Hello Looking for advice on the best 4K UHD LARGE monitors (40"+) for productivity/work from home software engineering. As per my sig, I have a triple monitor setup with two of my displays being 32" 4k (Samsungs with VA panels) that I'm looking to replace. HOWEVER, having upgraded from 27" to 32" in 2020 thinking it would be big enough to utilise 4k properly, I immediately realised that 4k resolution CANNOT under normal viewing distances be truly utilised even at 32" (without scaling). Everything is too small still, so I run it with 125% scaling but this means I'm losing screen real estate (I generally sit around 75-100cm away from my screens as I lean back in my chair while coding). This means as far as I am concerned to use 4k resolution and get the full advantages from a productivity perspective, I want at least 40" displays so that everything is not too small when I view the screen (and so I can still get the full benefits of 3820 x 2160). So the question is, what are the best large 4k monitors for productivity and colour quality/contrast? My favourite display technology that I have seen for colour reproduction and viewing angles is PLS. My current Samsungs are VA which have excellent black depth and contrast, but the viewing angle is not as good as PLS or IPS (but still admirable). Last time I looked at IPS displays they had unacceptable contrast ratio and poor black levels, so I've never been a fan of them as I am sensitive to the black level (blacks need to be jet black) but I am hoping the technology has improved a lot since then? It is NOT for gaming whatsoever, so I don't care about gaming concerns particularly (60hz is fine and moderate response times). Also, due to the distance I sit normally from the screen, I do NOT envisage pixel density to be an issue for me at these sizes, but I could be wrong (and hence I am also considering large TV's as an option)... I'm looking at: Samsung M70A UHD Smart Monitor LS43AM700UUXXU (current favourite) - 43" VA panel. This seems to tick a lot of boxes but struggling to find reviews at 43" (common in 32"). Doesn't have DP input though, only HDMI, but it has USB-C so I could use adaptor for DP for that. Philips Gaming 436M6VBPAB - 43" MVA panel. Looks like a crap stand. Decent contrast ratios. Iffy reviews and HDR. Dell U4320Q - 43" IPS display and expensive, and from viewing on youtube it seems the black level/contrast has the same issue as I viewed years ago on older IPS displays so currently I think a no, but a very decent all round one. LG 43UD79-B - 43" IPS display but cheaper than Dell, similar thoughts as above. Possibly a TV to be used as a monitor, this is a cheaper option and I would still get excellent contrast ratios/black levels and the 4K res... I've also considered the 5k (5120 x 2160) LG UltraWide 34WK95U 34-inch but feel this is too expensive and would still have the size issue of not being big enough to use 2160 properly. Are there no better options? I want a PLS ideally or VA/MVA as they are superior to IPS due to the contrast IMHO (viewing angles are not as important to me if it means giving up contrast). Thoughts welcomed...
As sad as it sounds I am using a 43inch 4k TV with MVA curved panel for my work and was running it off of a laptop at 30hz for years it has been great, I actually quite like it, I have had a lot of expensive monitors over time and prefer this size, it was supposed to be temporary while the big format gaming displays sort their HDR **** out and I get myself a HDMI2.1 gpu and screen, its taken a while. Having been quite happy with a relatively slow TV in general use I have been considering the LG OLED 48 inch TV as a replacement as it will do 120hz but I think it will have the reverse problem to a 32inch 4k in that the pixels might be too big. LG were supposed to release the OLED in 43 with improved panel for brightness and so I was going to jump on that but they pushed it out until next year. I also have the dell 38 3840x1600 that's quite a nice res, not quite 4k so for coding 1600 it is probably not enough. Monitor manufacturers seem obsessed with 27-32inch 4k but like you my screen is not close and this size seems a bit small and not useful for a screen real estate perspective. Another alternative is Asus ROG Swift PG43UQ There are also 5k super wide 49 inchers that might work for you at a reasonable 120dpi for 5120x2160 If gaming is not your thing then a couple of smaller monitors rotated 90degrees can be good for code depending on your work flow. I wonder if an 8k with scaling might workout, it wouldn't for me as I can't control the environments I work in and some software won't scale so I always have to work 100%
Read the above so figured I’d run off to the garage to fire up some monitors. 24” IPS by Dell, 27” IPS by Dell, 32” IPS by Dell, 43” IPS by Dell and a super ultrawide 49” Samsung QLED VA. As for your points about IPS, VA etc… blacks aren’t quite as nice on the IPS panels but the rest of the colours, viewing angels and accuracy you get from them are far better than the VA panels and that’s either going to be important to you or not but as trade offs go, accuracy rather than a nice black makes for a better overall experience imho. I’d go with the Dell 43” panels. The price may be on the higher side but the build quality is much better than the LG and I believe Phillips screens that use similar panels. Just as an FYI, I’m looking at the P4317Q. It’s the same as the P4320Q but has vga and lacks type C with PD.
