Looking at getting a new 24" monitor

[The boy 4rm oz]

Well Christmas is getting nearer and I am looking at getting myself a new monitor. Mum will put $200 to the cause so all I need to do is find a nice monitor and pay the difference :D.

These are what I am looking at so far:
AOC 2436Vw 24" (Around about $240)
http://www.aocmonitor-anz.com/lcd_monitor/2436vw.php

AOC 2434Pw 24" (Around $300)
http://www.aocmonitor-anz.com/lcd_monitor/2434pw.php

Or I can get one of these for $330 delivered :D (usually $900AUD from Dell)
Dell UltraSharp 2408 (1 year old but in mint condition, 2 year warranty left)
http://www.dell.com/us/en/dfo/peripherals/monitor_2408wfp/pd.aspx?refid=monitor_2408wfp&s=dfo

Straight away I said to myself I was going to buy that Dell monitor but those AOC monitors (mainly the second) appears to have better contrast ratios and refresh rates over the Dell.

Do you think I should snap up the Dell or go for one of those AOC monitors? Also if there are any other monitors you think I should look at in the 24" $300AUD range let me know and I will take a look. I looked at the BenQ's but the only one that seemed worth while was their new LED one but that's around $400AUD.

Any help would be appreciated :D

[x88x]

Personally I would go with the Dell. As much as I don't really like their computers, Dell does make very good monitors.

Notice that the Contrast Ratio listed for the AOC's are dynamic, whereas the Contrast Ratio listed for the Dell is typical. The dynamic contrast ratio is the max it can hit, not what it'll most of the time, so Dell's listing gives a much better idea of what the monitor will actually look like most of the time.

As for the refresh rate, I'm not gonna say that nobody can tell the difference between 2ms and 6ms (because I know people who can), but I will say that the difference is not much at all, and in fact most people won't notice the difference. Anything less than 10ms should be fast enough for whatever you throw at it.

Also, looking at the inputs, notice that whereas the first AOC only has D-Sub and DVI and the second AOC only has D-Sub and HDMI, the Dell has D-Sub, DVI, HDMI, Displayport, Component, Composite, and S-Video.

Lastly, the Dell is a 16:10 form-factor with a resolution of 1920x1200, whereas the AOCs are 16:9 form-factors with resolutions of 1920x1080. While the 16:9 form-factor is just fine, personally I still prefer the 16:10; idk, it just feels....right. Plus, you get the additional 230,400 pixels.

[The boy 4rm oz]

I didn't properly have time to look into it last night cos I had an early start today. I did notice the difference in contrast ratio and I was just double checking :D. Refresh rate isn't really an issue, I have been using a 16ms monitor for the past 5 years and it hardly laggs. Then again I have used my aunties 30" Dell with a a much lower refresh rate and immediately noticed the difference.

I think I am going to have to snap up this Dell while I can, all the extra features (and the reputation) is what is pushing me :D.

[x88x]

Oooh, your aunt has a 30" Dell :D ..pretty..
That's one of the things on my "if I ever have $10k to blow on a computer" list (ok, actually 4 of them are, but who's counting).

[d_stilgar]

I've never known anyone to hate their Dell after they get it. My friend had his Wii hooked up to it. It's a really great choice. I'm not saying that they have a monopoly on high quality monitors, but they have gained my bias.

[billygoat333]

I agree. those 30" dell monitors are freaking gorgeous. dell's monitors are nice. :) :up:

[The boy 4rm oz]

Yeah my Auntie works for CSIRO (http://www.csiro.au/) and they get all their gear from Dell. I visited her once and there was nothing but 24"+ Dells in their labs and offices :D.

I am really leaning towards the Dell, well I was. Someone already brought the one I was looking at and from what I have read on them they are prone to severe input lag, even when using HDMI. My cousins boyfriend has one and was wanting to sell it early this year because he doesn't use it. I might see if he will lend it to me for a while so I can test it before I commit to the purchase.

[billygoat333]

If you are looking for cheaper with quality, I have been impressed with my Acer 22" monitor. im sure their other stuff is as good. :up:

[The boy 4rm oz]

Thanks billy, I will have a look at them (I did a while ago but lost all the data I collected lol).

[billygoat333]

anytime. :)

[The boy 4rm oz]

Keep the recommendations coming BTW :D.

[x88x]

Oh goody, now I have someone to blame for 802.11n getting held up :P

Let's see, my top brands that I look for are: Samsung, Dell, NEC, and HP (professionaly). NEC and HP professional panels are almost universally really high quality, but also very expensive, thus the lower point on the list.

I've worked with a few Acers over the years, and I would rate them sort of middle of the road; not great but not awful. They're attractively priced, but unfortunately that seems to be for a good reason; most of the ones I've seen, especially new ones, seem to have really cheaply built cases. Internals are more likely than not the same as comparably priced ones from other manufacturers, but the cases just felt really flimsy.

[Durrthock]

Get the dell it has a different type of panel that improves the image, but makes the stats less. Other than that get an led backlit LG

[x88x]

Get the dell it has a different type of panel that improves the image, but makes the stats less.

You sure about that? It seems really cheap for anything other than a TN panel.

[farlo]

i really like BenQ monitors, ive never had as much as a dead pixel with any that ive recommended for my customers.

[The boy 4rm oz]

The only reason the Dell was that cheap was because a friend was selling it. Yes the Dell does have a different panel type, it's PVA not TN. The Dell does have better colour contrast and is a visually more appealing monitor but it apparently does suffer from horrendous input lag (anywhere from 30-60ms). As I said before my cousin's boyfriend does have one he is wanting to sell so I am going to see if I can borrow it for a while before I decide whether or not to purchase it.

