24" Monitor recommendation?
Saturday, December 15th, 2007 - 3:25pm
My 21" CRT finally gave up on me. Time to get a new monitor, but I'm really worried about ghosting.
I really like the Benq (which has HDMI) and the Dell 24" ultrasharp, both in the 600-700 dollar range, but the response time is 6ms, which I hear is too high for someone who plays lots of fps's.
Is there a good 24" monitor with a better response time?
Does someone have experience with an LCD with 6ms response time?
Is it better to get a lower end monitor with lower stats in other areas to get that better response time?
Any advice is appreciated!
6ms is pretty darn fast...you're probably already sacrificing color depth at that speed.
Ghosting seems to depend on personal sensitivity to it. Some people claim to see it on even the fastest panels, and some have no problem with very slow stuff. Also response times are measured slightly differently from company to company, for example my 16ms Sammy ghosts a bit more than my buddies 16ms Dell. Even at 16ms though its very slight, and you have to look for it on either screen to notice. Definitely hasn't hurt my FPS performance IMO.
So as always, do your best to take a test drive before you drop the cash. I know it's not as easy as all that, but if there is any chance to look before you leap I really recommend it.
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I'll be following this thread, as I'm thinking about making a similar upgrade.
As an aside, does anyone have any experience with 22" monitors? Specifically the Samsung 22"?
EBGames wrote:
Anyone that says 6ms is too slow for FPS games is either a robot that can actually see the impossibly small delay or they're lying. Either or.
One thing worth noting is that the Westinghouse 24" uses the exact same panel as the $700 BenQ. You drop a couple of features and some spare inputs but if you don't need them then it's a nice way to save $300. Of course it does have that hideous clear plastic thing sticking out of the bottom of the display, so if you're picky on the aesthetics it's probably not the best choice
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If you're updating the screen at 60fps, which is the normal speed for an LCD display, then 16ms is the amount of time it takes to draw each frame. As long as you're under that margin, you're fine.
I've got the Dell and love it. No ghosting that I can see, good image quality, and inexpensive. Also, I'm not sure if it was a temporary thing, but mine was around $100 off the listed price when I ordered it. I think it may have been because I ordered it alone instead of bundled with a PC, but that's just a guess.
I also have a Dell 2407 24", works very well, no ghosting, no sever lack of color depth that I can perceive. I believe I got it for almost $700 even about a year or so back, that was with some College back-to-school discount along with a coupon or two I bought off eBay. My only real complaint is that the component input has some pretty terrible color saturation issues, also most of the analog inputs (all but VGA) have bizarre problems like improper aspect-ratios. I recall hooking a cable box up to both Composite and S-Video and getting a 5:8 pictures instead of 4:9 which was pretty strange. Even component has some issues with anything under 720p, 480p games on PS2 were never properly displayed (they took up less screen real-estate than was available.) Its a solid display if you're looking to hook up your PC or any of the this-gen consoles, last-gen support is a bit spotty though.
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Ditto on the dell, never noticed a single thing wrong with it, and I play flight sims and FPS almost exclusively on PC. Get yourself the beefy ergotron arm and you're good to go.
Gamertag: GWJ Rabbit | Last.fm
"Think of it as 'grinding SO rep in the Kitchen instance.' " - Montalban
I've got the dell and have a PC, 360, and occasionally a Mac hooked up to it. The visual quality is outstanding, and I've never found it lacking in any department when playing games through it. However, the component input on mine is crap, and I only use the VGA and DVI inputs.
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I've been considering this Gateway as a replacement for my aging P815. It looked nice in the store, though I haven't really had a chance to play with one.
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Wow. Lotta dell users. I love the MM card reader on mine. Didn't realize I needed it until it was there.
Gamertag: GWJ Rabbit | Last.fm
"Think of it as 'grinding SO rep in the Kitchen instance.' " - Montalban
Occasionally I hook up just the USB cable to my laptop to use the MM reader, chuckling to myself "That's one expensive reader."
As for popular,I know seven people (all programmers) in real life that use this monitor at home. Most of them bought it around the ~900-1000 price mark, and still don't regret it with the price drops. If anything, the new price tag makes them want to get another one (which boogles my mind).
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I have the older 2405, which I got for just under $1k... which, at the time, was a screaming deal, because it had just been introduced. (I think the retail was $1700 when it first came out?)
I've never regretted it. Awesome monitor. The 07 is supposed to be better still, and now they have the new HFC variants, which cover more of a CRT's color gamut. They're still not all the way there, but are like at 90% instead of 70%. I think the refresh is a little slower on the HFC versions, though.
The 2405 does have a little lag. I couldn't quite see it consciously, but for months I kept missing clicks with my mouse. Took me a long time to figure out why. Now I notice it when I'm playing FPSes... people aren't ever quite where I expect them to be. I understand that the 07 and later models don't have this problem, although the HFCs might.
