Desktop monitor

[statsman]

I would like to purchase a new monitor for the Win 10 PC I just had delivered. I currently use a Dell 22" monitor (P2214Hb) on my Win 7 PC, a pretty basic model I've had for 6 years. No HDMI or DVD-I connectors.

I've seen some of the monitors at stores, but it is hard to gauge how it will look once on the desk. This is particularly true when it comes to size. I might go with a 24" (or 25") model, as I am starting to think much larger and the text size might end up looking a bit too small. Seems most good quality 27"+ monitors are 4K. I don't need that much extra screen text.

Any suggestions for a good monitor? I could say price isn't an issue, but it's also my nature not to buy far more than I really need. I'm pretty certain a $100 24" monitor is not going to cut it for me. I'm also fairly certain the $300+ 24" monitors are largely overkill and best reserved for gaming, something I have zero interest in. Browsing, documents, occasional photo editing and videos (not 4K).

 

[jim584672]

I freshened my system with a 32" 2540x1440 monitor. I love the extra screen real estate.

 

[RobbieB]

I put a 43 inch 4K on the wall and sit 2 feet away. It's not too big and takes up zero desk space which allowed the use of a 36 inch 2.1 soundbar under it.

 

[Qs Laptop]

Any suggestions for a good monitor? I could say price isn't an issue, but it's also my nature not to buy far more than I really need. I'm pretty certain a $100 24" monitor is not going to cut it for me. I'm also fairly certain the $300+ 24" monitors are largely overkill and best reserved for gaming, something I have zero interest in. Browsing, documents, occasional photo editing and videos (not 4K).

In my post about the Hisense TV my wife won at her Christmas party someone posted that they bought a Hisense TV with the intention of using it as a computer monitor.

http://www.early-retirement.org/for...ellence-and-a-story-101325-3.html#post2346966

This was intriguing to me. I just looked and the smallest TV Hisense makes is 32". That sounds like it might be too big for your preferences and it's only 720p. It's $149 at Best Buy. A similar TCL TV is $127 on Amazon.

Looking at an inexpensive TV might be an option for you, if you can get one small enough. They have ethernet and HDMI inputs. Just a thought.

 

[statsman]

I freshened my system with a 32" 2540x1440 monitor. I love the extra screen real estate.

That's a sizable increase in monitor size. How close do you sit to the screen? The problem for me at 2540x1440 is the text size on a 27" monitor will appear smaller (at the same viewing distance) than 1920x1080 does on my 22" monitor.

 

[target2019]

With a 25" monitor I tweaked the font size a bit in Windows 10.

 

[jim584672]

That's a sizable increase in monitor size. How close do you sit to the screen? The problem for me at 2540x1440 is the text size on a 27" monitor will appear smaller (at the same viewing distance) than 1920x1080 does on my 22" monitor.

I sit like a normal distance. The fonts are not too small because the extra size. Make sure your video card can handle the resolution for whatever you go with.

 

[GrayHare]

Angle of viewing can be important. Many LED monitors dim significantly unless you gaze down upon them from a high angle. If you prefer to look flat on at the display, check out HP monitors, they used to make some that do not appreciably dim when you look at them directly, and might still sell models like that.

 

[timo2]

How many and what kind of video ports do you have? Windows 10 will run several monitors. I have two 19 inch primary monitors, one arranged portrait for reading emails and documents, and the other positioned landscape for spreadsheets and games.

I also added a 1080p 27 inch tv/monitor for streaming news and sports. That uses an HDMI connection from the PC. My tower came with a couple of HDMI ports, but one quit working after about 4 years so I added a NVIDIA card to run the 27" and the portrait 19".

 

[Jerry1]

I sit like a normal distance. The fonts are not too small because the extra size. Make sure your video card can handle the resolution for whatever you go with.

This is true. I have a good but older PC. It only puts out HD (1920x1080). I wanted a 4K monitor, but it wouldn’t have done me any good to get one unless I upgraded my computer.

