Need help fidning the best monitor for my money

U53r

Limp Gawd
Joined
Feb 5, 2013
Messages
128
Hi Everyone,

I know I'm new but I've been a reader for quite a whole, my old monitor just bit the dust and am in the market for a new one but cant seem to find 'the one'. Ive been reading reviews and "best lists" for the pat 2 days and my eyes are starting to bleed. I was hoping someone here could maybe help me pick the right one based on my needs, maybe theres some new monitors out that arent in the lists yet which I haven't come accross, atleast I hope so because every one I've seen has a really undesirable flaw so far.

First about me, I have really bad eyes so I tend to sit very close to the monitor, I also need a very bright display so atleast 300cdm2. Since I sit so close I dont want anything where I'm going to see pixels or a really bad AG coating. Unfortunately it seems that the standard for monitors has basically made them into TVs and everything is only 1080 now the 1440's being prohibitively expensive.

Im an avid gamer but also a graphic artist so I think I'm leaning towards an IPS display though would consider a really well executed TN that has comparable color and contrast.

My budget is right around $300, I really cant spend much more then that so I need to find something that meets my needs within that price.

As for size, 24" and above would be all I'd consider, I had a 23" and was finding that was getting small with my bad eyes.

The Asus PA248Q was a strong contender till I read on here that is has terrible light bleed and very inconsistent temperature plus a AG coating (same with the U2412M as far as the AG goes), having to sit really close the AG would probably get annoying so I would prefer a semi-gloss or just plain matte.

The Viewsonic VX2753 looked promising too but it reportedly has low text qualit so thats a bit of a deal breaker, plus a 27" display at only 1080 I think might have very noticable pixels.

Are there any other monitors that might suit my needs? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
Hmm...

Well, there are some 24" 16:10 monitors you could consider, but the $300 limit is a problem. There is the Samsung 24" PLS, but that is probably more like $400ish new (and it tends to have bleed issues). There is the upcoming Dell 2413 and NEC has a 24" 16:10 in the works, but they will be more than $300 too.

Maybe consider a 27" 1080p IPS, crank up win dpi settings, and don't sit quite so close? The end result should be the same, with the difference being you won't see unusually large pixels at that res + distance. There are some 27" IPS glossy/semiglossy 1080ps at around $300ish or so. This size should also provide larger fonts overall, so I'd think it'd be easier to read too.

If you weren't a gamer, I'd recommend something like the Dell S series, 24" A-MVA, but I am not sure if it's so ideal for gaming. I'm afraid I can't recommend any TN panels.
 
Thanks for the reply Namelessme,

Unfortunately with my eye condition siting further away is simply not an option, with my old 23" monitor (2048x1152) I sat with my mose maybe 8-10" from the screen, stepping up to a 27 would probably move that back a couple of inches but not too much.

Waiting isnt really an option either, I dont have another monitor and am using the TV right now which is just too big and akward to use for any length of time.

As for the price, I find MSRP varies by as much as $100 especially if its been out for a few months, usually can find $400msrp monitors for closer to $300 so if you have any suggestions that are slightly more then $300 maybe I can still find em for less.
 
Let's see then...

In the 27" arena, if 1080p is out, then you are looking at the 1440p Korean and off-brand (Auria) types of monitors, which would be $300-$400ish. It may be risky though to go that route.

If 24", there are a couple of AMVA panels in your pricerange (Dell S series 24", BenQ 2450/2460, Phillips, Samsung 650). All are 16:9, all should be light AG coatings, or in Dell's case, full glossy -- some would say super glossy. AMVA may be okayish for gaming, but if picky there, it may not be ideal. Color shift will be worse than IPS, so for graphics design it's not perfect either. Plus side, contrast and blacks will be much better than IPS models.

