Whats the next step up from a 24" IPS display?

[LordJezo]

I have had the same monitor now for quite some time, a 24" BenQ that was highly reccomended in it's day and has served me very well for the past 6 or something years I have had it.

As the rest of technology has moved on and my CPU has grown from a Core 2 Duo to an i5, my monitor has remained the same.

So what's next after this? 1440p? 4K? What's the next standard size up after a 24"?

It's time for me to put this guy to rest and move on, so where do I start looking?

 

[KazeoHin]

I grabbed a 40" 4K VA monitor. It will offer you 4x the desktop space and 1.1x the pixel density. Not a good solution for gaming though. For gaming I would recommend one of the plethora of 27" 1440p IPS screens.

 

[Daniel_Chang]

I have had the same monitor now for quite some time, a 24" BenQ that was highly reccomended in it's day and has served me very well for the past 6 or something years I have had it.

As the rest of technology has moved on and my CPU has grown from a Core 2 Duo to an i5, my monitor has remained the same.

So what's next after this? 1440p? 4K? What's the next standard size up after a 24"?

It's time for me to put this guy to rest and move on, so where do I start looking?

It's whatever you want it to be. While you need a new CPU (to a degree) and GPU to play the latest games, you don't need a new monitor. You replace a monitor when you desire to (or when they die). You pick a size and a resolution as your target, and you go from there.

What about your current monitor do you dislike? If it's the size and/or resolution, then it's probably time to upgrade. If you ultimately want the same size/resolution and you're already using an (admittedly older) IPS panel, the upgrade for that isn't going to be as drastic.

So tells us the follow:
-desired screen size
-desired resolution based on your personal tastes and expected performance from your system
-what you don't like or want improved upon in regards to your current monitor
-budget

I'll use myself as an example. I had a 27" 1080p TN with poor image quality. I wanted to stay at 27" or drop down to 25". I had the horsepower for 1440p, but not the budget for it, so I wanted to stay at 1080p. So for me I had to explore the world of VA and IPS. I targeted one of each and bought them, then returned the one that I liked least.

 

[AdamR]

Dare I say it, but modern TN panels are worlds better than what they used to be. I got a S2716DG in, today... I'm quite stunned at the accuracy for a TN panel, compared to my ACD.

 

[KazeoHin]

Dare I say it, but modern TN panels are worlds better than what they used to be. I got a S2716DG in, today... I'm quite stunned at the accuracy for a TN panel, compared to my ACD.

People don't sh** on TN panels much these days for that reason. They still suffer really bad viewing angles, but for PC screens that's not a huge downside.

TN panels also feature in cheap(ish) gaming screens with 100Hz+ refresh rates. so its something to consider. I'm more for colour vibrance and desktop space, so the 4K VA panel was a perfect choice.

 

[Hornet]

Depends on what you do at your PC.

I'm on the same boat too, and my next upgrade I'm saving up for is a 27" 1440p 165Hz G-Sync IPS monitor. I do plenty of fast pace gaming, so high refresh rate and adaptive sync (Freesync if you are running on AMD cards) will benefit me greatly. And I think 1440p is currently a decent resolution that doesn't require multiple top tier GPU to power when it comes to gaming.

Maybe the next generation of GPU from NVidia and AMD will be able to power 4K without having to compromise on quality, but we'll have to wait and see.

If I don't do gaming, I would probably go for 30" and above 4K 60Hz monitor.

 

[Mathematician]

I got a 27" after my 24", then a 34" curved 4k, then a 40" 4k. Each step was nice, but the 34 curve was shorter top to bottom height so it seemed different but not a lot better.

 

[Zepher]

I like the 34" 3440x1440 ultrawide. it works in all the modern games I've played recently. A few older games I tried didn't like the aspect ratio so everything was squished down a bit.
If I didn't have this, I'd probably go with a 40+" 4K screen.

 

[LordJezo]

Depends on what you do at your PC.

Gaming PC. Not twitch FPS stuff, slower paced single player RPGs, MMOs, and 4x type sim games.

