What's the best 27" computer monitor for graphic design under $600 AUD

[wildtree]

I'm a graphic designer and are currently using my laptop ( 15" macbook pro 2014, retina)

I thought it was about time to invested in a monitor

I'm looking for something that's as close to the retina display I can get without buying a thunderbolt display or blowing a budget

Currently I'm looking at either the Dell Ultra HD 4k Monitor P2715Q 27" or ASUSASUS PB287Q 4k UHD LED 27"

Max price in AUD is around $600 including shipping and I'm looking for something fairly reputable

If anyone has used these monitors could I get some feedback and if not what would you suggest is the closest to the retina

Thanks!!

 

[spagalicious]

I assume as a graphics professional you are looking for a panel with exceptional color depth, accuracy, and minimal saturation/hue errors. Those displays you listed would probably be unable to match the specifications of a more professional focused panel. There was a review on Tom's a while back of the ViewSonic VP2770. Was able to render an incredible amount of the sRGB and Adobe RGB color gamuts for a relatively low price when compared to high end professional displays from brands like Eizo.

From the VP2770 review:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/viewsonic-vp2772-monitor-review,3787.html

The VP2772 nearly unseats our gamut volume champ, Dell’s UP2141Q, missing by a scant .12% for sRGB and .16% for Adobe RGB. We could say it doesn't get any better, but clearly it does (if only by a hair). Seriously though, this kind of precision makes it easy to match your monitor to the printers and cameras in your production suite. If color accuracy is the deciding factor in your monitor purchase, you won’t be sorry to put ViewSonic's offering on your desk.

The VP2772's other selling point is its native 10-bit color with 14-bit LUT. To fully take advantage of this, you need a 10-bit signal, which, even on high-end graphics workstations is a rarity. But with a more-common 8-bit source, the built-in processing power does make a visible difference in image quality.

Measured performance is fairly impressive. ViewSonic claims errors of less than three Delta E (the generally accepted threshold of visibility), and it meets that goal. Without calibration, our press sample hit all of the marks (1.31 for Adobe RGB, 1.37 for sRGB, 1.43 for grayscale, and 2.14 for gamma). Those are all fantastic numbers.

In discussions about monitors like this, price is inevitably the hottest topic. To that I can only say this: many value-oriented products offer excellent performance up to the ninety-ninth percentile. And the vast majority of users will be more than satisfied with that 99 percent. But if you want that last one percent, and some invariably do, it will cost you. It’s not worth the premium to everyone. However, to those who want that one percent, the VP2772 can deliver it.

It is $599 on Amazon, free shipping. 27", 2560x1440, IPS, up to 14-bit LUT with supported workstation cards.
http://www.amazon.com/ViewSonic-VP2770-LED-SuperClear-Professional-Pre-Calibrated/dp/B00906HNZU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1446563188&sr=8-2&keywords=ViewSonic+VP2772

I'm not all that well versed in professional grade panels but I know a fair amount about monitors in general. The above panel stuck me as a great performing panel that won't break the bank like Eizo panels can.

Hope this helps.

EDIT:
Sorry I totally missed the AUD portion of the post. I would probably shoot for a professionally oriented 27" IPS 2560x1440 panel from a reputable brand in your price range. 4K panels are nowhere near the refinement levels of 1080 and 1440 panels that have been out for years/decades.

Here is a review of the Dell you mentioned:
http://www.digitaltrends.com/monitor-reviews/dell-p2715q-review/

We didn’t need much time to realize Dell’s P2715Q is a very special display. Its IPS panel offers wide viewing angles, strong color and deep blacks. Throw in the sharpness of 4K on a 27-inch panel (which translates to 163 pixels per inch) and you’ve the formula for a spectacular experience.
Objective tests made it clear our impressions weren’t misguided. The gamut spans 100 percent of sRGB and 79 percent of AdobeRGB while maintaining a contrast ratio of 690:1 at maximum brightness and 650:1 at half that.

That statement seems a bit misguided to me (relatively low contrast ratio but they mention the panel has strong color and deep blacks?), but the sRGB performance is strong.

EDIT 2:
One more thing. If you do not have an output/video adapter cable of maintaining 60Hz @ 3840x2160 resolution (DisplayPort), you will be limited to 30Hz. You will notice significant lag and overall lack of smooth operation when navigating apps and the desktop.

 

[Suzuki@1473780084@1473780163]

I would only spend the extra money for a 10 bit display if the application supports it that I'm working in. Not only that, you are also going to need a pro grade graphics card, because as far as I'm concerned, they locked this feature on gaming cards. As for professional displays, contrast uniformity is extremely important. However, since you're asking for help chances are you didn't ask the support team of what application you use. I agree with spagalicious, don't trust that review.