School me on current IPS monitors

[VR6ix]

I'm tired of staring at this 17" CRT from the turn of the millennium. Can't afford a big plasma or LCD television screen for my computer. So, I'm looking at IPS screens in the 23"-24" range. I don't have TV service, all my media is played on the computer.

Keep coming back to Asus PA248Q and PA246Q. The 246 ($480+tx) is $180 more after sales tax than the 248 ($310+tx), and from what I can tell uses a much better display panel in terms of performance and quality. I'm seeing a lot of hit-or-miss reviews of real-world 248Q ownership in terms of colour and flickering.

But $500+ for a monitor seems like crazy talk... that $200 difference will buy tons of TN panels alone!

Can anyone comment on IPS panels from other brands? HP has similarly priced models... Acer has cheaper models but I question the quality... Phillips any good?

I'm going for caviar performance on a fish-sticks budget, lol MUST be IPS panel! Hugely prefer full 1920x1200 instead of 1080... cheers

[georgekelp]

Haven't been in the loop for a while, but several years ago a buddy of mine was looking for an IPS monitor. He does graphic design work so it color quality was important to him. Both of us did some research and he ended up with a Dell.

They have a 23" for $299, but the resolution is 1080. http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/p...n&sku=320-2807

They also have a 24", which has the 1200 resolution you are looking for, and it is $329. http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/p...n&sku=320-2676

Both are height adjustable and have portrait and landscape mode, and reviews seem to be pretty good.

I'm sure you've come across this list, but it is of IPS monitors available now: http://www.pchardwarehelp.com/guides/s-ips-lcd-list.php

[Hostile]

I still love my Dell 2407FPW, I paid like $630 for it 6 years ago with some stacking Dell coupons.

EDIT: The picture is still perfect with no dead pixels. It does have a funky issue when I power it on. Sometimes there are flashing thin red lines across the screen. Turning it off and back on always corrects it. I guess it might just be showing its age.

[VR6ix]

thanks guys... I looked into Dell.ca and we actually get better deals up here in Canuckistan than down in the USA - blew my mind, I thought it would be the other way around. That 24" U2412M is $30 less up here than down in the States.

Both those Dell panels suggested are 16.7m colours (sorry... "colors" lol).
The Asus 246Q panel is 1.07 billion... a bit faster (6ms vs 8ms) and brighter (400 vs 300cd/m²)

What makes the Asus panel better, and can I find the same panel in a different brand monitor for less than $500?

The only Dell panel that features the same 1.07B colours is a 27" 2560 x 1440 and it's wayyyy out of my price range (U2711, $730)

cheers, I'll keep hunting around...

[georgekelp]

The only Dell panel that features the same 1.07B colours is a 27" 2560 x 1440 and it's wayyyy out of my price range (U2711, $730)

Actually the U2410 from Dell has the higher color pallet.

But overall it is looking like limiting to the 16:10 ratio with the 10-bit color pallet is going to keep the price around the $500 mark.

[Power5]

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1678985

I got the shimian version and could not be happier. I have one dead pixel, about 2" above start menu icon. Never see it and only visible on an all white screen. Only found it on my second search for a dead pixel. No OSD menu, only has 2 working buttons on the back to control brightness. Only has a DVI connector as well. If none of that turns you off, its a great unit. Mine has been flawless, though its a monitor so as long as it turns on, what can really go wrong. And at $330 shipped in a weeks time from Korea, I can not complain. I will never go back to less than 1440 resolution. I just wish I had more desk space for a second and third. 3 would be the same cost as a single dell ultrasharp.

[Slowkums]

caviar performance on a fish-sticks budget

Yamasaki Catleap Q270 SE.

27", 2560 x 1440 resolution, led backlight, S-IPS panel.

They've been going for $400-ish on ebay.

Like what power5 posted, just a different name.

[Vision33r]

Don't buy any IPS monitor right now, after xmas Asus will have their 27" IPS QHD monitors out cheap followed by all the other makes.

By next year this time, you can find 27" QHD for ~$249

[Power5]

$400???

I got mine from this guy:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/320879998554...#ht_8229wt_802

Less than a week from payment to hooked up.


Why wait till next year at this price? I find it hard to believe that Asus will have a "cheap" monitor when the cheapest in any retail store is an Auria for $399
http://www.microcenter.com/product/3...PS_LED_Monitor
Looks worse than mine for sure but may be better panel. Says it has 1.07billion color support. Not sure what "support" means though.

[VR6ix]

thanks guys. I'm not sold on off-brand stuff yet... I'm looking into it, but, very apprehensive... like I said I want a really good panel for cheap but if I wanted anything "right now" I'd be down at BestBuy long ago!

