advice needed for new 24" monitor

gwp1971

gwp1971

gwp1971

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Joined
29 May 2011
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21
Hello all, my first post.
I cuurently have the V7 L22wd spec here:
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18101134

I am a photographer, not a gamer and am currently looking for a new monitor.
I have seen in the likes of currys/comet those new hd screens that are glossy, the images look really good on them.

I dont know what good HD is, or even if its something i should be buying, so am here to ask for your advice.

My graphics card is currently a Radeon X1330/X1550. the max screen res it can output is 2560 x 1600 but i can change it to a £200 graphics card my son had in his comp until last week (i dont know what it is yet, but he now has 2 cards linked and he is a serious gamer). I am looking for a screen size of around 24"

So, my questions...

1. What is the difference between TFT & LCD, i cant seem to find any real answer.
2. Do i need to buy a HD monitor. (as the high res seems to be 1920 x 1080)
3. What things should i be looking for in a new monitor.

Thanks.
I suppose my budget is under £200
 
For photography I'd go for the Dell 2311H, only 23" but can be had for about £200 if you shop around and it has an IPS panel so has excellent viewing angles and accurate colours. You won't get close to the image quality on a 24" monitor for the price.
 
Phenomenologica said:
For photography I'd go for the Dell 2311H, only 23" but can be had for about £200 if you shop around and it has an IPS panel so has excellent viewing angles and accurate colours. You won't get close to the image quality on a 24" monitor for the price.
Click to expand...

+1

For photography use the Dell U2311H it is an excellent monitor and if you want a 24in IPS you need to pay ~double this price.

Unfortunately, as a rule highstreet shops don't show PCs with monitors of this quality - they almost exclusively use TN panel monitors. If you want to get an idea of the quality of the U2311H then you probably should look at the apple iMacs (which use IPS panel displays) and imagine them with slightly smaller, non-glossy screens.

Here is a review of the Dell U2311H.

To answer your other questions:

1) TFT is a type of LCD technology - so you the modern monitors are both LCD and TFT.
2) "HD" is really a TV term. When looking at monitors even the cheapest 22/24in screens these days offer 1920x1080 resolution. When you are looking to gauge quality look for things like: panel technology, colour accuracy, black level, static contrast ratio, pixel pitch, true response time and input lag. As a general rule - go for as high a resolution as you can, but don't compromise on the other important factors. In your budget (~£200) you won't be able to get a monitor higer than 1920x1080 resolution unless you go second-hand.
 
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gwp1971 said:
thnaks guys for the advice.
I see i do indeed need to pay double for that extra inch, is it worth it ?
Click to expand...

The Dell U2410 is an Excellent monitor - so its a tough call (here is a review).

Compared to the U2311H the U2410 is not only an inch bigger, but the more square aspect ratio means there is much more viewable area than this would imply -especially in terms of height (have a look at this visual comparison). It also uses an even higher quality H-IPS type panel which offers excellent colour accuracy and a wide colour gamut (the U2311H is standard gamut). The resolution is larger at 1920x1200 (more vertical space) and it offers many more connectivity options.

In comparison, the U2311H is much cheaper (just on your initial budget) and is still a great monitor and as a result probably better value.

Also, if you are considering spending ~£400 on a monitor then I would give the Hazro HZ27WC a look (here is a review). This also uses an IPS panel, but this one is a huge 2560x1440 resolution and 27in across. It is available with both a glass and non-glass front - I would suggest going with the none-glass as there have been quite a few issues with trapped dust in the glass version causing permanent small spots on the screen.
 
aww, didnt think of that :)
I see the Hazro only has a dVI connection, is this something worth chnaging a graphics card over for ?

The image (in pixels) my camera produces are 4256 x 2832. would it be better for me to go for that 27in hazro ?
 
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gwp1971 said:
aww, didnt think of that :)
I see the Hazro only has a dVI connection, is this something worth chnaging a graphics card over for ?
Click to expand...

Yea, it really is.

If your existing card only has VGA then I would suggest changing it over, even if you go for a cheaper monitor. Something like this would be fine for photoshop use if you don't get the card off your son.


gwp1971 said:
The image (in pixels) my camera produces are 4256 x 2832. would it be better for me to go for that 27in hazro ?
Click to expand...

Aye, it would make image editing a lot easier since the hazro panel displays 3.68Mpixels while a 1080p monitor like the U2311H displays 2.07Mpixels (77.8% more pixels on the hazro). So more of your image will fit onscreen at one time.
 
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Oh, i will get that card off my son LOL, i had to stump up the cash for his 2 new ones:).
So, out of the 2 mentioned 24" Dell or 27" hazro (regardless of price), which one would you go for ?
 
Personally, I would go with dell as their customer service (for ultrasharp monitors) is second-to-none, build quality is great and the monitor itself is high quality and offers really nice performance.

However, if I was doing a lot of high-res image editing then I would give the Hazro a serious look. It offers excellent image quality, huge resolution and excellent responsiveness. However, going for a Hazro monitor is more of a risky bet, since they are just starting up again and no-one really knows what there customer service is like - plus their faulty pixel tolerance level seems very high - especially compared to the dell. However, if you are prepared to put up with a few faulty pixels to get the much larger resolution/size - then I say go for the Hazro. If you aren't happy with the specimen that you receive then you can always send it back under DSR and get all your money back and go for the Dell.

As for the graphics card - sounds like a good plan. However, I should ask - what make and model PSU are you currently using and what model graphics card is your son giving you? If it is a high-end gaming card and you are running a PC that isn't made for gaming then your existing PSU may not be up to powering a high-end gaming graphics card.
 
Im just trying to find out. My son being a teenager and "competing" (as he calls it) last night in a WOW thing, probaly didnt get to bed much before 9.00am today.
I have sent him a text and just have to wait for his brain to start working again)

My PSU is 700w cooler master, thats all i can tell you about it. again my son suggested i get it when my last one went a bit dogdy
 
Yea, a 9800GT (or similar) will run a U2311H, U2410 or Hazro 27in fine using the dual-link DVI port.

I will allow you to do a bit of gaming if you want.
 
both really :). sorry.
Also, just ahd someone offer me (not from here) a dell Dell UltraSharp U2711
3 months old for £550, what do you think ?
 
gwp1971 said:
both really :). sorry.
Also, just ahd someone offer me (not from here) a dell Dell UltraSharp U2711
3 months old for £550, what do you think ?
Click to expand...

I believe the A02 is the most recent version of the U2311H, so ideally the one to get. It is probably the same hardware, just slightly updated firmware.

The most recent U2410 is the A05 I believe, so if you are buying new then ideally get this one.

As for a 3 month old U2711 for £550 - if that comes with the original box (so you get the valid "dell works order number" so you can make use of the dell warranty if required) then I say jump on it, they usually cost £110+ more new.

The U2711H is a really lovely monitor - it uses the same panel as the 27in Hazro but comes with much more connectivity options, a better stand and is backed up by Dell's excellent service. Here is an in-depth review of the U2711.
 
Thanks for the answers boys.
@ Phenomenologica > Yes.sorry a bit misleading to start the thread, but i tend to stay with the same monitor for quite some time, and as i didnt kno wwhere to start from, its slowly progressed :)
@ cmndr_andi > thanks for all the advice on this thread, its been very very helpful. ill check the box out and if its valid, will prob go for the 27 :)
Job done :)
 
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