Monitor buying guide (mega-thread)

Hey everyone! Can someone recommend an IPS monitor under $400? I'll be using it for both gaming and coding.

Right now, these two seem like my best bets:

If anyone has used these before or can suggest something even better, that would be awesome!

Thanks in advance!

That first AOC model you mentioned is a solid choice. Generally speaking, you're looking for a 24" 1080p display with either an IPS or VA panel—and if gaming is the priority, make sure it hits at least 75Hz and supports FreeSync.

Timothy Kim60 said:That first AOC model should work fine. Honestly, just look for a 24" 1080p with an IPS or VA panel... and if you're gaming, make sure it's at least 75Hz with FreeSync!

AOC it is.
Thanks for the help!

Hey, looking for some monitor recommendations. I'm torn between a 27" or something bigger in the 30"-34" range—not sure which aspect ratio actually makes sense for me yet, so I need to weigh the pros and cons first. Quality matters more than price here; budget isn't really the main issue. I won't be doing anything heavy like gaming or photo editing, just mostly looking at various graphs and multimedia stuff, which probably doesn't require much spec-wise. I can handle any standard US payment methods, whether I'm buying locally or online.
thanks 🙂

This is easily one of the best values I've seen lately. Getting 1440p on a 32" screen means the pixel density feels just like having 1080p on a 23" or 24"

Timothy Kim60 said:This is probably the best value I've seen lately. 1440p on a 32" screen—pixel density feels pretty much like 1080p on a 23" or 24"

thanks for the tip 🙂

Hi everyone, I’m back again looking for some advice, though this time it's all about monitors.

I'm looking to pick up a new one. My wife will be using it for graphic design and web work, while I'll just be doing some casual gaming—mostly World of Warships, War Thunder, or maybe the occasional FPS, though I've been leaning more towards indie titles lately.

Here is what I'm currently considering:
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/lg-27inch-4k-uhd-monitor/5000000.html.

Budget-wise, I’m planning to spend up to a maximum of $400. I don't want to go larger than 27 inches since I already have a TV at home.
If anyone knows of something smarter—like a 1440p panel with a 144Hz refresh rate and an adjustable height pivot within this price range—please let me know!

Thanks.

Sent from my LG smartphone via Reddit
Q

Women should really prioritize an IPS panel, but finding one with a 144Hz refresh rate will cost you an absolute fortune... You just have to decide what matters most to you.
Also, trying to run 4K on a 27" screen is a terrible move—the pixels will be way too tiny. 1440p at 27" is acceptable, though even some people find that a bit too small...

EDIT

Plus, that retailer is a total disaster. If she ends up needing to file a warranty claim or runs into any other issues, it’s going to be a massive headache and a huge waste of time.

If you aren't rocking at least an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti or an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080, just stop chasing those high resolutions and refresh rates.

Honestly, just grab a decent 27" 1440p 75Hz IPS + Eye Care monitor, preferably with FreeSync.

I’m running an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Extreme, but my only real hurdle is that I've set a pretty tight budget of about $750 for a new monitor.

If anyone has any solid recommendations, please let me know.

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If you're looking for the best bang for your buck, just stick to what I linked above for silverwalker18

I finally pulled the trigger at the end (some unexpected cash came my way). I ended up grabbing a Gigabyte Aorus model.

Thanks.

Is it worth making the jump from an AMVA $267 monitor over to a Dell UltraSharp Monitor (with IPS + Eye Care, flicker-free, and low blue light) for $350? Thanks for any advice.

Edit:

Also, does anyone know of anything similar out there for $383 max? I'm specifically looking for IPS + Eye Care features. I'm not too worried about things like sync tech, 60Hz refresh rates, Full HD resolution, or the specific screen size. Thanks!

Everyone has their own opinion, right? A hundred different people, a hundred different takes. Personally, I don't see the appeal if that VA panel is only 24"...

Also, all this "eye care" stuff is just a gimmick—it's basically just smoke and mirrors to get you to pay more. It’s nothing more than a basic image mode that just cranks down the brightness, contrast, and color balance, which is something you could easily do yourself anyway.

So, $267 based on what I'm seeing, this AMVA panel doesn't list any of those specific features—no flicker-free tech, no dedicated eye care... it's just your run-of-the-mill $267 AMVA monitor without any of that extra stuff. Because of that, are you actually thinking that all this "eye care" marketing is just some kind of gimmick or fake advertising?

The truth is, I’ve actually managed to strain my eyes quite a bit using one of those cheap, low-end 4:3 TN monitors, which is why I’m reaching out for some advice here. Since I spend a massive chunk of my day glued to my computer screen, I really need to get this right. I'm asking for a reason, believe me. ^^

Look, if those specific "features" are your main motivation for upgrading, you might end up disappointed. I have an "eye saver mode" on my own monitor, and honestly, I’ve never found a single reason to actually use it. All it does is tint the screen yellow or slightly dim the brightness—it's not exactly groundbreaking. In my opinion, you're much better off just creating your own custom settings to suit your eyes rather than relying on that...

The same logic applies to "flicker-free" tech too.

https://www.techradar.com/news/compu...nology-1205231

Now, if you're upgrading because you want a larger screen size, a higher refresh rate, FreeSync, or some other tangible spec improvement, then that's a completely different story...

Windows 10 has night mode built-in. You can tweak it if you want...

So, it turns out it was just more commercialized hype and smoke and mirrors from the monitor manufacturer. What a total letdown. :/

stormyviper2 said:So it really is just commercial bullshit—selling hype instead of actual performance. What a waste. :/

If you don't know how to actually tweak your settings, I guess it might feel like more than just a gimmick.