Solved Monitor Size: is 27" too big?

[Recusant]

Hi guys, i'm just looking for opinions.

It's time to buy a new monitor (in time for BF3 ) and i have been agonising over a ~23" or 27" (i'm only looking at TN, 120hz for FPS). Unfortunately, all the 27" TN panels are 1080, and not a higher res.

There's a fair amount of debate about whether 27" for the PC viewing distance is simply too big. I'm inclined to agree, especially if the content being viewed is not 1080.

I sit about 80cm, and i believe that is fine for 1080, but not for anything less.

Pity there are no 25" ones - i'm sure that'd fit the bill perfectly

 

[pparks1]

Why not go with a 24" monitor..if the 25" would be perfect, 24" is only 1 inch off?

 

[Schroff87]

It is purely subjective, I remember reading a post by someone over here who said that 27" was just right for him!! My sweet spot is 24" ... just get what you like. The 23" will have a better image though.

 

[Recusant]

Why not go with a 24" monitor..if the 25" would be perfect, 24" is only 1 inch off?

There's not a lot of choice, in fact i don't think there is a 24"/120hz/TN screen available (in Australia).

23/23.6, for some reason, is the norm.

 

[A Guy]

Not sure where the best place to buy in Australia is, but

Monitors - 23" & 24" LCD | Techbuy Australia

ASUS VE258Q LCD Monitor - Black | Techbuy Australia

A Guy

 

[Recusant]

It is purely subjective, I remember reading a post by someone over here who said that 27" was just right for him!! My sweet spot is 24" ... just get what you like. The 23" will have a better image though.

I had a look in a shop, and the 27" looked fine for Windows, but there was a 720 video on it, and even when i made it about 1/4 of the screen, it looked a little blocky to me. I was standing a *little* closer than the distance i sit, but not a lot (i didn't have a tape to measure). It was a pity they didn't have anything 1080 for me to see. I watch a little on the PC, but not a lot. General productivity use, the internet and gaming is what my block is for.

I know i'll be safer with ~23", but i would be annoyed if 27" would have been fine, and i didn't make that purchase first. My 19" has served me well, but i wish i got a 16:9 ~23 way back when.. though at a premium i suppose.

So torn

I'd love to use the 27" with Windows snapped left/right, but i could use my existing 19" as a second monitor with the 23". I use dual monitor at work, and it's ok - but i have zero experience using dual with a game running on the 'main' monitor with, e.g. Teamspeak/whatever else running on the secondary monitor.

I don't have the real estate to be able to run three monitors (2 for gaming just wouldn't work), so a big main monitor is my only choice.

I'm leaning toward this one. Which is about AU$110 cheaper than the 27". Maybe i just need to wait until they make 27" at the higher resolutions, and then wait for the price to drop - that'll be another couple of years at least. And this 19" 4:3 Samsung has been really nice to be for a good 5 years.

Man, 3x23" would be so awesome But with literally 1.2m of width, it will never fit.

 

[Recusant]

ASUS VE258Q LCD Monitor - Black | Techbuy Australia

A Guy

That 25" is intriguing, but it's not 120hz

I wonder if they plan to bring out a 120hz version.

 

[Schroff87]

It is purely subjective, I remember reading a post by someone over here who said that 27" was just right for him!! My sweet spot is 24" ... just get what you like. The 23" will have a better image though.

I had a look in a shop, and the 27" looked fine for Windows, but there was a 720 video on it, and even when i made it about 1/4 of the screen, it looked a little blocky to me. I was standing a *little* closer than the distance i sit, but not a lot (i didn't have a tape to measure). It was a pity they didn't have anything 1080 for me to see. I watch a little on the PC, but not a lot. General productivity use, the internet and gaming is what my block is for.

I know i'll be safer with ~23", but i would be annoyed if 27" would have been fine, and i didn't make that purchase first. My 19" has served me well, but i wish i got a 16:9 ~23 way back when.. though at a premium i suppose.

So torn

I'd love to use the 27" with Windows snapped left/right, but i could use my existing 19" as a second monitor with the 23". I use dual monitor at work, and it's ok - but i have zero experience using dual with a game running on the 'main' monitor with, e.g. Teamspeak/whatever else running on the secondary monitor.

I don't have the real estate to be able to run three monitors (2 for gaming just wouldn't work), so a big main monitor is my only choice.