And at 24" w/ IPS... hmm... I am not sure of any models that use a light AG coating besides the Samsung PLS. NEC has an upcoming one which may use a lighter coating (still not confirmed), but it retails for $379. The Dell 2413, which is wide gamut and hopefully has a lighter coating, has just been released at $599. Unfortunately most of the lighter coated IPS screens seem to be at 27" or 23" ... not 24".

Maybe someone else knows of a 24"er with a lighter coating.... just mentioned the ones off the top of my head.
 
Hmm, starting to sound like I'm scrweded one way or another no matter what I do lol
 
Thanks Teenk9, from what Ive read the 2410 isnt really a good all-around monitor, it requires lots of calibration and only really good for application controlled color situations, the 2412 is a much better all-rounder but it has a lousy AG coating on it.

The problem with buying used is you dont get a warranty, I dont want to blow all that money just to get stuck with a minitor shaped door stop, you know what I mean?
 
One question I have is ... is 24" even big enough due to your vision issues? It will obviously be bigger than 23", but it's not exactly a giant upgrade in size there.

A 27" at 16:9 or 24" at 16:10 I would consider a worthwhile increase in screen size. Going from a 23" to 24" 16:9 will be a bit bigger, but probably won't seem like that big of a difference, would it?

And yeah, the used market can get risky. You can get some decent deals on eBay, but there is always a risk involved. My general rule for used monitors is never to spend more than I could probably flip the monitor for (minor loss at most), if I don't like it -- and only from resellers who have a good rating.

The Dell 2410 would not make a good gaming monitor (nor would I even consider it a good monitor in the first place). And the 2407 is SPVA, if I recall right ... OP might as well go new AMVA is going that route.
 
Honestly a 27" iwould be ideal but Im having trouble fidning a good one at a price I can afford, if only the ViewSonic VX2453 had better text quality I might consider it as its a good price though its still a TN panel, plus they decided not to put DVI on it which is a bummer, not sure who's brilliant idea that was.

Im kind of at my wits end with this, if I look at another review I'm libel to vomit and I just cant seem to find a monitor that offers that happy medium without a major drawback.

The Dell 2412 is tempting if it werent for that Coating, I wish the PA248Q didnt suffer from so many issues because it has really nice response and input lag but again it has that darn AG coating, why do they ruin otherwise good monitors with that stuff? The perfect screen, IMHO, is a semi-gloss, you get the color pop of glossy without having to see yourself in it every time the screen goes dark like you do with glossy (hate that), I have a tablet thats all glossy and its like looking in a mirror sometimes.

I would wait a bit for some of the other minotors to come out but I've got things I need to do on here and the TV just isnt working for thoes things.
 
The only thing I can suggest is trying a 27" 1080p Dell S series, and see if you like it. Get it from a place with a good return policy with no restocking fee (Costco or Best Buy) -- double check on return policies to be safe.

Worst case, you find out if 1080p at that size is good enough or not for you, and you get a couple of weeks of extra time finding a replacement monitor. It's currently $300 at both BB and Costco.

It's an IPS panel, glossy, but has some overshoot with overdrive. So it's not perfect, but not everyone sees the overshoot. If it was me, I'd give it a try ... at least it should be better than the TV you are currently using.

Edit: And I just read the part where you disliked glossy too. If wanting semi-glossy only, your options are probably one of the Samsung 650s (AMVA) if < $300. Or you will have to go the TN route, and afraid I can't recommend any of those.
 
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Well I'm ok with matte too just not AG cloatings as I've read they tend to distort text a bit.

Took a look ath the 650s series and they seem to be a business monitor, input lag and refresh rates arent really up to par for playing any sort of fast paced games, which is a shame as it has good contrast and black levels.

I'm really at a loss here, cant find what I need and cant bring myself to shell out good money for anything less.
 
There are 1080p 27" IPS monitors with normal (not super heavy) coatings too. But I am not sure if any are sold at stores locally, so no easy return in case you find 1080p a problem. That's why I mentioned the Dell S model.

