Monitor upgrade choices from a Dell U2311H?

James J · 24 Dec 2011 at 04:06

Been toying with the idea of going 1440p for a while, yet the hazro panels appear to have some serious quality control issues with them with people having damaged glass, dust behind the screen and backlight bleeding, not to mention dead pixels. This is really putting me off, so I'm also considering a proper gaming panel of 120hz which is 3D ready, preferably with passive glasses.

Been having a look at the samsung 950, which is slightly out of my budget, yet theres a B grade one which falls within my budget (about £500 tops!) so thats an option.

The 2311H I have has really nice image quality on it,yet its arguably not a gaming panel due to it being IPS. Due to that, I'm expecting a hit in image quality going to a different monitor, but to counteract that, I want no ghosting what so ever!

Are the samsung range good for gaming monitors or should be be looking at something else entirely?

PCM2 · 24 Dec 2011 at 08:41

I'd be looking at the S27A750D intead. On TWO it is comfortably within your budget and tends to offer slightly superior image performance to the S27A950D. They are fantastic gaming monitors and seeing as your GPU has DP there is no need to go for a B-Grade monitor (it may not have the glasses and power adaptor incuded or could have dead pixels and other defects). The performance and image attributes are explored from primarily a gaming perspective on my website and you can compare the two Samsung models and see why the SA750 has a sloght edge for users with DP. Especially at the current price.

P.S. No passive 3D solutions currently support proper 120Hz output.

James J · 24 Dec 2011 at 08:49

Thanks thats useful info. So do you reckon that the 27inch samsungs would be a good upgrade in terms of gaming performance?

PCM2 · 24 Dec 2011 at 10:07

I reviewed the S27A750D straight after the U2312HM that is quite similar to your U2311H and it was a noticeable positive change in every game title tested (including plenty not mentioned on the review). Not saying the U2312HM is bad for that, but the Samsungs are certainly more responsive.

James J · 25 Dec 2011 at 06:54

PCM2 said:
I reviewed the S27A750D straight after the U2312HM that is quite similar to your U2311H and it was a noticeable positive change in every game title tested (including plenty not mentioned on the review). Not saying the U2312HM is bad for that, but the Samsungs are certainly more responsive.

Tempted to go for the samsung you recommend, but how does that compare to say one of the hazro 27 inch monitors with the 1440p res? Is the 3D technology for games on the samsung as good as ASUS which are bundling the nvidia 2 glasses kit with their latest monitors now?

PCM2 · 25 Dec 2011 at 13:23

Well the Hazro monitors are great if you get a good one. Responsiveness is comparable to your U2312HM, although being larger motion-related issues are easier to notice. Obviously it isn't a scratch on the Samsung when it comes to responsiveness, although it partly depends on the frame rate you can push. I find 1440p is nice to have but the overall image quality of the Samsung monitors and just general feel when you're in game is fantastic. It is a tough comparison to make, I know, but I was audacious enough to compare a calibrated S27A750D and Apple LED Cinema Display side-by-side (similar to the Hazro) and the Samsung didn't look in any way bad when gaming even next to that beast. As far as 1080p 27 inchers go the clarity and sharpness of the Samsung is also exceptional - although the 2560 x 1440 resolution is undoubtedly an advantage on the desktop. The 3D implementation is partly a matter of opinion (I for one don't really like any current stereoscopic 3D solution for gaming) but I would say the Nvidia 3D Vision 2 experience has a bit of an edge as, if nothing else, the software is more solid.

JimAroo · 25 Dec 2011 at 14:48

I've gone with a 750D mainly because i know Samsung make quality monitors. I'd rather game at 1080p than 1440, mainly because i don't want the performance hit that will come with the bigger res.

From what I've read the new Samsungs are brilliant for games, despite the 1080p res, it's a win win.

skuko · 25 Dec 2011 at 15:11

PCM2 can you compare the 750D to the ASUS VG278H colour and image quality wise ? i was thinking one of them and went with the asus solely because the samsungs have a glossy surface, which is a no go for me, as i have white walls and that results in the monitor being a mirror.