So tells us the follow:
-desired screen size
-desired resolution based on your personal tastes and expected performance from your system
-what you don't like or want improved upon in regards to your current monitor
-budget

Screen size -- really just something larger than 24". I sit 12 inches away from the screen so going too large would cause problems and I wouldn't be able to see everything
Resolution -- higher than 1080, lower than 4K because I don't have a super GPU. CPU is a 4690k i5, so that's top notch, but I keep my video card behind the times as I dont want to shell out that kind of cash.
Dislikes of current monitor -- nothing really, its done its job from the time I had a Core 2 Duo cpu, just looking for something with higher resolutions and space.
Budget - Not sure where to start on this one because I don't know what monitor to get. Is anything possible at $300?

 

[Zepher]

$300 may be pushing it.
This Asus 27" 2560x1440 is $408
http://www.amazon.com/PB278Q-2560x1...=UTF8&qid=1452776831&sr=8-3&keywords=27"+asus

Acer for $350,
http://www.amazon.com/Acer-K272HUL-...UTF8&qid=1452777003&sr=8-7&keywords=2560x1440

Acer for $319
http://www.amazon.com/Acer-K272HUL-...UTF8&qid=1452777003&sr=8-7&keywords=2560x1440

looks like you may be able to find something in your price range.

Here is a 25" Ultrawide,
http://www.amazon.com/LG-Electronic...UTF8&qid=1452777114&sr=8-6&keywords=2560x1440
The only problem with this one is the height, it is kinda short.
this is the comparison to a 24" 16:9 screen,
http://displaywars.com/24-inch-16x9-vs-25-inch-21x9
I like the above site as it gives you a nice visual comparison of screen sizes and shapes.

 

[Mokkat]

Affordable 25" 1440p:
http://www.amazon.com/Acer-G257HU-smidpx-25-Inch-Widescreen/dp/B00QS0AKVK

There's also the option of buying a Korean overclockable monitor like Crossover 2795QHD. Cheap case and stand and a single DVI input, but for around 300$ you get a 27" 1440P IPS monitor that is virtually free of input lag and can be overclocked to 96hz. Also no PWM dimming unlike the popular Qnix monitors.

 

[Dan_D]

I have had the same monitor now for quite some time, a 24" BenQ that was highly reccomended in it's day and has served me very well for the past 6 or something years I have had it.

As the rest of technology has moved on and my CPU has grown from a Core 2 Duo to an i5, my monitor has remained the same.

So what's next after this? 1440p? 4K? What's the next standard size up after a 24"?

It's time for me to put this guy to rest and move on, so where do I start looking?

30" 2560x1600 is the next step but that's old. 3840x2160 (4k, 16:9) or 3440x1440 (21:9) is where you want to be.

 

[silent-circuit]

If you save up to about $400, Amazon has a LG 34UM67 34" Ultrawide (21:9) open box, fulfillment through them (so easy return if it's messed up) for $398 shipped. Wouldn't be my first choice since it's 2560x1080 instead of 3440x1440 like higher end 34" 21:9 monitors, but to get that you'd need to spend ~$650, so it's a big step up. I do remember seeing deals getting one of the 34" 3440x1440 LGs down to around $550 over the holidays, but I realize that's a good bit outside your budget.

You could get an off-brand 27" 2560x1440 IPS 16:9 for $300 as well. Yamasaki is a Korean brand, I had one before and it was good quality, apart from the PSU which I had to replace -- I hear they're better now, though, as this was around 2 or 3 years ago. Monoprice also sells a 27" 1440P IPS monitor, and it runs ~$370, but there are usually discount codes (they have a $20 off $100 code right now). The $50 may be worth having a usable US warranty.

There's the Seiki 42" 4K TV, which is an option if you're willing to deal with 4:2:2 chroma. That's really the only way in to 4K in your budget. You'll need to find the firmware update that's floating around, but I hear it is ok (~25ms input lag) after that. There's a thread on it here in HotDeals from when it was on sale at HH Gregg. Sale might still be going, even.

 

[Daniel_Chang]

Gaming PC. Not twitch FPS stuff, slower paced single player RPGs, MMOs, and 4x type sim games.



Screen size -- really just something larger than 24". I sit 12 inches away from the screen so going too large would cause problems and I wouldn't be able to see everything
Resolution -- higher than 1080, lower than 4K because I don't have a super GPU. CPU is a 4690k i5, so that's top notch, but I keep my video card behind the times as I dont want to shell out that kind of cash.
Dislikes of current monitor -- nothing really, its done its job from the time I had a Core 2 Duo cpu, just looking for something with higher resolutions and space.
Budget - Not sure where to start on this one because I don't know what monitor to get. Is anything possible at $300?

