Wide Monitor for Home Working
Discussion
Hi,
Can anyone recommend a monitor for home working ? I've been looking at what's available but am completely lost with the different technologies (IPS/LED/curved/no curve/refresh rates etc. etc ) and what they are good for. Many seem optimised for gaming which I have no interest in.
I'd like a widescreen one which can display several windows side by side and also large spreadsheets. Easy to read/look at for long periods without fatigue. I'll be using it with my work laptop so it would be useful to have USB ports so I can connect headphones, mouse & kepyboard to screen rather than laptop so docking/undocking laptop is easier ( or some alternative way to do it). I use phone/video conferencing a fair bit so having headphone sockets/cameras etc are a bonus but not essential.
If it makes any difference my laptop is Lenovo Thinkpad. I have a pretty big desk so can accomodate a reasonably big screen.
Budget - £200 would be great, £300-400 I could live with. Above that I'd need to know what the real benefits were. I wouldn't fork out above £800.
This is the sort of thing I've been looking at : LG
Samsung
Cheers
Can anyone recommend a monitor for home working ? I've been looking at what's available but am completely lost with the different technologies (IPS/LED/curved/no curve/refresh rates etc. etc ) and what they are good for. Many seem optimised for gaming which I have no interest in.
I'd like a widescreen one which can display several windows side by side and also large spreadsheets. Easy to read/look at for long periods without fatigue. I'll be using it with my work laptop so it would be useful to have USB ports so I can connect headphones, mouse & kepyboard to screen rather than laptop so docking/undocking laptop is easier ( or some alternative way to do it). I use phone/video conferencing a fair bit so having headphone sockets/cameras etc are a bonus but not essential.
If it makes any difference my laptop is Lenovo Thinkpad. I have a pretty big desk so can accomodate a reasonably big screen.
Budget - £200 would be great, £300-400 I could live with. Above that I'd need to know what the real benefits were. I wouldn't fork out above £800.
This is the sort of thing I've been looking at : LG
Samsung
Cheers
I've got AOC screens, bought from Novotech.
Started with one which is a 24", then upgraded to two and now three all of which are 24".
Makes working easier as middle screen is email, RH is crm and LH screen excel most of the time.
If there's something I want to watch (such as news or catch up TV) then LH screen switched over to TV and just work on middle and RH screen.
Started with one which is a 24", then upgraded to two and now three all of which are 24".
Makes working easier as middle screen is email, RH is crm and LH screen excel most of the time.
If there's something I want to watch (such as news or catch up TV) then LH screen switched over to TV and just work on middle and RH screen.
34" ultrawide (at 3440 x 1440) is a nice size, has become the standard for many desks at my place. At home I use a 40" 4K TV which is a similar width and pixel density but a bit more height.
Main thing that's worth paying extra for on a productivity monitor is a height adjustable stand - or alternatively ditch the stand it comes with and use a monitor arm that lets you move it up and down.
I use a Thinkpad and have always just got one of the traditional desktop docks (assuming you have a dock port on the base). Plug everything into that including power and just drop your laptop on it. Else there's lots of options for USB3 or Thunderbolt 3 docks these days that do it all over a single cable (maybe with a separate power cable depending on your laptop).
Some people prefer two monitors and some work suits it better - eg. if you're often sharing a screen it lets you keep another free for things you're not sharing, or Powerpoint presenter view expects one monitor for slides, another for notes. If you're working off a laptop though you can always flip it open and use the display on that as a second monitor if needed though.
Main thing that's worth paying extra for on a productivity monitor is a height adjustable stand - or alternatively ditch the stand it comes with and use a monitor arm that lets you move it up and down.
I use a Thinkpad and have always just got one of the traditional desktop docks (assuming you have a dock port on the base). Plug everything into that including power and just drop your laptop on it. Else there's lots of options for USB3 or Thunderbolt 3 docks these days that do it all over a single cable (maybe with a separate power cable depending on your laptop).
Some people prefer two monitors and some work suits it better - eg. if you're often sharing a screen it lets you keep another free for things you're not sharing, or Powerpoint presenter view expects one monitor for slides, another for notes. If you're working off a laptop though you can always flip it open and use the display on that as a second monitor if needed though.
I suffer badly from eye strain and migraines if the screen is bad. I usually recommend the three tiers -
ok: Dell
great: Dell Ultrasharp
best: Eizo.
A Dell Ultrasharp should be good enough for most people, if on a tight budget go hunting for a returned/used one off ebay.
If you don’t suffer from eye strain then a Samsung will do the job.
ok: Dell
great: Dell Ultrasharp
best: Eizo.
A Dell Ultrasharp should be good enough for most people, if on a tight budget go hunting for a returned/used one off ebay.
If you don’t suffer from eye strain then a Samsung will do the job.
Sambucket said:
My curved wide monitor is sent to the loft. Bit of a gimmik imo. I personally prefer chained 4k monitors. Nice to have separation for full screen apps.
