Monitor Recommendation

[Haarisb]

So, I'm bickering with myself regarding which choice of monitor(s) I should purchase although my opinions are fragile opposed to you experts as I've never possessed any previous experience with monitors, I'm the type of guy that thinks 'the monitor with the higher resolution and screen size is better, every time.' but after speaking with some experts I realized that's completely invalid.

Basically, I'm a graphics designer (specifically web designer so larger dimensions are required) and my current monitor is extremely difficult to work on; due to its bunk screen resolution and even the screen size isn't ideal.
I'm also a gamer occasionally so I'm exploring for a monitor which is ideal for both but mainly graphic design.

I'm looking for a monitor where a lot of dimensions cover the screen which saves me time from panning around the document/page. Aesthetics are also very decisive as I want a very sleek and glossy monitor to show off my set up. Speakers on the monitor would also be very beneficial and at least a screen resolution of 1920x1080 and a minimum screen size of 21.5".

Recently I was considering a dual monitor although after speaking to some people, they informed that it's not ideal for graphic design, having one big monitor is more convenient. I'm not sure if that's true so I hope some graphic designers who possess some knowledge in this area cruise through this thread.

I have a few minds at the moment, someone recommended to me this monitor: http://www.amazon.co.uk/LG-D2343P-BN-23-inch-Widescreen-Monitor/dp/B009OL063C
I thought that this was great as it fulfills my request AND it has 3D with speakers which is worth the money! Although I won't really make use of the 3D.

I'm debating which screen size to get, I was leaning towards 27" although the price is out of my bounds, I'm willing to spend up to £180.
Should I get a 27" or dual monitors? What would be more convenient for graphic design

So if someone could recommend me a monitor which is beneficial for graphics and maybe gaming and give me some feedback on different size monitors that'd be great, I think I should also mention that I sit approximately 90cm away from my monitor and that my GPU is an AMD Radeon 6570.

Thank you!

 

[aatu]

Some thoughts that came to mind:

1) £180? You should have started with the budget, as that would seem the most limiting factor in this case.

2) You might want to consider monitors with a pivot feature (the ability to physically change from landscape to portrait). Unfortunately, they are not very common, and usually incorporate a price premium.

3) 90cm is quite a lot of viewing distance for a 22" monitor. It's more appropriate for a 27" or 30", maybe even larger.

4) 1920x1080 is the de facto resolution, and also the highest you can get with £180. Safe option.

5) With your budget, you indeed should forget about dual monitors. For £90 a piece, you would only get the very bottom of the barrel (unless you find some old used monitors).

6) Radeon 6570 is quite old (and wasn't that dazzling to begin with), and will probably severely limit your gaming.

7) As a general advice, try to get a variant of IPS or VA panel. Those panels have good color accuracy and viewing angles.

8) All things considered, 1920x1080 with 23" or 24" might be the sweet spot for you. Or maybe a low-end 27". Just make sure it's something like AH-IPS or MVA, not TN.

Tip: If the viewing angle is stated as 170/160, then it's a TN panel. Don't get that. IPS and VA variants are usually 178/178.

 

[Haarisb]

Some thoughts that came to mind:

1) £180? You should have started with the budget, as that would seem the most limiting factor in this case.

2) You might want to consider monitors with a pivot feature (the ability to physically change from landscape to portrait). Unfortunately, they are not very common, and usually incorporate a price premium.

3) 90cm is quite a lot of viewing distance for a 22" monitor. It's more appropriate for a 27" or 30", maybe even larger.

4) 1920x1080 is the de facto resolution, and also the highest you can get with £180. Safe option.

5) With your budget, you indeed should forget about dual monitors. For £90 a piece, you would only get the very bottom of the barrel (unless you find some old used monitors).

6) Radeon 6570 is quite old (and wasn't that dazzling to begin with), and will probably severely limit your gaming.

7) As a general advice, try to get a variant of IPS or VA panel. Those panels have good color accuracy and viewing angles.

8) All things considered, 1920x1080 with 23" or 24" might be the sweet spot for you. Or maybe a low-end 27". Just make sure it's something like AH-IPS or MVA, not TN.

Tip: If the viewing angle is stated as 170/160, then it's a TN panel. Don't get that. IPS and VA variants are usually 178/178.

Thank you!
I may be willing to spend up to £240 so what do you think about a dual monitor now?
This monitor has really caught my eye: http://www.amazon.co.uk/LG-27-inch-Flat-Panel-Display-black/dp/B008968O0U
Can I get anything near as good for slightly cheaper as I've seen a lot of 27" 1920x1080 monitors for much cheaper, so why's this so expensive? The aesthetics really attracted me.

