Monitor buying guide (mega-thread)

wanderingbison9 said:Oh, I see now that Arthur Anderson10 picked up that 32" AOC at the Mall of America...

He grabbed two units. One died after just a few days, and he returned the second one within the 14-day window.

wanderingbison9 said:Well, you should've said so sooner...😁 Fine... I'm going to go meditate until midnight....🙄

I did. 😁

wiredotter14 said:I suppose I 😁

[CHAT]Maybe if I just upgrade to a larger screen, I'll actually be able to read what everyone else is typing clearly enough.[/CHAT] 🙄😵

I just pulled the trigger on this 24" Dell QHD monitor:

The size feels like a much better fit for my current desk setup... it's got a 75Hz refresh rate, the sRGB color accuracy looks solid, and based on what I've read, the contrast is actually pretty decent for an IPS panel, wouldn't you agree?

And if you look closely, there’s also a 27" version available if you're willing to shell out a little extra cash:

Go find some reviews somewhere. General Electric isn't exactly known for having consistent screen quality.

wiredotter14 said:Try looking up some reviews first, since General Electric isn't exactly known for having perfectly consistent panel quality.

Do you really think there are massive variations within the exact same model, or am I overthinking it? And just to throw the question back at you, I did mention "according to reviews" in my original post, didn't I? 😬I'm still torn between the 24-inch or the 27-inch version, mostly because I'm worried the text might look way too small on a smaller screen. Honestly, I think I'm just going to pull the trigger on this purchase, if only so I have something new to complain about here... besides, the max brightness on my old LG has tanked from 250 nits down to a measly 140.

wanderingbison9 said:Are you saying there are huge differences even within the same model, or what...?

Basically, they aren't known for making good monitors.

May God forgive me, because I went ahead and ordered this:

It’s really just a hunch, but based on several different reviews, I'm hoping there isn't any major IPS glow, that the uniformity is solid, and that backlight bleed stays to a minimum. If it ends up being too much of a disappointment, I'll just send it back. It wasn't exactly cheap, after all...

On paper, it looks just like that famous Dell model.

Man picked up this monitor today.

It's a 165Hz model. From what I can tell, it’s basically an upgraded version of this one:

Both these monitors use the same panel found in that popular Dell, except this model hits 165Hz.

Man is happy with it. Says he's recommending it—didn't realize games could actually look like this. Running Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Fortnite on a GTX 1650 with high FPS, no issues. G-Sync works from 48-165Hz. If you try searching for the full model name on Amazon, nothing comes up because they messed up the name XV240YPbmiiprx (it's usually just called the Monitor Model)

Bottom line: the monitor is probably nearly identical to that Dell, just 165Hz instead of 144Hz and a year less warranty.

For some reason, Amazon doesn't seem to pick up this specific model. Best Buy has it.
It's a bit cheaper at Walmart, supposedly with a 5-year warranty (though the price shifted; it was under $110 before)

Timothy Kim60 said:On paper, it honestly looks just like that famous Dell model

It’s true that if you just look at the spec sheets, plenty of monitors seem to share those exact same baseline features, but then you start digging deeper and realize a brand like Dell might offer a much wider color gamut or other subtle advantages, don't you think?

wanderingbison9 said:Yeah, on paper, plenty of monitors look identical with the same basic specs, but then you realize Dell actually has a better color gamut and all that...

It’s the same deal with those three monitors I mentioned earlier—they claim different things, but they're definitely using the exact same panels...

wiredotter14 said:It’s pretty much the same deal with those three monitors I mentioned earlier, since they've been confirmed to use identical panels...

The more expensive model hits 165 Hz and actually supports a true High Dynamic Range signal, whereas the budget option tops out at 144Hz and just uses some fake High Dynamic Range effect. It makes sense, doesn't it? If the cheaper one does enough for you, why bother spending the extra cash, though the potential for better performance is definitely there if you want it...

wanderingbison9 said:The pricier one hits 165 Hz and actually supports High Dynamic Range, whereas the cheap one tops out at 144Hz and just uses some fake software trick for High Dynamic Range. Makes sense—if the budget option does enough for you, why spend more? But the potential is definitely there...

Honestly, I don't think supporting a High Dynamic Range signal matters at all if the actual panel can't handle it. Dude bought it specifically for those 165Hz refresh rates to play Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. 😁
Otherwise, I’d probably go with a Dell.

Timothy Kim60 said:On paper, it really seems like that famous Dell model.

I set up my new monitor (Dell Monitor) and after looking through the reviews for that Dell, I’d have to say you’re spot on regarding the panel quality.

First off, the size feels just right; at my usual working distance, it hits that sweet spot perfectly. The design itself is quite "bland"—almost industrial in its simplicity—lacking any of those flashy design flourishes like glossy bezels or silver accents, which honestly suits my taste better. Even the power LED is tucked away under the bottom edge so it doesn't distract me. You can actually feel the difference of the 75Hz refresh rate during basic Windows tasks, like moving the cursor; everything just feels a bit more fluid. I also appreciate that the menus are styled like a Dell, with the buttons tucked away on the right side; the interface is the epitome of simplicity, though it does lack some of the extra options you find on the Dell.

