Monitor buying guide (mega-thread)

Timothy Kim60 said:I wouldn't call it a proven fact, but I suspect they’re using the exact same panel. After all, how many different types of panels can really be circulating for monitors that hit that specific sweet spot of 32" 1440p IPS at 75Hz with FreeSync within a similar budget?

Actually, TPV Technology acquired the Philips TV business and brand, and since they've acquired companies like Chi Mei and now BOE, they essentially control their own panel production. They also own AOC.

I've got it hooked up via DisplayPort, and now I'm seeing options for either 6-bit or 8-bit color. On the TV, I can easily toggle between 8, 10, or even 12-bit. Isn't that just something else? 🤦

Hey everyone,

I'm looking for a 27-28 inch monitor to use for my PC, but I also want to hook up a PlayStation—likely a PS5 once it's out—so I'm torn between a few different models:

https://www.bestbuy.com/monitor/AOC-27G2U/
https://www.walmart.com/gaming-monitor-fhd-ips-144hz/
https://www.newegg.com/monitor-28-inch-black/ - this one might be my favorite because of the 4K resolution (thinking about that PS5)
https://www.microcenter.com/category/975/
https://www.microcenter.com/category/975/
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/samsung-ls27e330h/product/
https://www.dell.com/monitor/product/

Does anyone have a better suggestion? Personally, I'm leaning more toward a flat screen rather than a curved one..

If anyone knows their stuff, please let me know what you recommend. Thanks in advance!!

You really have to make a choice: do you want a high refresh rate (since consoles are going to support 120Hz) or do you prefer high resolution even if it means lower FPS?

First off—if this is your primary monitor, you’ll need at least 32" for 4K; anything smaller like 28" is just going to feel cramped. Honestly, even 32" might feel a bit tight for some. Then again, 4K TVs aren't nearly as expensive as they used to be (like a 43" 4K model from $700)

wanderingbison9 said:TPV Technology actually picked up the Philips TV business and branding, and since they acquired both Chi Mei and now BOE, they handle their own panel production. They also own AOC.

I've got it connected via DisplayPort, and all I'm seeing are options for 6-bit or 8-bit color. Meanwhile, on the TV, I can easily toggle between 8, 10, or even 12-bit settings. Isn't that just wonderful? 🤦

I guess I'm just talking to myself here...

I hooked the monitor up to my GTX960 using a DisplayPort cable, updated all my drivers, and made sure the specific monitor drivers were installed, yet I still don't see an option for 10-bit—in fact, it won't even let me pick 6-bit, just 8-bit. Does that mean the monitor is just internally converting 8-bit to 10-bit?

I'll have to ask wiredotter14 if he's able to select 10-bit for his AOC in the Radeon software. Muchas gracias. 🙂

Hey there! I’m in a massive rush here, like, urgent level. This is the GPU I'm running:

https://www.amazon.com/graphics-card-ddr5-051800183

My PC should be arriving tomorrow, but honestly, picking a monitor is absolutely killing me. Still totally clueless on which one to grab...
Budget is capped at $667. I'm definitely not going below 1920x1080p (though if the card can handle more, even better), needs an IPS panel—I could maybe settle for VA, but TN is a hard no for me... looking for a 27-inch screen.

No specific favorites yet.

One more thing though. Online stores are out of the question because I need this monitor sitting on my desk by tomorrow...

Thanks 🙂

wanderingbison9 said:If you want to see those 1.07 billion colors—which is huge for smooth gradients like a clear sky so you don't get that nasty banding—you really need to be running in D3D11 fullscreen exclusive mode on Windows. Not sure how many games actually support that, but HDR movies are 10-bit (easy enough to watch via MadVR even on an SDR screen), and for any serious graphics work, it matters...

P.S: if the panel in the Lenovo is the same one used in the AOC, then we're looking at a TP Vision ADS panel... TP Vision is basically Philips😱

Specs say 10-bit, 75Hz. Still can't tell if I'm actually getting bit depth since the screen isn't HDR.

wiredotter14 said:It looks like it's set to 10-bit at 75Hz. Honestly, I'm still not entirely sure if I'm actually getting true bit color since the screen itself isn't an HDR panel.