 

[aatu]

Hmm, with £120 a piece, I would still say you'd be better off with one big monitor. Although, I'm personally always in favour of single monitors. And btw, I'd advice you to edit your post and remove the competitor link, as it's against the forum rules to post competitor links...

As for whether it's a good choice? I couldn't find the model number via the seller's description, but one commenter had LG IPS277L in the review title, which pretty much corresponds with the price of the item, so it's most probably it. And like most of the LGs, it's probably an OK choice. Nothing spectacular for the price, but shouldn't bring any major negative surprises, either.

As for cheap 27" monitors: the cheapest ones are most probably TN panels. £230 for a 27" IPS is pretty common. Though there are some 27" IPS and VA monitors that you can have even for around £170. Generally VA panels have better blacks than the IPS. But as an all-arounder, IPS is more recommended.

But in any case, if you're willing to stretch the budget a little bit more, I would suggest the Asus SonicMaster MX279H for £276 (AH-IPS), which I have recommended several times in the last year. It has quite stellar user reviews, I don't remember anyone saying anything bad about it.

There's also the little brother Asus SonicMaster MX239H for £200 (AH-IPS), which also has very good user reviews. But you lose 4 inches for a £80 saving.

Then there's also the BenQ GW2760HS for £216 (VA), which might be worth taking a look.
Also the step-brother BenQ GW2760 for £180 (VA), but I'd rather recommend the HS model.

Also, if you can't find a mention of TN/IPS/VA/PLS in the specs/description, then it's -usually- safe to assume it's TN (the cheapest of the bunch).

 

[Haarisb]

Hmm, with £120 a piece, I would still say you'd be better off with one big monitor. Although, I'm personally always in favour of single monitors. And btw, I'd advice you to edit your post and remove the competitor link, as it's against the forum rules to post competitor links...

As for whether it's a good choice? I couldn't find the model number via the seller's description, but one commenter had LG IPS277L in the review title, which pretty much corresponds with the price of the item, so it's most probably it. And like most of the LGs, it's probably an OK choice. Nothing spectacular for the price, but shouldn't bring any major negative surprises, either.

As for cheap 27" monitors: the cheapest ones are most probably TN panels. £230 for a 27" IPS is pretty common. Though there are some 27" IPS and VA monitors that you can have even for around £170. Generally VA panels have better blacks than the IPS. But as an all-arounder, IPS is more recommended.

But in any case, if you're willing to stretch the budget a little bit more, I would suggest the Asus SonicMaster MX279H for £276 (AH-IPS), which I have recommended several times in the last year. It has quite stellar user reviews, I don't remember anyone saying anything bad about it.

There's also the little brother Asus SonicMaster MX239H for £200 (AH-IPS), which also has very good user reviews. But you lose 4 inches for a £80 saving.

Then there's also the BenQ GW2760HS for £216 (VA), which might be worth taking a look.
Also the step-brother BenQ GW2760 for £180 (VA), but I'd rather recommend the HS model.

Also, if you can't find a mention of TN/IPS/VA/PLS in the specs/description, then it's -usually- safe to assume it's TN (the cheapest of the bunch).

Thank you so much, just one question I'm left with...

What's the major difference between:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MO-048-AS
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MO-089-BQ


excluding aesthetics for now

 

[aatu]

Asus SonicMaster MX279H (AH-IPS):
+ better color accuracy (*)
+ better viewing angles (*)
+ slightly faster pixel response times and input lag, so better for gaming (*)
+ better speakers
- potential IPS glow (*)
- 6-bit colours + FRC (*)
- no DVI-D connector

BenQ GW2760HS (AMVA):
+ PWM-free backlight (no flickering)
+ true 8-bit colours
+ deeper blacks (better for movies, for example) (*)
+ £60 cheaper (~22%)
- potential off-angle gamma crush (*)


But bear in mind: Most people won't notice the PWM and FRC. And the other things mentioned don't mean that the other is bad is those areas, it's just that the other is slightly better. So real-world difference might not be as ground-shaking, by any means.

As a summary: the Asus is a safer all-around option, but the BenQ can be a positive surprise for the money.

Disclaimer: the points marked with "(*)" are based on stereotypical differences between these particular panel types. But in this price range, these characteristics are usually fairly accurate, and shouldn't bring any surprises.