Best cheap PC monitor

[captainsolo]

I've been researching for a new monitor for some time now but can't seem to nail down a particular one for my needs in the $100-150 range. I was thinking IPS is a must for any of our site work but I would like a lowered input lag model as when I plugged my PS4 into an older Dell TN (st2410) panel at work once I was floored by how fantastic the gaming experience was. So then I thought about getting one of these newer TN panels that have increased color to better match IPS panels...but it seems every model I look at has negatives.

Does anyone here have experience in monitor shopping? I'm looking for a 24 to 27 inch monitor that is 1080p or above.

[deleted user]

Just get two monitors and use each for something else. TN for gaming, IPS for color work. Have the same at home, just plug in both monitors into your GPU.

I have a cheaper TN and while I wouldn't say it's absolutely impossible to get anything decent done on it, it's clearly inferior to my IPS. The color depth is smaller, resulting in a kind of "quantization", though it's only noticeable on closer inspection. Arguably the biggest issue is the view angle thing. Depending on the angle from which you're looking at the TN, the colors and contrast are all over the place.

In contrast, the IPS one also has a certain amount of view angle dependency, as you would expect, but in direct comparison with the TN it's so tiny it's almost unnoticeable.

Why is it a problem? Well, with my TN, even when I watch it frontally, the contrast already starts changing towards the corners because I am not looking at them straight. So it's hard to make a judgment like comparing two areas of the image, because you don't have a consistent visual representation across the entire image.

Haven't tried more expensive TN ones. But as you noted, the speed is fabulous and that's why it's my primary one. It's a 144Hz panel and one of the benefits of that is that 144Hz is divisible by 24fps (=6Hz/fps ) and you get extremely smooth playback on most movies. That's such an improvement it even beats the better colors for me when watching movies. Strange huh. Mouse sensor is also super smooth on 144Hz.

[captainsolo]

That's what I was considering doing. Any recommendations? There's a 27" Dell IPS currently going for $119 but then there are highly rated Asus TN panels for $130 but I think those are all 75hz.

[deleted user]

I personally always check out reviews. In my case I didn't really care that much about the quality, so I just ordered the first one that had decent enough reviews. Sites to check here in Germany are amazon and alternate and a few other computer stuff retailers. But if I were really concerned about quality I'd probably go at least visit the store to get an idea of what to expect and what to look out for or what company produces good stuff - and then order online anyway haha. Specs and reviews don't always show the whole picture (in particular true for HDR. Watching youtube videos filmed from HDR displays just does nothing to prepare you for how it actually looks).

As for recommendations, I already said I loved 144 Hz, it's just wonderful (don't forget to turn it on in the GPU panel and use the proper cable, or it just runs at 60Hz). But as for any deeper recommendations on current models, I sadly cannot be of much help. All I would do is check reviews, which you can do yourself. Always check the negative ones first.

Edit: P.S. my monitors are an LG Ultrawide 25UM65-P (IPS) and an Asus VG24BQE (TN). also wanted to note that this Asus TN panel is some kind of "3d ready", which means it can sync with some kind of 3d goggles. It's some NVIDIA technology, don't ask me about it tho.

[spoRv]

My little 55' HDTV (used as monitor) is VA, full LED backlit, and it's wonderful! What's about VA monitors in general? AFAIK they are retention-free, got deep blacks and good colors, even if angle is quite limited...

[deleted user]

Oh, I just remembered, I do have one recommendation. Make sure it doesn't have any unexpected "special features". For example, my LG will turn its background light off whenever the picture is dark. That means that whenever you have a fade to black, you get an additional immediate "dip" from black to complete darkness on the entire screen, which is rather distracting and sadly also sometimes swallows details. This is rather detrimental to watching movies, takes some of the joy out of it by having the display flicker all the time when there are almost black screens. The catch: it cannot be turned off. You would think they wouldn't put such "features" in a 21:9 monitor that is pretty obviously gonna be used to watch movies.

[Beber]

What do you guys think about this monitor ?
https://www.amazon.fr/ViewSonic-Monitor-...way&sr=8-1

Now that I'm learning DaVinci Resolve, I'm considering changing my monitor for a better one, and this one seems pretty good, being already calibrated and whatnot. I read it's a bit limited regarding contrast, but apparently nobody seems to think it's a handicap for pictures, editing and stuff.

[spoRv]

My hint is to go with an UHD monitor, if possible; also, you can think about a "small" UHD TV - dunno which is the smallest one, though, but it "should" be quite cheap in comparison to a smaller monitor. I use my UHD TV as monitor, and, despite being not pefect in comparison to an OLED one, it has the great advantage to be not prone to burn effect, and other few problems an OLED could have; at least, it has its own ones!