I'll keep researching the off-brand panels. Plenty of reading out there apparently:
http://forums.redflagdeals.com/merge...-ebay-1146004/

In the mean time, and what I'm kinda getting at, is: what specific panel is in that Asus 246Q and can I find that panel in another "name brand" display at a better price? or any other specific panels to look for regardless of the logo on the plastic bezel?

Now, just to make things worse... if I can find a good, cheap, smaller panel, I might get 2 of those instead of 1 bigger one... dun dun dunnnn

[spoonie]

fwiw, i spent $500 each on dell 2005FPW screens way back in the day - and they're still working perfectly.

fantastic screens with great colour representation if you're doing print work.

i'm sure the new(er) ips monitors are even better. this is one range dell probably hasn't screwed up.

[NoDubJustYet]

Don't buy any IPS monitor right now, after xmas Asus will have their 27" IPS QHD monitors out cheap followed by all the other makes.

By next year this time, you can find 27" QHD for ~$249

ORLY?

I hope you're right!

[Power5]

In the mean time, and what I'm kinda getting at, is: what specific panel is in that Asus 246Q and can I find that panel in another "name brand" display at a better price? or any other specific panels to look for regardless of the logo on the plastic bezel?

Now, just to make things worse... if I can find a good, cheap, smaller panel, I might get 2 of those instead of 1 bigger one... dun dun dunnnn

Panel in my Shimian is an LG A-. I believe the apple uses the same panel but an A+. Either way, LG panel in a piece of plastic with the name shimian instead of Asus. Really all you lose with these korean ones is the OSD and extra buttons and ports. Not important if just using as a computer monitor. Sure if it dies I am out of luck, but at the price paid, I can have at least 2 fail before I get to Dell Ultra Sharp territory. Again, you can walk into Microcenter if you have one and get the version they have. Then buy the extended warranty and still be way way cheaper than a brand name with no real risk.

[LordBass]

I like the HP ZR2440w. Not quite fish sticks budget ($399 retail) but a very nice professional screen for the money. I have the previous model at work and love it.

[VR6ix]

Dell U2410: Tell me why I shouldn't pick-up a barely-used example from the local classifieds right now for $350-$400.

1920 x 1200
6ms, 400 cd/m²
1.07 billion colors

I'm coming up short on reasons not to buy, except for it being 2 years old technology... also coming-up short on reasons to crap-shoot the modern second-rate Asia panels that APPL didn't want (dead pixels on a "budget $400" 27" panel WILL cause me to go mental)

[georgekelp]

The Dell U2410 is $450 right now new. http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?cs=19&c=us&l=en&sku=320-8277

But if you could get one for 300-350 I'd say a used one would be worth it.

[VR6ix]

The U2410 was pricing out at $550 on the Dell websites. I picked-up a used twice, all original packaging deal for $400 on the weekend.

WTF, I just checked Dell again, and now it's $100 off! $450! gah... oh well. Still think I did OK, it's brand new & no shipping, for less than sticker price and $120 less than the Asus 246 panel with sales taxes.

This thing is big, bright and clear! Much like a proper set of stereo speakers, it really shows all the underlying deficiencies of your source materials that were masked by old junk before - who wants my old 1024x768 CRT?

[georgekelp]

who wants my old 1024x768 CRT?

Ha. You'll probably have to pay to get rid of that thing.

[VR6ix]

Because pixel pitch, budget, and performance is why I stayed away from TV panels. I sit on a couch but only 3 feet away from this monitor and it's great. You tend to notice a LOT of details when you're right up in the thing, and that's just my preference. No way a TV can match the detail at close viewing distances, not for $400.

1920 x 1200 matters to me... color performance isn't a deal breaker, but I do a bit of photog editing and really appreciate the benefit. I use my computer for everything, no cutting-edge gaming but it's a mix of everything: internet, video/media, CAD, photos, old games, etc.

I could have been at BestBuy weeks ago with my credit card. I have room for a 50"+ panel, but no budget for that...

[umeng2002]

Bought my HP LP2475w back in 2008 I think. Best decision I've made since I also game and watch movies on my computer. For something you spend a lot of time staring at, it makes sense to get a display with great colors, etc. I even bought a calibrator. Even after these 4 years, it still looks great and doesn't have one dead pixel.

[Power5]

Glad you are happy with what you got. Thats what matters. I am over the moon with mine and I sit at my desk from about the moment I walk in the door from work till bed time. Watching TV/Movies, surfing the net, or playing games. If I had gotten a dead pixel in the middle, it may have bugged me, but probably still would not have noticed it too much except for when I was typing responses on vortex where the screen is basically all white. Now, at stuck pixel would irritate the hell out of me. Great thing is I can have 3 forum pages open at the same time without too much content loss. 2 Wide is no problems at all. I wish I could have afforded a 30".