Help me choose a monitor please!

[MrPotato]

Hi all,

I am really struggling with selecting a monitor. Reviews are all over the place, and I am really mixed on what I do on my PC. Looking for some guidance.

I am looking to replace two older, aging monitors, with a new dual matching set. My current displays:

Current monitor 1, CHIMEI CMV 221D (Purchased 2007): CHIMEI CMV 221D Black 22" 5ms DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor 330 cd/m2 800:1 - Newegg.com
Current monitor 2, SAMSUNG SyncMaster 933BW (Purchased 2009): SAMSUNG SyncMaster 933BW High Glossy Black 19" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 DC 15000:1(1000:1) - Newegg.com

I'm running a GTX960: http://amzn.com/B00SL2TQ2C​

Usage:
On my PC, I spend a lot of time on the web, reading, writing, surfing, and farting around.
I also like to play games, and a pretty diverse selection: Fallout 4, Bioshock, Minecraft, CS:GO.
I enjoy YouTube, but I don't watch a ton of movies. Maybe the occasional Netflix.

In researching, once people start talking about ghosting/motion blur, one guy will say one thing, another guy will say something else. It's all anecdotal. It isn't helpful. It's also very hard to figure out PWM/6/8-bit panel type info. So, I'm looking to the experts!


Criteria:
- I'm looking to stay at about $340 for both. I've listed some that are a bit higher, and a bit lower.
- I'm looking for 27" at 1080, I guess. This new desk has the monitors pretty far back, so I think it might be a good choice. Higher res/refresh adds too much cost, I believe.
- I have noted if monitors have speakers, but don't really need it.
- I want my visuals in games to be an improvement over what I have now. I haven't really noticed ghosting/motion blur before. Maybe I'm not sensitive to it, or maybe these monitors have just served me well. (I do have screen tearing which is awful, so often have to use vsync)

Some Models:
I've been sorting through a ton of these things, and it seems this list is a (lengthy) list of candidates. I had to cut a few ASUS models... they just have so many, I was overwhelmed. The four $169 models (in green) are my leading contenders.

Make -- Model -- Price -- Panel -- Response -- Speakers? -- Comments
Acer -- S271HL -- $179 -- IPS -- 6ms -- No --
AOC -- e2752She -- $139 -- TN -- 2ms -- No -- A lot chunky/ugly
AOC -- e2752Vh -- $149 -- TN -- 2ms -- Yes -- A bit chunky
AOC -- i2757FH -- $169 -- IPS -- 5ms -- Yes -- Silver front, small bezels
AOC -- i2769Vm -- $184 -- IPS -- 5ms -- Yes -- Value Series, MHL
ASUS -- VN289QR -- $189 -- VA -- 5ms -- Yes -- 28"
ASUS -- VE278H -- $199 -- TN -- 2ms -- Yes -- Seems pricey for what it is
BenQ -- GL2760H -- $169 -- TN -- 2ms -- No -- A recommended TN
BenQ -- EW2750ZL -- $199 -- VA -- 4ms -- Yes -- MHL, pricey but looks nice. Unsure about VA
BenQ -- GL2760HS -- $199 -- VA -- 4ms -- Yes -- Older VA version of GL2760H
HP -- 27xw -- $169 -- IPS -- 8ms -- No -- Costco deal, hearing good things. Unsure about game performance.
LG -- 27MP38VQ-B -- $169 -- IPS -- 5ms -- No -- Microcenter exclusive? A little chunky.
LG -- 27MP36HQ-B -- $189 -- IPS -- 5ms -- No -- Seems similar to the 27MP38VQ-B
LG -- 27MP58VQ-P -- $199 -- IPS -- 5ms -- No -- Nice aethetic. Expensive. Few reviews.
Samsung -- S27E510C -- $189 -- VA -- 4ms -- No -- Curved display. Review said not for gaming?​

If anyone can comment on these, share their general opinions, make some suggestions, or anything, it would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

 

[silent-circuit]

Take the BenQ out of the running, along with any other TNs. They're garbage, plain and simple.

