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Technical & Scientific => Hardware => Topic started by: ober on June 15, 2020, 03:53:32 PM

Title: Need a second monitor
Post by: ober on June 15, 2020, 03:53:32 PM
I've been searching high and low and cannot seem to track down a decent monitor.  Maybe some of you have suggestions:


1) Needs to be 27"
2) Would like it to be no more than 4 ms response time, maybe 5 is fine?
3) Must be height adjustable.  Don't give a shit about tilt or swivel.
4) Trying to stay under 250 if possible
5) I prefer 1920x1080 purely because it will match my existing one.  I don't need 4k or even 2k.
6) Not crazy about IPS - would prefer TN.


It's a secondary so not a primary gaming monitor although I will likely use it with some games - I considering doing a mount but decided not to worry about that plus I don't think my current one has a mount-able interface.  Most seem to be sold out or I wouldn't get it for a month.  I've looked everywhere and haven't pulled the trigger on anything.
Title: Re: Need a second monitor
Post by: KnuckleBuckett on June 16, 2020, 06:14:43 AM
Not saying something won't pop, but man...time to move to 2K.  Not just because it is a nice improvement, but the world moved past 1080 a couple years back.  Even I had to go 2K with my main.  I ended up with a Dell 27" a couple years back and am glad I made the move.  IPS.  I will keep an eye out for something on sale though.
Title: Re: Need a second monitor
Post by: ober on June 16, 2020, 09:36:10 AM
My issue is consistency between the monitors :(  I would go to 2K but then the monitors won't be the same and that annoys the shit out of me.  I have been avoiding IPS because of gaming but maybe that's silly?
Title: Re: Need a second monitor
Post by: KnuckleBuckett on June 17, 2020, 06:05:15 AM
I have one of each.  I like the second for the larger font for chat etc.  Moving to 2K has been the best gaming improvement since forever.  Highly recommended.  Even Laura was amazed.
Title: Re: Need a second monitor
Post by: ober on June 17, 2020, 09:31:29 AM
So you have a 2K IPS?  What's the response time?
Title: Re: Need a second monitor
Post by: Perspective on June 17, 2020, 09:45:49 AM
I have this monitor https://www8.hp.com/us/en/monitors/product-details/15509855

It's awesome, really like a single extra wide over two individual monitors.
Title: Re: Need a second monitor
Post by: ober on June 17, 2020, 12:52:22 PM
I thought about that but I already have the one monitor - and honestly, I prefer having 2.
Title: Re: Need a second monitor
Post by: ober on June 17, 2020, 04:13:28 PM
Leaning towards this: https://www.newegg.com/black-acer-nitro-gaming-series-vg270u-pbmiipx-27/p/N82E16824011243?Item=N82E16824011243
Title: Re: Need a second monitor
Post by: ober on June 17, 2020, 09:45:29 PM
Fuck it: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004YK4I/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Knuck, you said something about using your 1080p as your chat window and stuff.  Unfortunately I'll be working from home for the next long while and I really don't want to deal with smaller font at a higher resolution than the 1080p I have now.  So I decided to stick with 1080p but I got one at 144hz.  Will review when I get it, hopefully Friday.
Title: Re: Need a second monitor
Post by: hans on June 18, 2020, 08:51:44 AM
Looks slick ober. I pondered a similar Asus a little while back but I just went to a 34" ultrawide for this lock down thing and I'm a fan now. Curved is still a bit odd but feels more natural than I anticipated.
Title: Re: Need a second monitor
Post by: ober on June 18, 2020, 09:56:05 AM
I looked at the curved ones.  And I've had a really large 4k monitor in the past and wasn't a fan.  It's not the same as 2 monitors in terms of managing windows and such.  I know the keyboard hotkeys and such make it easier but I still found it more trouble than the value it offered to manage windows like that.  Maybe it will change in the future but I'm fine with 2 monitors for now.

