Black Friday Computer Monitor Advice

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So I might want to get a second monitor on Black Friday.

My budget is around $100 max and my preference would be Office Depot since I have $30 in reward certs there.  

They have a Dell 24'' Monitor w/ 5ms response time for $100.

Staples has a Samsung 24'' Monitor w/ 5ms response time for the same price.

Dell monitor has no HDMI out, Samsung does.  

My current monitor is a Samsung and I've had it 9 years this December and it's still going strong so I'm sort of partial towards Samsung due to my positive experience with this one.  

So my question, how are Dell monitors?  

Adorama also has an LG 24'' Monitor for $120 after rebate with the main difference being 2ms response time.

I'll be using it for gaming so would the 2ms make a noticeable difference and be worth the extra $20?  

 
Fox - one big thing to consider is the type of panel.  In my opinion, IPS panels look better than TN panels, but Tn panels tend to have faster response times.  So it comes down to what's more important to you:  Vibrant color and good viewing angle or a bit flatter colors, but faster pixel response (better for ghosting)

I personally use a 5 MS ASUS 24" IPS monitor that I'm very happy with.  I believe monoprice has some well reviewed, inexpensive monitors as well.

See these articles for more info:

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/02/05/best-monitor-for-gaming/

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/11/05/budget-gaming-monitors-2015/

Hope this helps.

 
DrR0Ck said:
Fox - one big thing to consider is the type of panel. In my opinion, IPS panels look better than TN panels, but Tn panels tend to have faster response times. So it comes down to what's more important to you: Vibrant color and good viewing angle or a bit flatter colors, but faster pixel response (better for ghosting)

I personally use a 5 MS ASUS 24" IPS monitor that I'm very happy with. I believe monoprice has some well reviewed, inexpensive monitors as well.

See these articles for more info:

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/02/05/best-monitor-for-gaming/

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/11/05/budget-gaming-monitors-2015/

Hope this helps.
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So what say you of this?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LG-23MP47HQ-Black-23-5ms-HDMI-Widescreen-LED-Backlight-LCD-Monitor-IPS/291444305823

 
FoxyPie said:
So what say you of this?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LG-23MP47HQ-Black-23-5ms-HDMI-Widescreen-LED-Backlight-LCD-Monitor-IPS/291444305823
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Not trying to be difficult, but not sure I would buy a monitor from eBay. The monitor looks fine - I would just be concerned about return policies. I.e. what if you have one or more bad or stuck pixels? My preference would be to purchase at a Brick & Mortar or someplace returns are easy and well documented like amazon or Newegg.

 
DrR0Ck said:
Not trying to be difficult, but not sure I would buy a monitor from eBay. The monitor looks fine - I would just be concerned about return policies. I.e. what if you have one or more bad or stuck pixels? My preference would be to purchase at a Brick & Mortar or someplace returns are easy and well documented like amazon or Newegg.
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That's sold by Newegg just through their Ebay store.

 
FoxyPie said:
I read somewhere that was a bad brand or cheaper brand for monitors? (Not that I think LG is much better). Just wondering if the $27 price increase would be justified?
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I have heard decent things about AOC. They're a Korean brand. Monitors can have a lot of variability - even at the higher end-

Found this on Newegg: Link ASUS looks pretty good.

The one you found on eBay is on Newegg for $30 more, so it's a good deal. Looks like a fine monitor. I guess if you can get 24 inch in your price range, it's more bang for the buck than a 23. The LG is a 23. The AOC and the ASUS here are 24. Few bucks more though.

Ultimately, you are the one that will have to live with the monitor. I think you just need to read reviews until you're satisfied. That's what I would do, unless I had the opportunity to see one I was considering in person.

 
Have you tried Goodwill?  I hear you can get lucky there.

anoldmonitor.jpg


 
I actually saw an Acer older monitor once at Goodwill.  Didn't get it though.  It was flat screen though.

I'm still undecided.  The LG has mixed reviews but overall positive, but that's been the case on most I've looked into.  The Black Friday leaks don't really look too promising for IPS but I can always wait and see.  Looks like in the range I'm in I could expect to get something between 22-24 inches IPS from brands like LG, ASUS, or AOC.  For around $150 I could get a 27''  but I don't want to jump that high nor do I think I need something that big.  

I'm trying to keep as close to $100 (or lower even) as possible so that might be my ultimate motivator as long as it has decent reviews.  

 
OK.  So no matter what, it's an upgrade.  If the Newegg ebay one is calling out to you and return is not going to be a problem if necessary, and you are OK with the reviews, go for it.  You can always return it if you're not happy.

 
I'm actually leaning towards Best Buy right now because I saw they have two AOC IPS monitors in my price range.  1 is a 21.5 Inch for $100 and the other is a 23 inch for $120.  I have a 10% off coupon because we recently moved and I signed up for the $20 visa checkout thing on Sunday, so if that comes tomorrow it might seal the deal.  Now to decide if I trust Best Buy Open Box items to save even more.  The 21.5 inch is appealing only because then my monitors wouldn't be too far off in size between the two, but maybe that doesn't matter?  The AOCs also don't have HDMI so I have to check my card to see if it has two DVI ports.  If not, that might throw a wrench into my plans.  

 
AOC is a reasonable brand, though not a "top tier" monitor like Samsung, LG, Asus or Dell.

NewEgg usually has some good deals on computer components around BF, so you might want to wait them out before making a jump on a monitor.

Any monitor these days will have VGA + DVI, though HDMI usually takes a step up to have a HDMI input on a monitor.

