Trying to decide between a 24" and a 30" monitor

[angus1000]

I could use your help on this.

I'm trying to decide between a 24" NEC LCD2490WUXi-BK and a 30" Dell 3007WFP-HC monitor. I have seen the Dell and generally like its quality and features but haven't actually been able to lay eyes on the NEC monitor since I'm not sure which brick and mortar stores actually carry it for me to walk in and play with.

BTW, I can purchase both monitors for about the same price. The 3008WFP initially appealed to me since it added a DisplayPort interface and it has 3000:1 contrast ratio (between than the 3007). I'm not sure why I would care about the built-in video scaler though. Is there any reason for having this if your video card can already scale everything up to 2560x1600? The Gateway I saw with the built-in scaler ran very hot. I'd prefer to keep the heat away from the monitor and over by the PC. Furthermore the 3008 supposedly has worse color detail than the 3007 and some backlighting issues.

The NEC monitor appeals to me because it reportedly has excellent color detail and can be calibrated. I just wish I could actually see the thing before I buy it. It has lower resolution than the 30" monitor but may have higher quality - not sure.

I don't play a lot of computer games so monitors with a low response time aren't at the top of my list of priorities. I just want a really high quality monitor < $1k USD.

Anyone out there had to make some decisions like this? Any feedback on my dilemma will be appreciated.

Thanks,
Angus

 

[jaguarskx]

I have the NEC LCD2690WUXi and I simply love it. Thinking about buying another one.

But you are asking about the 2490WUXi. According to those who emphasizes color accuracy as the absolute most important quality of an LCD monitor, they are hard pressed to find anything better than the 2490WUXi without having to at least triple their budget.

The most important reason why "those people" prefer the 2490WUXi to the 2690WUXi is because the 2490 has the standard 74% color gamut as opposed to the 92% color gamut of the 2690 which makes it very difficult to nearly impossible for the 2690 to display truly accurate colors for their professional needs.

The 2490 also includes a builtin scaler (actually it is an image processor) if memory serves me correctly. Maybe a bottle of Macallan 18yr old scotch will clear my mind. If color accuracy is important to you then get the 2490 and get the "SV" version or SpectraView which includes a colorimeter to calibrate the monitor.

 

[angus1000]

thanks for the feedback jaguarskx