Does a budget all around monitor exist today?

[randomsteve95370]

Been mulling over the idea of getting a new monitor for the last couple of years and now that I've got a few pc upgrades out of the way and monitor costs seem to have dropped a bit I feel like now is a good time to add a newer prettier display to my aging 23in Asus monitors.

I am having one heck of a time finding a monitor that satisfies all my needs/wants though and am hoping you guys may have an idea or 2 for me. The biggest problem I am having is finding a monitor that I feel will do a reasonable job at taking on the variety of tasks I plan to throw at it while still not completely breaking the bank.

I am a Casual gamer, playing the occasional AAA, and much more often Indies. I am an Enthusiast Photographer/Videographer and enjoy backpacking and bringing back spectacular shots of the Sierra Nevada and Yosemite back country. And on top of both those things I surf the web, read/write emails, watch videos, and take care of general business on the computer as well.


I have not been at all happy with photo editing on these old monitors and want to make sure this new one will tackle that job well. The color grading on these monitors are well off, and both monitors vary slightly from each other as well. On top of that my 24Mp Camera takes shots around the 6,000 x 4,000 range and I feel viewing and editing them on a 1080 display is sub par for sure.


What I think I want so far are
a good IPS Display
Greater then 1080 (2k? 4k? I really don't know)
Slightly bigger screen (25-29ish)
$400 or lower price

At the same time I have to keep in mind that this monitor is also going to serve as a gaming screen and a web browsing/work screen as well so the refresh rate and response time need to be decent and the Aspect ratio and scaling of text can't be to insane either.


I think so far my first problem is not knowing exactly what I should be looking for, and my second problem is definitely finding something that fits the criteria and the price as well.


Anyone know of any good monitors that might just fit the bill?
Do I need an IPS display or do they make highly color accurate TN displays?
1440, 4k, 21:9 what resolution and which aspect ratio is right for me?
Refresh rate and response time what should I be aiming for there?


Its been 5 years or so since I last shopped for a monitor and back then it was a very simple choice, "Cheapest 23" 1080 60hz monitor I could possibly find". Now days though it seems the monitor market is so much more diverse and my requirements so much more complicated that I'm a little bit overwhelmed currently to say the least. Any help is appreciated as always. Thanks again guys!


Edit: Oh and I just realized I never mentioned im running an AMD R9 290x so freesync monitors over G-sync if thats an option

 

[Trafalgar747]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Monitor: Asus PB278Q 27.0" 60Hz Monitor ($389.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $389.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-09-30 08:27 EDT-0400

This monitor is very good for photo editing etc, its an IPS 1440p, has good response time for an IPS that makes it also good for gaming.

 

[randomsteve95370]

Looks like a decent monitor but it just doesn't seem to be anything special. It seems to be easy enough to find a fairly basic 2k+ IPS 27in monitor around the 400$ range but none of them seem to have anything that makes them stand out to me.

If your gonna push it right up to the $400 mark why not this monitor?
https://www.amazon.com/LG-27UD68-P-27-Inch-Monitor-FreeSync/dp/B01CH9ZTI4/ref=sr_1_6?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1475190212&sr=1-6&refinements=p_n_feature_three_browse-bin%3A12659079011%2Cp_n_size_browse-bin%3A3547805011%7C3547806011%7C3547807011


If we are going for higher response rate with a lower Res then why not the
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824014383



And then there is stuff like this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16824236294

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236348

Whats the difference between these 2 monitors and why is the bigger one slightly cheaper?


There just seems to be to many monitors with nearly the same specs at nearly the same price to make a decision. If we could find a 1440p ips at 280-320 that stand out, or a 4k 5ms ips at 350-380, Or a 120hz Ips monitor under 400. I guess I'm just looking for a good reason to pick one over the others, a good deal, better specs, something that makes it stand out.

 

[randomsteve95370]

Alright well I have spent a good amount of time today digging around Newegg and Amazon for some better deals then what has been pointed out so far and I think I have narrowed it down to 3 different monitors . After measuring my desk and deciding anything over 29 inches is going to be to big I've decided to scrap 4k as and idea because from what I have read it seems that 4k only really becomes a benefit around 34 inches and up, anything smaller and it seems to just cause problems with OS and Programs as well as UI and text scaling. So here is a reworked list of things I need from a new monitor

IPS Panel (A color accurate display is going to be critical for me because of working with Photos and videos fairly often.)
25-29 Inches (Anything smaller isn't worth the money to me, and anything bigger just wont work with my desk space as of right now)
1440p (Been working with 1080 for years and not only do I want the upgrade but I feel its needed with such a large monitor size)


Those three things are a must have for this purchase. This next list is things I would like in order of importance.

$250 or less (Money is always a factor and if I can get all the above needs for substantially cheaper that would be preferred)
75hz or higher refresh rate (Been using 60hz monitors for years but with higher refresh rates being held in such high esteem I would like it)
Freesync compatibility ( I am running an amd card and if I can't get higher then a 60hz then a freesync compatible monitor would be nice)
Small Bezel (I do run multiple screens side by side so the smaller the bezel the better for that, and I much prefer the look)
5ms response time or lower(I will be gaming occasionally on this monitor so response time is a factor, just not as important as the rest.)
Stand utility(Vertical, horizontal or tilt adjustments would be handy, as well as rotation. Nothing super important though)
Monitor port utility(Usb hub, wireless charging, multiple inputs, any kind of utility feature like that is nice but not required.)
Curve(Love the look of the curved monitors and would love to have one on my desk but its definitely last on the list)


So thats kinda my thought process anyway. Looking for something that will fit those criteria the best.

Heres the three that have caught my eye so far

First and most expensive of the three is this Dell monitor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16824260115
This dell is the biggest on the list being a 29" 16:9 display, it has a built in usb hub, adjustable stand, and is of course a 1440p IPS display. Biggest complaints about it are the price($310), the response time(8ms) and the refresh rate(60hz)

Second on the list and second in price is this LG Ultrawide
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B9IDLAW/?tag=techchap-20&th=1
This ultra wide is definitely the most gaming friendly of all three sporting a 29" 21:9 display running a 5ms response time and a 75hz refresh rate all while supporting Freesync. My biggest dislike is the Resolution, sporting only a 2560 x 1080 resolution I would be gaining more screen real estate but no extra quality over my current 23" 1080 screens.

The third and cheapest monitor on the list is this Acer 27"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009626&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-PCPartPicker,%20LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=
Sporting a 1440p 27" display running at 60hz with a 6ms response time it sits pretty squarely center of the road. Biggest downside of this monitor to me beside the 60hz refresh rate is the fact that it is a fairly bare bones no extra bells and whistles type monitor.


Welp thats them. As of right now I am leaning towards the Acer monitor because it is so middle of the road. The size of the dell concerns me and makes me wonder if 29 inches is to large for only sitting a few feet away, and its response time and refresh rate are not anything special either. And while the LG is pretty special with response times, refresh rate and freesync all being major points in its direction the fact that its not in 1440p makes me wonder if its worth all the extra money for what is basically just 2 monitors side by side with no bezel in between (Something I basically already have). But I don't know yet for sure. Let me know what you guys think? What monitor size and specs do you use and why is that?


From what I can tell right now the perfect monitor for me would either be a 29 Inch IPS 1440p ultrawide under the $400 mark or a 27Inch 1440P 16:9 monitor with a better Refresh rate and perhaps Freesync support

Any suggestions? Any thoughts from your own personal experiences with different monitor types?Anything I am missing or am forgetting to consider? Any help at all would be much appreciated. Thanks again everyone!