Gaming Monitor Recommendations

ZeitgeistGlee

Hey guys,

Looking to get a new monitor to replace an old 19" LG LCD that I've been using for about the last 4 years but to be honest I'm a bit rusty when it comes to monitor tech specs so I was hoping someone here might be able to direct me to the best bang for my buck.

I've got a budget of about €150-€200 (preferably closer to the former but willing to stretch to the latter if needs be) and looking for a screen size of about 23"-24". Saw this in the bargain alerts thread and it seems to be right on the money for what I'm looking for but I'd like to hear any alternatives within the same range (or confirmation that I should dive in and get the Dell).

I do moderate gaming (Skyrim, GW2, SWTOR, Civ5, Planetside 2) and watch a lot of videos (stopped watching TV a good while back) so something which performs well for both. My current computer is about 3 years old (Dell XPS 420) with some minor upgrades (PSU and graphics card after a surge) but I'll be replacing it with a custom build in the new year with a budget of probably around €700-€750. Have an old but decent set of Creative 5.1 speakers so I don't need a monitor with built-in speakers.

Cheers pre-emptively for any replies.

Serephucus

Well you've done all the work! Get that monitor.

It's the one everyone here will recommend, mainly because it's a very good IPS* panel, with plenty of features, at a very good price.

*IPS refers to the type of panel that's used in the monitor. TNs are in the bulk of them. They're cheap, fast (in terms of response times), have limited viewing angles, low contrast ratios, and not-so-great colour reproduction. IPS panels on the other hand have amazing viewing angles, excellent colour reproduction, and response times that are almost as good as TNs.

To give you an idea: Everyone here who's switched to an IPS display has said they're never going back to TN, and I'm the same; the three things I can't stand not having in a computer now, are SSDs, dedicated sound, and - yup - IPS displays.

No panel type is best, they all offer compromises.

You need to decide what set of compromises suits your own needs best. Do you watch more movies than gaming? Do you do more graphic work than movies? Do you view your monitor in the dark ? etc.

People like to bash TN but many gamers are sticking with them for the response times.

IPS has the advantages mentioned above but on the downside the contrast ratio is poor (no better than TN and often worse) and they suffer from IPS glow when viewed in the dark.

For movies that may be a problem - if you have ever watched a night scene and couldn't see a damn thing that was happening, poor contrast ratio was probably the reason.

In that case a modern AMVA panel may be a better choice. Dell S2440L is an example of the new AMVA panels, genuine static 3000:1 contrast ratio compared to a rubbish 700:1 of the Dell U2312HM you linked above. Its also an 8-bit panel unlike the 6-bit Dell. On the downside the viewing angles are not as good as an IPS and the response time is approximately the same.

http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/dell_s2440l.htm
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/dell_u2312hm.htm

I think BenQ GW2450HM uses the same AUO AMVA panel as the S2440L and is about £130

ZeitgeistGlee

Thanks for your thoughts guys, kinda wish they weren't so opposed though.

Doing a bit more looking around online there seems to be a lot of divide on TN vs IPS mostly centring around the TN having better response times vs the IPSs better colour and contrast. I have to admit I've never had any response time trouble with my old monitor (coupled with a fairly basic 430GT card) and I'm not a big FPS fan so extremely low response/input times aren't really important to me but at the same time I want to avoid ghosting/stuttering. I notice as well Acer, Asus, Viewsonic and BenQ seem to be the most roundly recommended (though the Dell Ultrasharps are also well recommended where they pop up).

Been looking on Amazon a bit more and going to throw up a few more from my price range and see what people think.

Acer S240HLbid
- 24"
- £125 reduced from £250.

Acer S235HLbii
- 23"
- £129 reduced from £161

Samsung S24B300HL
- 23.6"
- TN+Film
- £150 reduced from £250

BenQ GW2450HM
- 24"
- VA LED
- £133

ASUS VE248H
- 24"
- £150 reduced from £190

ASUS VE247H
- 24"
- £139 reduced from £169

ASUS VS248H
- 24"
- £165 reduced from £175

ASUS VS247H
- 24"
- £153 reduced from £172

iiyama ProLite X2472HD
- 24"
- £155 reduced from £196

[url=]iiyama E2475HDS-B ProLite[/url]
- 24"
- £136 reduced from £155

Someone online said there was a lot of trouble with the VX24XX series from ASUS, anyone heard/experienced the same? Staying away from the Viewsonic ones, to be honest the bezel looks really unattractive based on the pictures.

At the moment I'm weighing up mostly between the Acer S240HLbid, the Samsung S24B300HL and the BenQ GW2450HM along with the Dell U2312HM.

