Dual Display Suggestions

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elkodust

Weaksauce
Joined
Aug 9, 2008
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I have been running on a single monitor setup for ages now and I have lately grown extremely tired of it. I am now looking into buying two new monitors. I know I could keep my current 19 inch monitor, but I know the aesthetic of having two different monitors would bug me, I have someone interested in buying it so diving into two new monitors is a little more financially reasonable, and I would like to move into 16x9, versus my current 16 x 10. These are the two models Im looking at:

ASUS MS238H
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=3891137&SID=194r0

Dell u2311h
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/...cs=19&sku=320-9270&ACD=10549103-3891137-194r0

Ive heard good things about both of these. Now I definitely like the aesthetic of the ASUS, and Ive seen it in person and it seemed to be a great monitor. But I really like the ability to go portrait mode that the Dell has. If I could get some way to set up the Asus in portrait I would be all over it.

These will primarily be used for gaming and digital art. I am a student, so I do not want to blow TOO much money on these. Which one should I buy? Other suggestions welcome.
 
You are looking at a TN vs. IPS comparison here.

The Asus has better motion performance (slightly) and comes in much cheaper (even compared to the u2311h's sale price).

However the Dell will give you truer colors ( 8bit vs. 6bit+dithering) and more consistent colors across the screen (much better viewing angles).

For doing art this will make a significant difference. For TNs at that size they typically color shift very noticeably with slight head movement, and will not be consistent across the screen when viewed head on (as you still view parts of the screen at an angle). From a gaming/multimedia stand point this does not factor in as much, but for image work it is quite noticeable. The dell will glow off angle when displaying something dark in a dark working environment however.

Basically the u2311h will cost more, but will likely be noticeably better for doing digital art work.
 
limitedaccess said:
You are looking at a TN vs. IPS comparison here.

The Asus has better motion performance (slightly) and comes in much cheaper (even compared to the u2311h's sale price).

However the Dell will give you truer colors ( 8bit vs. 6bit+dithering) and more consistent colors across the screen (much better viewing angles).

For doing art this will make a significant difference. For TNs at that size they typically color shift very noticeably with slight head movement, and will not be consistent across the screen when viewed head on (as you still view parts of the screen at an angle). From a gaming/multimedia stand point this does not factor in as much, but for image work it is quite noticeable. The dell will glow off angle when displaying something dark in a dark working environment however.

Basically the u2311h will cost more, but will likely be noticeably better for doing digital art work.
Click to expand...

Maybe I should have read up more huh?

Thinking back, I definitely saw this when i saw the asus in person.

This is good to know, thank you for the advice. I have also heard really bad reports about the quality control of the dells. This is definitely off putting, seeing as I will be buying two of them, making the potential hassle much larger. So while the lower price point is very appealing, I am willing to front up the extra money for something better.
 
The Dell quality issue is a your mileage may very thing. If you read the owners thread, people who are buying now are not reporting issues, likely due to more mature manufacturing and minor panel revisions. But it isn't likely you will not be able to get an IPS type screen with actual better quality control unless you are willing to pay a lot more.

They do have a reportedly fast and good exchange service for problems though.
 
elkodust said:
But I really like the ability to go portrait mode that the Dell has. If I could get some way to set up the Asus in portrait I would be all over it.
Click to expand...

Actually, if you ever saw a TN in portrait you would probably want to stab yourself in the eye with a fork. It looks *terrible*.

If you can afford it, the U2311h is a great choice. I love my IPS monitors, and won't consider another TN again. That said, I also have a nice job and can easily afford IPS monitors. When I was in college, I would have bought the Asus in a heartbeat and ordered some pizza ;)
 
elkodust said:
Hmm, okay. Any other suggestions?
Click to expand...

The u2311 is the really the cheapest IPS in that category. The only cheaper options (not counting used/refurb) would the the smaller u2211h. If you are patient enough (it does often) Dell may put these on sale again for sub $240, making the price different more palatable.

You could try seeing if you can find lower in your area prices for the NEC ea231wmi and viewsonic vp2365wb, they are similar to the u2311, but lack overdrive and come in slower in terms of response time.

The Dell 2209wa is another low cost IPS option, but it is 1680x1050 and has lower contrast.

But otherwise not really, the only cheaper screens are TNs, which due to the nature of the technology all suffer from the viewing angle issue, and use 6bit+dithering.

At the same time TNs are generally fine for gaming/multimedia for most people. Most home users probably are also quite happy doing image work (like family photo editing/viewing) on there TNs as well. But if you are discerning and notice the issues that are there for viewing angles, then it is also very problematic, and probably will compounded due to the fact you are using multiple monitors (angle to your eyes will likely be greater in use and change more).
 
Hey guys, thanks for all the responses. Sorry for the super bump, but I need a bit of advice here.

Lopoking at the price difference with the dell and the asus, I might just have to settle for the asus. If I bought two of the dells Id be blowing $600, which is just too much for my budget. Id be spending basically half on two asus monitors instead, and then I could put that money towards upgrading my machine as a whole.

I guess at this point, anyone else have any recommendations for other monitors, and if the quality differnece will be that drastic, should I just buy one and live with that and my current monitor for the time being?
 
elkodust said:
Hey guys, thanks for all the responses. Sorry for the super bump, but I need a bit of advice here.

Lopoking at the price difference with the dell and the asus, I might just have to settle for the asus. If I bought two of the dells Id be blowing $600, which is just too much for my budget. Id be spending basically half on two asus monitors instead, and then I could put that money towards upgrading my machine as a whole.

