New monitor(s) for gaming and 3d modeling

[Standinginfire]

Hey guys.

I'm having a very hard time finding what to get.
I'm thinking 2 x http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX30308(ME).aspx
Really 2 x any 24 inch that comes to $400 +/- $100
Or one non tn monitor around $400.

I need something that will work for games and 3d modeling.
I've been using a 19 non-wide LCD from 5 years ago up til now.

Is the difference in between tn and the other kinds that noticeable?

 

[jaguarskx]

TN panel monitors tends to have narrow viewing angles which means the more off center you are from the screen the more the colors will shift. I have a single TN panel monitor, the Asus VK246H. Even when I place my squarely at the center of the monitor I can tell that colors are shift even when I just roll my eyes to look at the edges of the screen. It's only a little bit, but it is noticeable enough for me to tell.

It also lack color accuracy for color critical work. That's because all TN panels are 6-bit color monitors which means they can only produce 64 shades of each primary color (Red, Green, Blue), compared to 256 shades of each primary color that an 8-bit panel monitor (VA, IPS) can produce. 64 shades of each color means that the monitor can only produce 256k actual colors. Thru a process called temporal dithering approximately 16m colors can be created. This can cause color banding issues and general image artifacts when there are subtle color differences.

VA and IPS panels have wider viewing angles so while colors can shift the more off center you look at the screen, it is not as dramatic as TN panels. These are 8-bit panels so they can actually produce 16.7m colors which means color banding and image artifacts do not generally occur. Of course it the source material has color banding and image artifacts to begin with, these will appear on an 8-bit panel.

e-IPS panels are an exception. These panels have been designed to compete against TN panels and in order to do so costs must be cut. That means these are 6-bit panels. They have wider viewing angles than TN panels but not as wide as VA or other IPS panels. Color banding and image artifacts seems to occur slightly less or are not as apparent as TN panels, but they cannot compare to VA and other IPS panels.