I'm very close to pulling the trigger on the new Gateway 24". I've read several good user reviews, and Extreme Tech put up a nice review as well. I'm mostly attracted to it for the number of inputs as I want to use it for computing and with my Xbox 360 Elite's HDMI port. These are all of the Gateway's connectors:
(1) HDMI
(1) Analog (VGA), 15-pin mini d-sub VGA
(1) Digital (DVI-D), 24-pin DVI-D
(1) Component
(1) Composite
(1) S-Video
Does the Dell have an HDMI connection? The Gateway is at Circuit Cities and Best Buys.
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Does it have to be 24"? I love my 30" Dell. A lot of people are pumped up about Gateways nowadays and I might look at one for my next build.
Does it have to be 24"? I love my 30" Dell. A lot of people are pumped up about Gateways nowadays and I might look at one for my next build.
Does it have to be 24"? I love my 30" Dell. A lot of people are pumped up about Gateways nowadays and I might look at one for my next build.
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EBGames wrote:
I've been eyeing this 28" bad-boy. A friend of mine has a Hanns G 19" and I was really impressed with it. Anyone seen this 28" in the flesh?
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My Dell does not have HDMI, but all the other inputs you listed. It could've been updated since then.
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I haven't. The thing that steered me aware from the 28" monitors was that they were the same resolution as the 24". Thus the pixels are just bigger. Since I'm using the monitor at my desk and will be sitting close to it, that did not appeal to me. If you plan on using instead of a TV (and thus sitting farther back), the 28" may be more attractive.
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The performance review for the Hanns G at Extreme Tech just didn't push the right buttons for me when I compared it to their review of the Gateway 24" mentioned above.
I'm actually seriously considering the Gateway after reading some other reviews. I'll probably go to Best Buy and have a look at it first hand. It'll be replacing a CTX 19" CRT if I decide to take the plunge.
"I have not supped of Buffy, nor have I supped in any wise during the absence of Firefly. When Firefly returns again in glory, then shall I sup at the table of Whedon." - Fedaykin98
What do people know of the BenQ G2400W? It's got HDMI, and is $299 at TigerDirect... what's the friggin catch? (I'm thinking about getting one for my dad...)
I'm running the Dell 2405 which I got for a screaming $800 deal back in the day ($1700 was not far from norm back then); upgrading from the 20" which sold me on flat panels forever. I love my Dell and have had no ghosting issues.
Here's the TigerDirect Link.
Someone tell me what the catch is before I pull the trigger on it.
I found this review on Newegg from someone who bought the same monitor for $450:
AnimeJ wrote:
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Hmmm...It's not very attractive, no USB ports, fewer inputs than some of the other monitors listed, contrast ratio isn't as good as some others (but still not too shabby), not a brand I really "trust" but then I don't have any experience with Benq. Does all of that equal the $200+ smackers you'd be saving? I guess it's up to you.
I would take one positive review with a grain of salt, since I always suspect manufacturer shenanigans, but if everyone is saying it's good then go for it.
EBGames wrote:
I'm having trouble finding any reviews on the BenQ. I know BenQ used to be Acer.
Without seeing one firsthand, or at least a decent review from a reputable review site (not a user testimonial, I don't trust those very far), I'd be leery of buying.
"I have not supped of Buffy, nor have I supped in any wise during the absence of Firefly. When Firefly returns again in glory, then shall I sup at the table of Whedon." - Fedaykin98
Good Lord! Wasn't Acer in the Packard Bell category of computer makers? I thought I had read decent reviews of BenQ products in the past.
As far as the user testimonial, I thought the one I posted was funny (in the Con: section), not the end all authority on the monitor.
I did want to get GWJ input though before taking a $300 gamble
AnimeJ wrote:
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Thanks for that review, Uber. Looks like I'd be better off with a nice 24".
But 28" is so much e-peen.
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Well I guess it depends on priorities. I'd rather have a slightly smaller but higher quality panel than a slightly larger lower quality panel.
"I have not supped of Buffy, nor have I supped in any wise during the absence of Firefly. When Firefly returns again in glory, then shall I sup at the table of Whedon." - Fedaykin98
Yeah, now I'm having trouble deciding between the 24" Gateway and this Acer. I know there's a lot of people who don't like Acer around here, but I had an Acer laptop until recently that I never had any trouble with, even while I was dragging it around Europe with me in grad school.
And that display is a PVA panel, so the viewing angles and the color come out well. It's gotten pretty good reviews across the board. The only difference I see between it and the Gateway, are that the Acer is clearly made to the lower price point, no usb hub or hdmi inputs.
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I'm not seeing where the Acer AL2416WBsd is a PVA Panel. (?)
"I have not supped of Buffy, nor have I supped in any wise during the absence of Firefly. When Firefly returns again in glory, then shall I sup at the table of Whedon." - Fedaykin98
The EU edition -same panel, just doesn't have a DVI connector- is reviewed here.
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