Monitor buying guide (mega-thread)

Effective immediately, all inquiries regarding monitor purchases should be directed to this thread. If we see enough activity and demand, I will split this into several dedicated sub-forums—perhaps categorized by budget range or screen size.

To get the best recommendations, please provide as much detail as possible:

- Your budget and preferred payment method.
- Primary use case (e.g., gaming, media consumption, video editing, Adobe Photoshop, etc.).
- Any specific requirements you have (screen size, resolution, refresh rate, panel type, etc.).

What’s the verdict on the AOC E2460SH 24 inch LCD? Price is $313
I’m looking at this for general PC tasks—mostly programming, some work in Adobe Photoshop, and catching games via streaming. I don't have any high-end requirements; I just need something where I can adjust the tilt if necessary, which seems doable here.

If this works out as a standard setup, I’ll probably look into adding a second similar unit in a vertical orientation down the road.

It’s probably better to go with an IPS panel; you get much better viewing angles, colors, and contrast.

For instance, check out https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0863VX67P

Thanks, crimsonstag84. I actually checked with the company I’m planning to buy from—they’re picking up the tab—and asked about their stock. What’s your take on the HP Monitor? Price is $667 including tax. It’s the only one they have available right now.

I noticed the resolution is 2560 x1440, which seems like a massive jump from 1920x1080, even though the screen size stays exactly the same. Is that right?

It could get a bit tight on that diagonal, honestly. It’d be best if you could catch a glimpse of it in person somewhere

So, I’ve reached the conclusion that I need to run my browser at 120% zoom just to see things clearly—which means my current monitor is basically useless.

I did some digging, and it looks like these are my best bets:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/browse/monitor/N/4914537525
One way to narrow this down would be to focus specifically on vertical programming setups—that seems like a smart move.

Based on that, does the Dell P2417H (IPS, LCD/LED, 23.8"/24") look like a solid choice? It seems to have the most listings, which suggests it's a reliable middle-of-the-road option price-wise. If anyone could just confirm I'm not jumping into something subpar without realizing it, I'd appreciate it. 🙂
How much of a jump are we actually talking about with the $167 better U2417H model?

I'm looking for a 144Hz monitor for under $667 x)

Is there any chance some obscure, off-brand retailer—the kind you’ve never even heard of—is running a flash sale right now just to grab some attention?

quietridge92 said:I’m figuring out my needs, and since I tend to view standard webpages at 120% zoom in my browser, my monitor choice really matters.

I did some digging, and these seem to be my best bets:
https://www.amazon.com/monitors__90?...=1000&cdo=2000
A good way to narrow this down would be focusing on monitors with a pivot option, which I think would be highly effective for vertical programming work.

Based on that, does the Dell P2417H (IPS, LCD/LED, 23.8"/24") look like a solid pick? It seems to have the most listings, so I assume it's a popular, mid-range choice. If anyone could just confirm I'm not jumping into something that misses the mark, I’d appreciate it. 🙂
How much of a difference is there compared to the $167 better U2417H?

Those are decent monitors, especially given your budget and the need for a pivot feature.

Keep in mind that the UltraSharp (U) series is a tier above the Professional (P) series, so you should expect superior image quality.

Susan Anderson said:I’d personally aim for a 144Hz monitor for less than $667 x)

Is there maybe some random sale happening at some obscure, no-name online shop that nobody has ever heard of, where they're just slashing prices to attract customers?

https://www.amazon.com/search.php?q=144hz

🙂

Those are strictly TN panels, which offer much lower image quality.

Timothy Kim60 said:https://www.amazon.com/s?k=144hz

🙂

Those are strictly TN panels—lower quality when it comes to image fidelity.

Thanks, though.
It's for gaming—it'll do the job fine.😁

My heart is set on the Asus VG248QE, but my bank account—to put it bluntly—disagrees. 😢I might have to start selling my soul on Twitch just to afford it.

