Hey guys, first post here! I was wondering if I could get some advice on monitors. My situation is basically this: I have a pretty old Dell Vostro 1500 laptop, 15.4" 1280x800 screen on it. It's pretty horrible, but it's done me proud over the last 3 years! I've recently got into digital art in a big way and, whilst I'd love to buy myself an entirely new PC that I can't afford, I figured the next best thing would be to buy a monitor to increase my productivity. So I'm looking for something about 22", 1920x1080, and my budget is £100 - £200 tops. My laptop is hopeless at playing games, so it's use will be more geared towards digital art. The BenQ G2220HD caught my eye due to it's recommendation in CustomPC, but I've also heard good things about the Dell U2311H. Would the Dell be worth the extra money? Any other recommendations? I'm a complete monitor n00b, so any help is much appreciated! Cheers!
Yes, the difference between the two is one is TN panel (cheap, but good enough for most people) and the other is a IPS panel (far better colours etc, but more expensive). If you are using the monitor for digital art, something where colour accuracy etc is very important, then I'd strongly recommend an IPS based screen, like the U2311H
I agree. The gab between TN and IPS in term of colors is huge. In addition, IPS panels have a very wide view angle of 178 degree in all directions. No mater how you put yourself or the screen (except if you are behind the screen, obviously), you will see the same stunning image. You will see when it will be put next to your laptop which feature a TN panel The Dell U2311H, also has a full adjustable stand, including height adjustable feature to allow a more comfortable viewing experience on your computer. The non-glossy frame of the Dell also allows you be able to really focus on your work. The Dell U2311H is, in my opinion, the best entry level IPS panels you can find. No one on this forum ever purchase an IPS panel and said anything bad about. I invite you do a search on this forum and see people reaction when they pass from a TN panel to an entry level IPS panel. And those are just entry levels! IPS panels go further than that in reality, with the higher end models going well over 1000$U.S/Canadian price tag for a 22/24inch. If you want to learn more about monitors technology, I wrote A LOT about them in a very simple mater several times on this forum. Here is a quick summation of everything on monitors on what to buy and not to: http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=205069&highlight=Monitor (Post #10) It is important to consider that all I say assumes that: you don't have a very tight budget to a point you can't afford any non-TN panel, that you actually use your computer (and not just check your Facebook or e-mail once a week, if you know what I mean), that you seek for a better experience, and that it's for a desktop purpose. Laptops it's a different topics, in such case you really want LED back light and really want TN panel, as they consume A LOT less power than other LCD panel technologies. They very few select laptops with the option of having an base line IPS panel in them. Example the HP EliteBook 8740w, the IPS panel is 550$ US upgrade, and considering that the laptop (with the IPS panel included) easily costs 6,500$ U.S + (15inch, 1 year warranty, medium specs)
i love how informative goodbytes posts always are, have some rep, and YES +1 for the dell, I've just ordered 3
Thank you all for the information! With what you've said GoodBytes, I think the Dell is what I'll be going for! Once I graduate from uni I'll probably go ahead and buy a second one for a nice dual monitor setup and an entire new desktop, but for now I'll have to settle for a 15" TN and a 23" IPS! Cheers for the help!
You might want to make sure you laptop graphics card/chip is capable of 2 outputs. I have a hp dv3000, and when i had my 1080 monitor plugged in and the laptop screen it would get pretty warm, if I streamed video for a while it would often just overheat and turn off. It's 13 inch, so you might have better cooling, but just somethign you should think about, 2 screen is double the work
