR30W here. Many hours of BF3 each day. No input lag and you will definitely grow into a 30. There's no way I could ever game on anything smaller now.

I sit between 2 and 3 feet away depending if I'm leaning back.
 
fenixv said:
ZR30W here. Many hours of BF3 each day. No input lag and you will definitely grow into a 30. There's no way I could ever game on anything smaller now.

I sit between 2 and 3 feet away depending if I'm leaning back.
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Damn! No eye strain? That's awfully close!
 
2-3ft is normal for a 27." 2ft is preferable IMO but IPS/PLS glow can ruin dark content at that distance.
 
Q-BZ said:
People saying monitors are "too big." I'd be interested to know their viewing distances.

I'm considering a move on a 27 or a 30 myself even though I love my NEC 2490wuxi so it's not a burning desire but a mild interest if the situation were right.
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I'd like to think I sit at a pretty average distance of 2-3 feet depending on my posture. I just couldn't use a 30". It was too much like a TV in front of me. Infact my TV as a teenager was a 30 inch flatscreen and i sat like 4 feet away from it.

Everyone has their preferences though. Mine is 27" high res for gaming and a 24" 1080p for everything else. Maybe one day I'll replace my 60hz TN 24" for a 120hz 24" for shits and giggles and just put both on a vesa mounts. Then I could swap quite easily between monitors depending on what game I'm playing.
 
Definitely. Just use whatever you feel most comfortable with. I was on a single 24" for years and it just wasn't cutting it anymore. A quality 27 is also quite nice. Just don't go for the 1080p 27's.
 
NCX said:
2-3ft is normal for a 27." 2ft is preferable IMO but IPS/PLS glow can ruin dark content at that distance.
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Should I have my 24 about 6 inches from my nose at that rate? ;)
 
DeathSmasher said:
As the thread title states i want a new monitor what would you recommend? I'm going to be using it for games. I think if i did 27's i would some day like to go to eyefinity if i did 30" i dont think i would ever wanna go eyefinity as it seems to big. I currently run a junker 30" tv that runs 1360x768. I like the overall size but im not sure if the smaller size would hurt me. IE 3inch
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30" monitors are quite a bit narrower than 30" TV's due to the extra height and narrower bezel. They're also barely any wider than 27" monitors. If your desk can fit 3 27"s it can fit 3 30"s. I went from a 37" 1080P TV to a 30" 1600P monitor and the gaming experience is much better and just as immersive.
 
Q-BZ said:
Should I have my 24 about 6 inches from my nose at that rate? ;)
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2ft is probably the normal viewing distance for most people regardless of size, or are you one of those people who sits 5 ft+ away from their monitor and wasted money on an HDTV only to sit 10ft+ away?
 
NCX said:
2ft is probably the normal viewing distance for most people regardless of size, or are you one of those people who sits 5 ft+ away from their monitor and wasted money on an HDTV only to sit 10ft+ away?
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Agreed, I'm somewhere in between 2 and 3 feet from my monitors, no matter what size they are.
 
For 2+ feet, a 27" should be fine, though I don't really see the point of 30" eyefinity, it will increase the distance required IMO.
 
If you are considering the 27 for Eyefinity why not get those Catleaps? It seems like they are really popular on the forum.
 
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