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Good Monitor for my new Mac Pro

I

ix400

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 9, 2009
31
2
Hi,

I just have ordered a new Mac Pro. But I'm not sure which display I should go for. The monitor should have the following strenghts:

1. Accurate colours (I love DSLR photography), really good overall picture quality

2. It should also be a good gaming monitor

I've already narrowed down my selection to the Dell U2410, Apple LED cinema 24", Dell U2711 or Apple LED cinemea 27" display.

The latter two have a very high resolution, which might be an disadvantage for gaming with graphic details turned up.

The U2410 is the cheapest of the mentioned displays and it seems to be a good allrounder.

What do you think?

Cheers,

Chris
 
Any of them will be a good choice. A few things to keep in mind though. Both of the ACDs are glossy, which can make it hard to color calibrate for printing. Hardcore gamers will typically not recommend IPS panels (all you listed are) because the response rate is typically much slower than a TN panel. This could result in ghosting, although I've never seen it myself. I think the advantages of IPS far outweigh that one drawback, especially if you're interested in photography. You are also correct that pushing more pixels to the larger screens will hinder gaming performance. Which GPU are you getting and what games do you plan on playing? I imagine the 5870 should be quite capable with most modern games on a 27" monitor, but you'll need to hear from others with experience (I'm only on a 24" 1920x1200 display).
 
the only panel to avoid for games is PVA. IPS, while not as fast as a good TN panel, isn't terrible. a high-quality TN panel might be your best option...you'll just have to read through a whole bunch of reviews to find out which ones are high-quality (color and viewing angle-wise).

glossy for photography is only an issue if you need to print match. if you don't print, then just buy whatever you think is best.

unless you really want a glossy screen, skip Apple displays. there are plenty of cheaper or better options to choose from (in addition to the Dells you listed):
NEC PA271W
NEC PA241W
NEC EA231WMi
HP LP2475w
HP ZR24w
Dell U2311H

all of the above are 1920x1080 or better.
 
I have the U2711 and it is a first-class monitor for photo editing once you can calibrate it properly as some colorimeters/software still have problems with wide gamut displays. The Apple display is not a wide gamut display if that matters to you.

Some people do not like the Dell anti-glare coatings. I have no problems with it. If you go for the 2410 check to see whether it has a pink/green tint problem which affected some of them. I think Dell sorted it out, however, but check anyway.
 
SnoFlo said:
I have the U2711 and it is a first-class monitor for photo editing once you can calibrate it properly as some colorimeters/software still have problems with wide gamut displays. The Apple display is not a wide gamut display if that matters to you.

Some people do not like the Dell anti-glare coatings. I have no problems with it. If you go for the 2410 check to see whether it has a pink/green tint problem which affected some of them. I think Dell sorted it out, however, but check anyway.
Click to expand...

I finally bought the U2410. No color issues at all.

This is a very good monitor, far better than I have expected. Compared to iMac/LED-cinema displays the colors look a bit less saturated, not so candy-ish.

Cheers,

Chris
 
I've played games on the Apple Cinema Displays for 3 years, including the 30" and never seen a ghost.
 
Just on the whole glossy vs matte thing....

I would say that all matte screens are *not* created equal, I am really not a fan of the HP matte screens. I've got 2 of the HP 30" ones at work including the new zr24w (which is a good bit better) and it is a somewhat annoying matte coating. I honestly find glossy easier to look at. The older HP 30" matte is just horrible to look at. Like little beads of glass all over it.

Now our Apple 30" has a lovely Matte screen that is very easy on the eyes.

I have not had the pleasure of looking at any of the NEC screens, I'm sure they are fantastic though.

For home use I use the 27" Cinema and it does work well for my particular use. I do find text is particularly clear on glossy screens, and I can't even think of the last time I remember noticing a reflection on it.
 
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