Question Do I need a monitor with higher PPI to make the picture better?

[__Alex__]

Hi!

At my work I have a monitor Samsung c27h800. I had some serious issues in the beginning when the picture was blurry. It turned out later that it was a problem with Windows 10 scaling, and one day after a driver update the problem solved itself. However, I still do not like the picture, since it is not sharp enough. When I look at the screen, at some places I can see how different symbols and drawings are made of pixels (for example the google chrome symbol in the bottom) which annoys me, and my eyes also get tired quickly. The screen is 27 inches, but the maximal resolution is only 1920x1080 with 86 PPI. So, I assume that I need higher resolution and higher PPI to solve the problem. Do I need to look at other specifications in order to get a monitor that is best for the eyes?

Now I have a possibility of buying one of the following two (from a catalog, without possibility of checking first):
Lenovo P27q-10: 27.0" Ultra HD (3840 x 2160) with 163 PPI
Dell U3419W: 34'', 3440X1440 with 109 PPI.

I really like the fact that the second monitor is large and curved. However, I do not want a monitor that makes my eyes tired. The Lenovo seems to be one of the sharpest monitors you can get (higher resolution with smaller screen size and a very high PPI). I am just confused because PPI is not a popular tech specification for monitors, because some sites don't even mention it, while to me it seems to be very important. So my questions are: 1) which monitor would you recommend out of the two? If there is a third monitor which you think will be best for me, please let me know. 2) Resolution and PPI - what else matters for the eyes?

My computer:
Lenovo Carbon X1, 5 gen, with Intel hd graphics 620.
I will connect the monitor to a docking station 40A90090XX (USB-C Dock) which is able to display 3840x2160@30hz (4K).
The monitor is for office work (text and also some programming).

Is 30Hz a problem?

Thanks a lot in advance!

 

[snipejax]

Hello Alex! Both those monitors are excellent options. I personally have a monitor very similar to the dell. The 3440x1440 resolution has an aspect ratio of 21:9 which is wider than the Lenovo which is only 16:9. What I like about the 21:9 aspect ratio is that I can have two windows side by side with plenty of space in each window. If you chose the 4k monitor one issue you might run into is the 30hz refresh rate. This youtube video should help explain the difference. While it doesn't include 30hz in it's comparison it shows the differences well. You might encounter difficulties with the low refresh rate. Higher refresh rates cause less strain on the eyes, so I would pick something like the acer predator x34. It's aesthetic is marketed more towards gamers however its specifications are very nice. You can find them for around $600 if you were to purchase them used on ebay. To conclude, both of those monitors are good and the size/resolution basically comes down to preference. However if you want to lessen the wear on your eyes I really suggest you find a way to route the monitors so that they can run at 60hz at least.

 

[__Alex__]

Thank you for the answers. Regarding HZ (after watching the video) - isn't it more important for work where picture is moving, like video editing? In my case it will mostly be office, so is it ok to keep 30Hz or will it still be better for the eyes to switch to 60hz?

Regarding the DELL monitor - yes, I like very much the way it looks and the the fact that it is 21:9. However, it has 34'' with 3440X1440 and 109 PPI, while now I know that my current Samsung monitor with 27'' 1920x1080 and 86 PPI is not good enough (since I can see pixels). Will DELL monitor give me a significantly better picture than the current Samsung monitor? My eyes are about 60 cm from the screen. Thanks!