PPI = Pixels Per Inch - Calculator here
I find debates on what PPI different people find comfortable to be endlessly facinating. (Total dork right! )
I like anything from 90 to 100 PPI because I prefer to sit at least 3 feet from my displays and I hate increasing font size in Windows. I would prefer higher PPI if Windows apps/games weren't so shitty for scaling. I have 20/20 vision in both eyes. If I go above 105 DPI and don't increase the font size I start to 'lean in' to my monitor. Bad posture/ergonomics will lead to carpal tunnel and I'd like to avoid that as long as possible. You start to think about this shit more in your 30s or even sooner if you know what's good for you!
With all the new displays/resolutions lately, I find myself constantly using this site to check PPI vs seating distance.
For fun I thought I would compare the PPI of all my monitors below and provide feedback on my experiences:
2001: Samsung 900NF- 19 inch CRT - BNC cables! - 1280x1024 @ 85hz - 86 PPI
My competitive CS monitor. Did a fantastic job and is still my favorite gaming monitor (Sad really)
2005: Dell 2005FPW - 20 inch IPS - DVI -1680x1050 - 99 PPI
Horrendous input lag that destroyed my CounterStrike scores. Lovely picture though.
2007: Westinghouse LVM-42w2 - 42 inch IPS - DVI - 1920x1080 - 52 PPI
This was my WoW monitor for years. One of the best value monitors I've ever had. No one knew what Input lag was back then but I think it was pretty poor. It was the first affordable 1080P TV/Monitor and it had DVI so a lot of us bought one.
2010: Benq W5000 Projector - 116 inch DLP - HDMI - 1920x1080 - 19 PPI
My favorite display ever. It sucks for games because it has 80+ms input lag but the picture quality still puts all my other displays to shame. DLP motion is so fluid and it has a real cinema 'natural 3D' look. The display scaler in this thing is magic I swear! Seating Distances - First Row: 9 feet - Second Row: 14 Feet
2011: Asus VW246H - 24 inch TN - DVI - 1920x1080 - 92 PPI
A decent TN with not bad input lag but my god were the colors awful compared to the projector. The Benq W5000 cost 10x as much so I guess that makes sense.
2012: Benq XL2410T - 24inch TN- 1920x1080 @120hz - 92 PPI
The 2410T looks like dog shit. Honestly the picture quality is as bad as TN gets but 120hz was nice for Battlefield BC2 and BF3.
2013: BenQ GW2750HM - 27 inch VA - 1920x1080 - DVI - 82 PPI
The contrast ratio is awesome but the PWM backlight is starting to drive me crazy. It's my secondary monitor so I don't care that much. The new GW2760HM is a MUCH MUCH better monitor.
QNIX QX2710 Evolution 2 - 27 inch PLS - 2560x1440 - DL-DVI - 109 PPI
Other than the backlight bleed, I think this is a stellar monitor. In my purchasing history, it's the value king. For $350 shipped, I love it for gaming. I'm not comfortable at stock font size though, I have it at 125% (large) in Windows 8. I think a 32inch 1440p display would be a better fit for me.
2014: The itch has got me bad, I really want 4k. The 50 Vizio P series looks the most interesting to me because it has full array local dimming (FALD).
Vizio P502ui-B1 - 50 inch VA - DP 1.2 to HDMI 2.0 Adapter (IF THEY EVER MAKE ONE! FUUUUCK!) - 88 PPI
Note: My room mate has the last generation of Pioneer Kuro Plasma TV and it's the nicest picture I've ever seen. If I was him I'd use it as a computer monitor immediately.
I find debates on what PPI different people find comfortable to be endlessly facinating. (Total dork right! )
I like anything from 90 to 100 PPI because I prefer to sit at least 3 feet from my displays and I hate increasing font size in Windows. I would prefer higher PPI if Windows apps/games weren't so shitty for scaling. I have 20/20 vision in both eyes. If I go above 105 DPI and don't increase the font size I start to 'lean in' to my monitor. Bad posture/ergonomics will lead to carpal tunnel and I'd like to avoid that as long as possible. You start to think about this shit more in your 30s or even sooner if you know what's good for you!
With all the new displays/resolutions lately, I find myself constantly using this site to check PPI vs seating distance.
For fun I thought I would compare the PPI of all my monitors below and provide feedback on my experiences:
2001: Samsung 900NF- 19 inch CRT - BNC cables! - 1280x1024 @ 85hz - 86 PPI
My competitive CS monitor. Did a fantastic job and is still my favorite gaming monitor (Sad really)
2005: Dell 2005FPW - 20 inch IPS - DVI -1680x1050 - 99 PPI
Horrendous input lag that destroyed my CounterStrike scores. Lovely picture though.
2007: Westinghouse LVM-42w2 - 42 inch IPS - DVI - 1920x1080 - 52 PPI
This was my WoW monitor for years. One of the best value monitors I've ever had. No one knew what Input lag was back then but I think it was pretty poor. It was the first affordable 1080P TV/Monitor and it had DVI so a lot of us bought one.
2010: Benq W5000 Projector - 116 inch DLP - HDMI - 1920x1080 - 19 PPI
My favorite display ever. It sucks for games because it has 80+ms input lag but the picture quality still puts all my other displays to shame. DLP motion is so fluid and it has a real cinema 'natural 3D' look. The display scaler in this thing is magic I swear! Seating Distances - First Row: 9 feet - Second Row: 14 Feet
2011: Asus VW246H - 24 inch TN - DVI - 1920x1080 - 92 PPI
A decent TN with not bad input lag but my god were the colors awful compared to the projector. The Benq W5000 cost 10x as much so I guess that makes sense.
2012: Benq XL2410T - 24inch TN- 1920x1080 @120hz - 92 PPI
The 2410T looks like dog shit. Honestly the picture quality is as bad as TN gets but 120hz was nice for Battlefield BC2 and BF3.
2013: BenQ GW2750HM - 27 inch VA - 1920x1080 - DVI - 82 PPI
The contrast ratio is awesome but the PWM backlight is starting to drive me crazy. It's my secondary monitor so I don't care that much. The new GW2760HM is a MUCH MUCH better monitor.
QNIX QX2710 Evolution 2 - 27 inch PLS - 2560x1440 - DL-DVI - 109 PPI
Other than the backlight bleed, I think this is a stellar monitor. In my purchasing history, it's the value king. For $350 shipped, I love it for gaming. I'm not comfortable at stock font size though, I have it at 125% (large) in Windows 8. I think a 32inch 1440p display would be a better fit for me.
2014: The itch has got me bad, I really want 4k. The 50 Vizio P series looks the most interesting to me because it has full array local dimming (FALD).
Vizio P502ui-B1 - 50 inch VA - DP 1.2 to HDMI 2.0 Adapter (IF THEY EVER MAKE ONE! FUUUUCK!) - 88 PPI
Note: My room mate has the last generation of Pioneer Kuro Plasma TV and it's the nicest picture I've ever seen. If I was him I'd use it as a computer monitor immediately.
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