That's my view, I have a 27" 4k Widescreen to work on, which if anything is a little big, but I'll cope. Then I have a pair of 24" stacked one on top of the other to the right, so i have a good mix of real estate for spreadsheets - Though if it's too wide for that it needs sending back to be done properly - and a couple of extras to put email and reading material onto. I also have a switch so I can drop my own PC stuff onto the other screens so I can watch Youtube while I work.OP - your budget gets the above if you go on Gumtree and pick up some gamers rejects, I paid £150 for the 4k display and £100 for the two 24" ones. That'll leave enough for the dock too.
Carl_Manchester said:
I suffer badly from eye strain and migraines if the screen is bad. I usually recommend the three tiers -
ok: Dell
great: Dell Ultrasharp
best: Eizo.
A Dell Ultrasharp should be good enough for most people, if on a tight budget go hunting for a returned/used one off ebay.
If you don’t suffer from eye strain then a Samsung will do the job.
this...ok: Dell
great: Dell Ultrasharp
best: Eizo.
A Dell Ultrasharp should be good enough for most people, if on a tight budget go hunting for a returned/used one off ebay.
If you don’t suffer from eye strain then a Samsung will do the job.
I am currently on my computer with 3 24" Dell Ultrasharps - (U2417H) - not a single problem since purchase, and all three daisy-chained through mini display port from one socket on the computer...
this seems to be a reasonably current equivalent: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dell-Ultrasharp-U2419H-Mo...
in budget
gifdy said:
Any particular 34" screen, and do they need to be curved when they are that wide ?
I wouldn't bother with curved just because it tends to cost more, I don't mind either way for using them.I'm using a 34" but it's a bit pricey and yet still not without its faults. LG-34WK95U-W.
I use two 27" widescreen 1920 monitors.
I went from 2 x 24" 4x3 in stages, two of them. They have narrow margins and I can run them as either one ultra wide or two separate monitors - the latter being my norm. The arrangement means I don't have to tilt my head. It's comfortable. I doubt I will go bigger when it's time to replace either of them.
I went from 2 x 24" 4x3 in stages, two of them. They have narrow margins and I can run them as either one ultra wide or two separate monitors - the latter being my norm. The arrangement means I don't have to tilt my head. It's comfortable. I doubt I will go bigger when it's time to replace either of them.
akirk said:
Carl_Manchester said:
I suffer badly from eye strain and migraines if the screen is bad. I usually recommend the three tiers -
ok: Dell
great: Dell Ultrasharp
best: Eizo.
A Dell Ultrasharp should be good enough for most people, if on a tight budget go hunting for a returned/used one off ebay.
If you don’t suffer from eye strain then a Samsung will do the job.
this...ok: Dell
great: Dell Ultrasharp
best: Eizo.
A Dell Ultrasharp should be good enough for most people, if on a tight budget go hunting for a returned/used one off ebay.
If you don’t suffer from eye strain then a Samsung will do the job.
I am currently on my computer with 3 24" Dell Ultrasharps - (U2417H) - not a single problem since purchase, and all three daisy-chained through mini display port from one socket on the computer...
this seems to be a reasonably current equivalent: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dell-Ultrasharp-U2419H-Mo...
in budget
Dell UltraSharp U2419HC 23.8" Full HD InfinityEdge USB-C IPS Monitor
Could I drive two of these with a single connection to the PC - and also plus accessories into one of the screens ?
As others have said I would definately look at two (or more) screens rather than one large one as I find it's much easier to orgainse workspaces that way. I had a 2550x1440 Dell & I was always having windows underneath other windows that I wanted to get to.
The LG you link to has rather coarse resolution: I would avoid it. Be aware that as the screen resolution goes up the icons & text get smaller which may be ok if you have good eyesight (or a physically large screen) but I ended up having to raise the display scaling to 125% to see the screen comfortably.
Dell Ultrasharp screens are very good & personally I would look at a pair of these:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00OA2I362
The 16:10 ratio is much better for programs with toolbars as it gives you more vertical working space & it's an IPS panel.
An alternative would be a pair of 2560x1440 Dell U2518 but your eyesight would need to be good:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dell-091T857-Ultrasharp-U...
The LG you link to has rather coarse resolution: I would avoid it. Be aware that as the screen resolution goes up the icons & text get smaller which may be ok if you have good eyesight (or a physically large screen) but I ended up having to raise the display scaling to 125% to see the screen comfortably.
Dell Ultrasharp screens are very good & personally I would look at a pair of these:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00OA2I362
The 16:10 ratio is much better for programs with toolbars as it gives you more vertical working space & it's an IPS panel.
An alternative would be a pair of 2560x1440 Dell U2518 but your eyesight would need to be good:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dell-091T857-Ultrasharp-U...
gifdy said:
akirk said:
Carl_Manchester said:
I suffer badly from eye strain and migraines if the screen is bad. I usually recommend the three tiers -
ok: Dell
great: Dell Ultrasharp
best: Eizo.
A Dell Ultrasharp should be good enough for most people, if on a tight budget go hunting for a returned/used one off ebay.