If your computer can output in 4K, you should get a 4K monitor.

I like Samsungs. I got this one. It was the best one in my price range that topped out at full HD (1920x1080). It was on sale through the holidays from Costco for $140, normally $180. You might want to wait for the Super Bowl sales coming up.

https://www.costco.com/samsung-32"-class-curved-monitor.product.100416413.html

The 4K version is $400.

 

[statsman]

With a 25" monitor I tweaked the font size a bit in Windows 10.

I'm thinking I may go that route too (enlarging font size in Win 10). My vision, while it corrects to 20/20, requires me to wear progressives. Add in astigmatism correction in one eye, and it's difficult to view the entire 22" monitor without moving my head. Clarity of the peripheral at that distance is a challenge with the progressives I wear (not a problem at normal or driving distances).

 

[statsman]

I sit like a normal distance. The fonts are not too small because the extra size. Make sure your video card can handle the resolution for whatever you go with.

Define "normal" distance. On my 22" monitor, I'm about 20-24" away. For some, that's too close. For others, a bit too far away. As stated in a previous post, viewing monitors with progressive eyeglasses is a challenge. I keep wondering whether to acquire progressive eyeglasses designed for computer viewing distances (monitor/keyboard), but having to switch eyeglasses constantly is a bit of a deterrent.

The Win 10 PC I ordered had a video card that I didn't need, but it was cheaper than configuring a base PC model and adding in a lower cost video card and other components. PC comes with a NVIDIA RTX 2060, capable of 7680x4320@120Hz. One HDMI input, one DisplayPort input, and one dual link DVI input.

 

[braumeister]

I keep wondering whether to acquire progressive eyeglasses designed for computer viewing distances (monitor/keyboard), but having to switch eyeglasses constantly is a bit of a deterrent.

That's what I have. I just keep those glasses at the keyboard. Works beautifully.

 

[Jerry1]

PC comes with a NVIDIA RTX 2060, capable of 7680x4320@120Hz. One HDMI input, one DisplayPort input, and one dual link DVI input.

That will drive anything. I’d get at least 4K. I don’t know anyone who regrets a faster machine or a higher resolution monitor. Get the best you’re willing to spend. Don’t worry about size or being able to see it (font size). Get a nice size one if it will fit in your space (no ones monitor is “to big”) and high resolution depending on your budget. You can always adjust the position and fonts to make it just how you like it.

 

[target2019]

I'm thinking I may go that route too (enlarging font size in Win 10). My vision, while it corrects to 20/20, requires me to wear progressives. Add in astigmatism correction in one eye, and it's difficult to view the entire 22" monitor without moving my head. Clarity of the peripheral at that distance is a challenge with the progressives I wear (not a problem at normal or driving distances).

I sit about 22-24 inches away. Dell U2515H. At 2048 x 1152. I chose this since it can slide on its stand to a few inches from table top. When I look dead center, my head is tilting down slightly. Also, I don't need to rotate my head much to see left and right.

I have a Dell 27 inch attached to a notebook. That is 30" away, and comfortable viewing.

Try a warmer profile when you set up your monitor. That helps me with eye fatigue.

 

[PJHawk]

I have purchased multiple refurbished monitors from Dell. They are still working.

 

[Music Lover]

I connected my computer to my 65" 4K TV and use it from my recliner with a wireless mouse and keyboard. I don't think I'll ever return to a standard computer desk/chair/monitor setup.

 

[USGrant1962]

As Jerry1 said, your RTX 2060 will drive anything you throw at it.

For your specified use I would strongly recommend an IPS monitor. Much sharper/clearer than other technologies (your phone screen is IPS).

I would save a few bucks and go with 2K (2560x1440) and would recommend a 27" monitor. At 2K you won't have to scale up so much in Windows, and for what you are doing 4K doesn't really buy you anything except smaller fonts.

Models like that from Acer, ASUS, Viewsonic run $220-300 on Amazon.

