Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

What Brands Of Monitors Are Good

EDLIU said:
...
I'm looking for a 27 inch display.
The Dell SE2717H seems okay to me. But it's 1080p. And costs $249.
...
" $300-400 gets you a low grade 1440p monitor".
So, should I get a 27 inch, 1080p Dell monitor, or a 27 inch, 1440p monitor? But I don't want to spend too much money on the display.
...
Click to expand...


Well Ed, with monitors, quality costs $. Size and resolution cost $ as well. If you want all three together you should get something like a 1440p Dell 27" monitor. That will cost something more than $300.

The U2515H is around $300 but it is only a 25" display. If you go down in size to the 25" Dell, you don't have to settle for "low grade". You can get the desired 1440p resolution for less in something like the Acer G257HU but this $250 display is also only 25". (note: This Acer lacks the VESA mounting feature that most others have.)

Your planned uses do not sound very demanding. If you must have a 27" display then your choice is clear. Can you settle for a "low grade" 27" monitor? If not, you can pay the price for a quality 27" or decide to choose from a range of great 25" options. :)
 
Hi,

A Dell 27" 1080p($249.99), or a ViewSonic 32" 1440p(around $320)?

Thanks.

Ed
 
EDLIU said:
Hi,

A Dell 27" 1080p($249.99), or a ViewSonic 32" 1440p(around $320)?

Thanks.

Ed
Click to expand...
That 27" at 1080p has a good price but the screen size is rather large for that resolution. :oops:

Visit a brick and mortar store to view a 27" 1080p monitor and see how you like them. Then you can compare them to 1440p options and make an informed decision. :cool:

Full disclosure: I took delivery of a 1440p Dell Ultrasharp display yesterday and I am happy as a pig in clover. :D
 
Last edited:
EDLIU said:
I'm looking for a 27 inch display.

Ed
Click to expand...

Typically, people don't shop for monitors that way. You shop for the resolution. Since you said 1440p is out of your budget, 1080p is your next option.

At 1080p, you want a 20-22" monitor, preferably 21". A 21" 1080P monitor will give you similar sharpness to a 27" 1440p monitor.

The reason why you don't want a 1080p 27" monitor is because it'll be very blurry.
 
MrX wrote:
"The reason why you don't want a 1080p 27" monitor is because it'll be very blurry."

How old are you?

If one is older, with "older eyes" (like me), or if one has considerably-less-than-perfect vision, 1080p on a 27" display actually looks very good.

Don't assume what you perceive as "blurry" looks that way to everyone else...
 
Fishrrman said:
MrX wrote:
"The reason why you don't want a 1080p 27" monitor is because it'll be very blurry."

How old are you?

If one is older, with "older eyes" (like me), or if one has considerably-less-than-perfect vision, 1080p on a 27" display actually looks very good.

Don't assume what you perceive as "blurry" looks that way to everyone else...
Click to expand...

True. 1080P 27" would be better for enlarging text.
 
32" at 2560x1440 is very nice for "older eyes" text. Run it at 1920x1080 for the large print edition. :) a little blocky though.
 
From your questions, I gather that you do not have to be on the bleeding edge of monitor technology. You want to surf the web and that's pretty much the main use. A 1080p monitor will be just fine for you. If you have the eyes of an eagle, or are expecting to look at the screen with a magnifying glass, then by all means get the 1440p or 4k or 5k monitor. But if you just want to USE the thing, a 27-32 inch 1080p monitor will be great. Saying the text will be a blurry mess is, in my opinion, a gross exaggeration. The increase in screen size more than makes up for the minimal difference in resolution.
 
Hi,

Then, Samsung 27"/32" Curved 1080p or ViewSonic 32" 1440p?

Thanks.

Ed
 
I think you'll be happier with the 32 inch 1440p (ViewSonic). 1080p at 27 inches gives you a slightly larger pixel size and it starts to look a little blocky, at least to my eyes. 32" at 1440p (2560x1440) has the same effective pixel size as (say) the 24" Apple LCD display at 1920x1200.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Patcell
Hi,

I have a small desk, so will the 32" monitors be too large for me? Will a curved monitor be more suitable for the situation?