Yep the HP and the NEC monitors are amazing but are just a little bit out of my price range :D.

I am currently comparing the Samsung's, Acer's, BenQ's, Viewsonic's, LG's and the AOC monitors in my first post. There are a couple amazing BenQ monitors around and the Samsung's and AOC's are also looking good. BenQ does have a range of LED monitors out now and they are about $400AUD. I may wait until christmas and may be able to get one on sale, we'll see :D.

Thanks for all your help guys.

Oh and if you were interested in some more info about the Dell take a look at the thread I started on Bit-Tech.
http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=176747

[simon275]

AOC are a bit cheap and not very good.

I would go for the dell or a samsung. Benq aren't a bad mid ground and they have a pretty cheap 24" lcd.

I run top of the line samsung 22" panels they are the best size to price to performance ratio IMO.

Cheers

[The boy 4rm oz]

Cheers Simon. I don't think AOC are that bad, I have used on for 5 years and they are pretty good.

If the Dell doesn't work out I will probably end up getting a Samsung or a BenQ, maybe even the BenQ LED monitor depending on prices. Samsung make panels for BenQ so essentially you are gettign a similar product for cheaper :D.

[d_stilgar]

I know you can't buy from this link, but I have this monitor and love it. Worth every penny. There is visible light bleed when the screen is all black, but otherwise really great for the price.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824254026

[billygoat333]

ooh yeah, forgot about viewsonic as well. had a 15" lcd that was viewsonic that was a TANK. dropped the thing moving and it still worked fine. lol

as for the acer case being flimsy, mine is fine, except it has a cheapass plastic stand. works fine though, never had any issues at all with it, going on two years of owning it too.

[The boy 4rm oz]

At that price I would seriously consider the Hanns G, shame there are no stockists in Australia.

So far I have narrowed the search down to Samsung, AOC, BenQ and Acer. I am seriously considering waiting for LED monitors to become cheaper but if it's not before Christmas then no can do I'm afraid. This is the particular monitor I was looking at:
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=416&products_id=12838
It's a real shame that it's a 16:9 monitor though, as someone stated earlier they just don't look right for PC use. Acer also make an LED one but it starts from $600AUD.

[Killa_Ape]

The 22" Samsung syncmasters are amazing monitors IMO! However I have a 24" Samsung syncmaster and there is some light bleeding in the top right and bottom left corners, I only notice it if there is a dark background, some movies you can tell or a game if there is something dark all across one side you can see the difference, but to be honest I don't notice it often enough to make a difference to me but others it may be a problem.

[x88x]

Lots of people talk about the Samsungs that I have bleeding a lot too, but I found that only happens when the brightness is cranked up all the way...and I normally keep mine at about 60%.

[billygoat333]

my acer has some bleeding issues as well but it really doesnt bother me too bad.

[The boy 4rm oz]

Yeah it appears that monitors above 22" tend to have slightly more bleeding. Something to do with the back lights needing to be brighter to cover the entire area.

[The boy 4rm oz]

OK, well I have narrowed down the search to 5 monitors, Including the Dell which I may/may not still be able to get.

Here are the monitors (Listed in order of preference):
1. Dell Ultrasharp 2408WFP
2. Samsung 2494HS
3. BenQ G2420HD
4. ViewSonic VX2433wm
5. BenQ G2411HD

I also have access to the Dell ST2410 24" monitor thanks to a 15% off coupon my mum just got today, that brings this monitor down to around $360AUS and if it is good I would very much consider it. It does have a lower brightness level (250cd/m^2) then all the other monitors I have listed (400cd/m^2 on the other Dell and 300cd/m^2 on the rest).
Here is a link, let me know what you think:
http://www1.ap.dell.com/au/en/home/monitors/monitor-dell-st2410wfp/pd.aspx?refid=monitor-dell-st2410wfp&s=dhs&cs=audhs1

What do you think (of the above 5), besides the Dell which one would you choose? All models besides the Dell are 16:9 which is a shame, I was hoping for a 16:10 monitor but there are none available to me within my price range that also have HDMI input.

I also just have a question above the 2 BenQ monitors that I listed. The G2420 appears to be the newer model, am I correct? The specs look identical, if there is major difference please let me know because there is a $30 difference between the G2411 and the G2420 (the G2411 being the more expensive model).

I have tried contacting my cousins boyfriend about his Dell 2408WFP but he wont return my calls so I might have to give it a miss. The Samsung makes a pretty good alternative I think (even though they don't have it up on their site yet) but if the other Dell that I linked to above is better I'm just going to go ahead and pick that one up.

[x88x]

I'd go with the Samnsung; it looks like it has a 120Hz panel, which will result in cleaner motion than most panels.

[The boy 4rm oz]

I am liking the look of that Samsung at the moment but have heard the previous model is much better. I a, still seeing if I can get my hands on the Dell 2408 though.

[Mark_Hardware]

I have a pair of ASUS 26"ers. Been using them for awhile now and lovin it. Just thought I'd throw that out there....

[The boy 4rm oz]

I do like the ASUS monitors but they one I have access to is a 22" with no HDMI so that immediately crosses it off the list. I can get it interstate but the shipping charges are $50AUD and for that price I can get a better monitor close by lol.

Thanks for your input though.

*EDIT*
Poll Added

[x88x]

Just noticed that with the ST2410, Dell went back to a TN panel; just fyi.

[The boy 4rm oz]

The ST2410 has always been the TN panel, there is a different model with a slightly different model number that is a PVA panel.