Who knows monitors?

SquarePeg · Jan 23, 2015

I am getting a new desktop and monitor but will likely wait until summer to do so. Meanwhile, I'm considering getting the monitor now to use with my laptop which has a terrible display. Will a good monitor be a waste of time on a low end laptop? Should I just wait? If it will be an improvement, what are the minimum to ideal specs that I should be looking for? I don't game so only looking for photo editing and video watching qualities, if that makes a difference. Budget for the monitor is $200-$300.

Thanks in advance for your informed opinions.

KmH · Jan 23, 2015

$200 - $300 is the low end for an OK IPS-type display.
Good displays start at about $1000 and go up from there.
Really good displays are several 1000 $$$$ and up.

Dell UltraSharp U2412M 24-Inch Screen LED-lit Monitor
ASUS PA248Q 24-Inch LED-Lit IPS Professional Graphics Monitor

NEC Display PA242W-BK-SV 24.1" Widescreen LED Monitor, 16:10, 8ms, 1920x1200, 340 Nit, 1000:1, DVI/HDMI/VGA/USB/DisplayPort

32" MultiSyn 3840 x 2160 10000:1 UHD Color Accurate Desktop Monitor with SpectraView

SquarePeg · Jan 23, 2015

Well then I guess I need to know what to look for in a OK display. Since I am only a hobbyist, and a relative beginner at that, I'm certainly not looking for a pro grade high end $1000+ display.

Thanks for your input.

jsecordphoto · Jan 23, 2015

Amazon.com: ASUS PA248Q 24-Inch LED-Lit IPS Professional Graphics Monitor: Computers & Accessories

is what I'm looking at picking up

SquarePeg · Jan 23, 2015

That looks like a good choice. Great reviews of it on Amazon and on B&H.

I still need to find out if it will be effective to get the monitor now if I'm only going to be able to use it with my laptop or if I should just wait and get it when I get the tower. I just started researching this today.

Thanks for your suggestion!

jsecordphoto · Jan 23, 2015

It looks like a great monitor. Covers 100% of sRGB and comes calibrated

KmH · Jan 24, 2015

jsecordphoto said:
It looks like a great monitor. Covers 100% of sRGB and comes calibrated

It won't stay calibrated for long, so that it comes calibrated is a non-feature.

Displays change the fastest in their early life.
I re-calibrate a new display weekly for the first 3 months, then every 2 weeks for the next 3 months, then once every new moon starting with the 7th month.
Using the new moon timing I re-calibrate my editing display at least 13 times a year.

The main issue with that Asus display (and most other inexpensive IPS displays) for editing photos is the limited color depth (8-bits) it can display.

SquarePeg · Jan 29, 2015

Resurrecting this thread because I didn't really get answers to my questions. I wasn't so much looking for specific monitor recommendations although they were much appreciated. If anyone can chime in on my questions from the OP, or point me towards the right place to find the info myself, I would be most grateful.

Will a good monitor be a waste of time on a low end laptop?

what are the minimum to ideal specs that I should be looking for?

robertc · Feb 2, 2015

I don't believe a new monitor is a waste on an old laptop, it will look much better than your laptop display.

However, if you have an older, low end laptop, there are a couple of things you need to check for. Most new IPS monitors (and you only want IPS) only have DisplayPort and hdmi connectors, if you have an older laptop, it may only have a VGA output, which you won't be able to connect. Basically, make sure your monitor and laptop have matching connections, this won't be a problem on most newer computers. Also, depending on how old/low end your laptop is, it may not have the processing power to drive a second monitor, though this likely won't be an issue unless you are talking really old and low end.

DavidVote · Feb 2, 2015

jsecordphoto said:
Amazon.com: ASUS PA248Q 24-Inch LED-Lit IPS Professional Graphics Monitor: Computers & Accessories

is what I'm looking at picking up

It's a good monitor. I use it. DON'T trust the "factory calibration". Buy a calibration device and calibrate it. "Factory Calibration" is way off.

SquarePeg · Feb 3, 2015

Thanks for the input. My laptop is not that old, just cheap. It's a Dell inspiron 3i. It does have hdmi outputs. Still deciding between the Asus and the Dell Ultrasharp. ..

robertc · Feb 3, 2015

SquarePeg said:
Thanks for the input. My laptop is not that old, just cheap. It's a Dell inspiron 3i. It does have hdmi outputs. Still deciding between the Asus and the Dell Ultrasharp. ..

You should have no trouble hooking up a second monitor then, and it will look much better than your laptop screen.

Just make sure to get one with both hdmi for your laptop and display port for your new desktop when you get it. I have heard good things about the Dell Ultrasharp. I have an older version (PA238Q) of the Asus panel recommended by jsrecordphoto, on my kids computer. It is by far the nicest panel I have used. I have not tried to calibrate it, so I can't speak to how well it does for photography, but it should be a big step up from a laptop display.

Buckster · Feb 3, 2015

Fun Fact: Before IPS displays were invented, digital photographers and photo editors made beautiful, color-correct images without them. Many on-the-cheap hobbyists even managed to make beautiful color-correct images using low end displays costing less than a couple hundred bucks; Displays that today would go for dirt cheap. In fact, many of today's "low-end" screens are still much better than some of the better screens of yester-year. That fun reality goes back many, MANY years, back into the days of the old CRT displays even.

Those early pre-IPS pioneers' secret? Calibration devices, which everyone still needs today, even those who use the new "Must Have" IPS screens.

Of course, even with calibration devices, that must have been impossible for them to have done without modern "must have" IPS displays, or they wouldn't be "must have", and that means I must be making it all up.

So, save your pennies and buy extremely expensive "must have" displays, because anything less is obviously going to be very disappointing, and you'll only be able to make crap photos with it.

SquarePeg · Feb 3, 2015

@Buckster - I see your point and a calibration device is definitely on my shopping list. But I don't think that would do me much good with my laptop. My main reason for wanting a better screen are the difficulties in brightness when using a laptop from various angles. How can I know what is the true brightness of the image? For example, I had to trash and redo our Christmas cards this year because it looked great on my laptop but the cards were very dark when I had them printed. I looked at my edited file on my friend's iMac and you could tell immediately that it was my photo that was dark, not an issue with the printer. Would a calibrator fix that? Especially when I open/close my laptop several times a day and may not open it to the exact same angle each time.

I know you were being sarcastic but my question is sincere. Also, as you can see from my budget, I have no intention of buying an expensive display.

nerwin · Feb 3, 2015

I just bought the Dell U2415 and I've been very happy with it. Also comes pre calibrated from the factory with a report. Out of the box it was really accurate, I made some minor adjustments and for what I do, I couldn't be happier. You can get a 27" version as well which a lot of people seem to like. It looks beautiful on my desk! Its very thin and has a 6mm bezel..so it seems bigger than it really is. USB 3.0 ports and display ports are very nice to have. You can daisy chain these too. So it makes it simple if I wanted to add a second monitor someday.