Monitor buying guide (mega-thread)

Here are a few photos. They aren't perfectly representative because the camera seems to capture things differently than how they look in person, even though they look almost identical in real life.
On the right is the Dell, and on the left should be the Iiyama.🙂

Here are a few more comparisons to help simplify your decision-making process.

On the left, we have the Iiyama XB2783HSU-B3 27" AMVA FHD
. On the right is the Aoc Q3279VWFD8 32" IPS QHD
.



Left: Iiyama XB2783HSU-B3 27"-AMVA -FHD
Middle: Aoc Q3279VWFD8 32" - IPS - QHD
Right: Dell SE2719HR 27" - IPS - FHD

Dell UltraSharp 32 4k USB-C

So, this beauty finally showed up at my door the other day! Honestly—compared to pretty much every monitor I've ever had on my desk? This thing is on a whole different level. It’s like stepping into another dimension or something.

pic hosting

neonmarlin56 said:Dell UltraSharp 32 4k USB-C Monitor

It arrived the other day. Compared to everything else I've ever used? This thing is on a whole different level.

👍

It wouldn't be surprising, though, considering it costs as much as pure gold.

Arthur Anderson10 said:👍

it’d be pretty weird if it wasn't—especially since the price tag makes it feel like it’s plated in solid gold!

Honestly, it's just a total letdown because I'm pairing it with my ancient desktop right now. But hey, I've got a brand-new rig being built for me next week, so everything's gonna change then!

neonmarlin56 said:It’s just a mismatch with my old PC right now. I'm getting a brand new build next week, so things will look much better then.

Is it just me, or does that case look like it's from the Great Depression?🙂

Arthur Anderson10 said:Is it just me, or does this thing actually work? Seriously though—is it just my eyes playing tricks on me, or does that box look like it was dug up from some pre-war ruins? 🙂

Just got this one in—looks like it was just sitting up on a shelf somewhere!

Hey everyone. Looking for some used gear around the $333 mark. Mostly just gaming Dota 2, nothing too crazy. I’m currently stuck using an old Fujitsu Siemens 22
and thinking about jumping up to a 24. What's actually good for eye strain? 🙂

https://www.craigslist.org/flea-market/led-monitors/32032654

If you see this, grab it immediately before someone else does.

It's an IPS 144hz panel,
plus it supports freesync/gsync.

Jonathan Barrett said:https://www.ebay.com/itm/led-monitors-listing-example

Call them right now and grab this before it's gone.

IPS 144hz
FreeSync/G-Sync

The one you linked is just 75Hz.
If you're on a budget, it's a decent pick.

Arthur Anderson10 said:Here are a few shots. They aren't great because the camera makes everything look different than it does in person, but they're all I've got...
The Dell is on the right, and I think the Iiyama is on the left.🙂
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I ended up grabbing that same AOC at Best Buy.
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/monitor-31-5...black-100300310
No dead pixels. Backlight bleed is minimal—actually less than the Acer EB321HQU I had before this one. All in all, it’s about the same, maybe slightly better, than that old Acer which cost me over $300 back in 2017. Build quality is decent enough, though the stand is just plastic (the Acer had aluminum), and it showed up with a tiny scratch. Looks great from a distance, feels a bit plasticky up close, but I don't really care. It runs way cooler than the Acer did.

Can't say for sure how much FreeSync is actually helping yet. Stuttering seems better, but when games hit major FPS drops, there's nothing you can do about it.

Jonathan Barrett said:https://www.ebay.com/itm/led-monitors...listing-32032654

Call them right now and grab this before someone else does.

IPS 144Hz
FreeSync/G-Sync

The one he's selling is only 75Hz. He wants out because he's upgrading to 144.🙂
Is 144Hz actually that much better? Is it becoming the industry standard?

I mostly play Dota 2, nothing crazy.🙂

copperranger14 said:This one is 75Hz. He’s selling it because he wants a 144Hz model instead. 🙂
Is 144Hz actually that much better, or is it just becoming the new standard?

I mostly play Dota 2, nothing too intense.🙂

Never take a seller at their word,😁 because the actual reason they're offloading gear might be something else entirely.