 
You should be able to get a DVI-HDMI converter.  they both pass digital signals, so as long as you only need video only, don't let a DVI port stop you.

 
DrR0Ck said:
You should be able to get a DVI-HDMI converter. they both pass digital signals, so as long as you only need video only, don't let a DVI port stop you.
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Alright, so I've narrowed it down to these:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/acer-h6-series-23-ips-led-hd-monitor-black/4751006.p?id=1219103673253&skuId=4751006

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/dell-23-widescreen-flat-panel-ips-led-hd-monitor-black/6814943.p?id=1218807855013&skuId=6814943

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/aoc-23-ips-led-hd-monitor-black-silver/8176078.p?id=1218864997552&skuId=8176078

They are all 23 Inch IPS monitors. With coupons and stuff I can get an open box one for any of them for around $82 shipped so it beats any Black Friday deals I've seen by a fair bit.

I was initially leaning towards the AOC, but I'm leaning towards the Acer now (despite having a bad experience with an Acer laptop).

The Acer has by far the better reviews. Reviews for the AOC are mixed (especially on other sites like Newegg).

I have the Dell listed but it has the lowest response time and contrast ratio so it's not really a contender I don't think.

The Acer and AOC have the same response time, but the Acer has a higher contrast ratio.

Leaning towards that one.

Does anyone have experience with Acer monitors? I know it's a cheaper brand.

 
I googled some reviews for these monitors as I don't put a ton of stock in user reviews on vendor sites.  

The AOC reviews pretty well:  http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2416308,00.asp,   and http://www.trustedreviews.com/aoc-i2353fh-23in-ips-led-monitor-review

The Acer looks generally good as well:  http://www.overclock.net/products/acer-h236hlbid-23-5ms-gtg-widescreen-led-backlight-led-backlit-lcd-monitor-ips-panel    and https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapcsales/comments/2bh5jo/monitor_acer_h6_series_h236hlbid_black_23_5ms/

The dell also looks fine:  http://forum.overclock3d.net/showthread.php?t=56112  and http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/review/2244461/dell-s2340l-monitor-review

I think you'll be happy with any of these, as long as you get a good one.  I think I'd ultimately go for the Acer or AOC.  Tough choice between them.  Go with your gut.

 
Thanks for all the research.  I ended up going with the Acer and we'll see how it is.  After everything it was $84 shipped so I am definitely happy with the price.  The Acer had an HDMI port so it didn't require an adapter. It isn't VESA mountable, but I only have one mount anyway so my current one will be my mounted monitor and this one will remain on the stand.

I'll report back once I get.  Hope the open box thing doesn't screw me over.  Supposed to come complete and with the full warranty.  Hopefully someone honest just changed their mind and returned it (though I know a lot of people break something then return it and claim nothing is wrong with it).  

 
Good luck with it!  Definitely let us know how you like it.  On the plus side, if it's usable at all, you definitely got your money's worth.  And if it sucks, return it.  I think you'll be happy, though.

 
You will like IPS. Colors are so much better looking and so are the viewing angles. You don't get that darkening at different angles. And you can return/exchange monitors in store at best buy if you don't like it

 
IPS is amazing... never really thought about viewing angles for a computer monitor (since you're usually stationary) but you'll be happy with it. Never noticed before but even if you are station, when you moving your head around or change how you're sitting, it makes difference in how an image looks. With IPS, that's no longer an issue as the image looks perfect at all times! 

I recently bought a Dell Ultrasharp U2414H and holy hell, what a difference it makes. I wish they weren't so damn expensive though... really want a second one. 

 
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So I finally got my monitor.  Wasn't entirely happy with the condition.  Supposed to be Excellent and Like New, but there were what first looked like scratches, but turned out to be smudges I could clean off all over the front.  It seemed to be a floor model so it didn't look to be used at all.  Most everything was still in the bag.  The annoying thing was it was missing half of the power cord.  It has a power adapter sort of like a laptop and it had the main block/box thing, but was missing the cord that would go into the wall.  I called and was told open box items could only be returned (and not exchanged) which was annoying considering they never told me that before buying.  I would have paid the $20 extra for a new one had I known.  Luckily, after a third CSR rep (calls kept dropping, kept getting transferred to the wrong person, etc.) I finally got the issue fixed.  He first tried to order me the missing part on BestBuy.com for free, but couldn't find one they sold directly so finally he just had a $10 gift shipped out to me so I could buy it from one of the marketplace sellers since their system does not let them order those items for free. In the meantime I am using the one from my laptop  to test it and make sure it works.  I must say that on top of the bigger screen size, this thing does look amazing.  Sharp, bright colors and no issues with viewing angles at all.  Happy with my purchase so far though I would probably recommend buying new for anybody else unless you are in store to see the open box item.  

How far do you guys put the monitor?  I have mine about 24 inches away.  

Thanks to everyone who chimed in with advice!

 
Awesome!  Aside from the open box runaround nonsense, I'm really glad you're happy with the monitor.  Looking forward to cutting your throat in the hunger games round two; since the text will be so much more clear, your ultimate demise will hurt that much more.

 
DrR0Ck said:
Awesome! Aside from the open box runaround nonsense, I'm really glad you're happy with the monitor. Looking forward to cutting your throat in the hunger games round two; since the text will be so much more clear, your ultimate demise will hurt that much more.
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Thanks. I'm loving it. Played Mad Max on it the other night and it was like playing a whole new game!

 
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