B2430L vs. B2430H

Jaffar · 6 Jul 2011 at 11:15

Hi guys,

I'm looking at getting a new monitor. Could anyone clarify what the difference between these 2 monitors are?

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MO-131-SA&groupid=17&catid=510&subcat=
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MO-133-SA&groupid=17&catid=510&subcat=

I realise the H has a hdmi input, which would be nice but is not crucial.

I've read that the screen size is the same on both monitors, and that Samsung made a mistake on the specs list, but the L is still being listed as 23.6" vs the H as 24". Does anyone know for sure if they are the same (and are they both actuall 23.6" or both 24" if they are the same?) I've seen the L for quite a bit cheaper than the H and I don't think HDMI alone would be worth the extra money.

Any other differences in qulaity between both monitors?

It'd also be great to hear from people who own either of these, to say what their impressions of these monitors are. I also considered the BenQ EW2420, but the input lag / ghosting has put me off slightly.

PCM2 · 6 Jul 2011 at 18:10

Sorry for not answering this on your previous post. I have spoken to Samsung and apparently the B2430L does have a 23.6" screen and the B2430H a 24" screen. The B2430L features a built-in power adaptor whereas the B2430H has an external one. The overall dimensions are similar if not identical but the B2430L sneakily has a little thicker bit of bezel at the top. The difference in size is quite subtle which is why I assumed they were the same size but as it happens they are not. This and the HDMI input are the only differences.

Being CCFL with internal power adaptor (vs. the B2430H with external power adaptor and CCFL backlight) the B2430L may also generate slightly more heat.

Jaffar · 6 Jul 2011 at 19:06

I have spoken to Samsung...

Wow! Thanks PCM2, that's dedication!

It's good to know too, as I'd probably be more willing to pay a bit extra for a bit more screen than a HDMI connection.

beefybarn · 6 Jul 2011 at 20:27

PCM2, have you got an opinion on the B2430L as thinking of buying as an office and light gaming monitor.

PCM2 · 6 Jul 2011 at 21:44

Jaffar said:
Wow! Thanks PCM2, that's dedication!

It's good to know too, as I'd probably be more willing to pay a bit extra for a bit more screen than a HDMI connection.

Yeah that does help. I was having to talk to Samsung about something else anyway so thought I might as well get that one answered properly too. It is something I've been wondering about for a while myself.

beefybarn said:
PCM2, have you got an opinion on the B2430L as thinking of buying as an office and light gaming monitor.

All of the positive things I've said about the B2430H on these forums and my website also apply to the 'L' model. It would mike a fine gaming and office monitor and is a good buy at the moment.

Jaffar · 7 Jul 2011 at 10:23

Thanks for your replied PCM2. I've seen the EW2420 for a similar price to the B2430H. I've had a look through your thread discussing the pro's and con's of the BenQ EW2420. Was there any overall conclusion about just how bad the ghosting issue is, and whether it was worth it for the better image quality?

Also, do you have any idea if a EW2420 purchased now is likely to suffer the same quality control inconsistencies, or if this has been sorted out at all?

Thanks

PCM2 · 13 Jul 2011 at 13:06

Hi Jaffar,

I only realised you'd asked a question last week because I was quoting this thread for somebody else. There isn't really a straightforward answer, but what I will say is that my recent experiences with the EW2430 were even more positive. 'Ghosting' is very subjective so there everyone's assessment of this will be slightly different. The panel type suffers from issues with high-contrast transitions in particular and there is no way of escaping this - no matter how good the manufacturer's grey-to-grey acceleration is. BenQ seems to have finetuned their 'AMA' (Advanced Motion Acceleration) and provide a new 'Premium' AMA mode which seemed to work relatively well in our subjective assessment. They have also vastly improved the gamma with good results achieveable without resorting to software calibration.

The EW2430 uses the same panel as the EW2420 but the electronics are better tuned. The point regarding inter-unit variation in the conclusion still stands; whether the issues that plagued the EW2420 have been fixed at this time remain to be seen. Depending on what capacity you wish to use the monitor it may serve you well even if you are unfortunate enough to suffer from some more minor issues. It's quite an excellent monitor for the price but it depends what you're after.

Jaffar · 13 Jul 2011 at 17:24

Hi PCM2, thanks again for all your helpful advice. I've actually ordered a B2430L as it was on special offer for a little over 100 quid. I didn't think it was worth paying 50 more for the H. And the BenQ seemed a bit too inconsistent for my liking.

PCM2 · 13 Jul 2011 at 19:12

Awesome - let me know how you find it. Sounds like a great deal to be honest and I think you did the right thing going for it.

Foyman · 16 Jul 2011 at 12:13

PCM2 said:
The B2430L features a built-in power adaptor whereas the B2430H has an external one.

My B2430H doesn't have an external power adaptor.

Also, I'm very surprised that they have different screen sizes. I'd still bet against this until I actually saw the models side by side. It doesn't make any sense to have to make a different case for the same model with an added port.

PCM2 · 16 Jul 2011 at 15:09

Samsung are notoriously dodgy and inconsistent with information they supply (look at the official specifications - it clearly says 'external power supply' for the H here and built-in for the L here). Look carefully at the pictures (could well be misleading) and you can see that the bezel appears thicker at the top and perhaps bottom as well on the 'L' compared to the 'H'. This lines up with what the Samsung rep said. I'm afraid I haven't tested these monitors for a long time and frankly I never saw them side-by-side myself. Samsung are also good at luring people into slightly opting for the slightly more expensive models by giving them a few extra things to think about. Many people would be happy enough without the HDMI port, but an extra 0.4" of screen size could just sway them. Think about the current SA750 and SA950 series, for example. Performance is very similar but if you own most Nvidia GPUs you are pretty much forced to opt for the more expensive model owing to the DVI port they've included. It wouldn't have been that difficult for Samsung to incorporate this into the SA750's stand but they get plenty of extra money by not doing so. Just my theory anyway.