That said, how do these stack up:
https://www.acer.com/ac/en/GB/conten...l/UM.FX0EE.001
or
http://eu.aoc.com/en/gaming/products/g2460fq

Or should I just shell out an extra $500$200 and go with the Asus?
:/

To those who have spent more time researching those budget-friendly 144Hz TN panels:

The LG 24GM77 or the ViewSonic XG2401 are the gold standards for a 1080p 144Hz setup. Honestly, everything else in this price bracket is absolute junk.

From what I can tell, there’s a pretty solid consensus on this. Both models have even seen newer iterations released since then.

I’m looking to pick up a 1080p gaming monitor.
My budget is capped at $833 (though honestly, I'd love to save as much as possible).

I'm stuck on a decision: should I go with 24" or 27"?
I definitely want one that features a DisplayPort.

Here is what I've been eyeing so far:

the IIYAMA G2730HSU-B1
the LG 27MP59G

Or maybe there's a fourth option out there I'm missing?

What kind of rig are you running? Specifically, what's your GPU and CPU setup?

Noah Diaz said:I'm looking for a 1080p gaming monitor.
Budget is up to $833 (lower is better).

Not sure if I should go with 24" or 27"?
Also, I definitely want an HDMI connection.

Here’s what I’ve been eyeing so far:

IIYAMA G2730HSU-B1
Dell S27 Monitor

Or maybe something else entirely?

Do both happen to have FreeSync, or are you specifically hunting for that because of your GPU?

Timothy Kim60 said:What are you running right now? Specifically, what's the GPU and CPU?

Intel Core i9 16 GB RAM RTX 3080
16GB RAM
RTX 750

My old Dell UltraSharp 24 is on its last legs.

analogtiger19 said:Do both happen to have FreeSync, or are you specifically looking for that because of your graphics card?

Most newer ones include it, but I haven't seen G-SYNC in this price bracket yet.

I'm thinking about picking up a GTX 1650 or maybe a 1060 if the prices drop enough.

Is there a decent Radeon in that range at a reasonable price?
Or any suggestions for a monitor without FreeSync?

Unless you find a Radeon at a decent price, I’d steer clear for now. Personally, I wouldn't bother with a 27" FHD setup unless you're sitting quite far back from the desk. Your budget is actually more suited for a 27" 1440p display, even if the GPU isn't quite there yet (and likely won't be anytime soon)

That 29" 21:9 choice you're looking at, like this click, presents its own set of headaches—specifically with older titles. A lot of those classic games don't support ultrawide resolutions, which usually results in annoying black bars on the sides or a weirdly stretched image that looks totally unnatural.

Hey there,

I'm hunting for an ultrawide monitor with a 2560 x 1080 resolution. Honestly, I’m leaning toward a 29" instead of jumping up to a 34" because, let's face it, the pixel density on a 34" at that resolution isn't great, plus it'll blow a hole in my wallet. I'll be using it for gaming, work (mostly juggling endless PDF files and massive Excel sheets), and just general browsing. I might even need it for some SolidWorks work down the road if things get heavy. Since I've only got about $667 to spend, I'm stuck choosing between two Samsung models:

http://www.lg.com/hr/monitori/lg-29UM69G which I spotted over at Best Buy for roughly $667

and

http://www.lg.com/hr/monitori/lg-29WK600-W which looks like it's only available through some random online vendor for $627. I know buying from those off-brand sites is always a gamble, especially if I actually need to deal with a warranty claim later.

The second one is the newer model—it’s got better brightness (300 cd/m² vs 250 cd/m²) and better colors thanks to the HDR effect. The only thing it lacks compared to the first one is motion blur reduction.

There's one thing eating at me regarding both models: is it actually possible to hit 75 fps in games when you turn on Adaptive Sync? Can anyone weigh in on that or just tell me which one to grab? Also, how much does that motion blur reduction actually matter? I'm not some pro FPS sweat; I'm just a casual player. My main plan is to sink a lot of time into flight sims like Microsoft Flight Simulator, assuming my Lenovo IdeaPad 3 can even handle it with its Ryzen 7, GTX 1650 max-Q, and 8 GB of RAM...

