Best Computer Monitors: October 2014 (Archive)

[adamovera]

After rigorous testing, we’re happy to award these displays as the best in their respective classes: gaming, business, touchscreen and jumbo.

Best Computer Monitors: October 2014 : Read more

 

[adamovera]

Archived comments are found here: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-2465656/computer-monitors-october-2014.html

 

[alidan]

BenQ BL3200PT is 650 right now on amazon with prime... close to half the price... seems to be the best monitor on the list when it comes to value and versatility.

 

[PyroShield]

Jeez I think everyone in Tom's hardware has money bursting out from every seam, any recommendations for people who don't wanna spend an arm and a leg? How about recommending a decent gaming monitor for less than $200?

 

[knightmike]

Quite happy with my Acer H226HQL for $140.

 

[Grognak]

Pyro, this is a site that spends more time testing stuff only 0.1% of the readers will buy than the things they're actually interested in, of course they won't recommend a sub $200 monitor.

 

[uber_national]

not your fault, tomshardware, but the 34uc67 has been accidentally reported by alot of websites to be 3440x1440 when it's actually 2560 x 1080. Still awesome, 'cause it's got freesync, but to make it 1440p ultrawide we'd need to wait for the 34uc97. With baited breath.

 

[bdiddytampa]

Just picked up an Acer XB270H last week and LOVE IT. It's 27" 1080p (which I'm fine with) 144Hz 1ms TN panel with fantastic viewing angles and g-sync is BUTTER SMOOTH lol. With it being 1080p I didn't have to do a monster GPU upgrade to get the benefits of the high refresh rate. It's a super monitor with a great base, great controls, and it put my older ASUS IPS panel to shame honestly It's a nice alternative but since it is g-sync it isn't cheap, I believe the list price is $500, I got it on special and with a slight employee discount for just over $400

 

[f-14]

PyroShield:
Gateway KX2703 27" 1080p Widescreen LED Monitor
$179.99
http://www.microcenter.com/product/416250/KX2703_27_1080p_Widescreen_LED_Monitor


Viewsonic VX2452mh 24" LED Monitor
$179.99
http://www.microcenter.com/product/420396/VX2452mh_24_LED_Monitor

 

[airborn824]

I currently have the 28" Samsung UD590 and i am not happy with screen tear. I am thinking of replacing it with a good 2560x1440 option, but i can not decide where to go. I have 2x RP 290 and a 4770k

 

[Xivilain]

Another "Jumbo" monitor you can consider is :

Acer B326HUL - 32" - 2560x1440p - 60hz
$550-$650
http://www.amazon.com/Acer-B326HUL-ymiidphz-32-inch-Widescreen/dp/B00JB6HE62

 

[killerchickens]

Please listen to the comments and add some gaming monitor under $200, instead of ignoring them.

 

[Bezzell]

Until they start including Korean monitors this article is a joke.

 

[santiago7245]

Asus makes a '27 with 144hz refresh and it's a monster. Not sure why it was left out.

 

[InvalidError]

Please listen to the comments and add some gaming monitor under $200, instead of ignoring them.

There isn't much in the way of worthwhile "gaming" monitors below $200. Most of what you can get below that price point is awfully generic 20-22" 1080p60 stuff that is only marginally better than $100-125 displays.

Until they start including Korean monitors this article is a joke.

The problem with Korean imports is that they are generally not available from authorized retailers. You have to get them from people/shops who are willing to bend or break the rules by selling equipment that might not be legal for sale due to lacking the necessary safety, EMI (FCC) and other regulatory compliance certification. You are also at the importer's mercy for "warranty service" since the manufacturer usually does not extend warranty coverage beyond their intended market.

"The Powers That Be" would likely frown at online publications starting to openly promote trade of gray-market goods.

Imagine if your home burnt down due to a faulty Korean LCD and the insurance claim gets denied because the LCD lacks valid UL or equivalent certification.

 

[babernet_1]

Could you please fix your horizontal windows? Cumbersome and often I cannot move over to the right. Really bad idea anyways.

 

[dennphill]

Still not seeing a good 2560x1440 recommendation from Tom's. (Good means well south of 5 C-notes in my book.) I fully agree that 1920x1080 is generally poor on a 27" machine unless you are looking at movies, and with DVDs and Blu-Ray why wouldn't I just use my 47" LG in the living room where I have a reclining chair? With a new rig and an I5 and a GTX 750Ti all I want is a good 27" monitor for around $300. Do I need to go to Korea? Almost gone there, though Invalid Error tells me I will certainly burn my house down. Not much new here this month, and last month's monitor update is better off forgotten. ("No new news....") Well, maybe next month...

 

[blakphoenix]

Can we please stop recommending 1080p monitors?! Why do we expect high pixel density from notebooks, yet still allow vendors to get away with low resolutions in the desktop space? 1440p, fast response times and high refresh rate needs to become the new norm, 1080p is just horrendous to look at at 27".

 

[captainmothra]

This beginning of this article is a mess. The AOC G2460PG Amazon link links to the AOC G2770PQU, and the "read full review" links to the G2460PQU.
The BenQ XL2430T summary mentions it not having G-Sync, and then at the end it states that it's an Asus monitor that's 2560x1440 with G-Sync.

 

[vertexx]

Also vote for a budget monitor category. Would be nice to get some benchmarks to compare the best monitor at $140 vs. the higher end ones.

 

[royalcrown]

You (editor's) realize that to actually use your monitor you have to LOOK at it...with your eyes...almost 100 percent of the time you stare at it. WHY the big deal over 120 or 144 hz when you have shitty, washed out color and color shifting if not sitting in the magic spot. Do so many noobs really prefer 120 hz (that MIGHT be noticed, and only when gaming) to good color (that looks better ALL the time) ?

 

[royalcrown]

"The only thing that might slow the penetration of curved screens into the marketplace is price."

Not that their STUPID as well, I'd have though that would also slow down adoption of them ?

 

[InvalidError]

WHY the big deal over 120 or 144 hz when you have shitty, washed out color and color shifting if not sitting in the magic spot.

I have a six years old 24" TN monitor with CCFL backlight as my primary display and the colors on it do not seem "washed-out" to me. The "magic spot" is not that spotty either: I need to go something like 30 degrees off-axis before color shift becomes clearly noticeable, which is pretty far outside the range normally sit in. Same goes for my old (2005) Compaq laptop.

My mother's laptop has a 15" TN panel too, but I cannot find any angle or position where I can see consistent color representation across the screen all at once.

There are good TN panels, there are not-so-good TN panels and there are bad/horrible TN panels. The good TN panels can be quite decent.

 

[samopa]

Where is Dell P2715Q ? UHD (3840 x 2160), IPS Panel, 60 Hz, only $605 in Amazon, best 27"-28" monitor.

 

[Mike Coberly]

Acer GN246HL owner here, 24" 1080P @ 144Hz, 1ms responce time, all for ~$250. Currently waiting for the Predator XG277HU 27" 1440P @ 144Hz, complete with FreeSync. I will not pay more than $450 for a #$%^ing monitor, that money is better spent on GPUs.