Deciding on a monitor

[THE_EGG]

Hi guys,

I'm currently in the market for a good 27" monitor. Most of you will suggest high resolution versions like 2560X1440 or 2560X1600 etc. But because my budget is pretty low, under $350 AUD, 1080p will have to do which is fine as it will be doubling as a screen to be used with consoles and will be placed a distance from the edge of the table.

I've been looking at the AOC i2757fh as it has an IPS panel and a sexy design and reviews seem to like it but said some more expensive models are slightly better for backlight bleed and contrast ratio.

Really my only requirement is either 2X HDMI or 1X DVI & 1X HDMI.

I was just wondering whether you guys have any suggestions for me. Thanks

 

[BarbaricSoul]

My parents use a AOC monitor, and I just don't like it. Something about the way letters look when typing. Personally, I've been a fan of Samsung's picture quality(I have both a 305t and a 2220wm Syncmaster monitors) for a while now, but thier product support leaves ALOT to be desired. If I was to buy a non-ultra resolution 27" monitor, it'd be between the ASUS VS278Q-P Black 27" 1ms (GTG) HDMI Widescreen ... and the SAMSUNG T27B350ND Rose Black 27" 5ms HDMI*2 Widesc... (yes it's a Samsung, and thier customer support sucks, but like I said, the picture quality is great IMHO)

 

[Jack1n]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Tempere...-LED-IPS-2560x1440-WQHD-Monitor-/130724901986

How about this?

 

[BarbaricSoul]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Tempere...-LED-IPS-2560x1440-WQHD-Monitor-/130724901986

How about this?

Probably the best choice for picture quality and the OP's budget. Several people have those here on TPU and seem to be satisfied with them.

 

[XL-R8R]

+1 to the Catleap.


Would love to acquire one as a next purchase.... bit outta my budget for now though

 

[Liquid Cool]

I would highly recommend the 650 Business Series from Samsung. I think I recently saw them on sale at just about your price range.

Best,

Liquid Cool

 

[THE_EGG]

I've heard quite a lot about the catleap monitors. They seem to be a bit hit or miss though, either fantastic or rubbish. Even the guy at my computer shop said to have a look at them.

As far as Samsungs go, I've been a bit wary of them recently as a few of my friends have had them and they seem to break or lose their edge a bit after about a year or so.

Well I finally found a review for the AOC i2757fm (same as i2757fh) over on tftcentral and they seem to really like it and apparantly it has one of the best black levels of ANY IPS screen. Also it seems to be one of the fastest IPS panels out there as well. Contrast ratio seemed about the same as other IPS panels.

So for the price I'm paying $300AUD I can get it for, I think it will be a good buy. I also got to have a look at it today and I was surprised as to how well built it is, especially for a low end company. Although nothing like Dell screens, I can tell you that. There was NO backlight bleed from the monitor I looked at, only a slight glow looking at it from a sideways angle, but I was told this is pretty common in IPS screens. I'm feeling a lot more relieved about throwing this much money on a fairly average manufacturer screen.

Thanks guys for all your help

 

[THE_EGG]

A quick final update;

Well I have been living with the screen since about 20th of Dec and I am loving it. I thought the picture may appear a little soft compared to the old LG IPS235 (which it does a little bit), but not anything to be worried about. The brightness levels seem very consistent not having any dark/bright spots and I cannot see ANY backlight bleed in my screen. I really like the display sitting flush with the tiny bezel, it looks a bit like the display is 'floating'. Also console games actually look better through this screen than the old LG as they don't look anywhere near as grainy.

Build quality is good especially for the money, and the dual base/stand system works a treat. I also like how the ports are at the back of the screen and not on the base of the screen like one of the Samsung 27" models I was looking at buying intially.

The only downsides I can think of is that the quality of plastics used feel a little cheap, but it is screwed together fine with no wobbly bits. And also having almost no bezel and having the disaply sit flush with the bezel means that it is most likely to get damaged more easily from moving it around to LANs at friend's houses.

Fantastic screen overall; I'd give it,

Build quality and materials used; 70%
Value; 98%
Display quality; 85%
Available inputs/outputs; 75%
Ergonomics; 75%
Included accessories; 80%

Overall; 80.5%