I don’t have any recommendations myself but I’m interested to hear from people using large monitors.
After several yeas of using two 24 inch 1920x1080 monitors I switched to one 32 inch 2560x1440. I found that with two monitors I was turning my neck a lot which was quite uncomfortable.
I would like a bit more space, but I don’t think I could use 4K resolution without a larger physical screen, and I’m not sure how much bigger I could go without experiencing discomfort from having to turn my head.
My TV is 40 inches, and I can’t imagine using a monitor that big. On the other hand, my last TV was 32 inches and it seemed big when I got it and now a monitor of the same size is starting to feel small.
I’ve been mostly working from home since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and during that time my employer has introduced hot-seeking. Now instead of having my own 32 inch monitor in the office or even my old employer-provided 2 x 24 inch IPS screens, I have to use whatever 22 inch screens are on the desk I’m able to book. At least most are new 1920x1080 IPS panes, but some are lower resolution TN panels. It’s not the end of the world, but it certainly makes me even less enthusiastic about coming into the office and less productive when I’m there.
I do not play games so that is one reason screen size is not important to me. The only reason I have a gamer computer is that I get hand-me-downs from my son. He gets a new one, top of the line every couple years and I get the old one. It may be 2+ years old but still better than any I would buy for myself new. Nice for editing photos.
My current favourite monitor is a 1998 Iiyama Vision Master Pro 400 CRT. I do like flat screens as well, but there’s something about a CRT that’s hard to replace
I used a Samsung 2443BW for the 1920x1200 goodness for many, many years. Earlier this year I purchased an Asus VG279 27” IPS 144Hz for my sons computer, main purpose gaming with a GTX970. Didn’t get full 144Hz FPS advantage with that card but just using it in desktop got me hooked on smooth frames so I got one for my PC as well.
I miss the extra lines but it’s a great screen and my GTX980 won’t cope that well with higher resolution so didn’t see the point in going over 1080 for a new screen.
New GPU’s are stupid exxy so my son got very lucky when, a month or so after we got the 1st VG279, my colleague at work scored a 3070 and let us have their old Asus Strix GTX1070 for below market rates. We still on oldish hardware, 4690K @ 4.2GHz but it does the job.
I’ve only bought one monitor in over 10 years so i have none for comparison.
But i can say avoid Dell, the quality control sucks (this is the 4th monitor, the 3 previous replaced under warranty) and their customer service is extremely outsourced and feeble and a headache to deal with.
As I said above, I use an LG 43” 4K screen at work and I like it a lot.
Tips:
Some monitors only support their highest refresh rate over DisplayPort. Make sure the monitor you want will do 60Hz over a connection your computer supports natively. (adapter cables exist but may cause display driver weirdness)
Have a deep desk so the monitor isn’t too close making you crane your neck and blasting your eyes with light
Adjust the HDR settings of Windows to be comfortable for you too look at.
Be comfortable managing windows using the Snap feature in your OS. I don’t recommend the third party software included for tiling windows; it can make things more awkward at times.
Make use of virtual desktops for applications that benefit from being full screen on a 43” monitor and learn the keystrokes for flipping between the virtual desktops
High refresh rate and low-blur is important to me, so several years ago I scored a Dell 2716DGR on sale at Micro Center. Now it over 2X as expensive as what I paid!! No way I’d buy it for that price, but glad I stepped up to 1440p when I did.
With slight tweaking of the RGB balance it has scored fairly well on color for a TN display when tested, and the viewing angle is well within what I need for a monitor that I stay fairly close to when using it.
Absolutely no way I would go back to 60hz unless absolutely necessary. The monitors at work seem atrocious now in comparison after years of using 120hz+ at home.
Is your primary application gaming or productivity? I plan to upgrade to a higher refresh rate for gaming at home eventually. I don’t see how it would help me at work though.
What a coincidence topic, one of my 4yr old Samsung monitor went quietly dead on me yesterday. Display was well taken care of.without a single dead or dark pixels. Strangely, they were no tell tale signs of failing either.
Got the high-refresh/low latency for gaming, but it just feels so much better for everything else too. Like going from a constant current light to one with pretty bad PWM honestly. Once you’ve experienced the better one you can’t help but constantly notice the difference when going back to the worse, even if it’s not really a “usability” issue.
Doesn’t help at work that the mice they have hooked up on several machines have the feet super worn and seem to have terrible sensors. I really do have problems clicking on small buttons, etc. sometimes lol
I’m really leaning toward a 49” 32:9. I don’t do much gaming or watching movies and I’d love to be able to have a few massive spreadsheets and two code editing windows
The SYSADMIN for the company upstairs has one like this. He thinks the purchasing Dept. had a moment of weakness to let him get one.
Lets him keep track of the various goings on and has plenty of room for coding and testing.
I’ve got a 32” Cheap Toshiba 4K with a pair of 1600x1200 in portrait mode one on each side.
I must say, that once you have a bunch of pixels to play with, it’s hard to go back to a smaller display.
So many Windows to work in - So little time….
And at last Windows can (almost) scale a screen as well as Mac or Linux has be able to do for years.
All the Best,
Jeff
Noticed quite a few new 27" monitors FHD recently selling at very affordable pricing which makes me wondering. Glad i have done my homework before ordering one. "Black smearing" behavior is just as bad as low PWM for flashlight.
I adore the Razer monitor I purchased; it is the greatest I’ve ever had in terms of overall quality, value for money, performance, and aesthetic. I truly enjoy it, and despite owning far more costly units in the past, I would not swap it for any of them. Also, 27” is, in my opinion, the sweet spot for single-player games as well as general productivity.
I am using an Acer 27” FHD. I bought it with some discount that came with my purchase of an Acer notebook computer.
Based on my experience, when in doubt, get a larger monitor than what you initially wanted. Check whether your PC or notebook computer has the necessary technical capacity to deliver better colours beyond full HD.
Curved monitor is unnecessary if you are not a gamer.
And usually, a better monitor at about the same price will emerge in just about two years. So, no need to invest too much.
U4320Q is what I have, but I wouldn’t suggest buying it unless you’re buying a calibration tool with it.
The real contrast is only 600:1 and greys were red prior to calibration. Native color is almost pure blue @ 11,000k or higher.
Whatever you do, never buy OLED. Mine burned after 2 months, Linus’ burned after 6.
It took me months to sell it for $250. I’m still pissed off. OLED should be illegal or price fixed @400.
Generally speaking, you’ll probably want a curved screen if you go larger than 43, unless it’s microled or oled. 4k isn’t worth it under 40 inches.
No way I’d buy it for that price, but glad I stepped up to 1440p when I did.
