POLL: What's your favorite resolution for desktop monitors?

[Thinkpad4by3]

Are we still talking desktop monitors like the title says or TV displays? That's why I didnt mention 4k60 or HDR or anything that is actually interesting...

I would love to see a 24-27" LCD w/ 4k 60 HDR but these really arent moving on PCs.

Both were branded Dell UltraSharp and AFAIK Dell UltraSharps are not TVs or anywhere close.

[pianowizard]

I just noticed that there is finally a vote for 2560x1440! My desk at work has two 40" 3840x2160 monitors and one 27" 2560x1440 *touchscreen* monitor. Because I do like to touch the screen, I actually use the 27-incher most often. I definitely prefer the 40-inchers when I do serious work involving lots of windows, but most simple tasks (e.g. posting on this forum) work well enough on 2560x1440.

Both were branded Dell UltraSharp and AFAIK Dell UltraSharps are not TVs or anywhere close.

The abovementioned 40-inchers were designed to be monitors (i.e. not TVs doubling as monitors), and for me their size and pixel density are perfect. There are actually many more 43" 3840x2160 monitors available than 40" ones and although I haven't seen one in person, I imagine that they would feel just a little bigger than 40". Many tall people probably wouldn't find them too high.

[ZaZ]

Since like 2006, I've had a pair of Dell 20” UXGA monitors atop my desktop. I run one in portrait mode or 1200x1600, which is good for internet and office, but they had seemed to have dimmed a bit since I bought them in 2012 due to the bulb technology in them. I happened to find a pair of Dell 25” WQHD monitors on sale at Best Buy last fall, so I bought a pair because I wanted the 2560 vertical real estate they offered and 1200 wasn't quite wide enough for some sites. Going to 1440 wide would help.

I prayed to the pixel Gods and neither had any deal stuck. They were twice as bright as my old screens at half the brightness and looked much better, which is understandable given that the tech in them is much newer.

I still wasn't sure I'd keep them. The pixel density was a bit higher, but what really concerned me is the new monitors were about six inches taller than the old ones, 16” vs 22”. I still wanted run one in portrait mode and when I first started using them, I felt like a kid asking my mom if I could sit in the front of the movie theater, but I quickly adjusted and it now seems normal, though I think anything taller than 25” would be too tall. I looked at some 43” 3840x2160 monitors, but I think I prefer two screens and returns are much easier at Best Buy.

Here's another vote for 2560x1440!

Speaking of resolutions, the other day Best Buy had some LG Gram 17 notebooks in stock. They have 16:10 aspect ratio everyone seems to want and it runs at 2560x1600. I seriously considered buying one, even called Best Buy to talk about financing, but ultimately decided I don't use my notebook enough to justify spending that kind of money and it rarely leaves home these days either. Had they offered a less a lower specced version, it would have been a harder choice, but they sold out in a day, so it was a moot point.

[pianowizard]

I still wasn't sure I'd keep them. The pixel density was a bit higher, but what really concerned me is the new monitors were about six inches taller than the old ones, 16” vs 22”. I still wanted run one in portrait mode and when I first started using them, I felt like a kid asking my mom if I could sit in the front of the movie theater, but I quickly adjusted and it now seems normal, though I think anything taller than 25” would be too tall. I looked at some 43” 3840x2160 monitors, but I think I prefer two screens and returns are much easier at Best Buy. Here's another vote for 2560x1440!

Congrats on weaning off those ancient UXGA displays! A couple years ago I had a 24" (23.75" viewable) 2560x1440 monitor in portrait mode, with a screen height of 20.70" which didn't bother me. That's taller than the height of my 40" (39.5" viewable) 4K monitors, 19.37". My Seiki Pro SM40UNP came with an absurdly tall and heavy stand whose height couldn't be adjusted, so the screen was way too high. I replaced it with a spare HP stand to lower the screen to the same level as my Crossover 404K, which has a short stand that's appropriate for such a large screen. At home the Bolva 40BL00H7, which was designed to be a TV, functions as both a TV and a monitor -- it's hooked up to my Dell OptiPlex and an LG 4K blu-ray player. Its stand is also pretty short, which is great.

A 43" 4K monitor is 21.08" tall, actually shorter than your portrait-mode 25-incher. In my lab I have two 27" QHD monitors in portrait, making them 23.53" tall. But they both sit on very low shelves, so the top of the screen is barely above eye level. I probably wouldn't want such a tall screen on a standard office desk!

Speaking of resolutions, the other day Best Buy had some LG Gram 17 notebooks in stock.