Thanks for that. Where exactly are you seeing those specs? Is it under Radeon software > Display > Color Depth? If you don't mind, would you be able to snap a quick photo of the screen for me?

Having that 10-bit support really does matter, because it allows you to download UHD HDR movies which tend to look much sharper on a WQHD screen compared to standard FHD versions, plus you get those much smoother color gradients. When you use MadVR to handle the conversion from HDR to SDR, the results can look absolutely stunning—sometimes even better than a standard Blu-ray. It definitely makes a difference.

Good afternoon,

I'm looking for some monitor recommendations for a friend of mine.
1. He’ll be using it for standard office work, graphic design, and video editing.
2. It will be connected to his Acer f15 f5-573g laptop equipped with an Nvidia 940 MX.
3. His budget is up to $833, and it's really important that the screen size allows for a dual-screen setup.

Right now, we are considering
SAMSUNG LS34J550WQUXEN monitor (34 ", WQHD, 60 Hz)

Thanks in advance for any suggestions you can provide.

Double screens? Are you talking about a 21:9 aspect ratio?

Supposedly this is an incredible deal (it's actually still on sale)

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search/34-inch-ultrawide-monitor

Review here

Honestly, he doesn't really need 144Hz, but hey, why not?

For design work, an IPS panel would be the ideal choice, but you just can't find that combo within this budget—especially for a 34" 21:9 3440x1440 setup.

wanderingbison9 said:Thanks. Where exactly is that located? In Radeon software/display/color depth? Can you snap a photo if you don't mind?

10-bit matters because you can download UHD HDR movies—they look sharper on a WQHD screen compared to FHD versions, plus the color gradients are smoother. MadVR handles the HDR to SDR conversion, and it looks incredible, better than a standard Blu-ray. It's worth it.

In Windows Settings and under Display in Radeon Settings

Is MadVR some kind of player?
If I grab an HDR torrent, can I just watch it in VLC?

wiredotter14 said:



In both Windows Settings and Radeon Settings under the Display tab

Is MadVR some kind of player?
If I download an HDR torrent, can I just watch it straight up in VLC player?

Thanks. So it looks like everything is working fine on your end.

Man, what a headache. I was actually starting to really love this Lenovo. But here's the thing—when I test gradients from a 16-bit image using D3D Fullscreen Exclusive mode via MadVR, they look perfectly smooth, whereas in windowed mode, you see all those nasty banding issues. It seems like Exclusive mode manages to bypass Windows entirely and pushes a 10-bit surface directly to the GPU, which might actually be why it works so much better. I guess I’ll have to give it some more thought.

I just double-checked, and you can definitely watch HDR video converted to SDR directly in VLC, though I'm not entirely sure if VLC provides a true 10-bit render output like the MadVR renderer does. I gave it a shot, and since VLC doesn't utilize that Exclusive mode, you aren't getting a genuine 10-bit signal from a 10-bit source to the monitor; instead, you're just getting 8-bit dithering. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of VLC, so if you're looking for that 10-bit experience, I’d highly recommend using MPC HC combined with MadVR.

With MadVR, you can actually push your monitor to its peak brightness—which is around 280 nits, as you might have seen in reviews—and by saving that value into the MadVR settings, you can achieve a pretty decent HDR-like presentation...

Hey there,

So, I'm currently rocking an Acer G257hl, and I've been seriously eyeing a 144 Hz monitor upgrade. I'm totally torn between the AOC C27G1 and the 27G2U—basically choosing between a curved VA panel versus a flat IPS one. Honestly, I have zero clue what the real-world experience is like. The price gap is about 80-$33 more for the IPS option.

That 144Hz IPS AOC C27G1 is easily your best bang for your buck.

Timothy Kim60 said:Dual screens? Or are you talking about a 21:9 aspect ratio?

Supposedly, this is an incredible deal (and it's still on sale)

https://www.amazon.com/monitor-34-x...m_medium=click

Review

He doesn't strictly need 144Hz, but there's no harm in having it, right?

For design work, an IPS panel would be ideal, but finding a 34" 21:9 3440x1440p ultrawide at this price point is tough.

Thanks so much for the reply,

Yes, I mean the 21:9 aspect ratio.

Is there anything else out there besides Xiaomi? Something similar?

My budget can stretch up to $1000, so maybe about $500 more.