Thanks for the response. Can you elaborate on the HDR controversy in monitors? Also if I picked up a cheap 43" 4k TV for the time being what would be the major downsides compared to a true monitor with current technologies as I hear they are becoming increasingly similar. Yep although most are happy with 27-32" I've realised I never will be and it's dissapointing manufacturers provide nowhere near as many options in the 43" which is what is needed to truly use 4k. The ROG Swift looks great, but it is too expensive at nearly 2000gbp. And I don't currently need that amazing refresh rate that I'd be paying a premium for. Also, the Dell looks great that I listed, build quality picture quality etc, but it's the contrast and black depth that I don't think I can accept coming from PLS/VA displays that have jet black blacks... And it's over £800. I will definitely check out 49" 5k as that could work for me depending on prices. Currently I think it will be the Samsung M70A 43" VA as its only 500gbp and I've seen deals around £400. But the build quality and stand and viewing angles will not be as good as the IPS.
Yes the Dell looks like a great all rounder, but being particularly sensitive to contrast/black depth I don't think it's going to be for me. If you sit directly at a screen the viewing angles are not as important as people want to tell everyone and I'm willing to lose some of it to get great contrast (and I've always been fairly satisfied with VA viewing angles). However I haven't seen the dell in person and maybe I would think differently if it was here to truly compare to the VA. What's the 49" QLED like as a monitor?
Most PC monitors don't really do HDR to the level of TVs or do it accurately, not really and issue for productivity, I'll use my screen for work and play. Not many downsides for me, the biggest problem I face is that is probably specific to my QLED TV is it assumes it's a media device and will randomly come up in HDMI mode rather than PC mode, HDMI mode has lots of processing and looks awful colour wise for a PC, I just have to switch it to PC via remote, no biggy but an annoyance, the other thing I miss from a proper monitor is multiple inputs allowing picture in picture/side by side etc. but I just use other screen for that now. If contrast is your thing then the OLED might be for you, LG 48 C1 OLED Review - RTINGS.com there are concerns with that from a text clarity viewpoint due to sub pixel layout but can be worked around and of course there's the possibility of burn in over time.
The black on the Dell is by no means bad, it's just not as good but this is an IPS, led lit panel. It's about as good as it will ever get for an IPS in that area. If you've not seen one and can, go and look for yourself. After a calibration from a colour spider or 2jat ever they call them these days you are left with an incredible monitor. The 49" is one of the curves 32:9 Samsung Odyssey panels. It's QLED. The blacks are brilliant but as with all panels like this including TVs, you can get halo around bright objects on black backgrounds where as you do not get this on LED lit and certainly not on OLED. I plugged in the 65" OLED here recently and player at 7 feet away (looks similar size to a 40" at around 120cm and all I can say is it's brilliant. Screen burn is a thing though so if you are working with plenty of fixed windows or code lines I would avoid like the plague!!
With a big flat screen viewing angles can be important as you might see colour shift at the edges even sat it front of it, I had that on one screen, don'trecall which, my curved doesn't suffer that.
Yep so the black problem is inherent to IPS and if I've been spoiled by VA/MVA and TVs that have very high contrast and HDR, I can't see me ever accepting IPS as a technology (unless this somehow changes) but I do want to check the Dell out in person (the Dell U2420 I've had and returned due to this problem about 9 years ago). Yes I've heard OLED are insane but the burn in I'm not a fan of, I had burn in on plasmas years ago and wouldn't want them for a desktop if it they also have this issue. Maybe a QLED TV is an option, can't see me being too bothered about that halo effect, but I don't want curved.
Yep there is very mild colour shift off angle on these VA 32" Samsung panels, but as a trade off I accept it for the contrast if it's only minor. Maybe it will be worse/more noticeable on a 43" but I think it will be fine.
Maybe I need to check the QLED's out then. I am aware the OLED have better blacks/contrast, but the burn in I'm not so keen on as I use my computer 365 days a year, so will probably get it.
These LGs (and the cousin MSI ones) have wide-reported image retention issues, appearing to be more than just the odd (and vocal) unhappy customer - I desperately wanted one and monitored the situation for the longest time, but it never appeared to get resolved. And then Dell dropped the U4021QW - which for a productivity screen IMO is as good as it gets and is well worth a look. It does have a bit of a price tag, being a chunk more than the LG ultrawide, but it's a lot more screen as well. In addition to the obvious things on the spec sheet, I've also found the integrated USB A/B switching to be a boon for productivity with two machines on the go - i.e. switch between inputs and my webcam, mic, keyboard, mouse, DAC all switch with it. It's IPS... I don't feel like it performs any worse than VA panels I've used in the recent past though (and the colours/uniformity is much better), and I've had IPS screens in the past with obviously poor black levels and this exhibits none of that. So to me the blacks are fine but then whilst I'm picky, I sense I may not be as sensitive to it as you.
Interesting I will check it out, but is 40" big enough for 5120x2160 WITHOUT scaling? I doubt it. It's also very pricey currently for me but does look a good screen.
So you do not increase the size of text and icons?? From what I have seen online, everything is still too small and would need 25% scaling, which means still wouldn't be able to properly enjoy the 2160 vertical res.
Some websites I may browser-zoom, depending on the site, but then that's something I've always done. No OS-level scaling.