Great to hear that this LG laptop really does exist. We had a thread about it several months ago but the specs seemed too good to be true, so I was a bit skeptical. 2560x1600 is ideal for 17.0", and of course the weight is incredibly amazing for this size. I rarely go to Best Buy but the next time I am there I will look for the LG Gram 17. The last time I went to Best Buy the sole purpose was to try a 17.3" 3840x2160 laptop. I didn't like it (pixel density too high).

[ZaZ]

I liked the UXGA screens. The one portrait mode was just above my line of sight, which made it easy to use. My biggest issue with them was the dimming. Had they been LED screens, I'd probably still be using them and saved myself $425. Previous to getting the UXGAs, my monitor was a 19" tube running at 1024x768.

FHD on my 17" seems about right. I think for a 17" WQXGA, I'd have to scale.

The 43" screens I was looking at were in the 24-25" range with stand, though I suppose I could have pushed the screen to the rear of my desk.

[pianowizard]

The 43" screens I was looking at were in the 24-25" range with stand, though I suppose I could have pushed the screen to the rear of my desk.

You don't push your desktop monitors all the way to the back? I always do that in order to maximize the amount of usable desk space. In fact, by doing so, and also by putting the "desktop" computer on the floor, I have more usable desk space than when I use a laptop. This is one of the many reasons I prefer desktops over laptops.

[Dragunov]

I have a 32" HP gaming monitor. I like to run it at 1920x1080.

[Dragunov]

The 43" screens I was looking at were in the 24-25" range with stand, though I suppose I could have pushed the screen to the rear of my desk.

You don't push your desktop monitors all the way to the back? I always do that in order to maximize the amount of usable desk space. In fact, by doing so, and also by putting the "desktop" computer on the floor, I have more usable desk space than when I use a laptop. This is one of the many reasons I prefer desktops over laptops.

You also have a much dirtier computer. I'll keep mine elevated. I have an old, XP tower, that I keep my newer tower on top of, beside my desk. I've NEVER been an advocate for putting a computer on any floor!

[cadillacmike68]

This really depends on the monitor's size. I'm comfortable with 24" diagonal and these two dell U2414s are great at WUGA. I can't fit a larger monitor in my big old desk here, that's the max for me. We have a few 22" 16x10s at WSXGA+ which is ok for that size. They are used in extended desktop mode. Any finer resolution and I'd have to scale up the text size.

The bigger thing is having 16X10, the loss of the extra vertical space is very noticeable when I go to the T530 / W530s with their 16x9 ratios.

[TonyJZX]

My current main monitor is one of the cheapest 28" 4k units on the market...

I'm running FHD because I cant be bothered running it higher.

1,440p is a good sweet spot on a 27/28-32" and I think 4k is so over the top.

[pianowizard]

I have a 32" (31.5" viewable) 3840x2160 monitor at home and I agree that this resolution is much more suitable for the two 40" (39.5" viewable) monitors that I have at work.

My first 4K/UHD monitor was 28" and hated it so much I sold it after just a month. The biggest problem was not the high DPI, but the TN panel. I think all 28" 4K monitors use TN panels. The abovementioned 32- and 40-inchers are all VA.

[dr_st]

1,440p is a good sweet spot on a 27/28-32" and I think 4k is so over the top.

I would rather have 1440p on 27"-28", but for 32" I'm quite happy with my 2160p.

[TonyJZX]

Like a lot of males I have reasonably poor colour perception so while I have some good IPS units I really dont see a huge difference with a standard TN set.

I'm on a TN set right now and it seems to be ok with me. I'm not into PS or 100% gamut etc.

[dr_st]

And here is the "scientific proof" that WUXGA is better than FHD.
https://www.tecnomedia.ch/PDF/FULL_HD_O ... _guide.pdf

BTW, just two days ago I set up my first 27" QHD monitor, the ASUS ProArt PA278QV. It's very nice, has a 4:3 mode, and the 2560 horizontal resolution is sort of enough for two 1280 windows side-by-side (not ideal, not for every application, but good for most things like browser windows).

Due to the thin bezels, it is pretty much the same height and only 5cm wider than my trusty DELL U2410 that it replaced on the desk.

[pianowizard]

^Congrats on the 27" QHD! Also thanks for bumping this thread -- I had forgotten all about it! Since my first post in this thread, I have sold both of my non-touchscreen 27" QHD monitors, a 25" QHD, a 19.5" FHD, and both 30" 2560x1600 monitors. I decided to keep just the five in my signature, and my reasons are stated below:

Acer ET322QK (31.5" UHD, VA panel): ideal when I want UHD but don't have a lot of desk space. Of course there are smaller UHD monitors, e.g. I briefly had a 28-incher, but their pixel densities are too high for me.

