Help me decide!

[Flowey]

So there is basically 2 options for me here. I've got around 350-400 CAN to spend on a monitor, been saving for a few months now.

First option is I get myself a freesync 144hz TN 1080p monitor (right now looking at this for 339.99$: http://bit.ly/1PvpqSQ)

Second option is I buy a 144hz IPS 1080p for 299.99$ (currently looking at this : http://bit.ly/1U5OvUE)

So, which one do you think has more value for my money? From what I researched quite a few months ago I believe freesync is worth 100$ in itself, but a TN panel has much less "wow!" to it's color depth then an IPS panel, right?

Also, do you think going from a 60hz to a 144hz is worth it?

THX GUYS!

 

EDIT : bit.ly links are for newegg.ca if you don't trust me

[rafazafar]

Do you know anyone with a color calibration tool ? If so that TN panel might not look so bad after calibration.
 

[Flowey]

1 minute ago, rafazafar said:

Do you know anyone with a color calibration tool ? If so that TN panel might not look so bad after calibration.
 

Don't know shit about calibration I'll be honest here, my thought about panels came from this picture : 

[rafazafar]

4 minutes ago, Flowey said:

Don't know shit about calibration I'll be honest here, my thought about panels came from this picture : 

Its not this easy to evaluate it sadly
Every TV is different. some are surprisingly good. But i would say alot of em need calibration. 
Not saying that IPS panels dont need it, they just tend to come with better factory calibration.

If that AOC TN Monitor is using the same panel as the european equivalent, then i have actually bought one few months back for a customer. It was in desperate need for a calibration, but performed decently well. Its no IPS, but aint bad either.

Calibration is really easy nowadays with consumer friendly tools like spyder4/5express.
But yeah thats gonna cost you. you could try to find ICC colour profiles online for that monitor and just apply it.

TL;DR . its something u have to decide  I love freesync with FPS and games like witcher, just feels more respondsive and smooth. If you tend to watch movies or youtube alot too, then the IPS might be a better deal.

[Flowey]

1 minute ago, rafazafar said:

Its not this easy to evaluate it sadly
Every TV is different. some are surprisingly good. But i would say alot of em need calibration. 
Not saying that IPS panels dont need it, they just tend to come with better factory calibration.

If that AOC TN Monitor is using the same panel as the european equivalent, then i have actually bought one few months back for a customer. It was in desperate need for a calibration, but performed decently well. Its no IPS, but aint bad either.

Calibration is really easy nowadays with consumer friendly tools like spyder4/5express.
But yeah thats gonna cost you. you could try to find ICC colour profiles online for that monitor and just apply it.

TL;DR . its something u have to decide  I love freesync with FPS and games like witcher, just feels more respondsive and smooth. If you tend to watch movies or youtube alot too, then the IPS might be a better deal.

yeah I game a shitton, to be honest I think I'll go for freesync over IPS. Right now I'm gaming on some old crappy monitor which I don't even think fits into today's LCD panels category but the colors are still amazing.

 

By the way, is color calibration just like back in the days when you bought a plasma TV? I remember plugging the thing in for like a full day just displaying colors to calibrate it?

[rafazafar]

2 minutes ago, Flowey said:

yeah I game a shitton, to be honest I think I'll go for freesync over IPS. Right now I'm gaming on some old crappy monitor which I don't even think fits into today's LCD panels category but the colors are still amazing.

 

By the way, is color calibration just like back in the days when you bought a plasma TV? I remember plugging the thing in for like a full day just displaying colors to calibrate it?

In general its setting the monitor to is most neutral "default settings" and then using a colorimeter to get a ICC Profile that will apply the colour correction into windows so that what you see on screen will be closer to the actual colours.

