Hi all, Well, chirstmas has come again and I can't afford a new pc just yet. However, lack of funds doesnt stop me from planning You can see my existing build in my sig, simple machine and it's still serving me very well. I plan on building a new i7 system in the future, maybe summer next year. One thing I'm really unsure about is a new monitor. Of all the bits of a pc, I really like a nice monitor. Moving up to the 22" wide from an 18" was awesome, and I'm happy enough with my monitor, especially for the price (about 350 euros when I got it I think). I just don't know where to go next really. I don't do as much photoshop as I used to and I don't require a graphic designer panel. I read graphics card reviews and keep seeing tests at 2560 x 1600 which sounds like a nice resolution to move to from my existing 1680x1050. I've seen 30" screens with that res but am wondering which ones people here would recommend. Also, are there any 27" that do this res or should I not bother moving to 27" at all? Primary uses would be gaming and some graphics work, and watching films too I guess. I'm way behind on my game playing (i havent played a single one of teh games in this years Game of The Year pole). As for budget, it's hard to say as the price will change by the time I buy it but how about around £500. Thanks very much for yoru help and suggestions all
I've never seen any 27" that had anything over a 1920x1200 resolution, so unless the idea of having a HD screen much larger than standard size specifically appeals to you, I wouldn't bother getting one. Here's the thing about 2560x1600 montiors: They're expensive. Like really expensive. The cheapest I think I've ever seen one is maybe $1000 USD - which I think translates into about 650 GBP nowadays - and the better ones (read: ones with decent color reproduction so crucial to graphics work) are closer to $1300 (~800 GBP). So unless your display-allocated budget is going to increase significantly, I wouldn't plan on making the move to 2560x1600 anytime soon. Even aside from budget, though, the other thing to keep in mind is that a 2560x1600 monitor requires some serious graphics horsepower to game decently. Your 7950 would practically K.O. itself, and much less than a GTX280 would probably do the same. Driver support for games at that resolution tends to be flaky, too - it's such an extreme resolution that so few people use that many games can be literally unplayable (read: 0 FPS) at that resolution for a long time after they're released, simply because the demand to fix it does not really take top priority for the driver teams in front of all the other issues they tend to face. - Diosjenin -
If you can, go with 1920x1200 (24"). They're way cheaper than 30 inchers. Or if you want 30", I'd recommend LG W3000H-BN. I have no personal experience (can't afford 30") but what I've heard is that it's better than some more expensive 30 inchers like the Samsung 305T. ninja edit: Beaten to it!
Ah. Thanks for the advice guys. This new system would be all new kit so I wouldnt be using my 7950 or anything. I'll be leaving my current build as it is, I've grown quite attached to her. Heck my 7950 sturggles enough as it is as 1680X1050. I was thinking about a pair of 280s or maybe the new 295 for this machine. The price things is a pain but I doubt the £800 ones will have come down to 500-600 in 6 mths time when I'm gonna build this thing. Thats the problem with window shopping this far in advance I guess. No way to tell. Oh well. Perhaps I should curtail my wild dreaming and look at 1920x1200. It's still a step up from where I am and either the pair of 280s or the 295 (a partner one rather than stock) will probably do a good job at that res. Right, off I go to look at 1920x1200 screens. I liked the way my 22" is a bigger panel with the same res as a 20", might look at that for my new screen too. Thanks again guys
I've got a 32" 1080p TV for graphics work and to be honest it's rubbish... (need a small monitor like a 22" for graphics work, 24" max) I'd get just a larger HD ready TV off Ebay and use that as your monitor tbh... with the 22" as your canvas screen (for Photoshop) and the TV for films. Just as a guide, I paid £125 for mine, and it does me for what I need it for (as far as gaming goes)
Well, as I mentioned, I'm not really looking for a graphics panel but at the same time I was looking to up my resolution. Increasing the monitor size is fine but my existing monitor is almost 1080 as it is. Reckon I will be using my 22" as a second monitor. Looks like I'm headed to 24" land unless by next summer an average 2560x1600 comes down by a couple of hundred quid Thanks for all the advice.
