About monitors

[CostinRaz]

Oh I know it's low end...sigh better check the warranty then.

EDIT: Warranty expired, because of course the monitor would break down now.

What other model would you recommend to replace it? One that won't die on me that is. Got someone who would sell a Samsung SyncMaster 2494HS for cheap second hand.

 

[dragonbird]

And I'd still like feedback on those BenQ's that I mentioned earlier, if anyone has any...

BENQ 24" RL2450H
or
BENQ 24" XL2420T

 

[GuyNwah]

BenQ: As a monitor maker, they're fine. They used to be Acer. They had a loud failure in the mobile phone business, but that was a different acquisition and product line.

The XL2420T is the bottom of the 120Hz barrel. If you really want 120Hz, you can do much better. If you don't want 120Hz, don't bother.

The RL2450H is a respectable TN monitor. Sufficiently fast to be appreciated by gamers, and sturdy, especially compared to flimsy Samsung bases. Less likely that cats will knock it over than most.

 

[dragonbird]

Thanks - I think I'll get the 2450H.

 

[CostinRaz]

Well my monitor issues continue, got a cheap BenQ model close to a month ago am not happy with it, finally realized it was flickering while in games, Initially I had put it down to just 1-2 specific games but it's everywhere.

Thankfully I can return to the store and get my money back, but what should I replace it with, here are my options:

http://www.emag.ro/monitoare-lcd-led/filter/tehnologie-f133,led-v332/diagonala-f126,21-22-inch-v1020/diagonala-f126,23-inch-v1021/pret,intre-300-si-450/sort-priceasc/c

 

[Medy89]

Just the kind of thread I searched for...
My preferences are different though.... I want to use the screen mainly for web browsinv and media consumption ,movies and stuff. my question is how well can large tv screens handle the job of being used for gaming ... like 40 inch ones.. im looking for a cinematic experience gaming being 2nd priority... im not sure if 1080p is enough for that big of a screen to play games on it to deliver a good picture... but also have my doubts that for gaming 40 inch might be too big ? Any experience with large screens for gaming ? And what kind of tv screen would be best for that ? smth to play witcher 3 on ;>..
Since im on youtube alot I need a screen on which I can enoy 1080p videos and which is able to give me a great experience for gaming too...

 

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

I just got Dell U2413 (had some rough time returning one defective first because of the backlight bleeding which seems to be a common defect in that model, so I ended up finding a physical store where I could test the monitor before taking it home). It supports DisplayPort 1.2 connection, however I found a lot of reports that many DisplayPort cables aren't VESA compliant, because they handle the power pin incorrectly somehow. I.e. when you connect the monitor directly to the video card, the power should not be directed from the monitor into the card, however that's what happening with many cables and it's causing all kind of weird bugs to people. Does anyone know a good VESA compliant DP 1.2 cable (preferably 3 m / 10 ft long)?

 

[GuyNwah]

The whole DisplayPort market is chaotic. It's not just cables. You can have a certified cable and it still won't work right because the connector on the card or the monitor is badly designed.

Only buy DisplayPort-certified cables. Of those, Accell "UltraAV" is the most often recommended by people who set these up for a living. Never buy Belkin, even if they (falsely) claim certification.

 

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

Accel UltraAV seems to be a popular one, but I found this: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2TA2UY8D11FAG/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt#R2TA2UY8D11FAG

It's just one person reporting, but still (his problem could be monitor / motherboard related though).

 

[GuyNwah]

Accel UltraAV seems to be a popular one, but I found this: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2TA2UY8D11FAG/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt#R2TA2UY8D11FAG

It's just one person reporting, but still (his problem could be monitor / motherboard related).

Product reviews on Amazon are often not by technically knowledgeable writers, and repeating their complaints risks spreading FUD rather than true knowledge. The writer has no idea what the actual cause of his problem is. With an Intel graphics adapter, it could be their miserable drivers.

Anyway, the DisplayPort market is rife with incompatibilities and badly made equipment despite attempts at certification. The only thing you can do is deal only with reputable manufacturers and suppliers, be prepared to try more than one combination of equipment, and be prepared for the possibility that some devices just may not work quite right.

This is especially so for the Amazon writer's case of the DP interface not coming up out of standby. Correct restoration of function in devices following recovery from standby is a continual source of trouble, complaints, and driver updates that don't quite work.

 

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

I'll try out the Accel then.

 

[GuyNwah]

I'll try out the Accel then.

Please let us know how it works out. Unfortunately, the Linux experience with DisplayPort functionality is even more troublesome than on Windows. One area where Apple's insistence on a narrow range of standard equipment actually pays off :/

 

[dragonbird]

If you don't need audio, is there any significant advantage of DisplayPort over Dual-DVI?

 

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

Supposedly it can support better color profiles: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Display_port#1.2
Plus it can be useful for higher resolutions since it has more bandwidth (however I don't need that).

Competing HDMI also has some newer variants:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI#Version_1.4
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI#Version_2.0

Though unlike Display port they don't need new cables for 2.0.

 

[GuyNwah]

If you don't need audio, is there any significant advantage of DisplayPort over Dual-DVI?

No immediate advantages, and modern DVI devices will do audio over a DVI to HDMI adapter. Long term, packet transmission (DisplayPort) is going to replace synchronous data (DVI, HDMI). It is faster and more versatile, especially in multiple display setups. But DisplayPort is not quite ready to take over. It is more complex and still a bit buggy, interoperability issues have not been well handled, and the tendency to push cheap crap into the consumer market is as bad as it is in power supplies.

 

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

Please let us know how it works out. Unfortunately, the Linux experience with DisplayPort functionality is even more troublesome than on Windows.

OK, I just got an Accel UltraAV DisplayPort 1.2 cable (3 m). It works with Dell U2413 / Nvidia GTX 680 combination (with monitor setting for DP 1.2 enabled). Current Debian testing, Nvidia closed driver 340.24.

There is one case though where it's worse than HDMI or DVI. When switching from tty to X (or back) it takes around 2-3 seconds with HDMI. With this DisplayPort cable it takes 5+ seconds and in between the monitor attempts to enter a sleep mode (it shows such message). Erroneous sleep explains the long switching time, but in the end it switches. There is no problem with waking up from the legitimate sleep mode like that reviewer described. Switching modes (resolution) inside X itself works fine.

That tty <-> X anomaly can be a driver issue - I'll send a bug report to Nvidia just in case.

 

[eskiMoe]

Any idea when 1440/1600p monitors will become more affordable? Because at the moment they are ridiculously expensive..

 

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

It doesn't look like their prices are going down. On the other hand they aren't often needed, unless for professional work. May be when such resolutions will become more commonly used, prices will drop as well. Right now they are prohibitively high for common usage.

 

[eskiMoe]

It doesn't look like their prices are going down. On the other hand they aren't often needed, unless for professional work. May be when such resolutions will become more commonly used, prices will drop as well. Right now they are prohibitively high for common usage.

Yup.. :/

Was planning on getting a Dell U2412M to replace my ancient TN panel HP monitor once I get my PC build up and running. At the moment the 27 inch 1440p model is on sale but it's still twice more than the 24 inch one. Too much, way way too much..

 

[JimmyQ]

I remember the day I switched from my old 17" dinosaur to my current 24" monitor a few years ago. I thought that was kind of overwhelming, and it did take some get'n used to. And so much more room on my desk...for all them empty soda cans : /. Yeah, I don't see myself going bigger than that any time soon.