New Monitor Help

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Hello all,

It's come that time that I’m wanting a new monitor.. Currently using 22" ViewSonic VA2216w

I use my computer mostly for

Gaming (Battlefield Bad Company 2 , Call of duty , GTA IV etc etc) {Mostly fast-passed FPS}
Web Browsing
Watching Films

I want to start gaming at 1920x1080 and had this 22" ViewSonic a few years now.

As I don’t know much about monitors now sure what I’m looking at for my needs.

Here are a few things I would like.

1920x1080
24" ideally
HDMI so I can use my Xbox 360 if I want (Not a requirement but would be nice)

Here is was I’ve been looking at, But I wanted to get some advise and recommendations before I go ahead and order a new monitor.

Samsung P2450H 24"
BenQ G2420HDBL 24"
LG W2361V-PF

I'm leaning more towards the Samsung P2450H 24" but not sure.. I've also looked at the Dell Ultrasharp U2311H 23" but its quite over budget.

If I missed something please let me know, I read that thread regarding the BenQ but got kind of lost as it was a massive thread :D

My budget is around £190 max ideally lower though of course :p Will be ordering Monday or Tuesday so plenty of time.

Thanks for your time!

Hope to hear from you guys :cool:
 
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I've been looking at monitors in the same price bracket and similar usage as you for the past month or so. I can give you a list of the ones I've looked at and the lowest prices I've seen them for, which may or may not help. These are all 24" TN panels with 1920x1080 resolution, unless stated otherwise. Also the prices stated are the lowest I've seen them for over the course of the month I've been looking, they may not be the same price now. They also include any delivery charges.

Samsung B2430H (£166.99) - Similar to the P2450H (cheapest I've seen for this model is £167.47), so much so that some are calling it the successor to it as the P2450H is End Of Line now. According to PCM2 on these very forums, it has better whites and better colours out of the box, however once both are calibrated there's not much between them. So for me it's down to which you prefer aesthetically.

BenQ EW2420 (£164.23) or BL2400PT (£163.27) - Big thread on these new BenQ *VA panels with LED edge lighting on these forums as you've seen. Basically better blacks, contrast and viewing angles than any TN panel. It seems most people notice some ghosting/trailing due to a slightly slower response rate, but apparently most of the time you won't see it unless you actively go looking for it. However, there seems to be a lot of people sending them back for issues like back light bleed, dark finger smears/death hand and LED rippling, this is largely due to poor quality control at BenQ. I wrote a bit of a comparison of the specs between the models here and here.

LG W2442PA (£170.92) - According to Prad, it's a good gaming monitor and is even better than the P2450H which they also reviewed. It has a fully ergonomic stand compared to the P2450H/B2430H tilt only stand, but it's also quite old and End Of Line.

Viewsonic VP2365wb (£189.20) - Uses the same e-IPS panel as the Dell U2311H, so is also 23". It doesn't have Response Time Correction (RTC) that the Dell has, so it's slightly slower and may ghost marginally more, however it's also much cheaper. Being IPS, it has very good viewing angles and colour reproduction. Review of it here: http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/viewsonic_vp2365wb.htm

Samsung 2443DW (£221.02) - I only considered this as it's 24" that has a native resolution of 1920x1200. The 16:10 ratio is a price premium "feature" hence the marked up price, it's also only a TN panel so you have be wary of viewing angles - using the monitor in portrait mode would probably be next to useless. It's essentially the rehash/revamp of the older, now discontinued 2443BW that came out in 2008, but has the addition of a DisplayPort and from what I've read, the older model was well received. Some stores still list the 2443BW on their site (cheapest I've seen is £198.20), however they're not in stock and may never will be.

I also looked at a refurbished Dell U2311H for £219 (compared to £257.32 brand new). However, it only has 1 year warranty and coupled with it being refurbished, pretty much put me off it despite the tempting price.
 
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Thanks for all that crackerbear! Just been reading them links you have given.

Because I have my monitor direct in-front of me and I don’t do any photo editing, and only game, watch films and browse the web it seems from what you have posted it's between the Samsung B2430H , LG W2442PA , Samsung P2450H and either of the BenQ's.

I do like the look of the Samsung P2450H, as I have a Samsung TV it also looks the same which is pretty cool.

What do you think would best suit my needs out of them?

For gaming, gaming on xbox360, watching films and web browsing.

Also because the Samsung is End of Line now, is it a bad choice to go for?

Although I maybe able to stretch my budget to get the Dell Ultrasharp U2311H 23" IPS, Do you think it’s really necessary for what I do? (Shame about no HDMI for Xbox 360)

Thanks for all the information you have given so far!
 
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I don't know how much help I can be as, like I said in my previous post, I'm basically in the same position as you - pretty much the same monitor usage, but still looking and undecided. Each of them have their pros and cons which is why it's a tough decision.

These are my own person opinions and this post will be long :p

Of the two 16:9 Samsungs (P2450H/B2430H), I get the impression that they're very very similar in image quality or use. They're both pretty much the same price and so I would choose the P2450H (despite it being EOL) because to me, it looks better aesthetically. Also the power/status LED appears to be less distracting on the P2450H.

I actually asked a guy who had swapped 2x B2430H for 2x P2450H asking which he thought was better and he said this:

Well firstly let me say they are both great monitors, other than what is on paper, there is little difference between the two. They are both fantastic.

To be totally honest I didn't notice much difference when I upgraded to the P2450H other than the design. I prefer the P series design to the B series, but that really is small.

As for picture and color quality I would be really amazed if anyone could say which one was better, they both seem pretty much the same to me.

Bleeding seemed a bit more prone to the B series, I am a lot happier with the bleed on the P, or lack thereof.

The stands are notoriously poorly made, but not to the point where it is an issue. If you have a flimsy desk you may notice a wobble on the monitor, but unlikely. I type fairly hard and as I type this is don't notice to much of an issue.

If I remember correctly the B2430H was a like more unstable than the P2450H.

As for the 2ms vs 5ms, it is a load of marketing garbage if you ask me. There is honestly no way to tell the difference between the two and I would take a bet that no one would be able to separate the two.

My first choice would be the P2450H, better design and over all seems like a better monitor. That doesn't make the B bad.

The power LED's are not really an issue on either monitor, I prefer the P as all it has is a small orange dot to show the monitor is on. If you run your finger over the touch sensitive menu buttons then the rest of the menu lights up.

Now the LG W2442PA, as mentioned in my previous post, is apparently better than the P2450H according to Prad who write very detailed professional monitor reviews. If you just go by the Rating table on the first page of both reviews I linked, near the top, the W2442PA matches or beats the P2450H in everything.

With the W2442PA also having a better stand, it would therefore put it in front of both the 16:9 Samsungs, but I'm a little wary of buying such an old monitor. The B2430H is a newer monitor so quality could possibly be better, but conversely, it's entirely possible that the panel used in the B2430H is also a few years old. There's also only 1 online retailer that I can find that sells the W2442PA and has it in stock, however I've never used them before but their Google seller rating is high.

The *VA BenQs look amazing on paper and indeed if you read PCM2's or NCX's reviews, it does seem to also be very good in use too providing you receive a good unit. As mentioned previously, there seems to be a lot of people sending them back and there's also the issue of minor ghosting (how noticeable varies as it's subjective). I'm not sure if I want to play the monitor tennis game of returning it back to the seller, but *VA panel technology is clearly better than TN (except for response time). Of the BenQs, I would choose the BL2400PT purely for the better stand and matte bezel, I don't need HDMI.

I would love to get an e-IPS screen, if the U2311H was 24" and at the same price, I'd snap it up straight away. But sadly Dell's 24" U2410 is around £500.

I don't think e-IPS is meant to be for professional colour critical work, yes it'll provide the best colour reproduction of all the other monitors mentioned, but is still no match for the H-IPS seen in the U2410. So I don't think you should look at the U2311H as being over the top, or at least I don't. There are a lot of people who have bought the monitor for gaming because it has a pretty much no ghosting and low input lag. Having better colours and viewing angles over other panel technologies makes it all the more worth while.

The Dell U models have had quite a fair bit of complaint on tinting issues, but it seems to be less now as they've rolled out later revisions.

The Dell U2311H does have a DisplayPort and you can get adapters from it to HDMI, however I don't know how well that'll work with a Xbox 360. It's not really an issue for me as I mentioned above, I don't need HDMI as I don't have any devices that use it.

This lead me looking to the Viewsonic VP2365wb which price wise, is amazing for an e-IPS monitor. However I'm a little wary of it's black levels and ghosting (compared to the U2311H) as it doesn't have any overdrive (RTC). So for gaming, I don't know how good it'll be.

Lastly, I might as well give you my thoughts on the Samsung 2443DW. It's main and only selling point is that it's 24" and 1920x1200. I would much rather have a 16:10 resolution, I won't go into a debate why, but I definitely prefer it.

The 2443DW is too new and there are virtually no reviews or user feedback on it, however it's basically the same as the 2443BW which gets a lot of mixed reviews. The majority seem to like it (see here, here & here), but there are others that complain of appalling colour shifting (see here & here) - amplified by the fact it's so big that even viewing the screen dead on, you'll still see the colour shift. There are also a few reports of a defect where the monitor buzzes if the brightness is set any lower than 100. Whether they've fixed these issues or not in the 2443DW, I don't know. The colour shifting issue is just a limitation to TN panel technology.

The problem for me is that my standards are probably too high and I'm greedy, in that I want the best of everything - i.e. good colours (no colour shifting) and contrast as well as no ghosting or input lag. All of that wrapped up in a 24" matte case with a native resolution of 1920x1200, have a fully maneuverable stand and come in at around £200 or under.

Now a good friend of mine who's a web designer, says his 22" LG L226WTQ (TN) monitor has pretty much no colour shifting and the viewing angles are also very good - except for when looking down-up on it. He also says the colours on it are perfect, better than any CRT he's ever owned (which includes Mitsubishi, Sony and Iiyama).

I find it hard to believe that a TN panel can be that good, but then again I have no reason to doubt him. He's suggesting I go for a TN and that there's going to be negligible difference compared to VA or IPS panels, especially from a purely gaming perspective. He's never seen a VA or IPS screen in person, only in images and videos, so I've been trying to argue that they're better. However, when it comes down to it, TN is good for gamers because of the low response rate.

That pretty much sums up what I've come to after about a month of looking at monitors, as mentioned, I'm still undecided and keep on picking a different favourite amongst the bunch every other day.

If you've read this whole post, you deserve a cookie :D
 
Where's my cookie!! :D

Thank you very much crackerbear for all your help so far, you’ve been excellent.

That review from PCM2 regarding the BenQ seems very positive about the image quality and the colours, Though the ghosting shown in that review is a little concerning and I also don’t want to be playing the 'monitor tennis game of returning it back to the seller' game.

But seeing as this ViewSonic VA2216w 22" I’m using at the moment was fairly cheap when I bought it, comparing it to a new monitor today, I think any monitor will be the same if not better but with the 1920x1080 resolution I’m after..

As you have already said, it’s a tough decision choosing a new monitor!! :p

It now seems I’m debating between the Samsung P2450H 24" and the Dell Ultrasharp U2311H 23" As I most likely can stretch my budget. Going from a cheap TN panel to the U2311H panel I think it would be a fairly noticeable upgrade, Also going from 21.6" to 23" is a small upgrade it's an upgrade nevertheless :D Just wondering if £100 above that Samsung panel is worth it, As I don’t care about the viewing angles just interested in the image quality and colours though, And also going by the reviews i've been reading for the past 2-3 hours(lol) on the internet there is no ghosting or input lag at all really..

Also as this monitor I’m using at the moment is 16:10 and if I do go ahead and get that dell it's 16:9 what would be the major difference?

Decisions, Decisions.....
 
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The consistency and subtle shade range that the U2311 can produce can really bring some extra details to games. The white luminance and vibrancy is a little better on the P2450. I would say things will 'pop out more' on the P2450, but that's limited to bright things like explosions. The subtle colour variations on the U2311 make up for it I think.
 
The consistency and subtle shade range that the U2311 can produce can really bring some extra details to games. The white luminance and vibrancy is a little better on the P2450. I would say things will 'pop out more' on the P2450, but that's limited to bright things like explosions. The subtle colour variations on the U2311 make up for it I think.

Thanks for your reply, so considering what I use my monitor for do you think it'll be a good choice to increase my budget and get the U2311H? Although it lacks the HDMI as crackerbear said I can get an adaptor to run the 360 on it (Though not sure regarding sound??) It's also nice to know the next day swap out that Dell offer too including even one dead/bright pixel.

Also do you think I’ll notice a much better image quality coming from the TN panel I’m using at the moment (View Sonic VA2216w)
 
I think the U2311H will offer you a refreshing change and you will notice the difference in image quality pretty soon after using it. Aside from resolution the VA2216W probably doesn't differ substantially from the TN panel monitors in your price range. They will probably offer some degree of improvement in colour reproduction and perhaps contrast (I haven't used the VA2216W myself so it's hard to say) but it will be a step rather than a jump.
 
Where's my cookie!! :D
Have a cookie shaped like Mario for your efforts :)

20ate01.jpg


Just to let you know, I finally decided with a monitor and have gone for the Dell U2311H for £201.72 (£186 if I manage to get cashback). The (limited time) price was too good to pass for me.
 
I think the U2311H will offer you a refreshing change and you will notice the difference in image quality pretty soon after using it. Aside from resolution the VA2216W probably doesn't differ substantially from the TN panel monitors in your price range. They will probably offer some degree of improvement in colour reproduction and perhaps contrast (I haven't used the VA2216W myself so it's hard to say) but it will be a step rather than a jump.

Thanks for that PCM2, It looks like I’ll go ahead and get the U2311H.

Just to let you know, I finally decided with a monitor and have gone for the Dell U2311H for £201.72 (£186 if I manage to get cashback). The (limited time) price was too good to pass for me.
Hello mate, it seems I too will go for the U2311H from all the reviews online it seems a very very good monitor for its price range. Mind sending me a mail in trust about this limited time price? ;)

I also would like to say a special thanks to crackerbear and PCM2 for all the help and advise!!

EDIT: Just noticed about that deal, Just a few 'catches' I’m paranoid about. I'll wait till tomorrow see if OCUK got it on the weekly special.
 
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Hello mate, it seems I too will go for the U2311H from all the reviews online it seems a very very good monitor for its price range. Mind sending me a mail in trust about this limited time price? ;)

Have a read through my posts here and onwards and decide if you still want to buy it or not as there are some drawbacks. You should be able to put the pieces together from those posts, if not, I'll send you a direct link via Trust.

I also would like to say a special thanks to crackerbear and PCM2 for all the help and advise!!
I wouldn't thank me just yet, wait until you get the monitor in front of yourself before you start showing gratitude :p
 
Have a read through my posts here and onwards and decide if you still want to buy it or not as there are some drawbacks. You should be able to put the pieces together from those posts, if not, I'll send you a direct link via Trust.
Yeah just noticed that, Just a few 'catches' I’m not too sure about. I'll wait till tomorrow see if OCUK got it on the weekly special, If not i'll prob just purchase it anyway.

I wouldn't thank me just yet, wait until you get the monitor in front of yourself before you start showing gratitude :p
:D:D
 
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