Thanks,

Just a quick update—my Dell P2417H finally arrived. It’s an IPS, LCD/LED, 24" panel, and honestly, it hits the sweet spot for everything I need. 🙂
Compared to my old 21" Samsung that I'm passing down to some relatives, the font size is perfect now—no more constant zooming just to read text (I used to have to bump things up to 110% or 125% on that old 21" screen). It's easy to tilt and adjust height, too. Plus, I actually prefer having a physical power button instead of those touch sensors where you're always left wondering if you actually pressed it or not.
My only gripe is the vertical pivot mode; at first glance, it feels pretty impractical. It ends up sitting too high and feels a bit too narrow for coding—it might only work if I hide the file tree structure.

Charles Campbell8 said:Hi there,

I’m looking for an ultrawide monitor with a 2560 x 1080 resolution. I'm leaning toward a 29" instead of a 34", mainly because the pixel density feels better at that size and it won't break the bank. My main uses will be gaming, office work (lots of PDFs and Excel spreadsheets), and general browsing. I might also need it for some SolidWorks work down the road. Since my budget is around $667, I'm torn between two Samsung models:

http://www.lg.com/hr/monitori/lg-29UM69G which is listed at Best Buy for about $667

and

http://www.lg.com/hr/monitori/lg-29WK600-W which I can only find on an obscure site for $627. I know buying from sites like that can be a gamble, especially if I ever need to file a warranty claim.

The second one is a newer model; it offers better brightness (300 cd/m² vs 250 cd/m²) and better colors thanks to HDR support. The only thing it lacks compared to the first one is motion blur reduction.

The one thing I'm unsure about regarding both models—is it possible to play games at 75 fps when Adaptive Sync is enabled? Can anyone help me with this or recommend which one to pick? Also, how noticeable is that motion blur reduction, or rather, the lack of it? I'm not a pro FPS player; I just play casually. I mostly plan on playing flight simulators like Microsoft Flight Simulator (if my hardware can handle it—I'm running an IdeaPad 3 with a Ryzen 7, GTX 1650 Max-Q, and 8 GB of RAM...).

Thanks,

You hit the nail on the head; that online shop is garbage. Dealing with returns or warranty issues could be a total nightmare or take forever.

Regarding motion blur reduction, it really comes down to whether you'd actually notice the difference. It’s often more of a gimmick, similar to what they discuss here: https://www.blurbusters.com/faq/lcd-...ive-artifacts/

As for your other question, yes, your FPS will lock at 75, provided your graphics card is actually capable of hitting those numbers. Just a heads up though—some users report that on these types of IPS monitors, the image can look a bit less sharp or slightly grainy at 75Hz.

I can see my teenager has started sniffing around the internet for gaming monitors, and I have a pretty good idea where that leads. He’s had a Dell UltraSharp 2310—or maybe it was a 2312, honestly who knows—for years now, but it definitely isn't built for gaming.
I don't play games myself, so I don't really need that kind of setup, which means I'm totally in the dark regarding specific requirements. From what little I've managed to read, if I understood correctly, you need a low response time, and apparently, the graphics card in the system matters quite a bit.
So, here’s the situation: we have an Asus laptop running an Intel Core i5-6300HQ at 2.3 GHz, with 8GB of RAM and an Nvidia GeForce GTX960M.

The monitor should be around 24 inches because he sits about 2 feet away—though from the occasional tense glance into his room, that distance is probably even shorter when things get intense. It looks like he's mostly playing those multiplayer games where people are sprinting all over the screen and shooting from every direction. 😁 That's just me trying to paint a picture of what he actually needs.

How much money are we talking about here? I honestly have no clue because I have zero idea what the price range is for something that actually works with our current specs. Does it matter if he gets a TN or an IPS panel, or is it all the same? And what about FreeSync or G-Sync, even though I don't even know what those are?
I do know it needs to have adjustable height and tilt. And I assume a 1ms response time is the standard.
It doesn't need to be top-of-the-line, obviously, but I don't want to buy the absolute bottom-tier junk either. Let's aim for something mid-range or maybe slightly above average for its class.

P.S. After doing a bit of digging on Reddit—assuming my "research" was actually successful—it seems like I should be looking for G-Sync. Probably.