Tea_Bag

my housemate has the Acer S240HLbid and its pretty decent. I was quite surprised by how good it was actually for the price.

I've used the Dell u23, and its good. I didn't like the film on it though. compared to a catleap its a bit dull I guess. I wish I had more time to play with it though, to see if I can live with it.

I've owned a similar iiyama, and its not worth £155. the Acer is a much better buy than both iiyamas.

honestly, you only hear praises about the u23. I only got 30min with it I'm sure a bit of fiddling would improve it. I'm quite spoilt with the catleap which is the only other IPS I can compare to it.

Serephucus

I'd still go with the Dell, personally. I'm looking at a good TN panel (Dell 2208WFP) and a U2412M (very similar to U23) side by side at the moment, and there's just no comparison. The TN might be a bit faster with respect to motion blur, but the 2412 is just so much nicer looking it's not even funny.

ZeitgeistGlee

Ended up buying the Dell one, hoping it'll arrive on Friday but likely probably next Monday/Tuesday. Cheers for all the help guys, fingers crossed I won't have any trouble with it.

HotSwap

Hi Guys,

I have built the PC that you helped out with here. And now I need a monitor too. I'm considering buying 2 of the 23'' Dells linked to above, would total 375 Euro. I will be using for gaming, and I would like to have a dual monitor setup for when I'm getting a bit of work done.

I am also considering the "Asus PB278Q 27" as it has had some very good reviews. But at a total of 500 + Euro I would only be getting the one.

I have the 7950 graphics card.

Am I mad to even consider the ASUS at that price?

Regards,

HS.

Tea_Bag

HotSwap wrote: »

Hi Guys,

I have built the PC that you helped out with here. And now I need a monitor too. I'm considering buying 2 of the 23'' Dells linked to above, would total 375 Euro. I will be using for gaming, and I would like to have a dual monitor setup for when I'm getting a bit of work done.

I am also considering the "Asus PB278Q 27" as it has had some very good reviews. But at a total of 500 + Euro I would only be getting the one.

I have the 7950 graphics card.

Am I mad to even consider the ASUS at that price?

Regards,

HS.

yes. get a catleap instead.

here

HotSwap

Would this be what you would recommend as the best gaming monitor if there were no budget restrictions?

Thanks!

Tea_Bag

yes. the only monitor i consider as an upgrade would be the Dell U3011. I have a catleap. ive convinced 3 friends to get them. I might get another.

HotSwap

That monitor will actually be coming from Korea? Have there been issues with ordering them?

HS.

ShadowHearth

Tea_Bag wrote: »

yes. get a catleap instead.

here

Did catleaps dropped in price a bit? Is that seller is still from Korea and need import duties?

Tea_Bag

HotSwap wrote: »

That monitor will actually be coming from Korea? Have there been issues with ordering them?

HS.

yea. do a search for a thread i started called Yamakasi Catleap club, it'll explain most things. I apologise for the poor OP of it, ive been meaning to update it to be more factual... interesting.

basically, you risk getting dead pixels, light bleeding, DOA and stung by customs. its a risk, im not going to lie. 2 of my friends got a dead pixel. i didnt. the reward is a monitor with a panel identical to the Apple Cinema Display 27", with a slightly dodgy frame and better refresh rates. it is only €300 though, and the apple version is >€1000.

do a bit of research before you hit the buy button. its not for everyone. and some people have been severely stung by customs. I got off scott free cause I was one of the first in the country (that I know of) to own one. customs literally had no idea what to charge, so a few weeks after I had it I got a request for €40 that they never followed up on. I didnt pay.

The reward far outweighs the cons imo. Its by far the best monitor ive ever used, and ive been through more than the average person. if it died today, id have another ordered while performing CPR.

ShadowHearth wrote: »

Did catleaps dropped in price a bit? Is that seller is still from Korea and need import duties?

they fluctuate substantially. back when I bought it, I paid $358 iirc. Its not that far off it now, so if youre planning to order now is the time i guess. It hasnt dropped below $360 in a long time cause there is quite a demand for it. they've actually released 22, 23 & 24" versions (1080p only).

I can recommend the sellers Samsung_Korea (where i bought it), Bigcloth, and Green Sum, personally. avoid EMS delivery as no one that I know of has slipped through customs so far. They hand it over to An Post too.

Id budget €50-€80 customs either way. if you get less/none, consider it a discount and youre lucky.

ZeitgeistGlee

Figured I'd chime back in here now that I've been using my new monitor for a while and got used to it. After fiddling with the colour settings (got a new colour profile from TFT Central) a little bit it's a pleasure to watch movies/play games on. Would recommend it in a heart-beat to someone else.