Recommend me a monitor?

[ChevronB19]

When in the office (remember that) I used a standard crap 19 inch monitor with screen mirroring to my crap work supplied Lenovo T420.

Now it’s looking like I will be working at home for at least the rest of this year, if not longer, and even after all this stuff is over it’s likely we’ll work at home.

I’ve currently got a 21 inch Samsung curved monitor at home, again mirrored to the laptop, but due to the setup specific to my house I’m getting real eye strain looking at the laptop screen (I need to have multiple documents open at once). So for aesthetic reasons I’d prefer a single large monitor rather than dual 21 inch monitors, I.e. close the laptop and use a single large screens.

How big is too big (I sit relatively close) and does anyone have any recommendations as to a specific monitor? I’ll be buying it myself, as I’ve already exhausted the grant we got from work on chairs and a desk, so I’d prefer not to spend much more than £200...

Work by the way is basic Office programmes plus email, nothing complex. Laptop has a blue plug connector, which I think is VGA. At some point in what for the last couple of years has been ‘the near future’ we’ve been promised new laptops, which presumably will have HDMI or some other acronym.

Thanks for your help!

[eltawater]

Your T420 also has a displayport connector on the left hand side next to the network socket which will open up your choices for connections.
You can also buy yourself a cheap Thinkpad 4337 dock from ebay for between 10-20 quid and this will give you a displayport and DVI connection. There are suitable displayport -> hdmi adapters available as well should you find yourself with a monitor with only hdmi connections.

I have mine setup with both DVI and displayport to the dock and then to some 24inch 1920x1200 monitors, so don't worry about being limited to just VGA connections.

[Gandahar]

Suggesting any monitor is hard when you can't visually see the current setup and also what the requester actually wants.

But if you want a big monitor that is £200 or so

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/aoc-q3279vwfd8-32-2...

or something along those lines.

[Chris Type R]

>> How big is too big (I sit relatively close) and does anyone have any recommendations as to a specific monitor? I’ll be buying it myself, as I’ve already exhausted the grant we got from work on chairs and a desk, so I’d prefer not to spend much more than £200...

32" 2560 x 1440 isn't too bad. Your budget probably puts you in the budget region brand wise - personally I like Benq and IIyama monitors.

I have one of these as a testbed monitor, and it's okay (but out of stock) - https://www.amazon.co.uk/ViewSonic-VX3276-2K-MHD-F...

EDIT: In stock, double the budget, but lots of pixels - https://www.amazon.co.uk/iiyama-ProLite-ultra-wide...

EDIT: Cheaper and in-stock here - https://www.ebuyer.com/911110-iiyama-34-ips-ultra-...

Edited by Chris Type R on Wednesday 20th May 21:37

[dhutch]

Any 28-32" 4k monitor should be good, consider used, and if you want an adjustable height stand (you do) and happy days.

[Chris Type R]

dhutch said:

Any 28-32" 4k monitor should be good, consider used, and if you want an adjustable height stand (you do) and happy days.

Depends on how good the OP's eyesight is. 4K can be a PITA with font scaling and incompatible apps. I run a 40" 4k as my main monitor, wear glasses and still need to set my fonts to 125%.

[ChevronB19]

Thanks for the tips peeps. In regard to the poster who asked regarding my current setup, mine is on the left if this picture. Standard depth kitchen worktop. Laptop screens shut as it was the end of the day, during work hours they’re open and angled towards each user.

How big a monitor do I need to have 2 word or excel docs next to each other on a single screen at the same size as I get in the 21 inch monitor? Sorry, my only tech knowledge relates to engines...

[Gandahar]

Chris Type R said:

dhutch said:

Any 28-32" 4k monitor should be good, consider used, and if you want an adjustable height stand (you do) and happy days.

Depends on how good the OP's eyesight is. 4K can be a PITA with font scaling and incompatible apps. I run a 40" 4k as my main monitor, wear glasses and still need to set my fonts to 125%.

Agree with this, 30 inches is really nice for 2560x1600 or 1440 but not for 4k ... things are just too small.

[Pachydermus]

ChevronB19 said:

How big a monitor do I need to have 2 word or excel docs next to each other on a single screen at the same size as I get in the 21 inch monitor?

this is more a question of resolution if you want the documents to be readable. Of course once you start cranking up the resolution and the size you're also going to blow that £200 budget out of the water.

[Gandahar]

ChevronB19 said:

Thanks for the tips peeps. In regard to the poster who asked regarding my current setup, mine is on the left if this picture. Standard depth kitchen worktop. Laptop screens shut as it was the end of the day, during work hours they’re open and angled towards each user.

How big a monitor do I need to have 2 word or excel docs next to each other on a single screen at the same size as I get in the 21 inch monitor? Sorry, my only tech knowledge relates to engines...

Can you tel me the laptop make and model and your monitor details?

[ChevronB19]

Pachydermus said:

ChevronB19 said:

How big a monitor do I need to have 2 word or excel docs next to each other on a single screen at the same size as I get in the 21 inch monitor?

this is more a question of resolution if you want the documents to be readable. Of course once you start cranking up the resolution and the size you're also going to blow that £200 budget out of the water.

What resolution would you recommend as tolerable? 1920*1080?

[dhutch]

You can work out the pixels per inch (or get of the specs) and compare with current screen.

[Chris Type R]

ChevronB19 said:

What resolution would you recommend as tolerable? 1920*1080?

Too little. I'd go for a min. of 2560 x 1440. Maybe https://www.ebuyer.com/826063-iiyama-prolite-e2783...

27" 2560 x 1440, HDMI & Displayport. Matte finish. USB hub. £204. Not sure if Iiyama still do it, but they used to have 3 year warranties as well.

Or a bit cheaper from Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/iiyama-E2783QSU-B1-ProLit... - reviews which you can check there. There's also a Warehouse one for £187. There's a customer photo in the reviews showing laptop screen next to the monitor.

Edited by Chris Type R on Thursday 21st May 10:19

[annodomini2]

Go Nuts!

Philips 499P9H

Not cheap mind!

[ChevronB19]

Man maths applied in classic PH style.

Just ordered this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-LC32JG50QQUXEN-31...

My current monitor is a Samsung curved, guess I just like them!

[Pachydermus]

nice. Doesn't need much man-maths if you're using it for 8 hours every day for the foreseeable future.

[ChevronB19]

Pachydermus said:

nice. Doesn't need much man-maths if you're using it for 8 hours every day for the foreseeable future.

I saved a huge 1p as well!

[D1on]

I'm after a new monitor, what are people's thoughts on the likes of Acer as opposed to Samsung or LG?

[Busa mav]

Only this week I purchased a 32” HP f series monitor for £199.
Its excellent.

[bloomen]

Chris Type R said:

Depends on how good the OP's eyesight is. 4K can be a PITA with font scaling and incompatible apps. I run a 40" 4k as my main monitor, wear glasses and still need to set my fonts to 125%.

All my computing is 4K now. Scaling in Windows 10 is perfect 99% of the time. It's only the occasional program that clearly hasn't been programmed for it.

I'd definitely favour used, but most sellers will be too chicken to post. My main monitor is a 28" 4K Asus that was less than half price from cash converters.