If you don’t suffer from eye strain then a Samsung will do the job.
this...ok: Dell
great: Dell Ultrasharp
best: Eizo.
A Dell Ultrasharp should be good enough for most people, if on a tight budget go hunting for a returned/used one off ebay.
If you don’t suffer from eye strain then a Samsung will do the job.
I am currently on my computer with 3 24" Dell Ultrasharps - (U2417H) - not a single problem since purchase, and all three daisy-chained through mini display port from one socket on the computer...
this seems to be a reasonably current equivalent: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dell-Ultrasharp-U2419H-Mo...
in budget
Dell UltraSharp U2419HC 23.8" Full HD InfinityEdge USB-C IPS Monitor
Could I drive two of these with a single connection to the PC - and also plus accessories into one of the screens ?
I suspect a lot depends on the graphics card you have - mine seems to have the power to run c. 16 monitors
so display port out of the computer into the first monitor, and then mini display port from that to monitor 2 and then monitor 2 to 3. Each monitor has an out as well as an in...OK - thanks for input so far....I'm narrowing down.
Based on your suggestions, I am now on 2 screens, Dell Ultrasharp, 16:9 or 16:10 (better for toolbars but less choice in screens).
2415BBEY is IPS, 1920x1200, LED backlit, 23W and has an inbuilt USB-C hub - is currently choice #1 at £200 but is a 2014 model
2419H seems to be a later 2018 model. 1080p rather than 1920x1200 but I assume that is more for watching videos etc. ? It is cheaper at £150.
2418D is also 2018 and is 2560 x 1440, IPS, but maybe my eyes wouldn't like the higher resolution if it makes everything smaller.
Is the 16:10 worth £50 more than the 16:9 ?
Based on your suggestions, I am now on 2 screens, Dell Ultrasharp, 16:9 or 16:10 (better for toolbars but less choice in screens).
2415BBEY is IPS, 1920x1200, LED backlit, 23W and has an inbuilt USB-C hub - is currently choice #1 at £200 but is a 2014 model
2419H seems to be a later 2018 model. 1080p rather than 1920x1200 but I assume that is more for watching videos etc. ? It is cheaper at £150.
2418D is also 2018 and is 2560 x 1440, IPS, but maybe my eyes wouldn't like the higher resolution if it makes everything smaller.
Is the 16:10 worth £50 more than the 16:9 ?
gifdy said:
2419H seems to be a later 2018 model. 1080p rather than 1920x1200 but I assume that is more for watching videos etc. ? It is cheaper at £150.
These (and their various predecessors) are our standard issue at work. They're great for plain old office work, never had a complaint from anyone, and can't remember a single failure out of a stock of 300+.gifdy said:
2415BBEY is IPS, 1920x1200, LED backlit, 23W and has an inbuilt USB-C hub - is currently choice #1 at £200 but is a 2014 model
2419H seems to be a later 2018 model. 1080p rather than 1920x1200 but I assume that is more for watching videos etc. ? It is cheaper at £150.
2418D is also 2018 and is 2560 x 1440, IPS, but maybe my eyes wouldn't like the higher resolution if it makes everything smaller.
Is the 16:10 worth £50 more than the 16:9?
Personally I'd say yes because it gives me more actual working space (eg more rows in Excel, more workspace in CAD) but your use may be different. I wouldn't go for a 24" 2560x1440 but I would consider a 27". You can always raise the scaling a bit to make text & icons bigger. I found 25% scaling was about right.2419H seems to be a later 2018 model. 1080p rather than 1920x1200 but I assume that is more for watching videos etc. ? It is cheaper at £150.
2418D is also 2018 and is 2560 x 1440, IPS, but maybe my eyes wouldn't like the higher resolution if it makes everything smaller.
Is the 16:10 worth £50 more than the 16:9?
I use a 34" 3440 x 1440 monitor for home working and it is the ideal size and resolution for me, plus it's loads better for games and video than having 2 smaller screens with a join down the middle.
I'd avoid that 29" LG as it is too small and only 1080 pixels high - you'll be able to see loads more on screen at once with the 1440p 34" Samsung.
I'd avoid that 29" LG as it is too small and only 1080 pixels high - you'll be able to see loads more on screen at once with the 1440p 34" Samsung.
Unless you're looking at ultrawide, given the budget I'd suggest 27" 2560x1440. I was always a 16:10 person, I'm looking at this now on a 24" 1920x1200 Dell Ultrasharp but downstairs I have one of these https://eu.aoc.com/en/monitors/q2790pqu-bt
I have a mini PC plugged in to it which I use to stream from Steam, but I use the monitor when working at home too. 2560 is the perfect size on 27" I think, pixel density just right - I've also found being 16:9 really does not matter at this res.
I have a mini PC plugged in to it which I use to stream from Steam, but I use the monitor when working at home too. 2560 is the perfect size on 27" I think, pixel density just right - I've also found being 16:9 really does not matter at this res.
Edited by Winterway on Saturday 18th January 11:48
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