Computer monitors & eye strain
Discussion
TameRacingDriver said:
g4ry13 said:
TameRacingDriver said:
I would definitely go for 4K over 1440p. I've used all the resolutions, my daily at work is actually a 1440P 34" Acer monitor, designed for gaming, and it's fairly sharp, and certainly noticeably better than a 1080P monitor, however, I've also compared it with a 27" 4K monitor and the 4K monitor was a clear step up again, and gives very natural print like text and icons when scaled correctly.
I wouldn't be surprised if you could get 2x 27" 4K monitors for not much more money than a single 34" and it will be better for productivity I reckon.
That may be true. The limiting factor becomes desk space. I wouldn't be surprised if you could get 2x 27" 4K monitors for not much more money than a single 34" and it will be better for productivity I reckon.
I use a 32'' at work and it does feel a bit on the large side. Unfortunately there do not seem to be many options between the 27/28 inch and 32 inch.
I use a 24 inch currently and it's pretty comfortable. At work the 32 inch does feel a bit on the large side.
I'm sure that it's something one gets used to, but it will take up extra desk space and i'm not convinced that it's necessary to have something 8 inches bigger than I have now.
From a budget perspective: I could maybe stretch to a 27 inch UltraSharp which is meant to be a very good monitor. If I buy a 32 inch i'll be getting something of lesser quality. A 32 inch UltraSharp is closing in on the £1k mark which is pricey for my means.
Would I really notice much difference between a 4K P series and an UltraSharp? Possibly not for what I do on the computer.
So do I go bigger and compromise on some tech specs on a sheet which are possibly not noticeable to my eyes?
Sorry I didn't mean to confuse 
I would go for a 27" monitor with greater quality over a lesser 32" screen personally, especially given your prior comments. For example a 4k 27" monitor is going to have a much higher pixel density than a 1440p 32" monitor resulting in much smoother looking text and icons which will help somewhat with relieving eye strain. A 1440p 27" will still look good but I reckon for me I can still see slight pixelation in the text etc, 4k makes a big difference. Depends how good your eyes are at picking up detail though I guess.
The backlight idea is a good one, I also use a backlight. Not sure how much it helps but it looks nice and was inexpensive to do.
I would go for a 27" monitor with greater quality over a lesser 32" screen personally, especially given your prior comments. For example a 4k 27" monitor is going to have a much higher pixel density than a 1440p 32" monitor resulting in much smoother looking text and icons which will help somewhat with relieving eye strain. A 1440p 27" will still look good but I reckon for me I can still see slight pixelation in the text etc, 4k makes a big difference. Depends how good your eyes are at picking up detail though I guess.The backlight idea is a good one, I also use a backlight. Not sure how much it helps but it looks nice and was inexpensive to do.
g4ry13 said:
Damn.....this confuses my brain even more and makes me second guess myself
I use a 24 inch currently and it's pretty comfortable. At work the 32 inch does feel a bit on the large side.
I'm sure that it's something one gets used to, but it will take up extra desk space and i'm not convinced that it's necessary to have something 8 inches bigger than I have now.
From a budget perspective: I could maybe stretch to a 27 inch UltraSharp which is meant to be a very good monitor. If I buy a 32 inch i'll be getting something of lesser quality. A 32 inch UltraSharp is closing in on the £1k mark which is pricey for my means.
Would I really notice much difference between a 4K P series and an UltraSharp? Possibly not for what I do on the computer.
So do I go bigger and compromise on some tech specs on a sheet which are possibly not noticeable to my eyes?
You will notice the difference, but the question is, is it worth that extra expense? I mean if a couple hundred quid is neither here nor there for you, then its worth getting the U series, put your mind at rest, that you are getting a monitor without any weaknesses, a sort of 'best of sweetspot' without getting into more specialist gear.I use a 24 inch currently and it's pretty comfortable. At work the 32 inch does feel a bit on the large side.
I'm sure that it's something one gets used to, but it will take up extra desk space and i'm not convinced that it's necessary to have something 8 inches bigger than I have now.
From a budget perspective: I could maybe stretch to a 27 inch UltraSharp which is meant to be a very good monitor. If I buy a 32 inch i'll be getting something of lesser quality. A 32 inch UltraSharp is closing in on the £1k mark which is pricey for my means.
Would I really notice much difference between a 4K P series and an UltraSharp? Possibly not for what I do on the computer.