I just HAVE to chime in on this... The 'serious' graphics power you say is 'required' really isn't as bad as you would think... My system runs VERY happily at 2560 x 1600, with a single Radeon 4870 512MB. I run most of my game with max details, 0xAA, ~0-16xAF, and get over what qualifies as 'playable' by a decent margin... That's also with modern games, not just old ones. I actually just got done playing some 32 player CoD with an average framerate of 70+ (max settings, 0xAA, max AF). I've not come across a game yet that has had a single problem with running 2560 x 1600 resolution out of the box, and I'm sure I won't ever run across one that will give me 0 FPS. That whole statement was simply ignorant... PLEASE don't comment on it if you don't know about it! Also, since I've never had a problem running 2560 x 1600 on any game, I've also never had to ask for any kind of fix for any game... --------------------------------------- If you want the honest opinion of someone who has a 30" monitor, here you go... If you can afford it, they're great... I absolutely love mine, especially for gaming. The huge resolution makes every game that much better. Now, that being said, I would still be very happy with a 24" monitor. They seem to be the most popular screen size right now as well, so the prices are getting more and more competitive. The 24" will also support FULL 1080p resolution, so you will get a very nice picture for any movies you may watch on your monitor in Blu-ray, etc. They also tend to have more input options than most of the 30" monitors as well, as the typical 30" monitor only has a single dual-link DVI input. There are 30" monitors with multiple inputs, though you're looking at at least a few hundred dollars more. Here's what I mean... 3007WFP (My monitor) http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/...etail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=222-7175 3008WFP http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/...etail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=223-4890 The difference is in the inputs, and the price difference is $600... Not worth it IMO, not by a long shot. In all reality, you get more total resolution and viewing area out of two 24" monitors than you do out of a single 30", and the price STILL ends up in favor of the 24". That gives you the option of buying one now, and one later as well if you so choose. If you're wondering why I still got the 30" over the 24", I do a lot of graphic and web design work, and having all of the resolution available on a single monitor does wonders for me. If it weren't for that, I'd have two 24" monitors in its place. Hope that helps you a bit.
Thanks for the reply Jared! A dual 24 setup is certainly appealing, as is a 30" screen. I'm a longish time photoshop user (started when 5 came out... and boy did that cost a fortune as I wasn't in college yet so I didn't get a student deal) but lately I've been doing less and less graphic work, still, as you're here would you mind telling me how you find the colour quality on the 30" dell? Are the blacks nice and inky? If i get more money next year i think I'll up my budget to 1000 euros. That would put your monitor in reach.... I'd really like a big panel. I do more audio work these days (podcasting, voice work) so the extra screen size is just as handy as it is when using PS. Over the last couple of days I've been looking at my workspace. My initial response to my cramped room was a battle cry of 'I'll make space for the 30" screen dammit!" but I may simply not have the room with the 22 in use as well. A 27" would fit nicely but I'd have to settle for the lower resolution...
The color quality on this monitor is better than any of the other monitors I've owned (as well as a LOT that I've used), but it's still far from perfect... Overall it's a great 'budget' 30" monitor (if there really is such a thing), and it's more than adequate for all of the work that I do. The blacks are pretty nice too. My personal opinion in it is that it's great for a graphic design hobby, or a small business, but for the higher up companies that need REALLY precise colors, I'd look elsewhere. For audio work, you don't really need perfect colors, just more real estate to work with. That being the case, it's a great monitor. If you do end up with more to spend, and you still do quite a bit of graphic / audio work, pick up the 30".
You can't really play games that often then... I've got a relatively small 1680x1050 and so many games completely mishandle the image. When you mentioned CoD, I assume you meant CoD 4? As such a screen enthusiast I thought you would have noticed the way the image isn't actually widescreen. Not even going into the fact that pretty much all the older games I own don't support the resolution at all. Its not much of an issue, but to claim there are no issues seems a little defensive. That said, could you recommend any good 24 inch screens? I've found screen reviews fairly useless generally so is there any 24 inch screens you've owned and liked, or heard good things about? I guess I'm not really in the market for something incredible, so around £200-400. Thanks
For CoD4, the image actually is widescreen natively... http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/wiki/index.php/Call_of_Duty_4:_Modern_Warfare You DO need a fix if you are using a TripleHead2Go, but not with a single monitor... Here's my settings screen... Here are a couple screenshots in game with CoD4... Keep in mind I had to exit and rejoin the game because the 'corrected' graphic got a punkbuster error and kicked me. I used the program 'Widescreen Fixer' for the 'corrected' image, and was downloaded ONLY for this test (I hadn't even heard of the program until I looked at the CoD4 wiki page on WGF). Click on an image to make it full size. Native: 'Corrected': You'll notice that the 'Corrected' image is actually distorted. Look at the cars, and the satellite dish. The dish more-so than the cars, you can tell it's not round, but an oval. ---------------------------------- I've had the monitor for a tad over two years now, and haven't found a game since then that doesn't support the monitors native resolution. Games such as Battlefield 2 and Battlefield 2142 do require you to put a custom resolution into the shortcut, but I don't consider that an issue... It's still supported out of the box. That being said, I DO mostly only play newer games, but the older games I have played haven't given me any issues either. The majority of the games I play are FPS, RTS, and MMO's. As for which 24" to get, for gaming the TN panels tend to be the most popular due to their fast response time, but their viewing angles are the worst out of all types of panels. This isn't an issue if you're directly facing your monitor, at eye level, however. TN panels also have the added benefit of being the cheapest panel type on the market. I personally believe that no matter which LCD monitor you get, you WILL need to calibrate it using an external piece of hardware such as the LaCie Blue Eye Pro... This is especially important when using multiple monitors, and doing graphic work. I really can't comment on any one specific monitor to get, because a lot of them are similar, though I can point you in the right direction... You'll want a monitor that... Doesn't have a too reflective case. Doesn't have too much light bleeding. Has the inputs you require without too much lag. You'll have to look around to find such a monitor, but the information is out there (google is your friend). You can also try looking at the LCDs at your local electronics store.