What’s the most affordable IPS panel option? Specifically a 34" 21:9 WQHD ultrawide.

And if possible, something curved?
Right now we are looking at the LG 34GL750-B.

Thanks in advance for the help; we've been struggling to get the laptop to run at 120Hz using the secondary graphics output to the monitor, but it seems to be working okay for now.

Look, that LG you're eyeing only has a 2560x1080 resolution on a 34" screen, which honestly isn't ideal if you're doing any serious video editing or design work...

Like I mentioned before, you just can't find a 34" 21:9 3440x1440p IPS panel at that price point... The cheapest options are here:

And even those are incredibly cheap compared to what they used to cost (around 5-6 $0.00)

BTW, that sale on the Xiaomi is over, so don't bother with that one anymore—you've got to move fast on the others.

wiredotter14 said:



If you head into your Windows Settings and check under Display within the Radeon Settings, you should find what you need.

I have a quick little update regarding the Lenovo: I decided to hang onto it because some folks over at the doom9 forums pointed me toward a handy little tool called CRU, which actually allowed me to enable 10 and 12-bit color, and wouldn't you know it, it works perfectly now. Honestly, who knows why those settings weren't already enabled in the EDID?

The color gradations look absolutely flawless now, completely free from any of that annoying dithering from AMD or MadVR...

Greetings, I am in need of some counsel regarding a dilemma: should I opt for a monitor or a television?
I have recently assembled a new build featuring an Intel Core i5-10600K paired with a rather lackluster GT 1030 2GB graphics card. To be clear, gaming is not my priority here; this machine is strictly for streaming movies and series, and I run quite a few virtual machines on it.

At the moment, I am using it hooked up to a 32" Vivax TV, which unfortunately caps out at a meager 720p resolution.
I am looking to upgrade to Full HD, but I am hesitant to simply buy another 32" TV—I certainly wouldn't want anything smaller, but I don't see the point in staying at this size if I can go bigger. However, if I stick to a 32" screen, I am torn between finding a Full HD TV or pivoting to a dedicated monitor. I checked Best Buy nearby and spotted a Samsung monitor priced at roughly $300.
The downside there is that I would be forced to purchase separate speakers.
Since a TV comes with built-in audio, I am leaning toward the idea that purchasing a 32-inch Full HD TV might actually be the most logical move, given that I won't be gaming on it.$500

I’m rocking this monitor right now:

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/monitor-31-5-inch-black-100300310

The picture quality is solid. Since it’s 1440p, you won't be staring at individual pixels like you would on a 1080p screen at this size. Plus, the image looks much sharper when you're downloading 4K movies.

If you've got about $667 in the budget, you could easily grab some speakers for $167 that’ll blow any standard TV audio out of the water.
I wouldn't suggest using a 32" TV for a PC setup, though. Sitting right in front of one like that just kills your eyes.

The only real downside to this monitor is the lack of a built-in TV tuner for live channels.

P.S.

That curved model you linked isn't great for watching movies—unless you're sitting way back in a recliner like you're gaming.

wiredotter14 said:The only downside to this monitor is that it doesn't have a built-in TV tuner for watching broadcast television directly.

P.S.

That one you linked is actually a curved monitor, which isn't ideal for watching movies unless you're sitting back in a chair at a distance like you would when you're gaming.

I wouldn't really count that as a flaw, mostly because I'm not even sure you could find a QWHD monitor out there that comes equipped with a DVB-T2 tuner and HEVC decoding. Besides, standalone receivers are so incredibly small these days that they wouldn't even clutter your desk... you could even just grab an HDMI DVB-T2 HEVC stick and call it a day, right?

As for me, I don't typically watch movies on my 32" QWHD anyway; I tend to sit further back than my usual working distance, maybe about 27-31 inches from the screen (unless I'm feeling particularly lazy and decide to just kick back in front of the big screen in the living room😬).

To wrap things up, I honestly don't see any deal-breakers that would stop someone from picking up that AOC.

Sure, I get why some people want to just flip the switch without having to shell out cash for an extra tuner. Personally, I don't even watch TV, so it’s a non-issue for me.

By the way, did you have that same AOC model?
Any tips on dialing in the colors? I'm getting a bit lost trying to navigate the individual settings versus those specific Gaming modes.