So do I go bigger and compromise on some tech specs on a sheet which are possibly not noticeable to my eyes?
I dunno what would a car equivalent be for a petrol head?
U series = BMW M340i Touring?
P series = BMW 320d Touring?
In general everyday use, how much difference would it make having the M340i over the 320d?
Lol, BMW's aren't my cup of tea, but I guess you see my point.
Edited by wyson on Friday 24th March 13:12
Some general thoughts.... I'm short sighted and also have an astigmatism so can relate.
I spent years not spending much time on PCs and my eyes were fine, but when I got a desk job they were terrible for the first few weeks with bad headaches as my eyes were then doing a lot more "work" (focusing) than they had been. I now find that in general, in a well lit office with natural light, I can work happily without glasses, but if my eyes start getting tired then I get headaches. Tonight I'm working nights and didn't have much sleep last night, so am wearing glasses even though my eyes feel fine - it's better to make life easy for them rather than me ending up knackered with a headache by 7am tomorrow.
Screen wise, I have 4 32 inch monitors arranged as a square and find that QHD (2560*1440) is perfectly fine, so use an older version of these, which are only £190 each. A modern Windows laptop should be able to run 2 QHD screens using Display Port technology which is built into Windows.
https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/-va3209-2k-mhd/ver...
I spent years not spending much time on PCs and my eyes were fine, but when I got a desk job they were terrible for the first few weeks with bad headaches as my eyes were then doing a lot more "work" (focusing) than they had been. I now find that in general, in a well lit office with natural light, I can work happily without glasses, but if my eyes start getting tired then I get headaches. Tonight I'm working nights and didn't have much sleep last night, so am wearing glasses even though my eyes feel fine - it's better to make life easy for them rather than me ending up knackered with a headache by 7am tomorrow.
Screen wise, I have 4 32 inch monitors arranged as a square and find that QHD (2560*1440) is perfectly fine, so use an older version of these, which are only £190 each. A modern Windows laptop should be able to run 2 QHD screens using Display Port technology which is built into Windows.
https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/-va3209-2k-mhd/ver...
Edited by Condi on Saturday 25th March 22:22
TimmyMallett said:
I haven't read the entire thread but I use a backlight which really makes a difference, it's just a cheap sticky while LED strip that I adhere to the back of my monitors.
What he said. If you have the monitor so dim because of contrast then what you need to be looking for it what is known as a bias light. It goes behind the monitor and illuminates the wall. It changes how your eyes will react and can also make the text seem clearer (think of the optical illusions with the light and dark areas like thishttps://news.mit.edu/2020/study-visual-illusion-br...
Make the background lighter and the text appears darker. One of the BenQ lights mentioned above also has a bias light built in. https://www.benq.eu/en-uk/knowledge-center/knowled...
Condi said:
Some general thoughts.... I'm short sighted and also have an astigmatism so can relate.
I spent years not spending much time on PCs and my eyes were fine, but when I got a desk job they were terrible for the first few weeks with bad headaches as my eyes were then doing a lot more "work" (focusing) than they had been. I now find that in general, in a well lit office with natural light, I can work happily without glasses, but if my eyes start getting tired then I get headaches. Tonight I'm working nights and didn't have much sleep last night, so am wearing glasses even though my eyes feel fine - it's better to make life easy for them rather than me ending up knackered with a headache by 7am tomorrow.
Screen wise, I have 4 32 inch monitors arranged as a square and find that QHD (2560*1440) is perfectly fine, so use an older version of these, which are only £190 each. A modern Windows laptop should be able to run 2 QHD screens using Display Port technology which is built into Windows.
https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/-va3209-2k-mhd/ver...
I think the lazy eye is probably the bigger issue than the astigmatism, although wasn't something I was consciously aware about until the last 3 years or so. I've always had one eye working a lot better than the other and compensating for the bad eye. I now have corrective lenses but over a prolonged period looking at small text I would probably suffer from it the next day. I spent years not spending much time on PCs and my eyes were fine, but when I got a desk job they were terrible for the first few weeks with bad headaches as my eyes were then doing a lot more "work" (focusing) than they had been. I now find that in general, in a well lit office with natural light, I can work happily without glasses, but if my eyes start getting tired then I get headaches. Tonight I'm working nights and didn't have much sleep last night, so am wearing glasses even though my eyes feel fine - it's better to make life easy for them rather than me ending up knackered with a headache by 7am tomorrow.