Of those, I'd say the other 3 you've highlighted are all good choices. Really comes down to your preference at this point.

Also, there's nothing wrong with VA as long as you'll be more or less centered on the monitor when using it -- at that screen size the color shift when viewed head on (gamma shift) should be minimal. Larger panels it becomes more clear / annoying. VA tends to be slower than IPS, with the potential for inverse ghosting and black crush (look for these things in reviews) but the up-side is typically far better black levels and contrast than IPS.

 

[MrPotato]

Take the BenQ out of the running, along with any other TNs. They're garbage, plain and simple.
...

Hmm.. I had someone specifically recommend to go with that BenQ over the HP. Here's what he said:

First, BenQ is arguabley the best company when it comes to monitors, It also has a much better response time with only 2ms, which is very quick. The HP one has an 8ms response time, and when you're playing games, especially something as fast paced as CS:GO you want a better response time than 8ms. The BenQ monitor also has better contrast ratio. The only thing that the HP has over the BenQ monitor is that it is an IPS panel, vs the TN on the BenQ, IPS is good but has many problems, ips glow, BLB. IPS give somewhat better color and better viewing angels, however, when playing on PC, TN will be just as good because you are sitting much closer to the screen.

He's looking out for my gaming experience, I guess. But, with IPS these days, is this still a problem?

I saw the HP in store, but it was not hooked up. Looks nice. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned about an 8ms response. Heck, these old monitors I have now have 5ms!

Not sure how to really determine "my preference." :\

 

[silent-circuit]

The AOC and LG are both 5ms panels, so if 8ms worries you (understandable, though HP tends to be a bit conservative with their ratings) then go with one of those.

Yes, BenQ is a good company, but TNs are trash, plain and simple, and the likelihood of a modern LED backlit monitor being faulty is very low. You will have noticeable color shift from top to bottom of the screen even when facing it head on. I would not recommend any TN panel, though it's true they're better than they used to be. That's just not saying much.

If you don't notice any ghosting now with older, likely slower 5ms rated panels (there's a lot of leeway with how those numbers are come up with) then you should be very happy with a modern 5ms panel.

Honestly, input lag is more important, in my opinion, than pixel response time. I'd see if you can find reviews that give input lag results for the AOC and LG, and go with whichever has the lowest.

 

[MrPotato]

The 27MP38VQ-B seems to be, best I can tell, a Micro Center exclusive. I can find almost no information on it. (No reviews, really)
Not sure where they got these things. Red flag? Or maybe a re-branded version of something else?

 

[geok1ng]

With your current budget, i would consider going 24-25" 2560x1440 and then later add another. They hover around $240-260 each.
1440p has 1.77 more pixels than 1080p and the current offers use good IPS panels.

Triple 19"-24" 1080p is another solution that fits inside your budget. All the P and U series from dell have pivoting stands. Benq's GW2x70 series use high contrast VA panels.
You have a very new video card with DP to setp up multiple displays, but being low-end you will have to game in single monitor at 1440p, or use the lowest possible settings for dual 1440p.

 

[MrPotato]

With your current budget, i would consider going 24-25" 2560x1440 and then later add another. They hover around $240-260 each.
1440p has 1.77 more pixels than 1080p and the current offers use good IPS panels.

Triple 19"-24" 1080p is another solution that fits inside your budget. All the P and U series from dell have pivoting stands. Benq's GW2x70 series use high contrast VA panels.
You have a very new video card with DP to setp up multiple displays, but being low-end you will have to game in single monitor at 1440p, or use the lowest possible settings for dual 1440p.

This is quite a bit over my budget of around $340 for both.

I won't rule out a pair of 24s but am really leaning to 27.

 

[Raendor]

This is quite a bit over my budget of around $340 for both.

I won't rule out a pair of 24s but am really leaning to 27.

Would you like to buy my AOC G2460PG? Dunno what to do with it after I got S2716DG. BTW, I wouldn't got for 1080p 27 in, so i suggest you to have a look at some nice 24" models like the one that i've mentioned. I good monitor is certainly better than two crappy monitors.

 

[MrPotato]

I appreciate the offer, but no thank you.