use 2 monitors for photography/general use?

drbenjamin

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I am ready to remove the 100 lb CRT screen from my desk, but after a fair bit of reading I realize that it will not be trivial to get good performance for my 2 main computer activities, Photoshop on dSLR images and gaming/browsing/general usage. I would like a 24" screen. I know that an IPS panel is what I need for photo editing, but I can't afford the 1 monitor that seems to offer an IPS sRGB panel (NEC 2490). I'm not interested in monkeying around with the wide gamut panels that are starting to show up, it looks like people can't get decent colors with both Photoshop and the rest of their apps. So, what about the idea of getting a 24" TN panel for my routine usage and an older 19" IPS to display photos being edited? I have a 8800GT with 2 outputs, I figure the 19" would only get used when editing photos. Does anyone have a similar setup? Anything to watch out for, or suggestions for affordable 19" IPS monitors?
Thanks!
 
I 2nd the HP if you win the panel lottery and get the IPS edition.

A safer choice might be the NEC MultiSync LCD1990SX, which is a 19", but you get a great high quality IPS panel without the lottery. Can be found around $400.

Or if you're more adventurous and more thrifty, you could pickup a used 20" Dell 2007FP or Dell 2007WFP for around $200. Again, you want to win the panel lottery and get the IPS versions. Could also check Dell's refirb store. You may want to budget for some calibration hardware too.

On the TN front, the E248 is priced $290 too high! It is one of the worst cartoon gamut TN panels I've seen. It only makes sense if it's free. Even then, I wouldn't recommend it unless you need extra bright lighting in your room and you like solid colors presented in gradient form. Please budget another $50 and go for the BenQ 2400WD. The Beny is easily the best of the 24" TNs and is a standard gamut without the eye-searing brightness that plagues other units like the Dell.
 
Thanks for the input guys. I went ahead and bid on a used NEC 2080UX+ on eBay and won ($130, not bad). Hopefully this will do the job for displaying photos that I am editing. Now I have to get a decent 24" TN, although I'm thinking that maybe a 22 will suffice given that I'll have 2 monitors. I'll look into the BenQ, thanks for the tip.
 
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