Ok, so:
27"
1440p
Like your current IPS panel, so you would likely prefer another IPS
at or below $300

You have two choices, my friend. Either a Korean import, or this:
http://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=113&cp_id=11307&cs_id=1130703&p_id=13808&seq=1&format=2

LG AH-IPs, 27" 1440p, but the build quality is less than ideal, so it's a lottery. On the plus side, USA warranty and return policy (they pay shipping both ways). Might be worth the gamble. NOTE: I've used a Monoprice, but it wasn't this one. I'm going off specs and not actual experience.

 

[LordJezo]

How do I get into the world of Korean import monitors?

 

[cageymaru]

Usually they come with the plug adapter. Make sure that you properly read the description to make sure that it does. Here is the Korean IPS 4K monitor that I want for myself as it supports FreeSync for AMD video cards. Actually I want the 49" and dream of the 55". Of course they come much cheaper as you can get them in smaller sizes. As Mathematician stated you can find them on Amazon also.

 

[MacLeod]

Check out some 120-144 Hz screens, even if they're TN since you're gaming. I kinda discounted them as a fad that all the cool kids were doing and 60 Hz was fine. That is until I bought my BenQ. I'm telling ya, once you go 144 Hz, you won't be able to deal with the choppy mess that 60 Hz looks like. YMMV of course but my 2¢ is I'd rather have a quality TN 144 Hz than a quality IPS 60 Hz.

 

[Criticalhitkoala]

Check out some 120-144 Hz screens, even if they're TN since you're gaming. I kinda discounted them as a fad that all the cool kids were doing and 60 Hz was fine. That is until I bought my BenQ. I'm telling ya, once you go 144 Hz, you won't be able to deal with the choppy mess that 60 Hz looks like. YMMV of course but my 2¢ is I'd rather have a quality TN 144 Hz than a quality IPS 60 Hz.

As someone who owns a 4k 60hz ips. A 144ips. And a TN 144hz. I would rather have an ips 60 over a tn144

 

[Daniel_Chang]

Check out some 120-144 Hz screens, even if they're TN since you're gaming. I kinda discounted them as a fad that all the cool kids were doing and 60 Hz was fine. That is until I bought my BenQ. I'm telling ya, once you go 144 Hz, you won't be able to deal with the choppy mess that 60 Hz looks like. YMMV of course but my 2¢ is I'd rather have a quality TN 144 Hz than a quality IPS 60 Hz.

A friend of mine has a GTX 980ti, and I have a GTX 970. He comes over and can't understand why games on my system look better than on his. A poor quality panel will ruin what you've set out to do with a high end GPU. I have a bang for the buck GPU and a budget monitor. He has a top of the line GPU...and a budget monitor.

This isn't an attack on you. You clearly value the fluidity offered by higher refresh rate panels. I can respect that. But the user we're responding to already stated stated what he wants in a monitor, so most of us are trying to offer suggestions tailored to what he wants.

 

[LordJezo]

You could get an off-brand 27" 2560x1440 IPS 16:9 for $300 as well. Yamasaki is a Korean brand, I had one before and it was good quality, apart from the PSU which I had to replace -- I hear they're better now, though, as this was around 2 or 3 years ago. Monoprice also sells a 27" 1440P IPS monitor, and it runs ~$370, but there are usually discount codes (they have a $20 off $100 code right now). The $50 may be worth having a usable US warranty.
.

Are these korean imports pretty good? Youtube folks seem to like them

Is there a reason there is nothing really available in the USA that can compare?

I think after reading all of this a 27" 1440p IPS is going to be my next step forward.

4K is overkill right now and I cant power anything at that high anyway, so this will be a good stepping stone for a few years.

 

[morningreis]

I grabbed a 40" 4K VA monitor. It will offer you 4x the desktop space and 1.1x the pixel density. Not a good solution for gaming though. For gaming I would recommend one of the plethora of 27" 1440p IPS screens.

Depends what you're into... my 42" 4K Wasabi Mango UHD420 IPS monitor does 120Hz at 1080p, so I have that option, but the rest of the time, this thing is drop dead gorgeous. If I'm playing a game where super high framerate isn't critical, I'll play at 4K and man... it looks so sexy. Colors are incredible.