AMVAs in general isn't great for fast paced games, but they are getting a bit better.

What it sounds like you really want is a 1440p, 27" semiglossy or light coating, but that will run you probably around $650-750ish, at least, unless you go off-brand.
 
Honestly Ill take a 24" right now if its a sloid monitor, from what I've seen in the stores around here they dont sell many of the better quality monitors just the cheapo mainstream ones, cant even find a place that sells that Dell S series you mentioned (I guess best buy in Canada doesnt carry them).

Id considered the korean ones but the warranty with thoes is non existent and good luck claiming it anyways so thats a bit of a deal breaker, if Im gonna spend this much cash Id like to have some warranty on it.

Seems like my eyes exceed my wallet so I guess I'll have to settle for something, just not sure what.
 
Maybe someone else will chime in with some ideas. I do recall someone here liking the Samsung TNs, but forget which models he mentioned. Personally I can't stand TNs due to angle problems.

I wouldn't get a korean model either, but they are the only 1440ps in your pricerange.

You could try a 27" 1080p IPS from someone like Amazon, who probably has a good return policy (double check first). Some of the 27" IPS 1080ps have a 'peel off' coating, so it won't be super heavy, nor super glossy.

Due to cost issues, you'll have to sacrifice somewhere... be it resolution, coating, response rates (VA), or size of monitor.
 
Id be willing to go 24" if I could find one that satisfies most of my criteria and performs well, I'm from Canada and Amazon.ca kinda sucks - they dont have nearly what amazon.com has and .com won't ship to Canada. But I can find just about any monitor here just need to narrow it down to 1 or 2.
 
Can anyone else suggest any other monitors we might have missed?
 
Just try the S24A850D from amazon, there are reviews in this thread:

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1704549

The models reviewed in 2012 have less bleeding issues and better screen uniformity. Most displays have a high chance of coming with light bleeding, which, along with IPS/PLS glow will be more obvious when the brightness is kept cranked...

The S24A650S (LS24A650SEZ/ZC) is available in Canada and they advertise that it has a 4ms response time vs. the originals 8ms, so it should be as fast as the BenQ & Phillips models.

http://www.samsung.com/ca/consumer/office/monitors/led/LS24A650SEZ/ZC

There are a few more A-MVA' and PLS Samsung's in this thread which you may want to wait for:

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1731815
 
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Hi NCX, was hoping you would chime in with something, the only version of that monitor I can find in Canada is the S24A850DW which weighs in at a heaft $500, most of the 650 versions I'm seeing are adveritising the 8ms response time which is a bit much, they are meant to be office monitors I believe.

I really wish I could wait for a couple months for something else to come out but I've got work to get done and I cant do it with the TV, I would get a cheapo one for now and try to upgrade later but you try convincing my wife of that, she's annoyed enough already that I want to spend $300 on a monitor lol
 
Well I think I am going to go for the BenQ XL2420T, looks to be a great monitor, near IPS quality color with 120hz and a great warranty. Unless you guys think theres a better option, I know its got AG but its supposed to be quite subtle, I can get it for about the same price as the Dell u2412 and Asus PA248Q but I think it might be a better all-arounder, any thoughts before I place the order? BenQ also has a 27" GW2750HM which is AMVA which looks OK.
 
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As TN panels go, the BenQ looks decent ... it got a nice review on Prad. Just be aware their customer service may not be the best (not sure for Canada, but not the greatest in the US).

If you go for the AMVA instead, be aware they also have a newer model -- 2760, which I believe is PWM free and has supposedly slightly better angles (but that may just be marketing speak).
 
If it was you picking which would you choose? (Viewing angles asside as I personally dont look at my monitor on 45 degree angle)
 
Hmm cant find anywhere that sells the GW2760HM, is it actually out?
 
I'm probably a bad person to ask, as I only occasionally game on my PC. And even when I do, it's not shooters -- fastest game PC-wise I have played semi-recently is Diablo III -- not exactly a game that requires super fast response times.

