Question Should I use a 'Gaming' monitor for online work?

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mikehende

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Mar 20, 2013
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Hey guys, my old 2012 27" iMac is on its way out. I have been using another 24" monitor together with it so I can use 4 windows for my work with iMac screen split in half with 2 windows and same on the Dell monitor.

I am thinking to simply get one widescreen monitor to run the 4 windows, something like these:



I think the curved screen too will be to my advantage. I am also thinking to get a desktop pc like this:

www.ebay.com

Dell Desktop Computer PC 9020 Quad Core i7-4770 32GB RAM 1TB SSD Win10 Pro | eBay

Condition The Computer has been tested and working. “Please note that our refurbishing process revolves around the functionality of the computer. Product may have minor imperfections such as Small scratches or scuffs; these do not affect the functionality of the computer.” Free Shipping within...
www.ebay.com

Do you guys think I should get that monitor even though it's a gaming monitor and if yes, would the pc linked to work well with that monitor please?
 
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Buying a monitor more oriented for gaming is fine, and you will notice a monitor with a higher refresh rate will feel smoother and more responsive compared to something lower. However, buying a 600 dollar monitor and hooking it up to a system that costs less than half that amount is not practical. You would be better off getting a cheaper monitor and putting that money toward a system than can better utilize the monitor's performance.

The system you linked, for example, has an Intel i7 4770, which, for reference, released one year after your iMac did (2013). That is some outdated hardware the Ebay seller is listing. It doesn't have other creature comforts like USB 3.0 or DDR4/DDR5 memory support either. The hardware you are buying was on its way out long ago.

I will link a build list for a custom system here that costs a little more than your Ebay PC, but will blow it right out of the water with performance, longevity, and expandability. I would recommend putting this together and getting a modest 300-400 dollar monitor. If you aren't comfortable with building PC's, go ahead and shop around for a prebuilt system within your budget and link it here. I'll be glad to give it a look and see if it's worth purchasing. Hope this helped, take care.
 
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Thanks, great advice.

Thing is, it's more important for me to get a wide screen monitor than a powerful pc as I do web design and online marketing which does not require much firepower. So having the real estate needed [4 windows] on a monitor is priority for me.

That means I will need the widescreen monitor so now question remains which desktop pc to get for it, building one is not something for me unfortunately although I understand the advantages.

So since that pc linked to will not suffice, can you recommend any particular specs I should look for in a desktop which will work well with that Samsung monitor please?
 
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Yes, even the 24" dell monitor when I split the screen with 2 windows it's not wide enough as I always have to keep overlapping between the 2 windows. The sizes [width] of the 27" iMac 2 windows is enough so having like the real estate of two 27" iMacs side by side is what would work for my application.

or maybe getting as 2nd option 2 of these would be cheaper and work as described above?

www.ebay.com

Samsung 27" Curved Monitor C27F391FHN - White 1920x1080 HDMI VGA 887276138169 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Samsung 27" Curved Monitor C27F391FHN - White 1920x1080 HDMI VGA at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
 
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mikehende said:
www.ebay.com

Dell Desktop Computer PC 9020 Quad Core i7-4770 32GB RAM 1TB SSD Win10 Pro | eBay

Condition The Computer has been tested and working. “Please note that our refurbishing process revolves around the functionality of the computer. Product may have minor imperfections such as Small scratches or scuffs; these do not affect the functionality of the computer.” Free Shipping within...
www.ebay.com
Click to expand...
If there is anyone on the forum who will make the most out of a prebuilt your talking to him. But put the brakes on with that choice for what seller wants.

The Dell you listed will need a new power supply the moment it arrives. Not for the it's old and time but it was never intended for more than to be sitting in an office using Microsoft Office.

Most likely your going to need a new GPU to feed that cool monitor but again the small for factor "SFF " your limited to GPU's that will only fit that case. Same with a power supply.

I see buyers regret just food for thought.
 
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It was the Specs of that unit which had sounded good to me being Intel i7, 32gb Ram and SSD Hdd. Nowadays a lot of processors are AMD and other techs have told me in the past to stay away from AMD processors and go with Intel?
 
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mikehende said:
It was the Specs of that unit which had sounded good to me being Intel i7, 32gb Ram and SSD Hdd. Nowadays a lot of processors are AMD and other techs have told me in the past to stay away from AMD processors and go with Intel?
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Those specifications seem good at face value, i7 and 32 gigabytes of memory. But it's important to check the processor generation. As I mentioned earlier, that particular i7 came out in 2013. The 32 gigabytes of memory the builder is putting in the machine is extremely dated memory. If your iMac from 2012 is becoming too slow, you don't want to buy a machine with similar hardware. You will be in the same boat as your were with your Mac. The system I sent to you in the link has much newer hardware, meaning it will run faster and more efficient.

Those techs telling you to stay away from AMD are wrong. The truth is that both AMD and Intel make fantastic products. It comes down to preference and use case. Hope this helped, take care.
 
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Oh one more thing guys regarding the monitor, if I should opt [for finance reasons] to get two 27" curved monitors like this


and place them side by side, would it be the same far as viewing my windows like having the 49"?


I've never seen an actual curved monitor before so have no idea about it and this review a concern:

Some reviews said curved monitors for work purposes (Outlook, Excel, Word, etc.) are not good. But I'd argue...it takes a little while to get used to it, but I think ultimately for the better. It's a little odd at first moving your mouse to far left/right, but it does grow on you for the overall experience.
 
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