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Monitor Recommendation Please

G

Goateed

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 7, 2012
4
0
I've got a MacBook 7,1 and want to get a decent monitor for use in my home office. I'm willing to spend around $250 or $275, but I all the options out there have my head spinning.

FYI: The main things I use my computer for are writing and gaming. And up to now, I haven't upgraded my RAM, but I'm ordering 8 gigs today.

Thanks in advance for your advice! :D
 
What are your preferences? Do you have a size in mind, 22" bigger or smaller? Do you like features like a telescoping mount so you can adjust the height of the monitor? Do you want a speaker bar, built in USB ports? Is there a resolution you prefer or like? There are a lot of options but you have to narrow it down for us to make a reccommendation.
 
Thanks for the reply! I guess I should narrow things a bit. :)

I have Bose speakers, so I don't think I need speakers in the monitor. I'd like DVI input and a good-sized monitor, say 24" or so. And I don't think I need USB inputs. A telescoping stand might be nice.

My focus is on good quality video for gaming/watching media (so perhaps HD quality would be good), a large size to make writing and editing easier than on my MacBook, and something that doesn't have too big of a footprint.
 
Everyone is going to have their preferred monitors. I went with 3 LG E2370's for my desktop setup at home. 23", IPS, LED back lit, Dual HDMI, DVI, VGA and can do Picture in Picture which is nice when you use a monitor for more than one computer (as in my case).

Are they the best? Not at all, but for 200 each I am happy. Much nicer than cheap TN panels, but not as nice as others.
 
There's a bunch out there:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007617&IsNodeId=1

If you're in the market for matching with Mac - here's one with particularly nice design, and stellar reviews:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824113022



Edit: In regards to IPS Panels (the ones found in Apple and some Dell displays) - they are better, but expensive and out of your budget. However, if you seriously value a greater viewing angle and graphic reproduction, then you may want to entertain a search for an IPS monitor as well.


Here is the cheapest one that I can find with decent reviews:

http://www.amazon.com/LG-IPS236V-1080p-Widescreen-Monitor/dp/B004SUDU9Q

It is important to sift through reviews and really find those issues which are consistent across all user experiences, as they are most likely the only noteworthy, objective concern with the product.
In this LG monitor's case the only noteworthy negative is the stand, which some took concern over. Otherwise, this is a great monitor, fitting all your needs.
 
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visim91 said:
In regards to IPS Panels (the ones found in Apple and some Dell displays) - they are better, but expensive and out of your budget. However, if you seriously value a greater viewing angle and graphic reproduction, then you may want to entertain a search for an IPS monitor as well.
Click to expand...

While true, keep in mind that not IPS panels are created equal. Dell, for instance, uses E-IPS on lower-end IPS monitors, which is limited to 262,144 colors (just like TN). You will get wider viewing angle, of course, but viewing angle may not be a priority to some.
 
nutmac said:
While true, keep in mind that not IPS panels are created equal. Dell, for instance, uses E-IPS on lower-end IPS monitors, which is limited to 262,144 colors (just like TN). You will get wider viewing angle, of course, but viewing angle may not be a priority to some.
Click to expand...

Absolutely right.
OP (Goateed), let us know what monitor you decide upon. Always good to know.
 
My roommate recently picked up a 24" Dell monitor to use with his MB Pro for under $500 (don't know which specific model, I believe the higher end version of the 24"). After calibrating with ColorMunki, it looks great and is fantastic for video and photo editing and very useful for day to day work as well. He has it set up so that the external display is the main display and his macbook's display is the secondary. This setups seems to work very very well for him and I am impressed by the quality of the Dell monitor. It has my aluminum cinema displays beat on every spec for half the price! Then again, a used 23" cinema display might be a nice option too to keep with the mac styling. They are very cheap these days.
 
I got 2 Samsung 24" 2443BW monitors. They're really good. 1920x1200 res, good colour. £200 each...
 
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