Help Spec Me A Monitor Before The Deals End

ShaggyRS6

ShaggyRS6

ShaggyRS6

Associate
Joined
11 Jan 2009
Posts
981
Location
Kent UK & New Jersey USA
*
Guys,
*
I have 2 monitors – An AOC 27”, I cant remember the model number but it was the one that ended up having really bad reviews because they changed the panel.* It’s about 2 years old.* I also have a 24” Dell which is over 5 years old.* It’s time to replace.
*
I need something that’s going to be better than those listed above. For gaming and photo editing. Must be 27”
*
I don’t want to spend a load of cash, I just need something that fits the above requirements.* Anything has to be better than that AOC!!!
*
If someone can suggest something before all these deals end that would be great
*
 
Photo editing AND gaming? Those two don't usually sit well together, you'll probably have to compromise on the other. Or on the price. Or rather, I think you should state the weight of those factors. Like, are we talking about professional photo editing, or making meme pictures on a Paint? And are we talking about competition-level online hardcore gaming, or casual single player marathons?

In any case, you were talking about "deals"? But the cheapest discounted 27" monitor is £372, and that doesn't really sit well with the "I don't want to spend a load of cash"...? Or were there some other deals that already passed?

On the other hand, if we can dismiss the "deal" part, then I would suggest the BenQ GW2760HS for £216, or if you want to go even lower, then maybe its little brother BenQ GW2760 for £162. After that ... well you can't really get much lower than that, actually.

Buuut, looking at your rig, I'd say you should just increase the budget. No reason to skimp out on the most visible part of your rig. You know, the one you'll be STARING at all the time? If you can increase the budget (and maybe emphasize the importance of your usage scenarios), then there will probably be more suggestions, too.

Well, just as a long shot: Eizo FG2421 for £500

Though the last one is only 24", but it's also VA and 120Hz. There's a whole thread of it in here.
 
Gaming, I'm not hardcore, I play a lot of games but I'm not what you won call a hard core gamer anymore.

Photos, well I do a great deal of photo editing but as a hobby, not as a professional job. As mentioned previously, anything had to be better than the AOC I have.

I hope that gives you enough info. And I would obviously consider a non deal monitor. I want to get 2 that's why I want to keep the cost down.
 
Last edited:
Hmm. Well, if you want two identical screens, then the BenQ GW2760HS might indeed hit the bill. It's a sort of jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none. So should be adequate for both light gaming and photoediting, but won't shine on either. You can check the review here:
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/benq_gw2760hs.htm

But then again, a low budget AH-IPS monitor would be the most logical choice, like the Asus VX279Q or the Asus SonicMaster MX279H, but they start from £270 and £276 a piece, so they increase the budget, somewhat.

All of the these three have fairly slim bezels, so that also makes them good candidates. For gaming, the AH-IPS monitors are usually considered slightly better than VA monitors. VA panels have deeper blacks and better contrast, whereas some VA panels have gotten some flack for below-average color accuracy. (Though not all, and they're still better than TN.)

In any case, personally I would go with the BenQ. But if I were to pick two different monitors, then one BenQ and one of the Asus monitors. The VX seems to have some sort of "QuickFit" for print previewing, but not sure how useful that would be. MX on the other hand seems to have focused on multimedia, and comes with decent integrated speakers. And it also has more reviews, mostly positive. Might go with the MX, myself.

In summary:
Identical: 2 x BenQ GW2760HS = 2 x £216 = £432
Different: 1 x BenQ GW2760HS + 1 x Asus SonicMaster MX279H = £216 + £276 = £492

Two different panels would give you the benefit of comparison, and you can then use the one that fits better for your needs. For movies, I'd say you'll start to use the BenQ. For gaming, it's most probably the Asus. For photo editing, not sure, but inclined to say BenQ. General desktop stuff, probably BenQ.

One thing I forgot to mention: the BenQ has non-PWM backlight, which means there's no flickering that could cause you any headaches. I think both of the Asus use PWM, but do note that not everybody is even affected by it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom