£200/£350 monitor v 27"iMac screen

[Will10]

I’m in the process of purchasing a new Mac Pro which has nearly eaten my entire budget. I need to buy a new monitor around the £200/350.

I realise this isn’t much to get a great monitor but I was wondering if any of you could recommend anything around that price. I'm trying to get the best colour calibrated monitor (obviously not neutral colour for the price) but something I can edit and photoshop on without needing to worry too much regarding the 'honesty' of the image.

I will be using Final Cut Pro, CS5 (Photoshop, AfterEffects etc) Logic, Aperture, etc.


I found this thread regarding monitors which I found helpful. https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/913255/

I’ve narrowed it down to

• 23 inch NEC MultiSync EA231WMi - £224
• 22 incc Dell UltraSharp 2209WA 22-inch - £190
• 24 inch Dell U241 £350 (a bit much)

I also heard of a future 24inch Dell that apparently will use the same IPS panel as apple?

I've seen a lot of people editing and photoshoping using the 27" iMac in creative suites? Obvioulsy the iMac has a gloss screen. Just wondered how the monitors i've listed would compare to the iMac screen? And how 'honest/neutral' the iMac screen is?

Any opinons or advice would be most appreciated.
Thank you very much for your help with this guys.

Will

 

[phpmaven]

I’m in the process of purchasing a new Mac Pro which has nearly eaten my entire budget. I need to buy a new monitor around the £200/350.

I realise this isn’t much to get a great monitor but I was wondering if any of you could recommend anything around that price. I'm trying to get the best colour calibrated monitor (obviously not neutral colour for the price) but something I can edit and photoshop on without needing to worry too much regarding the 'honesty' of the image.

I will be using Final Cut Pro, CS5 (Photoshop, AfterEffects etc) Logic, Aperture, etc.


I found this thread regarding monitors which I found helpful. https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/913255/

I’ve narrowed it down to

• 23 inch NEC MultiSync EA231WMi - £224
• 22 incc Dell UltraSharp 2209WA 22-inch - £190
• 24 inch Dell U241 £350 (a bit much)

I also heard of a future 24inch Dell that apparently will use the same IPS panel as apple?

I've seen a lot of people editing and photoshoping using the 27" iMac in creative suites? Obvioulsy the iMac has a gloss screen. Just wondered how the monitors i've listed would compare to the iMac screen? And how 'honest/neutral' the iMac screen is?

Any opinons or advice would be most appreciated.
Thank you very much for your help with this guys.

Will

That's a pretty small budget for a monitor. It would be a shame to get a brand new Mac Pro and skimp on the monitor. After all, that's the main way you will interact with this beautiful new piece of technology. If I were you, I would figure out some way to stretch my budget. There are plenty of 6 months same as cash credit card deals out there so that you can stretch the cost out over time without paying interest.

I've owned a lot of computers over the years and the times that I've skimped on the monitor, I've kicked myself.

Just my two pence.

 

[iCheddar]

Pick up an older Dell display.

You should easily be able to pick up a WFP2408 for your budget.

 

[Jaro65]

That's a pretty small budget for a monitor. It would be a shame to get a brand new Mac Pro and skimp on the monitor. After all, that's the main way you will interact with this beautiful new piece of technology. If I were you, I would figure out some way to stretch my budget. There are plenty of 6 months same as cash credit card deals out there so that you can stretch the cost out over time without paying interest.

I've owned a lot of computers over the years and the times that I've skimped on the monitor, I've kicked myself.

Just my two pence.

I'll second that. The monitor is the interface into your computer. Don't skimp on that.

 

[drambuie]

I'll second that. The monitor is the interface into your computer. Don't skimp on that.

Buying a cheap monitor is like buying a top of the line multi-channel receiver, then buying lesser quality speakers, and wondering why it doesn't sound good.

 

[Will10]

I've owned a lot of computers over the years and the times that I've skimped on the monitor, I've kicked myself.

This is the dilemma I have?

• iMac 27inch quad core (2.93 Ghz) with 8gb Ram= £1,968,99
• Mac Pro ‘Nehalem’ (3.2 Ghz) With 3gb= £2,319,00
(I Intend to buy a 4gb stick for the 4th RAM slot to give me 7gb).

I’m spending £400 extra for the the Mac Pro as apposed to a maxed out iMac. On top of the £400 I’ll have to pay around £350 for a new monitor. So my Mac Pro will have cost me an extra £750.

Pick up an older Dell display.
You should easily be able to pick up a WFP2408 for your budget.

Thanks iCheddar. This looks a good display.

I just wonder whether for the money I may be getting a very slightly quicker machine but not quite as good monitor; especially when I do have to do Photoshop and editing work. I have seen creative suites editing and photoshoping on iMacs?

So I wonder whether the Dell 2408wfp 24” is as good a screen as the iMac 27”
And whether the extra £700ish quid is money well spent?

 

[Will10]

The best IPS monitors at my small budget are the

NEC MultiSync EA231WMi 23"= £260
Eizo Flexscan S2243W 22" = £390

I just wonder how well these monitors compare to the IPS 27" iMac screen (apart from being smaller). I need it for editing and photoshop work?

Many Thanks
Will