Acer T272HUL (27" QHD, touchscreen IPS): seems to be the highest-res desktop-sized touchscreen monitor that's reasonably priced. Long ago there was a Panasonic 31.5" UHD touchscreen that was outrageously expensive.

Crossover 404K (39.5" UHD, VA): my favorite size / res combination, desk space permitting.

QNIX QHD2410R (23.75" QHD, VA): while 27" QHD is easier to view, 23.75" QHD saves space. This particular monitor has a VGA input that actually supports QHD, which is rare.

Seiki Pro SM40UNP (39.5" UHD, VA): again, I just love this form factor.

[dr_st]

Here's another bump!

I got a bit unhappy with the cumbersome input switching of the Asus PA278QV, since I routinely have two computers on that desk. Therefore, I gave it to my parents, and got myself a Dell UP3017. I'd wanted to own a 30" WQXGA for a long time, and although it is generally a very expensive category, I found an 'open box' unit with warranty remaining for a reasonable price (this was 2.5 years ago; the warranty has expired since, but I haven't had to use it, since these monitors never die, haha). The UP3017 not only has easy input switching, but it also automatically switches the USB upstream depending on the chosen video input, making the KVM functionality very convenient.

About a year ago I had gotten my son a gaming PC, and complemented it with a Lenovo Legion Y27qf-30 - another QHD IPS, but much more gaming-oriented, with 240Hz, FreeSync support (and unofficial G-Sync compatibility as well), and built-in speakers.

Finally, a couple of days ago I caught an Asus PA248QV (the smaller sibling of the PA278QV), to serve as a "TV" for the bedroom. The small 2x2W speakers are adequate for the small space. This one is also WUXGA, and has a 4:3 mode and VGA input, which makes it desirable for some retro-gaming setups as well.

[pianowizard]

^ Thanks for remembering this thread and for posting an update! I'm always curious what monitors power users like you are using.

In the post above yours, I listed the five monitors I had back in April 2022. All five are still in my possession as they are perfect for my needs. The Acer T272HUL gets the most use as it's the main monitor in my office. I touch its touchscreen many times each day, and its built-in webcam is great for Zoom chats.

Sounds like you haven't tried 39.5" UHD monitors. If you attach them to short stands, they actually don't feel too tall. For instance, my Seiki Pro SM40UNP came with an uncomfortably tall stand, so I replaced it with a shorter one designed for a much smaller (24-inch?) HP monitor.

[ZaZ]

I always kind of liked the Eizo Flexscan EV2730Q. It's a 26.5" 1:1 1920x1920 IPS LCD monitor. They were $1,200-1,500 ten years when new and since I wanted two, it was hard to justify. Right now I have a pair of Dell 25" 2560x1440 monitors on my desktop. I have one in portrait mode, which is great for horizontal resolution, but sometimes I feel like I'm eight years old again at the vie theater staring up at the screen from the front row, I think a square monitor would make things much better.

[dr_st]

Sounds like you haven't tried 39.5" UHD monitors. If you attach them to short stands, they actually don't feel too tall.

No, indeed I have not! They seem quite rare, I can't find a single one for purchase here. However, the Lenovo P40w-20 39.7" WUHD (5K2K, 5120x2160) is available. Pricy, though!

[pianowizard]

Right now I have a pair of Dell 25" 2560x1440 monitors on my desktop. I have one in portrait mode

Oh my, that's a super tall monitor, 25.44" from the bottom to the top excluding the bezel! For a while I had two 27" QHD monitors in portrait, with a height of 23.53" excluding the bezel, but both were put on lower-than-usual surfaces so that the top wasn't much higher than eye level. The height of a 39.5" UHD screen is "only" 19.37".

They seem quite rare, I can't find a single one for purchase here.

I had not searched for monitors in ages since I'm very pleased with those five listed in my earlier post, so I had no idea that 40" UHD monitors are now so hard to find. I bought the Crossover one on eBay in July 2015 and the Seiki Pro from Newegg in Dec 2015. I recall that a few months later, Staples had the Seiki Pro on sale for $400 shipped and I was tempted to get one more. These are still available though:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/375861023542 (97.7% positive seller rating)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/325292100943 (99% positive seller rating)

[RealBlackStuff]

I just worked on a 21.5" iMac Retina 4K that has 4096x2304 resolution with support for one billion colours.
It also has 500 nits brightness.
I don't like it being glossy, but otherwise: beautiful!