"Monitor Geeks" Help to Pick an Ultimate Monitor!

[soloviyko]

Just finished my 5K PC build and realized that my old monitors just wouldn't do it. I'm a total N00B in monitors(just don't have time to do a research), so I'm asking anyone that understands something in them to help me pick a monitor for a triple setup ( on XFX stand). Price is not important. I do lots of gaming and picture/video editing. I'm not interested in 3D, but since im running dual 680s it wouldn't hurt to have it.

[Bazingaman18]

Asus PA248Q since price is not important. It's an IPS monitor with 6ms response time, pre-calibrated, and LED. Good for gaming and great for editing. 3 of them would be amazing. Linus actually did an unboxing of the LCD version of this one the PA246Q but its not very good for gaming.

[Guest]

What's more important? Gaming or Photo editing. If you don't know the reason; IPS panels have better quality in terms of color reproduction but at the expense of refresh and delay whereas 120hz monitors don't have the same quality of colours but refresh at 120hz (120 times a second compared to 60) and have lower delay.

Gaming: BenQ XL24020T's

IPS: Asus PA248Q

[w_km]

If you haven't used 2560x1440 or 1600p, I would highly recommend it. Blows 1080p away and should hold you over until 4K arrives. You could also skip the 3 monitor setup and just use two (one in gaming). Get the Dell U2713HM, Samsung S27A850D, or Asus PB278Q for around $600 and see how you like it. You can always return it if you wanna go back to 1080p.

[soloviyko]

Done some researching and I think my setup will look like this. For my triple gaming setup 2 BenQ XL24020T's with XL2420TX in the middle since it has 3D reciver built in and for Photo/Video editing a 27inch (2560x1440) Dell U2713H to preview my work, but keep all tools on BenQs. I'm 100% be going with BenQs for gaming, but I'm unsure about Dell, some reviews say there are problems with backlight. Any comments or alternatives?

[Ohmycaptain]

I personally own the Samsung S27B970D PLS monitor, and have to say it is better than any offerings by Dell HP or Asus in my opinion.

As for your gaming monitors, if you're doing a triple monitor set up I don't recommend 120hz TN panels. TN in eyefinity/surround looks like garbage, and even with 2 680's you ;likely won't be pushing most games in 5760x1080 at more than 60fps.

If you're going for three 24" panels in surround, I'd personally go for the PA248Q from Asus or the Dell U2412M, coming from personal experience (specifically with the Dell ones), I've used 120hz TN panels in eyefinity, it was not enjoyable.

[GoodBytes]

U2713H is brand new.. like new new... looks like it has production problems. Also different country, different manufacture. This is very important to know. Issues from Europe aren't same for Canada. That is why if you look at latest revision number of a monitor, each country or region have completely different numbers.

You should wait at least a months or two, to be on the safe side if it affects here. But, also remember that you can return your Dell monitor if it has an issue. Shipping will be paid for you by Dell. They'll e-mail you a pre-paid shipping label, you just print it, get some transparent tape, and stick on the monitor box.

If you want to be safe, the excellent Dell U2711 is an excellent choice. I know no one that isn't satisfied with this monitor. It's the older version (will soon be discontinued) of the U2713H, but all the issues are solved long ago. You also have more inputs, support for picture-in-picture, better stand actually (but you can't put the monitor into portrait mode). Most money of the U2713H is due to the 14-bit programmable Look Up Table, and the new GB-LED back light (not RGB-LED. GB-LED. It's green and blue LED with a red phosphore layer applies to output a white light). This NOT to be confused with White-LED garbage.

Which is light-blue LED with a coating of white phosphor to try and get a white light.. but cheap phosphor it used to reduce cost. Resulting in the famous blue tint on all color effects, mostly visible on white.

GB LED, like RGB LED, and high grade CFL (what the U2711 uses) provide you wide gamut support, and "true" whites, giving no blue-tint to any colors.

Last difference, is that the U2713H has a USB 3.0 hub, support DisplayPort 1.2, so that means you can daisy chain another monitor all from 1 plug form your GPU (if your GPU support this feature and is DisplayPort 1.2 compliant). And that's about. Both monitors uses true 8-bit panel with 10-bit color with AFRC via DisplayPort.

All current Dell UltraSharp series that you see now on Dell site, all uses LG IPS panel (H-IPS or AH-IPS), except the U2412, U2312H (basically the cheap models), which uses eIPS panels.

Dell U2713H, U2713HM, U2711, U2410 all uses true 8-bit panels per channel (red, green and blue are channels).

Dell U3011 uses a true 10-bit panel

Dell U2412 uses 6-bit panel, like all eIPS panels (e for economy)

ASUS PB278Q uses a true 8-bit panel

Here is the difference between the U2713H and the ASUS PB278Q

- The U2713H and U2711 have better sRGB color calibration out of the box than the ASUS one.

- ASUS monitor does not have Adobe RGB as it is a standard gamut monitor

- ASUS PB278Q uses the standard cheapo backlight technology: white LED backlight, while the U2711 uses high grade CFL backlight for true whites, and the U2713H uses RGB LED.

- PB278Q does not support daisy chaining feature of DP 1.2

- PB278Q backlight uniformity is really good at the center, but not as good on the edges.

- If anything is wrong with the monitor, with ASUS, YOU HAVE to pay shipping to send this big monster of display to ASUS (won't be cheap), while Dell will pay everything. Also, with Dell, you get to keep the monitor on your desk until you receive your replacement one.. so you always have something to use... you won't have to wait over a week without a monitor. You receive your Dell replacement monitor, you just swap them, and you'll find in the box of the monitor a pre-paid shipping label, just stick it over the old one, and call the mail carrier to pick it up. That simple.

- ASUS warranty: If fault within 7 days, it's a new replacement monitor. With Dell it's 15 days.

0 bright pixel warranty on both, 5 dead pixel or mode with ASUS, 6 dead pixel or more for Dell.

Hope this makes your decision better for you.

For me, I would get the Dell U2713H. It's a better monitor.