This is also my first Viewsonic in a while.  I used to only buy ViewSonic but veered away from them for my last few.  We'll see how it goes. 
Title: Re: Need a second monitor
Post by: Mike on June 18, 2020, 09:58:56 AM
With the single giant monitor can you subdivide it into 4 or more sections?  I can do that with multiple monitors.
Title: Re: Need a second monitor
Post by: ober on June 18, 2020, 10:01:50 AM
I assume it works the same as a normal single monitor (Windows key + direction).  It was like that for the big one I had but it wasn't one of the ultra-wides.
Title: Re: Need a second monitor
Post by: Mike on June 18, 2020, 10:10:51 AM
In windows I can get two splits per monitor.  So, two monitors = 4 splits, 3 monitors = 6 splits.  If I had an ultrawide that took up the same room as 3 monitors and could only get two splits then it seems less useful (to me).
Title: Re: Need a second monitor
Post by: ober on June 18, 2020, 10:28:45 AM
Like this?
Title: Re: Need a second monitor
Post by: Mike on June 18, 2020, 10:36:03 AM
Just learned about the corner part today.  Might have to use that in the future.

I really meant 4 vertical panes.  Most of the time I want the height but not the width.

Where I use it a lot is when I have something on the main monitor and want references on the second monitor.  Like, during our D&D games I want Roll20 open full on the main monitor, discord on half of the side monitor, and the browser on the other half of the side monitor.  With multiple monitors it is easy as you can just drag to the edge of the screen (or use the keyboard shortcut as you mentioned).
Title: Re: Need a second monitor
Post by: ober on June 18, 2020, 10:41:03 AM
Yeah, I get that.  And to me, the 4 portions really only work on a much bigger monitor.  I would never do that for 95% of the stuff I normally do.
Title: Re: Need a second monitor
Post by: ober on June 26, 2020, 12:08:41 PM
So stupid update on this: I was supposed to get the monitor last Friday and then it updated to THIS Friday.  So I went to track it on Wednesday and saw that the same monitor is now almost $100 cheaper.  I couldn't cancel the one in transit so I contacted Amazon and I got the run around that 'they can't give the difference because prices change all the time and sellers change and blah blah'.  They literally agreed with me that returning it and buying it again was the way to go.  So that's what I did.  Now the one I bought on Wednesday is out for deliver right now and the one I bought the previous week is now currently saying it might be late.  So I was going to get both on the same day although the second was ordered a week later.  Now I might get the one I ordered 2 days ago before the one I ordered over a week ago.  And it's $100 cheaper and now I have the hassle of returning the first one.  What a nightmare.  Surely it's going to cost them more to deal with the return than it would have been to just give me the difference?!  Makes no sense to me.
Title: Re: Need a second monitor
Post by: jkim on June 27, 2020, 12:34:29 AM
Amazon is really weird with their logic sometimes.

I have two ultra wide monitors. It does take a little while to get used to. It's just so much real estate to go across. But I don't think I would want three regular 16:9 monitors instead of these two.
Title: Re: Need a second monitor
Post by: KnuckleBuckett on June 27, 2020, 08:53:37 AM
Amazon is really weird with their logic sometimes.

I have two ultra wide monitors. It does take a little while to get used to. It's just so much real estate to go across. But I don't think I would want three regular 16:9 monitors instead of these two.

Nice audio!  I have a set of Edifiers also.  Is that a M Audio DAC amp?
Title: Re: Need a second monitor
Post by: jkim on June 27, 2020, 12:21:35 PM
Nice audio!  I have a set of Edifiers also.  Is that a M Audio DAC amp?

the M-Audio is their 192|6 interface, not specifically their DAC. I like this one. I can control the audio out to my speakers separately from the audio out to my headphones while also controlling the mix of USB vs direct in.
Title: Re: Need a second monitor
Post by: Perspective on June 30, 2020, 08:57:53 AM
Interesting set up... but do you end up sitting on an angle to look at the "primary" monitor, or do you sit straight and turn your head?
Title: Re: Need a second monitor
Post by: jkim on June 30, 2020, 09:05:07 AM
Interesting set up... but do you end up sitting on an angle to look at the "primary" monitor, or do you sit straight and turn your head?
I just turn my head or chair. I have my monitors angled at work too (corner desk setup) so I guess I'm used to it.
Title: Re: Need a second monitor
Post by: KnuckleBuckett on July 02, 2020, 06:09:43 AM
I sit at a 45 degree angle to my desks.  Usually legs on the left of the desk at home and keyboard in my lap.
Title: Re: Need a second monitor
Post by: Jake on July 02, 2020, 10:28:23 AM
So, Ben, how do you like the new screen?
Title: Re: Need a second monitor
Post by: ober on July 02, 2020, 11:14:43 AM
I dig it.  It's weird that it is technically a 27" screen like my previous one but a bit bigger.  If I had known it was going to be this big I would have went for 2k.  But for how I use it, it works nicely.