You can do a simple "calibration" by eye with the one screen menu, but unless you have very good eyes and somehow can detect all the small changes, you need a calibration hardware.And "calibration" using the on screen menu of the monitor is limited and not so accurate.
It would be great if you can lend/rent a calibration tool from someone. 
I ended up buying one and sometimes i go on a calibration spree! haha. Laptop monitors tend to be the worst calibrated.
Sadly im in Germany, if not i could lend you one. Shipping too expensive to canada

 

[Flowey]

1 minute ago, rafazafar said:

In general its setting the monitor to is most neutral "default settings" and then using a colorimeter to get a ICC Profile that will apply the colour correction into windows so that what you see on screen will be closer to the actual colours.

You can do a simple "calibration" by eye with the one screen menu, but unless you have very good eyes and somehow can detect all the small changes, you need a calibration hardware.And "calibration" using the on screen menu of the monitor is limited and not so accurate.
It would be great if you can lend/rent a calibration tool from someone. 
I ended up buying one and sometimes i go on a calibration spree! haha. Laptop monitors tend to be the worst calibrated.
Sadly im in Germany, if not i could lend you one. Shipping too expensive to canada

 

Do you have to go on some kind of black market to get such tools? or can you get that from a regular torrent? Like I can deal with stuff after informing myself I bit, thanks for the thought though, yeah fuck canadian shipping, if I want a cherry mx switch tester here in Quebec it'll cost me triple the price of said switch tester to ship it here

[rafazafar]

1 minute ago, Flowey said:

Do you have to go on some kind of black market to get such tools? or can you get that from a regular torrent? Like I can deal with stuff after informing myself I bit, thanks for the thought though, yeah fuck canadian shipping, if I want a cherry mx switch tester here in Quebec it'll cost me triple the price of said switch tester to ship it here

Its a real hardware. Like a device you have to put on your screen. like....this Spyder4Express. 
Try to find an older model on used market/forums i guess if u want to give calibration a try.
You can still do basic "calibration" on the monitor. then when you can find/afford a colorimeter just calibrate it properly.
That way its more fun becus u can "upgrade" your monitor haha.. just an idea.

[Flowey]

5 minutes ago, rafazafar said:

Its a real hardware. Like a device you have to put on your screen. like....this Spyder4Express. 
Try to find an older model on used market/forums i guess if u want to give calibration a try.
You can still do basic "calibration" on the monitor. then when you can find/afford a colorimeter just calibrate it properly.
That way its more fun becus u can "upgrade" your monitor haha.. just an idea.

Wow that looks sick AF wtf man... If it's not too personal, how much'd yours costed? (dat 'nglish)

[rafazafar]

4 minutes ago, Flowey said:

Wow that looks sick AF wtf man... If it's not too personal, how much'd yours costed? (dat 'nglish)

I bought a used Sypder4express i think it was.. for about 66cad.
Its a last gen, now its the spyder5 series already. Sypder(Datacolor) makes budget oriented calibration tools. They are easy to use, but dont have much features.

There should be alot of em on ebay. Photography shops/studios will bound to have some for sale as they upgrade..

 

They do work with "displayCAL" software and unlocks alot of features but lets not get too advanced here

[Flowey]

1 minute ago, rafazafar said:

I bought a used Sypder4express i think it was.. for about 66cad.
Its a last gen, now its the spyder5 series already. Sypder(Datacolor) makes budget oriented calibration tools. They are easy to use, but dont have much features.

There should be alot of em on ebay. Photography shops/studios will bound to have some for sale as they upgrade..

yo btw you seem to be in the known about monitors sooooo..... What do you think about AOC? they reliable? THEY LOYAL?!?

[rafazafar]

6 minutes ago, Flowey said:

yo btw you seem to be in the known about monitors sooooo..... What do you think about AOC? they reliable? THEY LOYAL?!?

I have used alot of AOC monitors in the past year. bout 6 to be exact. ok maybe thats not alot. I use more LG.
Anyway, back on topic. They have all worked fine until now, i have no idea about customer service as they dont have any problems.

In my opinion they are ok. As of any product, as long as you dont be too rough with them, should be fine.
Now checking again, i actually used the cheaper 75hz freesync TN AOC. Not the 144hz. So it could/should be a different panel.

AOC is an old brand. i dont think you need to worry too much.