Ask yourself this: if he really wanted an upgrade, why didn't he just buy a 27-inch 144Hz monitor right away on eBay?😁It’s pure nonsense, and there's a very real possibility that this AOC has some underlying issue that isn't covered by the warranty.That's how you end up with people buying monitors blindly. Maybe it's only a few months old, but perhaps someone messed up and decided to flip it to fund a newer, higher-spec model.😵

Let's say this AOC has some backlight bleed issues that the manufacturer refused to fix under warranty.

Keep in mind, for roughly $333 you could probably pick up a brand-new 27-inch 1080p monitor. AOC is a classic choice for 60Hz setups, and there's no shame in that. For casual or even comfortable gaming, 60Hz honestly works perfectly fine.🍿

https://www.amazon.com/lcd-monitors/aoc...tor-68-6-cm-27

Andrew Miller102 said:Never trust a seller,😁 because their reason for selling might be something else entirely.

Think about it: why wouldn't this eBay seller just buy a bigger 27" 144Hz monitor instead?😁That’s pure nonsense. It’s highly likely that this AOC has some underlying issue that isn't covered by the warranty. People who fall for this kind of logic are just making things difficult for themselves. A monitor that's only a few months old? Maybe they messed something up and now they're offloading it to buy something better.😵

For instance, maybe the AOC has some backlight bleed, but the manufacturer won't call it a defect under warranty.

Keep in mind, for roughly $333 you can just pick up a brand new 27" 1080p monitor. AOC is a staple for 60Hz setups, and there's nothing wrong with that. If you want decent, comfortable gaming, 60Hz works perfectly fine.🍿

27 inches is too big for me.
Maybe something like this instead?

copperranger14 said:27 inches is too big for me
Maybe something like this

Compared to that one on eBay, this isn't an AOC gaming series model—it's just their standard line. That means you're looking at a 5ms response time instead of 1ms per the specs.
Honestly, if you aren't some hardcore pro gamer, it shouldn't matter. 75Hz plus FreeSync is already a decent step up from a basic 60Hz screen.
The panel seems pretty similar to my Q3279VWFD8 (just smaller). I'm happy with mine.
Plus, that "3-side" frameless look is sleek.

If I were you, I’d grab this one. It’s a waste of money buying used gear if you aren't at least getting 144Hz.
Just a heads-up: they don't have it in stock where you linked. You can find it at

for $333.

My advice? Order it online. That way you get those unconditional 14-day returns if you hate it or find dead pixels—saves you the headache of fighting over a warranty.

P.S.
Brightness is 250cd, which is fine for most setups, but it won't cut it in a sun-drenched room. My AOC has the same brightness and I'm fine with it, but I use curtains.

Since I'm currently stuck using this Fujitsu Display B22W-5
Any new model should be a massive upgrade at this point. 🙂 thanks

copperranger14 said:Since I'm currently using the Fujitsu Display B22W-5
Any new model should be a noticeable upgrade🙂 thanks

That's what I thought too, but it didn't quite work out that way...

Arthur Anderson10 said:That’s what I thought too, but reality was different...

Once I scrape together a bit more cash, I'm just grabbing that AOC G2U with the 144Hz refresh rate.

Hey guys, I'm currently rocking an old LG (FLATRON L222WS-BN) paired with an AOC (M2470SWH), both mounted on VESA arms.
I've been doing web design for a while now and the color accuracy is driving me crazy.
What I see on my screens isn't even close to how things look on other monitors.
Time to drop some cash on something actually decent, right?
Anyone got any recommendations? 🙂

Dennis Lopez11 said:Hey everyone, I'm currently rocking an old LG (FLATRON L222WS-BN) alongside an AOC (M2470SWH), both mounted on VESA stands.
I've been working in web design for a while now, and I constantly run into issues with color accuracy.
What I see during my design process looks completely different when viewed on other screens.
I've finally decided it might be time to invest in something actually high-quality.
If anyone has any advice, please let me know. 🙂

It’s never going to feel perfectly consistent because most other monitors out there are subpar or uncalibrated. You have to deal with laptops that have tiny color gamuts, or monitors with massive gamuts that lack proper color profiles or are just running in native mode. Honestly, the best move you can make is to find a monitor that handles the sRGB gamut correctly and has solid reviews regarding its color reproduction.

Maybe start by searching online for an IPS panel in a size and price range that works for you? Once we narrow down some options, we can look closer at which one gets closest to being ideal. You'd be surprised how often some budget-friendly models actually perform quite well when it comes to colors.