I personally would have a hard time spending $300ish on any TN panel, but again, that's just me. If you value motion blur over all else, it may be a decent monitor for you. I see that model is listed in the Lightboost thread here too. The only thing that may be better for you, if going the TN route, is perhaps a 27"er due to your vision issues, but you don't seem to be fond of 1080p at that size.

So if it was me, I'd get the AMVA, but again, that is just me. Or I'd get a 27" IPS at 1080p. But I value angles, color accuracy, vertical space (16:10) and black levels over motion blur.

When I needed a monitor I simply went the cheap way out, and bought a used NEC 2490 on eBay. But my needs will differ from yours.

Edit: And not sure if the 2760 is for sale yet or not. I know it's been listed for a while, so assumed someone sold it by now, but perhaps not.
 
Yea its kind of odd, I've seen listing back in 2012 for the 2760 but cant find a single place to buy one anywhere. It looks like a good monitor though with the pest perormance (atleast on paper) of any of the amva screens Ive seen.

IPS screens are pretty nice but they dont seem to be in the books, the Asus 248Q seems to have a host of quality issues, the Dell 2412 is supposedly decent appart from the AG but its a little slower for input lag.

Are there any other IPS screens (screen finish asside) in the 300-350 price range that have good performance for games?
 
If you can go up to $400ish, there is an Eizo model that is supposedly really good for games -- FORIS FS2333 (I think?). It uses a PLS panel, so it's semiglossy too. But... it's 23".
 
Yea definitely want to go bigger then 23, really wish I could fid this 2760, its like vapor ware, maybe I'll shoot benq a email.

Do you think maybe you're a bit harsh on TN's? I mean, they are capable of bright, deep and vibrant colors, the colors may not be super precise but you'll never know the difference unless you're comparing it to something. Also I've never undstood the whole viewing angle thing, do you watch your monitor at 45 degrees? I always sit directly infront of mine so the viewing angle is inconsequential.

I have an IPS tablet and have a hard time seeing a huge difference between it and a good quality TN,
 
Do you think maybe you're a bit harsh on TN's? I mean, they are capable of bright, deep and vibrant colors, the colors may not be super precise but you'll never know the difference unless you're comparing it to something. Also I've never undstood the whole viewing angle thing, do you watch your monitor at 45 degrees? I always sit directly infront of mine so the viewing angle is inconsequential.

I move around in my seat too much for TNs. I lean back, or forward... sometimes tilt my head a bit. TNs have gotten better horizontally than they used to be, but they still stink at vertical angles. You may not notice it as much because you sit super close to your monitor.

I sit probably around 30" from my monitor. If I lean back at all, using a TN, the entire top of the screen will change color -- just the way it is. And it doesn't require some bizarre angle nobody in their right mind would ever use. A slight angle change can cause color shift with TNs vertically.

So if you have the entire panel in your field of view, and don't change head angles (especially vertically), you may be fine. But for me... it won't work so well.
 
Well doesnt look like there's any way to contact BenQ except call them and dont really feel like doing that, not a good sign of their customer service though.

Back to square 1 I guess.
 
So BenQ got back to me about the GW2760HM and said they have no plan of bringing that model to north america, so screw em.
 
That is rather bizarre. Why wouldn't they bring it to North America?

The PWM free feature alone is a good selling point.

Did you settle on anything? Worst case, use amazon and try a couple of different monitors and return whichever you don't like?

Or wait for something like the NEC EA244WMi and hope it has a light coating (it's rumored to) and is decent otherwise.
 
i saw few sites and most of them are recommanding for apple...

well im not an apple user so... doesnt help much. :(

any suggestion ? :D:D
 
That is rather bizarre. Why wouldn't they bring it to North America?

The PWM free feature alone is a good selling point.

Did you settle on anything? Worst case, use amazon and try a couple of different monitors and return whichever you don't like?

