Are all monitors the same?

Discussion in 'Mac Accessories' started by TWHH, Jan 17, 2014.

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  1. TWHH, Jan 17, 2014

    TWHH macrumors regular

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    #1
    Hi there,

    Have just made bought a MBP to replace my much loved, but now too slow iMac.

    Only thing I think I'm gonna miss is having the larger screen for some jobs. So I want to get a monitor...

    ...now the Apple ones look nice, but I really don't think I can justify the cost.

    All other monitors look to be much of a muchness. Are they? I'm not editing hi-res photos or video so doesn't need to be one of these 4K things, but a clear picture is always better than a fuzzy one :)

    What should I be looking for, or is there one in particular that I should look at?

    Thanks
     
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  2. maflynn, Jan 17, 2014

    maflynn Moderator

    maflynn

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    #2
    No their not. A 200 dollar Dell monitor won't look as nice as their 500 dollar model. Different display technologies and tolerances mean that you can get something very inexpensive and decent or you can research the best monitor and then spend a lot of money
     
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  3. TWHH, Jan 17, 2014

    TWHH thread starter macrumors regular

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    #3
    Oh crikey, what are some of the basic things I should be looking for?

    When I've looked at these sorts of things I get a bit bamboozled by the name of the different wizzbang technologies manufacturers use.

    Thanks
     
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  4. Fishrrman, Jan 17, 2014

    Fishrrman macrumors G5

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  5. VI™, Jan 17, 2014
    Last edited: Jan 17, 2014

    VI™ macrumors 6502a

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    #5
    Basically you have TN panels and IPS panels. IPS are more expensive, have better viewing angles, can actually be calibrated unlike a TN, and have generally slower refresh rates. TN are cheaper, faster, and have viewing angles that can change brightness and color reproduction by moving your head one way or another just an inch.

    Also, don't look at it as Apple vs. Dell. Companies like Samsung and LG make panels for those companies, so research who makes the panel in the brand your looking at vs. just looking at the brand name.
     
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  6. theluggage, Jan 17, 2014

    theluggage macrumors 68040

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    #6
    I'd recommend the Dell Ultrasharp U2412M (see http://www.engadget.com/products/dell/ultrasharp/u2412m/) and a Mini-DisplayPort to DisplayPort cable (cheaper and neater than many of the other adapters). Its a 24" screen with 1920x1200 resolution, better for general use than cheaper screens with HDTV-res 1920x1080 resolution. It *isn't* a "wide colour gamut" monitor but unless you're using pro graphics software for colour-accurate work then that's not a problem.
     
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  7. tomaseriksson, Jan 20, 2014

    tomaseriksson macrumors member

    tomaseriksson

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    #7
    One drawback on IPS-displays is that they aren't as responsive as the fastest TN-displays. So if you are a gamer you might wan't to think twice, there are TN-displays out there that is really fast and has almost as good color reproduction as most IPS-displays.
     
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  8. TWHH, Jan 25, 2014

    TWHH thread starter macrumors regular

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    #8
    Apologies for the lag in recognition and thanks for replies. I've been away and offline and only just got my new MBPr.

    All these comments are most welcome - thanks for taking the time to provide your advice. Certainly makes the buying process much easier.

    I'm not a gamer, so the Dell monitor certainly seems like a strong candidate.

    Just need to migrate all my data across from the old iMac so that I wipe the HD and put on ebay... to fund the new monitor!

    Thanks again
     
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  9. kelon111, Jan 25, 2014

    kelon111 macrumors 6502

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    #9
    You should look into panel type , screen resolution , screen size , etc.

    Not all monitors all the same.

    ----------
    Here is a nice monitor.
    The screen size is 27" , the resolution is 2560 x 1440 , and the panel type is PLS. It also has a 3 year warranty.
    Here is a professional review
     
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  10. takeshi74, Jan 26, 2014

    takeshi74 macrumors 601

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    #10
    This and even within a brand monitors are not all identical. A given brand can have a number of different displays.
     
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  11. ElectronGuru, Jan 26, 2014

    ElectronGuru macrumors 65816

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    #11
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  12. alphaod, Jan 26, 2014

    alphaod macrumors Core

    alphaod

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    #12
    Also check out Dell's outlet store.

    You can find some of their top end Ultrasharp monitors at great markdowns (I got one at 50% off) with full warranties.
     
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