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.

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.

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?

ImranQ · 16 Feb 2017 at 10:23

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

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!

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.

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

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.