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I'm using a TV as a computer monitor, but I wish I wasn't.
VirtualVolt
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
My grandmother passed away a year or two ago (great way to start the story, right?) and we went by and collected the things from her house that she didn't put in her will. I got a 16 inch TV that she used to watch Judge Judy on 24/7. Now I am not the richest, and a great lack of funds caused me to use this TV as my primary monitor, even today. I'm literally typing these sentences on this monitor. My problem is, I know I can (and should) do better. So H&A, what kind of monitor should I get? I don't mind dropping a bit of cash, but preferably under the $250 mark. I'm also fine with bumping my size up to about 20". PA PC connoisseurs, help me! You're my only hope!
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That's what you can get for $250.
However, there's also this, if you think/want to do 144hz at some point.
http://www.amazon.com/Asus-VG248QE-24-Inch-LED-Lit-Monitor/dp/B00B2HH7G0/
TBH, I'd go with the bigger screen, but if you only want 20ish inches (21.5") then you probably don't need to spend more than $100.
What's the difference between 144hz and 60hz? Just better visuals?
Faster refresh rate so games can look smoother.
Yeah tbh, it's in the realm of "nerd" gear so you don't really need it though.
But it's future proof for the time being. I'd get the bigger monitor tbh.
Also, dual monitors are awesome, like game changing "I should've done this years ago" awesome.
Even if you have to get 2 different sized monitors, I would definitely upgrade to 2 monitors before getting 144hz.
On Newegg, I found HP brand 24" monitors selling for $115, so for under $250, I'd be hard pressed not to just buy 2.
Assuming your video card can handle 2 monitors that is.
The 27" monitor that bowen linked to has the three most common connectors, so you should be good to go.
If you're in any doubt, either take a photo of the cable that you're currently using to hook up to the TV, or where your monitor cable plugs into your computer, and post it here just to make sure.
Given your stated financial situation, I would assume that you really don't want to be spending more than you need to. I wouldn't recommend splurging on a high-end monitor (or multiple monitors) if your computer can't support it. "Future proofing" is a really nebulous proposition when it comes to personal computing technology. You are likely much better off just buying something that meets your needs now and in the near future, rather than trying to figure out what will or won't be "worth it" 3 years from now. At that point, you will likely be in the market for new gear anyway, as anything bleeding-edge when you bought it will likely have become obsolete or included in the new baseline.
I threw in 144hz because I figured someone would have been like "yeah but what about 144hz?"
Right now I've got an Intel Graphics 4300 and it's pretty bad. But I'm completely revamping my PC soon, so using the current build I'm looking at I've got a GTX 980 4gb.
Here's my build: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/KpWYpg
If you can wait a few more months, the Pascal video cards will be out that will perform much better for that price point.
I mean... if you're going to game you might enjoy the 144hz monitor, but meh.. I'd still opt for 2 normal ones. You never know how much you wanted 2 monitors until you get them.
I can second this sentiment, not for gaming specifically, but just as a general quality of life upgrade. I don't have dual monitors set up at home so I can't speak to the gaming aspect, but I recently started using duals at work, and now using just one when I work at home feels like the most tediously slow experience ever. "Have I always had to minimize and bring up new Windows this much?"
For gaming you can open up maps/guides/etc on the second monitor if you're a collector type of person, or just like reference materials like if the game has combos or spells or hidden things you're looking for.
Considering that I'm running dual 24" 1080p monitors and a 55" 1080p led TV (used as my primary gaming monitor) on an old GTX 660 Ti, it should tell you what I actually prioritized. I'm waiting out the price drops for 4k TVs and 4k video cards before upgrading next.
Then you start using 2nd as a media player and then you constantly want a 3rd monitor somehow because now you're tired of looking up all the stuff you used to on second monitor on your phone because you don't want to minimize your show either!
There are studies that document how a 2nd monitor increases production so if anyone needs to find ammo to persuade a boss or 2nd half there is documentation
If going to two monitors and three is under consideration I may have a tip. Make your second monitor a 40" UHD(4K) one. I'm combining a 27" 1440p with a 40" UHD and it's really great.
I had been wanting a UHD monitor for a while, but did not want the hassle of having to scale everything as text and all would be to small on a 32" UHD so when Philips put out a 40" UHD monitor I took the plunge. The pixel size is almost the same as on a 27" 1440p and the thing is even relatively cheap. Since I shopped a year ago a few other monitors has become available so it doesn't have to be a Philips, but there are still surprisingly few to chose from.
It's true, I can keep the forums up on my left monitor and my work up on my right, so if I hear my boss coming I can quickly switch over and look like I'm working.
LOL. Once upon a time back when PC' only ran one program at a time some games came with a "BOSS function" meant to let you look as if you were working. It was like press CTRL-B and instead of the screen showing the game it would switch and show a spreadsheet or graph or something.
Was that just in Leisure Suit Larry? Or was that just the only game I played in the 90s?
"Nothing is gonna save us forever but a lot of things can save us today." - Night in the Woods
Hard to tell. I think that in some games it was clearly a joke, but in others the function was maybe only like half a joke and those may have worked out if not inspected up close.
As I recall thee was even one game where if you did activate it, then when deactivating you got a message saying something to the effect that your game character had died because you didn't take your gaming seriously enough.
There was definitely such a function in several games. LSL could very well be one of them and I think there was also one in Day of the Tentacle in which case that might have been one of the last games to have one.
Monitors are pretty cheap depending on quality, Black Friday sales (and I dont mean the ones where they only have 3 at the store) generally have a 23-24 inch monitor for 100 bucks. Major thing you want to look for is IPS, non IPS monitors drive me crazy as at home im in a comfortable chair that i can lean back in.