 

[HI Bill]

At w#rk, I have a 31.5-inch LG, a 24-inch Dell (oriented in Portrait Mode), and the laptop's built-in 15" monitor. You can (almost) never have too much real estate.

At home, I just have a 30-inch Dell monitor, which is fine, except for video editing, where I wish I had a second monitor for the menus.

 

[statsman]

As Jerry1 said, your RTX 2060 will drive anything you throw at it.

For your specified use I would strongly recommend an IPS monitor. Much sharper/clearer than other technologies (your phone screen is IPS).

I would save a few bucks and go with 2K (2560x1440) and would recommend a 27" monitor. At 2K you won't have to scale up so much in Windows, and for what you are doing 4K doesn't really buy you anything except smaller fonts.

Models like that from Acer, ASUS, Viewsonic run $220-300 on Amazon.

Thank you for the recommendations. I think my research today led me down the path of an IPS monitor for the sharpness and clarity you mentioned. And while I did start out saying I was looking for a 24-25" monitor, I think 27" would work just fine. 32" may or may not be a bit large given how close I set to the desk.

Since I don't ever anticipate getting into gaming, will a typical 60Hz monitor be sufficient? Or would there be some benefit to one with a higher refresh rate? Seems like those with say 144Hz refresh rates would be overkill, but I am seeing some with 75Hz rates (ViewSonic comes to mind).

 

[W2R]

I connected my computer to my 65" 4K TV and use it from my recliner with a wireless mouse and keyboard. I don't think I'll ever return to a standard computer desk/chair/monitor setup.

Right now, since my cataract surgery, I have no problems seeing things on my 17" Dell laptop. But I am a realist and I expect that sooner or later, I will want to have a big screen TV setup like yours.

I have two (old) big flat-screen plasma TVs that I hardly ever use, one 55" Panasonic and one 60" Samsung. Perhaps I could put of those into service as a computer monitor some day. Not right now, though; I am happy with my 17" laptop screen.

F bought a 32" monitor dirt cheap on a Black Friday sale, and uses that for his computer screen.

Here's something to keep in the back of one's mind for the later years: My brothers arranged a projection system to project my mother's computer screen image onto a big, empty white wall, eight feet high. She loved it! Finally something big enough that she could see it clearly, even in her late nineties, despite her failing vision at that age. I have no idea how they did it but I have about 25 years to figure it out.

 

[badatmath]

I connected my computer to my 65" 4K TV and use it from my recliner with a wireless mouse and keyboard. I don't think I'll ever return to a standard computer desk/chair/monitor setup.

Does that work well for things like browsing this forum? I never really thought of it other than maybe like watching movies. . . but maybe I am missing out!

 

[Music Lover]

Does that work well for things like browsing this forum? I never really thought of it other than maybe like watching movies. . . but maybe I am missing out!

I'm about 8'-9' away and text is perfectly clear and easy to read. It also frees up space where the computer station used to be.

 

[stephenson]

Wife just got flat LG 34” 1440x2560, and I will be getting a curved Viotek 34” 2560 x 3440.

After trying hers, I prefer the curved as it is more ergonomic.

Advantage of this size is that it allows two complete docs to be open at the same time.

 

[USGrant1962]

Thank you for the recommendations. I think my research today led me down the path of an IPS monitor for the sharpness and clarity you mentioned. And while I did start out saying I was looking for a 24-25" monitor, I think 27" would work just fine. 32" may or may not be a bit large given how close I set to the desk.

Since I don't ever anticipate getting into gaming, will a typical 60Hz monitor be sufficient? Or would there be some benefit to one with a higher refresh rate? Seems like those with say 144Hz refresh rates would be overkill, but I am seeing some with 75Hz rates (ViewSonic comes to mind).

Higher refresh is better, but not critical outside of gaming. I would go with 75 over 60 if the price was similar.

I have a 144 hz, low refresh, 2K, 27 incher as my middle monitor for gaming and general use. Flanked by two 144 hz, 1080, 24 inch monitors. But that that adds up to a few bucks.