BTW, what do I need to know if I'm buying a curved monitor? I googled the web, some say that curved monitors are for people with a short viewing distance. But how short(in cm) for a 32" curved display?

Thanks.

Ed
 
Last edited:
A 32 inch monitor at 16x9 aspect ratio will be about 29 inches across, including bezel. It's big but IMO not too big unless your desk can already barely fit a keyboard. I'm trying to visualize my BenQ as a curved monitor and I can't see that it would make a lot of difference at this relatively small size. I didn't measure or calculate it, but by eye I'd guess that screen distance is maybe 2 inches farther at the edges than in the center. I have a pretty restricted depth of field with my computer glasses on and the flat screen is fine.
 
I have to admit I usually take a different route. I produce a lot of code/documents and diagrams/images and usually have many active applications running so I can have an awful lot of active windows which I constantly refer to. I also run 3 screens each of which runs 3 desktops so I can quickly switch between them. Obviously code windows (text) can have multiple windows active on a screen but detailed diagrams or photoshopping images are usually spread across an entire monitor.

My "work from home" setup is my 13"rMBP plus with two 20" Dell Ultrasharps at 1650x1050. These are quite old and date from around 2005 so they have served me well. I am starting to find them a little small and so will probably be replaced in the next 12 months or so.

My 'work from work" setup is similar, I just have two 21.5" LG monitors at 1920x1080 instead of the Dells. I think the model is a 22MP67VQ.

Both of these monitors have good pixel density so that at working range everything looks clean. With larger screens I start seeing the pixels and the matrix of the display and I find that distracting. So for me smaller with good definition works best. I just need to find enough disk space to set up a VESA mount for the two LG or Dell units.

The other benefit here is cost. picking units of this size usually I can get them for less than $150 each (plus the cost of the VESA mounts which I already have) and if a unit dies then there is usually something that can be replaced quickly/easily.
 
kschendel said:
that screen distance is maybe 2 inches farther at the edges than in the center.
Click to expand...

Hi, Ksc,

What do you mean by "maybe 2 inches farther at the edges than in the center"? What I meant was that, how close, from the center of a curved monitor to a person's eyes, when considering " a short viewing distance" for buying a 32" curved monitor?

Thanks.

Ed
 
The point of a curved monitor is that all of the screen is roughly the same distance to your eye. It has nothing to do with what that distance is. I'm not sure where you saw the phrase "short viewing distance", but I'd bet that what was really meant was "shallow depth of field". For a 32 inch monitor, the edges of the screen are an inch or two farther from your eye than the center is. For a 40+ inch monitor the difference is larger, assuming the same eye-to-center viewing distance. At some point, people with shallow depth of field (generally older folk like me) will have a problem with the change in distance from center to edge, and that's where a curved monitor can help.
 
Nothing in that thread changes my answer. Curved monitors have the benefit of having less variance in eye distance from center to edge, and therefore the eye doesn't need to change focus as much. For a young eye this might be more an issue of perspective than anything, for an older presbyopic eye it can mean the difference between the edges of the monitor being usable or not. But, as I said, I don't think that the depth of field effect is especially relevant at a mere 32 inches, and at that size I'd suggest buying what works for your eyes. Once you go above 40-something inches it's more of an issue.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SackJabbit
8 months later and we're still here. Just pick a monitor, buy it, and ENJOY it. Don't wait, the market moves fast and there's always a better monitor in 6 months time.
 
Hi,

A stupid question:

If 27" monitors are too large for 1080p. 1440p is better.

Then, won't 32" monitors with 1440p have the same problem?

A 27" monitor with 1440p is better then a 32" monitor with 1440p, am I right?

So, what's the better resolution for a 32" display?

Thanks.

Ed
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back