I guess at this point, anyone else have any recommendations for other monitors, and if the quality differnece will be that drastic, should I just buy one and live with that and my current monitor for the time being?
Click to expand...

It really is something you have to decide. From a gaming/multimedia standpoint TNs are not really that much of an issue, most people use them without wanting to stab there eyes out or something (despite some forum hyperbole to the contrary). The main issue is the viewing angles if you are focusing on colors and the color shift that occurs, which for you might be very noticeable from a digital art perspective.

The best way to illustrate this problem is http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/viewing_angle.php
Since I believe you have a TN currently you will see the top and bottom of all these images do not look the same, while on an ips like the u2311h they will. Likewise the colors (most notably the corners on the image with text) will not shift color when you move your head.

Are there any monitors are display at local stores or someone you know? Chances are they are TN based panels and you can how much the color shift bothers you if at all.

For pricing, the Dells do often go on sale for $240, that may make the price difference easier to take if you are willing to wait.

For a noticeably better TN you will likely be going into the ~$200+ range as well, making 2 of them $500-600 for a pair.
 
limitedaccess said:
From a gaming/multimedia standpoint TNs are not really that much of an issue, most people use them without wanting to stab there eyes out or something (despite some forum hyperbole to the contrary).
Click to expand...

Just in case this was referring to what I said, I was only talking about TNs in portrait. A portrait TN really is downright terrible.

Hey guys, thanks for all the responses. Sorry for the super bump, but I need a bit of advice here.

Lopoking at the price difference with the dell and the asus, I might just have to settle for the asus. If I bought two of the dells Id be blowing $600, which is just too much for my budget. Id be spending basically half on two asus monitors instead, and then I could put that money towards upgrading my machine as a whole.

I guess at this point, anyone else have any recommendations for other monitors, and if the quality differnece will be that drastic, should I just buy one and live with that and my current monitor for the time being?
Click to expand...

I'm going to assume you've used an LCD monitor before. It is almost assuredly a TN. If you weren't bothered with those, you won't be bothered with the Asus. I was happy with TN panels right up until I got an IPS one, now I'm spoiled. But I tend to shift around a lot, lean back in my chair and stuff, so I end up rarely looking at the monitor head on - this is a problem for TNs. If you tend to stay fairly well put in front of the monitor, the viewing angles won't be as noticeable.

Personally I would go for the cheaper, but good enough, Asus monitors for now. Then in a couple of years, you can pick up an OLED monitor to replace it (lol, I can dream, can't I?)
 
kllrnohj said:
Just in case this was referring to what I said, I was only talking about TNs in portrait. A portrait TN really is downright terrible.
Click to expand...

It wasn't referring to you actually (I agree with that point actually), but I may have subconsciously used the eye stabbing example having read it earlier in this thread. :p

But for gaming/multimedia, due to the nature of the content and how you view it, people are not as likely to be bothered by that particular weakness of a TN monitor.

But yes if you use it for portrait or, even general productivity tasks in landscape, you tend to notice because the colors on the screen are supposed to be somewhat "static," but because of the viewing angle issue it appears "dynamic" and not right. It can be quite bothering for those who have only used TNs even, especially as sizes increase.
 
limitedaccess said:
It really is something you have to decide. From a gaming/multimedia standpoint TNs are not really that much of an issue, most people use them without wanting to stab there eyes out or something (despite some forum hyperbole to the contrary). The main issue is the viewing angles if you are focusing on colors and the color shift that occurs, which for you might be very noticeable from a digital art perspective.

The best way to illustrate this problem is http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/viewing_angle.php
Since I believe you have a TN currently you will see the top and bottom of all these images do not look the same, while on an ips like the u2311h they will. Likewise the colors (most notably the corners on the image with text) will not shift color when you move your head.

Are there any monitors are display at local stores or someone you know? Chances are they are TN based panels and you can how much the color shift bothers you if at all.

For pricing, the Dells do often go on sale for $240, that may make the price difference easier to take if you are willing to wait.

For a noticeably better TN you will likely be going into the ~$200+ range as well, making 2 of them $500-600 for a pair.
Click to expand...


I guess I do have a TN monitor, cause that happened.Like was mentioned a few posts above, I dont have a good job and make a nice salary, and have also been considering upgrading my computer in other respects (making the jump from 775 to the i5-i7 series), so Im not quite sure this is worth $300 extra to me. I haven't pulled the trigger quite yet, so more recommendations please. Id be willing to go up to $500, but no way $600. I think if there was an overwhelmng amount in favor for the dell, I would buy one for now, and upgrade my computer, and save up for the next one while bearing with my 19 inch as my secondary monitor. Unless that is a terrible idea in itself.
 
Chances are if you were not bothered by the issue until I pointed it out, the TNs are fine. But again, performance/price is really a subjective personal thing, so it is something you will need to decide. Both are good value in terms of pricing, just one is more expensive. The Dell just gives you more for your "work" part of usage.

But I should note that for that particular Asus, I'm not sure if the stand can orient "vertically," meaning the screen is vertical with no tilt. Not sure if that bothers you or not, as with dual displays it may be kind of weird.
 
I think you'd be better off with 1 non-TN display now (like the U2311 or ZR24W) then add another down the road when you can justify it.
 
Despite how much I love my IPS, if the choice for me was 1 IPS monitor or 2 similarly sized TNs, I'd go for the two TNs. To me, dual display > IPS.

Personally I also wouldn't go with that particular Asus, since I don't like the stand. Not sure how well two of those would work with multi-monitors, seems like the stand would interfere with placing them close together...
 
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