PCM2 · 25 Dec 2011 at 17:06

Well there are two issues I have with the VG278H, but understand that it is still a great monitor and quite unique currently. I am also quite obsessive about the issues highlighted below.

1) The gamma is poor on the hardware side and this can't be adjusted with the OSD. http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showpost.php?p=20630486&postcount=163. This can be corrected using ICC/ICM profiles on some game titles but the misreading or ignoring of these profiles and resulting colour range reduction is not really ideal. It is much better to be able to sort this kind of thing out natively on the monitor as you can on the Samsungs.

2) The glossy surface may be a 'no go' (and that is understandable and fair enough) but Samsung included it for a reason. It enhances the vibrancy and clarity of the image and under suitable lighting that is readily apparent when comparing Samsung to 'similar' monitors with matte screen surfaces. http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showpost.php?p=18983508&postcount=2. As mentioned in another thread these screen surfaces will be compared in greater depth in an upcoming article which should be published on my website on New Year's day. This is an area I have been researching and experimenting with quite thoroughly and have been speaking to various manufactures about this with regards to the sub-optimal screen surfaces used on monitors using LG panels in particular. Now the ASUS doesn't use an LG panel and the matte surface is a bit lighter than that but the principles which will be explored in the article still very much apply. There is no getting away from the practicalities though - reflections are a pain and in some rooms and lighting conditions glossy surfaces just aren't suitable.

P.S. white walls on their own don't really matter. The ambient lighting is important. Check out the images on my S27A750D review which illustrate what to expect in reasonably bright conditions, a side window and light coloured walls.

James J · 26 Dec 2011 at 05:04

Interesting stuff guys! Got some food for thought lol

skuko · 26 Dec 2011 at 08:56

PCM2 said:
Well there are two issues I have with the VG278H, but understand that it is still a great monitor and quite unique currently. I am also quite obsessive about the issues highlighted below.

1) The gamma is poor on the hardware side and this can't be adjusted with the OSD. http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showpost.php?p=20630486&postcount=163. This can be corrected using ICC/ICM profiles on some game titles but the misreading or ignoring of these profiles and resulting colour range reduction is not really ideal. It is much better to be able to sort this kind of thing out natively on the monitor as you can on the Samsungs.

2) The glossy surface may be a 'no go' (and that is understandable and fair enough) but Samsung included it for a reason. It enhances the vibrancy and clarity of the image and under suitable lighting that is relatively apparent when comparing Samsung to 'similar' monitors with matte screen surfaces. http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showpost.php?p=18983508&postcount=2. As mentioned in another thread these screen surfaces will be compared in greater depth in an upcoming article which should be published on my website on New Year's day. This is an area I have been researching and experimenting with quite thoroughly and have been speaking to various manufactures about this with regards to the sub-optimal screen surfaces used on monitors using LG panels in particular. Now the ASUS doesn't use an LG panel and the matte surface is a bit lighter than that but the principles which will be explored in the article still very much apply. There is no getting away from the practicalities though - reflections are a pain and in some rooms and lighting conditions glossy surfaces just aren't suitable.

P.S. white walls on their own don't really matter. The ambient lighting is important. Check out the images on my S27A750D review which illustrate what to expect in reasonably bright conditions, a side window and light coloured walls.

yeah i gotta admit, i am having some painful issues in trying to get near the colour reproduction of the u2311h on my asus vg278h. the colours on the dell are much more vibrant and pastell, i cannot seem to be able to find the right combination of mode, brightness, contrast and colour temperatures on the asus.

now i have two more variables, gamma and hue on the nvidia control panel. to be quite honest, i'm not comfortable doing it this way, but unfortunately, i cannot return the monitor to try out the samsung

w00dy85 · 26 Dec 2011 at 14:03

Hi

Sorry to gatecrash this thread, but I noticed you talking about the 2311H monitor. I'm looking to get a U2312HM or Samsung S24A350H and I can't make my mind up which to get, any ideas on which is the better monitor?

It will be used for gaming.