 

[LordJezo]

What about around $500? Could I get a decent 27" 1440p monitor at that price range?

 

[silent-circuit]

At this point your best bet is still the 27" Korean monitors (if you want to save money) or Dell and LG have 27" 1440P IPS monitors out there for $500-550.

 

[Mokkat]

What about around $500? Could I get a decent 27" 1440p monitor at that price range?

If you are even slightly entertaining the notion of spending a bit more than 300$, the fact that you can get a 1440p 144hz IPS monitor at the pricepoint you mention, the MG279Q, is a nail in the coffin for the Korean import monitors.

I liked my X-Star when I had it (and it was the only way of getting high refresh rate 1440p), but it had a lot of flaws as a product. Even disregarding the superior motion performance, multiple inputs, Freesync etc. of those retail 144hz monitors, I would pay a couple of hundred extra for just for the fact that you can easily return a dead or dead pixel ridden monitor or send it in for repairs, as well as the warranty. You most likely won't replace it until OLED finally hits the market and turns affordable.

 

[LordJezo]

If you are even slightly entertaining the notion of spending a bit more than 300$, the fact that you can get a 1440p 144hz IPS monitor at the pricepoint you mention, the MG279Q, is a nail in the coffin for the Korean import monitors.

Can this be bought new from major places? I am looking at Newegg, Amazon, and others and either everything is used or from random third party sellers.

Also this is Freesync, so that means it is useless for Nvidia, right?

 

[Beast Mode]

Depends on what you will be doing.

For productivity and casual gaming, 40" 4k at 60Hz is the way to go.

For competitive gaming and light productivity, 27" 1440p at 120Hz or higher with gSync or FreeSync. There are a few IPS options available now, so you are not limited to TN panels.

In both cases your video card may be a limiting factor. Not just how powerful it is, but also the outputs it's got.

 

[metempirical]

Im a developer, using sql, visual studio and so on and like to play civ, cities skylines and id like to play stellaris on the new computer. oh and add eurotruck sim & rise of the tomb raider.

would you say the 40" 60hz fits the above better?

 

[realworld]

A bigger screen gives you the most immersion for content consumption. Buy the largest of whatever you can afford. My next display will have to be at least 75".

 

[metempirical]

A bigger screen gives you the most immersion for content consumption. Buy the largest of whatever you can afford. My next display will have to be at least 75".

id imagine that size at 4k would start to feel like looking at a 1080p 42" from 18" looks like - rather pixelated.

 

[RIRed48]

At the 27" size, it seems the two IPS panel gaming monitors that get the most mention are the AcerXB271HU and the Asus PG279Q.

Anyone with first hand experience with either or both... I'm getting one or the other. Son and I play lots of Battlefield 4 with the current rig listed below.

Thanks.

 

[Beast Mode]

Im a developer, using sql, visual studio and so on and like to play civ, cities skylines and id like to play stellaris on the new computer. oh and add eurotruck sim & rise of the tomb raider.

would you say the 40" 60hz fits the above better?

I'd definitely say 40" 4k 60Hz fits your needs assuming you have a decent GPU.

4k is amazing for dev work (I also use visual studio and MySQL occasionally), you get about as much screen real estate as you would with four 1080p monitors. Text will be about the same size as a 1440p monitor at 27" which I think is very comfortable, but it is worth considering whether or not that is too small for you. Scaling works well on later versions of Windows, especially on Windows 10, but if you use it you will be sacrificing some of the extra room you get from 4k.

As for the games mentioned, the only one I have experience with on my 4k display is Cities Skylines. It looked great and ran well enough with maxed out graphical options on my gtx 780 (40 to 60 fps depending on how busy the area in view was). After upgrading to a 980ti it maintains 60fps.

The only time I ever find myself missing my 120Hz+ displays is when I fire up a fast paced, competitive multiplayer game, like CS:GO, Doom 2016 multiplayer, Overwatch (tested during open beta). Super low input lag and high motion clarity definitely gives you an edge here. I recently tested Doom's multiplayer side-by-side with an older Samsung 24" 1080p 120Hz screen next to my 4k Phillips BDM4065UC, and while the image and size of the Philips was definitely preferable, the game was simply easier to play on the speedy little Samsung. Tracking targets and aiming in general felt completely natural. This was reflected in my K/D ratio rising from ~1.5 to over 2.1 over the course of a weekend.