What Srceen Recommendations for IL2/gaming

[Les]

Originally Posted by kgwanchos

... Im looking at going for an e-IPS panel...A bit over budget but I love the reports of clarity and true colour reproduction as Im a keen photographer too...Im running an ATI 4870 1024Mb card by the way so I would prob stay with 22 inch....

Definitely go for an IPS monitor if you're into photography. Their marginally longer response time isn't an issue, and in a side by side comparison there's no contest in terms of colour reproduction (I've seen this for myself).

Going IPS drastically reduces the range of monitors available to choose from too, which can be seen as a good thing.

From Dell's latest models, you're looking at a U2211H (21.5") or a U2311H (23"). Both of these monitors have a 1920x1080 resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio. So one isn't going to be harder on your graphic card than the other, and if you do have to turn the resolution down for increased performance, to 1680x1050, there'd only be a marginal difference in image quality between the monitors. (There are 26-27" monitors that use a 1920x1080 resolution and they look fine, though you wouldn't want to try and stretch that resolution any further. What this means is, 1920x1080 crammed into 21-24" is above spec and should look much better, hence the Ultrasharp name I guess). From what I can see on the Dell site, the only difference between the two monitors is their screen-size, their average brightness (with the 23" slightly brighter), and their cost. Going up to 24" though results in an insane price-jump (with a marginal increase in resolution). There are older models on the Dell site too but they're actually more expensive and don't have any real advantages as far as I can tell.

In the same price range, from Samsung there's the B2440L and the B2430L which are 23.6" 1920x1080 16:9 5ms monitors, with no difference between them other than their outer design.

From Viewsonic there's the VP2365wb and that's all I'm going to say about that.

HP are too expensive and NEC are insanely expensive (as are the other full-on professional monitors). LG announced just the other day two new 21.5" and 23" IPS monitors will be coming out in November but they're LED models and so will be too expensive too. And that's about it, as far as I can tell...

Samsung or Dell...

and...

Out of curiosity I just went to the UK Dell site (which has a crap layout btw, and no I don't want to take part in a survey), to see if they had the same monitors I found on my local Dell site, and saw the prices. I hope I don't sound patronizing, but I didn't realize how bad you guys are getting ripped off over there. Computer parts over here are generally subject to mark ups that are highly dubious IMO, but even so, doing a straight currency conversion, the U2211H (21.5") should cost 186GBP, not 292GBP (106GBP difference), and the U2311H (23") should cost 217GBP, not 351GBP (134GBP difference), with a 31GBP difference between the two models, not a 59GBP difference. Converting back the other way and seeing thsoe prices in my local currency, I'm not sure I'd want to pay those prices. Sort of puts a damper on the whole thing. As Blackdog said, it's probably a good idea to shop around and try to get those prices down.

It is worth it to have a good monitor though IMO.

Anyway, hope that helps, was doing it for my own knowledge as much as anything.