Looking at it realistically, the image shifts slightly depending on your viewing angle due to this sort of dark "sheen" or gloss that washes over the screen as you move. On my old 23" IPS LG, this was less noticeable on the left and right sides, but it was much more apparent top-to-bottom and had a bluish tint, whereas here it appears white. You can see a slight shift toward the corners when looking at a pure white screen from the front. However, the Balanced viewing angle test shows a very minimal difference—it’s almost non-existent when looking straight on, and while it changes from the sides, it does so quite uniformly. The shift isn't in the color itself, but rather in the gamma and brightness, which is identical to what was noted in that excellent Dell review:

https://pcmonitors.info/reviews/aoc-q3279vwfd8/

White uniformity is roughly the same as the Dell (based on my measurements), and the blacks are decent, though there are some brighter patches. I haven't measured the black levels yet because that takes forever, and I'm not entirely sure if what I'm seeing is light bleed or just IPS glow—honestly, it's hard to tell if the anti-reflective coating is causing the glow, if it's light leakage, or perhaps a combination of both. Overall, it’s nothing worse than my old 23" unit, which I paid about $533...

Then it occurred to me that this sheen or glow is actually much more pronounced on an MVA matrix used in televisions.

The monitor has a color gamut that is significantly wider than sRGB but narrower than DCI P3, mirroring the Dell, even though the spec sheets suggest otherwise. The most important thing for me was hoping the sRGB mode would function like it does on the Dell by restricting the gamut, but unfortunately, the colors remain the same across all modes.

The contrast is higher than what you typically expect from an IPS—1344:1 at 120 nits and 1575:1 at a maximum of 275 nits—while the black level sits around 0.09 nits, which is pretty much on par with the Dell.

The Lenovo does feature a VESA mount, unlike the Dell.

Here is where I am struggling: I am genuinely considering returning this to pick up the Dell instead, simply because the Dell has that functional sRGB mode and since the Lenovo is more expensive despite sharing almost all the same pros and cons. It would be the cheaper route in the long run. That said, I really like the ergonomics of the Lenovo (those bottom-mounted buttons were such a headache on my old LG) and its understated look. But then again, what if I end up with a Dell unit where the sRGB mode is poorly implemented and practically useless? (You wouldn't believe what a scam that mode was on that highly praised Dell Monitor). If that happens, I'll end up having to mess around with ICC profiles and LUTs anyway.

Still undecided. 🙂😁

P. S. I might post a few photos later...

Also, could wiredotter14 check if it's possible to select 10-bit color in the graphics driver for the Dell? (You might need to try lower resolutions). I can't seem to get it to work on my GTX 1650, even though the panel is 10-bit.

Dell (or at least some models) used to have issues with build quality—specifically light bleed around the plastic seams or the bezels.

Anyway, my cousin over in Germany picked up this 34" 3440x1440 LC POWER monitorreview





He says he's pretty happy with it.

Of course, since he's running it on Intel's Monitor Model integrated graphics, he can't hit the full 100Hz; he's capped at 59Hz via Mini DisplayPort, but we all saw that coming.

Here are a few shots of the Dell Monitor:

White version from the front: White version from an angle:

Black version from the front: Black version at an angle compared to the MVA TV (on the right):
Front view test: Angle view test:
MVA TV front view test: MVA TV angle view test:

Everything was photographed by taking pictures of the screen at 120 nits, and I kept the exposure fixed on my phone.

@Timothy Kim60/">@@Timothy Kim60: thanks for the reminder, I probably need to switch over to DisplayPort if I want to get that 10-bit color working properly. I'll head out to grab a cable in the morning.

wanderingbison9 said:Also, I’d like wiredotter14 to see if he can force 10-bit color in the GPU drivers for the AOC monitor (might need to test lower resolutions). I can't get it to work at all on my end (RX580), even though the panel is 10-bit.

I can check once I'm back home, but I'll be out for a few days. For what it's worth, I'm also running an RX580 and using DisplayPort.
What does a 10-bit panel actually mean?

wiredotter14 said:I can double-check once I get back home, but I'll be away for a few days. For what it's worth, I also have an RX580 and I'm using a DisplayPort connection.
What does it actually mean when they say a panel is 10-bit?

Basically, it means the screen can display about 1.07 billion colors, which is a huge deal if you want smooth gradients in things like a clear blue sky without seeing those ugly color bands. On Windows, you really only see that benefit if you're running games in D3D11 exclusive fullscreen mode—though who knows how many modern titles actually support that perfectly? It’s definitely vital for watching HDR movies, which are natively 10-bit (you can easily watch them on an SDR monitor using MadVR), and it's pretty much essential for any serious graphic design work...

P.S: If the panel used in that Lenovo is the same one found in the AOC, then we're looking at a TP Vision ADS panel... and since TP Vision is basically Philips, that tells you a lot about the quality. 😱

I can't say for certain, but I’m assuming it’s the exact same panel. It’s hard to imagine how many different types of panels could actually be circulating that all hit those specific specs—32" 1440p IPS at 75Hz with FreeSync—within monitors at a similar price point.