High end vs low end

[matteblackhat]

Hello everyone,

I've been having a dilemma lately about choosing a monitor (life is hard right? =P) For the past couple of years I've been using a Samsung Syncmaster monitor and a old HP as my second monitor. I decided that this time I wanted at least a 24-inch monitor.

I do not do any professional level work on my computer (photography, design, multimedia, etc.) I do play games, but this is about the only graphics intense activity that I do. Other than that, its just basic computer usage. I do plan to build applications and do some coding in the future, but I do not know if a monitor choice will affect those plans.

During my research, I came across the Dell Ultrasharp series of monitors, most notably the U2412M model. I read good reviews on this monitor, however the price was on the high end. I started looking into other 24 inch monitors and found plenty for a lower cost, however I had my doubts about lower costing monitors. The one feature that I wanted was a LED back-lit monitor, but I do not know how important this feature actually is. Also, I do plan to run dual screens and maybe even 3 in the future. As far as a budget goes, I am open to spending as much for a Ultrasharp monitor, but I am mainly looking for cheaper alternatives.

What are your suggestions for a 24-inch monitor that would fit my needs? Do you get what you payed for when it comes to monitors or is there a line to be drawn when purchasing one?

I am currently running Windows 7 at the moment. I will post my computer specs later today.

Thank you for your input.

 

[ssddx]

panel type and cost go hand in hand.

on the low end you are likely to find alot of tn panels and some va panels.
on the mid end you will find some 120hz tn panels and e-ips panels.
on the high end you will find s-ips, h-ips and p-ips panels.

8bit ips panels (listed under high end above) have greater color accuracy then the rest.

ips panels in general have near 180 degree viewing angles.

tn panels have almost straight on viewing angles. shifting slightly can color shift images badly. some screens have a coating which works to reduce this but you are still limited.

120hz tn panels are the only ones capable of 1080p 60hz 3d (60hz for each eye = 120hz total)

led backlighting on cheap displays often gives a blue hue to everything due to the wleds they use. you can adjust this out but i dont know if you can match how ccfl looks. leds will save you a bit of money on your power bill. there is no difference in contrast really since all monitors are edgelit by leds. grid arrays like on some televisions make a difference but i dont think they are available on monitors yet.
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if budget is a concern and you will be using multimonitor setups then i would suggest e-ips panels.

you could get away with tn panels for cheap but realize what you are buying and that they do have known limitations. it would be best to see one in person (any tn panel will do) to see what i'm talking about here.