best 27 inch computer screen?

[redmist93]

hey just wondering if u guys could help me choose the best gaming 27inch screen. My budget is around 300-400 dollars(AU). If you could explain your reasoning behind why you think its the best that would be helpful as well thanks

[Deleted]

To answer that, I kind of need to know your reason for wanting a 27'' screen. Thing is, they generally don't make good gaming screens.

1) 2560x1440 is rather demanding to drive for your machine. Framerate losses over 1920x1080 can be anywhere between 50% to 25%. (e.g. from 60 to 30) If you don't run 2560x resolution, then you end up with a very blocky display, making aliasing excessively obvious. (Pixels twice the size of a decent laptop)

2) Displays that actually use 2560x1440 are exclusively IPS based. A more costly but significantly superior technology for image quality. It is however also significantly above your budget - as you'd need about 2-3x as much money in order to get one. IPS panels tend to be a bit slower than TN panels, and also don't handle deep black levels that well (very noticeable in Amnesia for example). However, a particularly big problem for Quake or Tribes gameplay is that the INPUT LAG of these monitors can be very high, with numbers as high as 30ms to be expected.

3) The sheer size of the screen makes you extremely susceptible to tunnel vision. Its a lot harder to properly see whats going on when using large monitors.

[0ptimo]

http://www.amazon.com/Planar-Systems.../dp/B002ZT0784

I'm currently using two of these and couldn't be happier. IMO they make great gaming screens. I've never had a problem with tunnel vision as the poster above describes. These have a great picture, color quality and blacks. 2ms response time is what you need. I bought mine off newegg a couple months back but they no longer carry them or they are out of stock ATM. The one i linked from amazon is the exact same.

[redmist93]

hmmm sounds like there are alot of negatives to getting a 27inch =/ at the moment the main reason of getting one is i have spare cash and i see it as an upgrade for my overall computer set up. so there are no 27 inch screens that are in my price range and are good for gaming then? =/

---------- Post added 2011-11-17 at 01:54 AM ----------

http://www.amazon.com/Planar-Systems.../dp/B002ZT0784

I'm currently using two of these and couldn't be happier. IMO they make great gaming screens. I've never had a problem with tunnel vision as the poster above describes. These have a great picture, color quality and blacks. 2ms response time is what you need. I bought mine off newegg a couple months back but they no longer carry them or they are out of stock ATM. The one i linked from amazon is the exact same.

thanks optimo ill look into them

---------- Post added 2011-11-17 at 02:04 AM ----------

just tried to buy the one u linked optimo and amazon wont ship to me :'(

[Deleted]

my country for a 120mhz 27 inch screen! that also has 2560x1440

I'd sell / give away my three screens for it!

[rbrt1512]

This is what im using and i love it
newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001392

[BicycleMafioso]

Do yourself a favour and don't buy a TN-panel, or a 1080p screen in the sizes bigger than 24".
I'm sorry, it just looks awful. The viewing angles even on a 24" is distorting itself in different parts just sitting in front of it.
And 1080p in 24" or higher is very blocky, like DarkXale says.

my country for a 120mhz 27 inch screen! that also has 2560x1440

I'd sell / give away my three screens for it!

There are no GPUs able to handle 120 MHz screens.
There are no 120Hz screens with a resolution above 1080p, at this time. This is a limitation on bandwidth with DVI for instance.
It would also be very difficult to watch seeing as it'd have to be a TN-panel for speed.

[Adorada]

I'd personally grab one of these. IPS has the best color reproduction out of all the technologies but indeed do somewhat suffer in the black levels. I have the U2410 (which is actually better than this newer model) and I don't notice any input lag/ghosting even though the response time is a little bit slower than most TN panels. I'd take an IPS monitor over an TN panel, any day. TN panels are terrible in almost every way. TN panels are only good due to their low response times and their cheapness. If you don't want to spend that much on an IPS monitor, you can always try to find a MVA/PVA monitor. They are better than a TN panel but not as great as an IPS panel. Just watch out for their response times (you should shoot for 8ms or less).

Now in regards to the size, it's up to you, but sitting a few feet away from the monitor, 24" will be fine. Plus, you will be able to get a better 24" monitor versus getting a cheap 27". In the end, it's up to you whether size > quality.

[Xuvial]

You're not going to find a decent 27" for AU$300-400.
~23-24" is the limit for 1080p, after which bloating the screen size only worsens the quality unless you sit atleast 4 feet away from your monitor to stop noticing the the huge pixels.You'll need atleast 2560x1440 out of a 27", which won't fit in that budget unless some exceptional sale is going on.