I'm leaning toward this one. Which is about AU$110 cheaper than the 27". Maybe i just need to wait until they make 27" at the higher resolutions, and then wait for the price to drop - that'll be another couple of years at least. And this 19" 4:3 Samsung has been really nice to be for a good 5 years.

Man, 3x23" would be so awesome But with literally 1.2m of width, it will never fit.

2560x1440 res monitors should be available at that size ... try looking around a bit more or online shopping. If you're going to work for the most part with your PC then definitely go for the bigger screen. For gaming and movies it depends on your graphics card (@ 1080p & above) and your tolerance for pixelation. I can't stand anything less than 60fps so I have no plan to go above 1080p and 24" for pixelation

 

[chrisf8657]

Besides what everyone else has said - if your considering Gaming - you will be limited well below the native resolution of the monitor. Very few, if any, games support a monitor of that size - even fewer support Widescreen even near that. The game will be scaled so much it will look like ever-loving CRAP.

Windows and the Video Card may support it, though, but think about the previous, FYI. I've tried it on some of the big newer monitors and it just doesn't work like I said above.

Some Games and Monitors will scale it into an area where a huge black area will be around it - again, because it doesn't support the resolution and/or widescreen.

 

[Zepher]

One of our machines was upgraded from a 24" to a 27" 1080P monitor last week. Everything looks great on it, games, movies, tv shows, etc...
this machine is used primarily for media viewing and gaming.
The only thing that is noticeably different is the size of the icons and text in windows since everything is larger.
Not sure what chrisf86567 is talking about, all the games we are playing support 1080P and widescreen with no issues.

here is an image of the Viewsonic 27" with my nephew playing on the web,

 

[Beta]

I use my 32" Sony Ex500 with 120Hz and its great. You just need to know how to change the settings in windows to make it look right. Also Directx 10 has a issue with scalling the desktop and launching a game. Ie: your mouse will not line up with the game menu.

Also look at the 27" Asus 3d monitors. You can get the referb under $325.

 

[Recusant]

This is all good info, thanks guys. What it shows, again, is the amount of contradictory opinions between people.

When i got my TV, the only relevent discussion was:
a. how close will i sit?
b. at what resolution will i be watching content?

It doesn't seem so straightforward for PCs. Why?

I really need to see for myself, but so few places around here have a 27" monitor on display that i can actually test out. They won't let me load in a video, or see what a game looks like. I've tried, it's very annoying.

 

[Schroff87]

"My Videos" have sample 720p videos if the screen is hooked up to a computer already. You'll have to go by reviews written by other buyers ... where I live I had the same problem .. can't help it! Good luck with your purchase! Rule of thumb - same res would look better on a smaller screen because of pixel density. Some prefer the 27, some the 23. Desk space, your eye sight, sensitivity to light and applications are important.

 

[lhorwinkle]

I have a 22" on one computer. Too small.
I have a 24" on another. Too small.
You propose 27". Too small.
If they made an affordable 40" screen, I'd buy it.
But they don't ... so 27" is good.

 

[Recusant]

If they made an affordable 40" screen, I'd buy it.

Even at 1080 - at 80cm viewing distance that is just awful. A lot of people are iffy about 27"!

Until the resolution is doubled (or more?) i would never consider such a size.

 

[Recusant]

Rule of thumb - same res would look better on a smaller screen because of pixel density. Some prefer the 27, some the 23. Desk space, your eye sight, sensitivity to light and applications are important.

I appreciate that. I know the 23" will 'look better', i'm trying to figure out if the extra 4" will depreciate the quality to the point where it's truly noticable or even annoying.

The other factors you list are important too. Because i really can only fit one monitor, getting the most out of it is important.

Thanks again, everyone, for your input.

 

[Schroff87]

Cool ... let us know which screen you finally purchase!

 

[Britton30]

Here's a simple rule. Get one as big as possible but can't see the "screen wire" effect at your normal viewing distance. That is when you can easily see the individual pixels. Mine is a 25" and is perfect for my distance from it.

 

[zebdog]

i got a 42 inch full hd tv and use that as a monitor

which connects via hdmi cable.

 

[moonbeep]

I have a Hanns G 27.5" and find it brilliant,use it with a hd6870 via an HDMI cable and the picture quality is great!