Or wait for something like the NEC EA244WMi and hope it has a light coating (it's rumored to) and is decent otherwise.

Yea it stinks that they would exclude the NA market, so they've lost my business.

I did actually just buy something, went to a compyer shop and they happened to have the Samsung S24A850DW $100 off, it was still more then my budget but I figured I would go for it as it satisfies both my gaming and graphic design needs, and being 16:10 I find the size is perfect.

Is it beneficial to use Display Port over DVI? It didnt come with a DP cable so wondering if its worth getting one.

So far I quite like it, the colors are really nice and images pop, its got a perfect AG on it that makes it into basically a semi-gloss, just enough to remove reflection. My only complaint so far would be the light bleed but that seems to be just the way these panels are.
 
So it seems that this thing has a super crappy contrast tratio and I failed to realize it, might be going back to the shop.
 
So it seems that this thing has a super crappy contrast tratio and I failed to realize it, might be going back to the shop.

There should be no difference using display port or dvi on that monitor ... hdmi would matter, or if the res was higher.

How much light bleed does your monitor have? Sometimes if you carefully 'massage' the bezel, you can reset the panel a bit, and get rid of some of the bleed.

As for contrast, it shouldn't be that bad (or so I have read). I did read one owner who had an insanely bad contrast, like 550:1, but just assumed his calibration was off. It should at least be 800:1 or higher ... or at least I'd hope it'd be that high. It won't have VA quality blacks, but it should be acceptable.
 
The light bleed is quite bad, when you're watching a movie or playing a game and it gets dark it doesnt look dark it looks like the backlit screen.

According to this site the contrast is only 118:1
http://www.computermonitorinfo.com/Samsung-S24A850DW-24-inch-LCD-Monitor-Review/Performance.htm

Worst part is I'm probably gonna have to fight them over this stupid restock fee that they put on the recipt, not that it matters as they cannot enforce terms of a contract after the sale was completed but I think the only way I'll get out of it is to exchange it for another monitor they carry.

Take a look at the site, which monitor ($450 or less) would you choose?

www.canadacomputers.com

Lookijng through them myself none look appealing, deamn it, I'm gonna be stuck with this lousy thing.
 
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They measure contrast levels differently than most sites, apparently. They list the 2412 at 219:1, yet I expect very few here have recorded it that low during calibration.

But if bleed is so bad that you can see it in a lit or even dim room, and it interferes with the screen, it's probably worth returning anyway. One caveat with buying the samsung is you really need to get it from a place with easy and hassle free returns, as the bleed issue is widespread -- sort of insane that they haven't fixed it by now.

Hmm... and yeah, their monitors choices are limited I see. If I see anything, I'll post it here.
 
Well... I see a Lenovo 24" e-IPS for $430ish, but it probably has the same heavy AG coating as the 2412 does (expect it's the same exact panel).

You could swap it for a 24" TN, as I see they have several, and get a refund for the remainder of the money ... but going from a 23" monitor to a 23.6-24" at 16:9 may not exactly seem like a big upgrade as to size. It may be better than nothing though -- you could always use the cheapo TN as a secondary panel down the road, if you get something better as your main.

Edit: And I see they carry the BenQ 2450 (VA) and S24A650S (VA) for <$200. If it was me, I'd go probably for the Samsung. But for gaming it won't be perfect, and I'm not sure if due to the viewing cone with VAs, if sitting super close will be such a great idea. One weird thing is that the Samsung 650s are quite a bit cheaper in Canada than the US, so I guess you could take advantage of that.
 
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I wish I knew how to tell when this was manufactured, in the thread about this monitor on these forums one person says that some of the newer ones might have better contrast and less bleed, his was a CI after the model mine has ZA, not sure what that indicates.

I knew as soon as I seen "Made in Mexico" I should have walked away lol
 
Here are a couple pics I took of it with a blank screen with a couple different exposure settings.


 
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