[redmist93]

hmmm thanks for the feedback. i think ill still get a 27inch and at least give it a go i can always return it if it is complete and utter shit like some of you say :P at the moment im thinking of buying http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824005161 if anyone has tried it before speak up

[mafao]

1) 2560x1440 is rather demanding to drive for your machine. Framerate losses over 1920x1080 can be anywhere between 50% to 25%. (e.g. from 60 to 30) If you don't run 2560x resolution, then you end up with a very blocky display, making aliasing excessively obvious. (Pixels twice the size of a decent laptop)

My experience is a bit different. I play games on my 27" iMac, which is equipped with a Radeon 6950M (comparable to a slightly underclocked 6850), and despite this GPU being far from "fast" (according to the modern standard), it was able to tackle any game I throw on it (including Deus Ex 3, Witcher 2, BF3 and now Oblivion) on native resolution. Obviously, you will have to reduce the quality a bit (for instance, AA is not an option, as is Ultra settings for some modern titles); I also doubt that framerate will be enough for good performance in competitive FPS games. Still, the games I played were very smooth (no noticeable visual lag, at least for me) and enjoyable. Based on my experience, I think that a decent mid-range card (6850 or better) should suffice for some moderate gaming at 2560x1440, provided you can settle with medium/high settings.

P.S. Gaming is absolutely beautiful on 1440p, especially first-person games. And the tunnel vision goes away as you get used to the screen.

[Deleted]

Obviously, you will have to reduce the quality a bit

I also doubt that framerate will be enough for good performance in competitive FPS games.

Yeah, thats kind of the point of the paragraph.

[Rapret]

To answer that, I kind of need to know your reason for wanting a 27'' screen. Thing is, they generally don't make good gaming screens[...]

You're a bit picky aren't you DarkXale?

From personal experience, 42" LCD TV monitor works great for gaming, even at 1920 resolution (which is all my 5770 HD can muster). I've yet to see anything to complain about, and i've been using it for almost 2 years now. Then again, I dont play FPS games at a high level, where those millisecond delays might make credible excuses for dying? I've played counterstrike and CoDMW2 without noticing anything to complain about preformance-wise. A 42" screen is really a delight for all purposes, wether it be gaming, movies, surfing or using multiple text documents simultaneously.

And no, it dosen't hurt your (my) eyes.

edit: also, being intended as a TV, it has proper speakers, without the fuzz of having an external 2:1 system on your desk. Ofc. it can't compare to a real bose 7:1 system or something, but that's on my shopping list :P I'm allergic to headphones

[rcshaggy]

I have mine at 2048x1152 so yeah it works and it runs smoothly as well from time to time, but still my old computer that I had before was shit so yeah, and my new one now is perfect and the way that I like it, but I really need to go through files and delete the ones I'm not using.

[RedDragon4275]

http://www.amazon.com/Planar-Systems.../dp/B002ZT0784

I'm currently using two of these and couldn't be happier. IMO they make great gaming screens. I've never had a problem with tunnel vision as the poster above describes. These have a great picture, color quality and blacks. 2ms response time is what you need. I bought mine off newegg a couple months back but they no longer carry them or they are out of stock ATM. The one i linked from amazon is the exact same.

I have this exact same monitor. It's a very good monitor and I have no problems with Tunnel vision with it. It's not 2560x1440 either. It's 1920x1080 and it looks great.

[Deleted]

You're a bit picky aren't you DarkXale?

I've gotten around. Tried all sorts of hardware, played games with many outstanding players, learned a great deal about the physics and logic behind the hardware, and naturally as a summary of all these learned & worked out what tends to be optimal. The key here being what gets you the most from the money you spend.

Thats really all the recommendations are based on.

I've played counterstrike and CoDMW2 without noticing

Those are basically the equivalent of turn-based RTS games in the FPS world.

[Meleti]

Yeah, $400 AU doesn't sound like very much at all for a good 27" panel.

A good 27" display would be something like a Dell U2711 or an Apple Cinema Display, both of which retail around $1000 USD. You might be able to find a lesser display for around your asking price, but don't fool yourself into thinking it's a high quality product. It's just a large display.

[Recyclops]

You could always wait until black Friday and fight your way to a cheap new screen.

[BicycleMafioso]

You could always wait until black Friday and fight your way to a cheap new screen.

Do they have that in Oceania though?
I hadn't even heard of it until a year ago, so I assume it's a North American trend, seeing as no one else celebrates thanksgiving.

[Puerto]

http://www.amazon.com/Planar-Systems.../dp/B002ZT0784

I'm currently using two of these and couldn't be happier. IMO they make great gaming screens. I've never had a problem with tunnel vision as the poster above describes. These have a great picture, color quality and blacks. 2ms response time is what you need. I bought mine off newegg a couple months back but they no longer carry them or they are out of stock ATM. The one i linked from amazon is the exact same.

I bought this one above as well. LOVE IT. It's out of stock right now because there was a deal on newegg, which I got, for about 230 US dollars.

Went from a 24 inch to this 27 inch. Believe me.. I couldnt be happier.

Specs:

ATI 6970
i7 2600k
8gb ram
etc
etc

Playing games like WoW, Battlefield 3, Skyrim all look beautiful.