I need a new monitor. Recommendations?

Ravenpoe · Jun 3, 2016

My main display has gone kaput, so it's time to replace it. Monitors have gotten a lot more complicated since the last time I shopped for one, so I'm trying to trick you guys into doing the legwork for me. Have any you can recommend?

This is the display to my gaming PC, so there are some things it requires:

120hz minimum refresh rate. 144hz couldn't hurt

1920x1080 minimum resolution, this is pretty standard nowadays, but I won't balk at higher.

LED backlit if possible, unless there's some new back lighting technology I don't know about.

TN is perfectly fine, especially since I value refresh rate. But what's the state of IPS these days? Can they get as high a refresh rate yet? Are they affordable?

Adaptive sync is nice, but I'm not sure I want to pay the premium for it. If a monitor does come with adaptive sync, though, it would need to be g-sync since I use a nvidia card.

$200-$400 is the preferred price range, but is flexible.

sixpackshaker · Jun 3, 2016

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236313

I had a similar one, long ago, it was a good monitor.

Bubble181 · Jun 3, 2016

I'd recommend the Dell Ultrasharp U2515H, I'm very happy with its slightly smaller cousin...But it's only 60Hz refresh rate.

strawman · Jun 3, 2016

Bubble181 said:
I'd recommend the Dell Ultrasharp U2515H, I'm very happy with its slightly smaller cousin...But it's only 60Hz refresh rate.

I love the dell 4k IPS display I'm using at work, but it doesn't meet the refresh rate. But man, it is pure eye candy.

Plus I can put a ton more code on it at once than with any other monitor. I'm drooling over the 5k monitors now.

Ravenpoe · Jun 3, 2016

stienman said:
I love the dell 4k IPS display I'm using at work, but it doesn't meet the refresh rate. But man, it is pure eye candy.

Plus I can put a ton more code on it at once than with any other monitor. I'm drooling over the 5k monitors now.

Like I said, this is for my gaming rig, and while 4K monitors do look really purdy, they're not very conducive to gaming right now. They lack the refresh rate, and running most games at full tilt at that sort of resolution requires a bank of gpu's big enough to heat an entire village.

Bubble181 · Jun 3, 2016

So....save on your heating bill, heat your shower water with your gpus. I don't see the problem :trolol:

PatrThom · Jun 4, 2016

Hmm. I haven't been up on monitors, even though I also need one. I'm still gaming at 1280x1024, which is a) small and b) only 4:3 aspect ratio.
I can tell you this, though. If NewEgg is to be believed, you can get quality monitors for <$400 but they will only be 1080. If you want something good that is > 1080, you WILL pay > $500 for it (unless you find a hot deal somewhere).

Here is the search I did on NewEgg to narrow the field. Only 9 competitors remain.
If that search expires, here are the criteria I chose:

1080 or bigger
<2ms response time
New only
G-Sync (NVIDIA)

Again, those filters resulted in only 9 results, you should be able to choose from that.

--Patrick

Ravenpoe · Jun 5, 2016

PatrThom said:
Hmm. I haven't been up on monitors, even though I also need one. I'm still gaming at 1280x1024, which is a) small and b) only 4:3 aspect ratio.
I can tell you this, though. If NewEgg is to be believed, you can get quality monitors for <$400 but they will only be 1080. If you want something good that is > 1080, you WILL pay > $500 for it (unless you find a hot deal somewhere).

Here is the search I did on NewEgg to narrow the field. Only 9 competitors remain.
If that search expires, here are the criteria I chose:

1080 or bigger

<2ms response time

New only

G-Sync (NVIDIA)

Again, those filters resulted in only 9 results, you should be able to choose from that.

--Patrick

Trust me, I'm well aquatinted with that search.

In the end, I chose a 2k 144hz TN panel from Dell (gotten off Amazon, since they had a better deal than newegg and was prime shipping eligible). From what homework I did, Dell seems to make pretty good monitors, which surprised me as their PCs are generally laughed at.

So, dude, I'm getting a Dell?

PatrThom · Jun 5, 2016

Ravenpoe said:
Trust me, I'm well aquatinted with that search.

In the end, I chose a 2k 144hz TN panel from Dell (gotten off Amazon, since they had a better deal than newegg and was prime shipping eligible). From what homework I did, Dell seems to make pretty good monitors, which surprised me as their PCs are generally laughed at.

So, dude, I'm getting a Dell?

I usually start my searches at NewEgg not because of their prices, but because of their excellent filtering options.
And yes, Dell does have a reputation for making some very excellent monitors (I know, right?).

--Patrick

Denbrought · Jun 5, 2016

I've unboxed, installed, and maintained hundreds of Dell screens, as well as a lesser amount of Compaq, HP, Asus, Westinghouse... Dell is consistently the best for monitor life, dead pixel rate, PEBCAK issues, etc.