Monitor for £300

[FifthFreedom]

Hi,

I thought this was the one part of my rig I was sure about but reading some threads here has made me less sure.

I was going for the Samsung SM-245B

Computer hardware and software at amazing prices, available online from Scan Computers UK

I primarily want it for gaming but movies and web use too.

I do like the 1900 x 1200 res though because it means I can appreciate games in full glory (with a Q450 and 9800 GX2)

So can anyone tell me whether this monitor will do for me and suggest alterntives?

Many thanks,
FifthFreedom

[hermeticist]

I don`t know what panel this is, but I have an inkling it`s a TN. That`s OK for gaming - fast response. But better panels are SIPs or PVA types (better colour reproduction, viewing angles etc.):

MISCO SAVER 24 WUXGA TFT - Misco.co.uk

This uses SIPS I believe, but overall quality of the product is variable - there has been a lot of discussion on this monitor and similar (from OCUK et al). One of the models has more choice of inputs etc. I`ll try and find out more information for you and post back.

[hermeticist]

This is one thread regarding the Yuraku & c. type monitors:

http://forums.hexus.net/current-barg...210-85inc.html

I`m not suggesting that one of these is necessarily the best for what you will be using your monitor for, but hope it`s of help.

[FifthFreedom]

Ok now I'm looking at the Dell UltraSharp 2408WFP

Is this worth the extra £120?

Does it still suffer from TN pannel issues?

[Thorsson]

Still suffer? I heard they run hot but hadn't seen any issues with the panels.

[rufeo]

Does it still suffer from TN pannel issues?

what do you mean by tn panel issues? afaik all the dell 2408s are pva panels..... there has been reports of quite bad input lag, but alot of people have said they haven't noticed it.

in terms of value compared to the yuraku, its not really worth it in my opinion unless you want extra connections and a adjustable stand. the dell may just win it in the image quality stakes, but whether or not these things are worth 120 quid is up for debate

[hermeticist]

S-PVA according to:

PC Pro: Product Reviews: Dell Ultrasharp 2408WFP

[rufeo]

MISCO SAVER 24 WUXGA TFT - Misco.co.uk

This uses SIPS I believe, but overall quality of the product is variable - there has been a lot of discussion on this monitor and similar (from OCUK et al). One of the models has more choice of inputs etc. I`ll try and find out more information for you and post back.

erm.... pretty sure its also pva panel.... ips panels are really expensive.

[bosh]

I have that samsung and really like it, gives a better quality than my 204b. Only slight thing is it does get very hot.

[hermeticist]

I stand corrected, PVA.

[FifthFreedom]

So the Dell is PVA and is better than the Samsung in the original post (TN)

The issues I was referring to are the crappy viewing angle that TN panels apparently have.

I'm still not sure whether it's worth the extra £120 though as all I get for that money is:

More connections
Better viewing angle
Fancy stand

[staffsMike]

So the Dell is PVA and is better than the Samsung in the original post (TN)

The issues I was referring to are the crappy viewing angle that TN panels apparently have.

I'm still not sure whether it's worth the extra £120 though as all I get for that money is:

More connections
Better viewing angle
Fancy stand

They are some of the most important things to me

Samsung stands are quite good.. especially compared to some of LG's recent efforts but the dell stands are fantastic. I'm not actually sure if the 2408 can, but a lot of the high end dells can turn their screen portrait which is very handy for coding amoung other things I'm sure.

I would say PVA panels give a much better colour representation as well as far better viewing angles.

The connections are something I really like as I use my main monitor as my tv/dvd player and console screen. But if you already have a decent tv then I guess it's not a very useful feature.

[rufeo]

yep the dell can turn the screen into portrait mode. i've got a hyundai w240-pva and its pretty similar to the dell in function. its pva and has a lot of connection and also a fancy stand thats got loads of adjustments. but the dell does have more connections than mine, mostly notably displayport.

viewing angles as stated by staffsmike, will be better than tn panels. the hyundai you can get for under 400 quid, the good thing about the dell is the no dead pixel warranty. basically if you find even just one defective pixel they'll replace it, also its a straight swap iirc none of that return to base first nonsense. but the downside is that it will be more expensive. pva panels at 24" size will more often than not be more than the 300 quid you're willing to spend.

if you need all the features you've stated and don't mind paying the extra money then the hyundai i've got or the dell are very good monitors and definitely better than the samsung imo.

[FifthFreedom]

Righto, the Dell it is.

I'll just wait a while before buying smaller monitors number 2 and 3.

Thanks for your help,

FifthFreedom

[CaseyV9]

So the Dell is PVA and is better than the Samsung in the original post (TN)

The issues I was referring to are the crappy viewing angle that TN panels apparently have.

I'm still not sure whether it's worth the extra £120 though as all I get for that money is:

More connections
Better viewing angle
Fancy stand

I'm looking for a new monitor in the near future aswell.
I'm reading this thread and hearing terms new to me like TN and PVA.
I copied and pasted this on TN:

Many use 6, instead of 8, bits per color, and are consequently unable to display the full 16.7 million colors (24-bit truecolor) available from modern graphics cards. These panels can display interpolated 24-bit color using a dithering method which combines adjacent pixels to simulate the desired shade. They can also use FRC (Frame Rate Control), which quickly cycles pixels over time to simulate a given shade. These color simulation methods are noticeable to most people and bothersome to some[citation needed]. FRC tends to be most noticeable in darker tones, while dithering appears to make the individual pixels of the LCD visible. Overall, color reproduction and linearity on TN panels is poor.

I got this from: Thin film transistor liquid crystal display - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I'm probably looking at a TN and don't know any better.
Reading your threads is teaching me loads.

[DataMatrix]

My Dell is amazing, brilliant colour, excellent refresh, and I got the 4 year next-day replacement warranty for free with it too!

Definately get a Dell.