2 X 40/43" or 4 X 32" Trading monitors? Views please?

ImranQ · 16 Feb 2017 at 01:16

Hi All,
I'm looking to splash out on some monitors. I was thinking of either 2 large monitors (Iiyama ProLite X4071UHSU or Philips BDM4350UC or Dell P4317Q) or 4 X 32" monitors in a 2X2 array. I personally am inclined towards the larger monitors as it looks sweet having 2 monitors side by side and saves clutter but I'm not sure about the three models I mentioned. Are there any better ones? Obviously price is relatively important too!
Setting up a 2X2 rig on the other hand using stands is messy IMO but would go for it as it is still practical. Note that I do have a graphics card (GEForce 1050Ti) that supports four monitors.

What do you guys think?
Cheers,
Imran.

eddiew · 16 Feb 2017 at 09:37

Any reason not to go for 3x? However you slice it, even numbers leave you a bezel in the middle...

*edit* Finally understood the title of this thread. Personally I quite like having distinct screens for distinct purposes, hence using three in P-L-P configuration, but it's basically down to how large you want to be able to blow up a single window.

ImranQ · 16 Feb 2017 at 09:41

eddiew said:
Any reason not to go for 3x? However you slice it, even numbers leave you a bezel in the middle... (Of course, if you don't plan on multi-monitor gaming, that may be irrelevant.)

Hey - Thanks for replying. I'm not a gamer. The setup is purely for work - mainly trading & development.
Thanks.

eddiew · 16 Feb 2017 at 09:46

Yeah, sorry, I latched onto that slightly too late

As edited in above, I have a P-L-P setup which I find works well for productivity, but ultimately it's your personal preference on whether you like the sharp division between screens, or prefer a more malleable workspace.

I suspect 4x32" could deliver more pixels, on the other hand I personally wouldn't like the horizontal bezels. We're quite well trained to look side-to-side around a wide display area, but up and down can be less comfortable. I'd probably choose the two super-size screens if it was for myself

ImranQ · 16 Feb 2017 at 09:50

Thanks. As I said I was leaning towards the two large monitors. The thing I'm concerned about is that I have read some reviews on the larger monitors (40"+) having rather excessive flicker compared to the 32" monitors.. Don't know if you or anyone else know anything about this?

Glanza · 16 Feb 2017 at 10:21

We went the route of 2x 40" for a customer who requested a setup pretty much the same as your after. Had no flicker on the monitors and as no gaming was involved we just used 60hz panels.

ImranQ · 16 Feb 2017 at 10:23

@Glanza - which monitors did you/they go for?

eddiew · 16 Feb 2017 at 11:53

ImranQ said:
Thanks. As I said I was leaning towards the two large monitors. The thing I'm concerned about is that I have read some reviews on the larger monitors (40"+) having rather excessive flicker compared to the 32" monitors.. Don't know if you or anyone else know anything about this?

That should be entirely down to whether they use PWM or not. If they're advertised as flicker/PWM free, then there's no reason that they should have problems.

Though it is true that if you have a PWM backlight then a bigger screen will make it feel worse. Those who remember the CRT generation may be familiar with being able to see screens flicker in your peripheral vision, but seem steady when looked at directly. A 40" at close range will easily creep out into the parts of your vision where you're more sensitive to the flicker, especially when you have two side by side.

ImranQ · 16 Feb 2017 at 12:10

eddiew said:
That should be entirely down to whether they use PWM or not. If they're advertised as flicker/PWM free, then there's no reason that they should have problems.

Though it is true that if you have a PWM backlight then a bigger screen will make it feel worse. Those who remember the CRT generation may be familiar with being able to see screens flicker in your peripheral vision, but seem steady when looked at directly. A 40" at close range will easily creep out into the parts of your vision where you're more sensitive to the flicker, especially when you have two side by side.

The Dell 43" I mentioned above has PWM. Frankly I don't have any experience of using a PWM monitor. Do you think I should remove it from my consideration list?

ImranQ · 16 Feb 2017 at 12:13

Just looked at:

Hmmmm! Looks PWM Free is the way forward even though I really fancy those Dell monitors! The hell with Dell!

eddiew · 16 Feb 2017 at 13:35

I wouldn't touch a PWM monitor with someone else's bargepole, tbh. I was an LCD early adopter (~2001) because the flicker of CRTs gives me eyestrain/headaches, so PWM models are totally out for me.

On the whole, Dell are usually very good. I'm surprised they have a unit with PWM in it, but given that they do I would certainly strike that off the list. It's a shockingly cheap difference in manufacturing (something like 10p cheaper for an ocsillator vs a resistor), so consumers really need to push back and refuse to buy models that sink this low.

ImranQ · 16 Feb 2017 at 13:47

eddiew said:
I wouldn't touch a PWM monitor with someone else's bargepole, tbh. I was an LCD early adopter (~2001) because the flicker of CRTs gives me eyestrain/headaches, so PWM models are totally out for me.

On the whole, Dell are usually very good. I'm surprised they have a unit with PWM in it, but given that they do I would certainly strike that off the list. It's a shockingly cheap difference in manufacturing (something like 10p cheaper for an ocsillator vs a resistor), so consumers really need to push back and refuse to buy models that sink this low.

OK cool! Thanks for your help.

FrankJH · 16 Feb 2017 at 14:41

I would avoid 4*32" currently as majority of this size are curved and they would imo look strange in a 2*2 array with the curve in the middle

Therefore go with the flat 2*40"

Possibly minor point and you would really only know for sure once you have tried it but for me the above would bug me (bezel in the middle would "fade" but the curve in the middle wouldnt so much)

ImranQ · 16 Feb 2017 at 15:20

FrankJH said:
I would avoid 4*32" currently as majority of this size are curved and they would imo look strange in a 2*2 array with the curve in the middle

Therefore go with the flat 2*40"

Possibly minor point and you would really only know for sure once you have tried it but for me the above would bug me (bezel in the middle would "fade" but the curve in the middle wouldnt so much)

Thanks. Currently tossing up between Iiyama ProLite X4071UHSU or Philips BDM4350UC

theDUFF · 16 Feb 2017 at 20:53

You could try 1x43" along with 2x25", one each side, in portrait mode that works well.

ImranQ · 16 Feb 2017 at 22:06

theDUFF said:
You could try 1x43" along with 2x25", one each side, in portrait mode that works well.

Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately I have an L shaped table and my plan now is to put two 43" monitors on each edge. I'm barely going to get two 43" monitors on each side! Probably will go with 2 X Philips BDM4350UC.