Screen wise, I have 4 32 inch monitors arranged as a square and find that QHD (2560*1440) is perfectly fine, so use an older version of these, which are only £190 each. A modern Windows laptop should be able to run 2 QHD screens using Display Port technology which is built into Windows.
https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/-va3209-2k-mhd/ver...
Edited by Condi on Saturday 25th March 22:22
The Viewsonic is certainly a lot cheaper than the UltraSharp which I was thinking of getting. Although I think 2x 32 inch monitors is probably pushing it for what I can fit on the desk.
un1eash said:
Eye strain is all about the brightness and lighting. I was suffering from eye strain until I started using a Benq light bar plus, works wonders and no more eye strain regardless if ambient light in the room day or night.
This was going to be my next question about the light bars. They seem to range from £20 - £120 for the BenQ plus.
I don't really work in a dark room, is it going to noticeably improve things to use one? I'm wondering how a light shining on a monitor is not going to cause reflections / glare on the screen itself.
The Xiaomi for £50 seems to have positive reviews. Is BenQ plus really that much better to justify the additional £70?
They don't shine on the monitor, they're angles to illuminate the desk without catching the monitor. If the rooms will lit it probably won't make much difference, i use mine at night as the light is behind me when using my pc and the whole desk area isn't bright enough.
As for is the benq worth the money, not sure, i have the plus and its good but begrudge paying for a very plush box that goes straight in the bin
As for is the benq worth the money, not sure, i have the plus and its good but begrudge paying for a very plush box that goes straight in the bin
un1eash said:
Eye strain is all about the brightness and lighting.
I would disagree, especially for someone with a lazy eye and astigmatism, it could well be do to with the amount of focusing the eye is doing and the amount of compensating the brain is doing. Not saying a light wouldn't help, but there could be other factors which are more of a problem. If you go for a monitor without a height adjustable stand, you could get one of these:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/AmazonBasics-Premium-Sing...
I think that is made by ergotron who make premium arms. The quality might not be the same, seeing an original ergotron arm is at least twice as much.
Monitor arms are a good idea anyway. A good one is really adjustable, clears up space under your desk etc.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/AmazonBasics-Premium-Sing...
I think that is made by ergotron who make premium arms. The quality might not be the same, seeing an original ergotron arm is at least twice as much.
Monitor arms are a good idea anyway. A good one is really adjustable, clears up space under your desk etc.
Well i've gone and done it....just placed an order for a 27 inch UltraSharp tonight.
I had a look in Currys today at 27 inch monitors to get an idea of size. It did seem noticeably bigger than my current one even though 3 inches doesn't sound much bigger and was still comfortable on the eyes. I could have gone for 32 inch but then will be compromising on resolution.
Read some more reviews online which seemed to generally be very positive about the screen. I'm not sure it's the very best screen out there, but neither is it the most expensive. Maybe a 1440p would have done the job too.
It's a steep amount of money for a screen and quite possibly a tad overkill but hopefully I can get 6% cashback on the transaction and my employer will contribute £100 towards the screen to slightly soften the blow.
Thank you all for the help (especially Wyson for checking out the spec sheets). Next thing is whether to try a monitor bar but will see what I think in a few days.
I had a look in Currys today at 27 inch monitors to get an idea of size. It did seem noticeably bigger than my current one even though 3 inches doesn't sound much bigger and was still comfortable on the eyes. I could have gone for 32 inch but then will be compromising on resolution.
Read some more reviews online which seemed to generally be very positive about the screen. I'm not sure it's the very best screen out there, but neither is it the most expensive. Maybe a 1440p would have done the job too.
It's a steep amount of money for a screen and quite possibly a tad overkill but hopefully I can get 6% cashback on the transaction and my employer will contribute £100 towards the screen to slightly soften the blow.
Thank you all for the help (especially Wyson for checking out the spec sheets). Next thing is whether to try a monitor bar but will see what I think in a few days.
Just to add that my friend gave me a 10% code (after I placed my order of course!) so I have now tried to cancel the order from last night and bought another one using the code for £580. Hopefully I can get cashback on the transaction but don't think they'll let me get both.
This time tomorrow I may end up with 2 UltraSharp monitors
edit: can't cancel the order from last night so am trying to figure out a solution with customer support to apply 10% to old order and cancel the new order so 2 screens don't arrive.
This time tomorrow I may end up with 2 UltraSharp monitors
edit: can't cancel the order from last night so am trying to figure out a solution with customer support to apply 10% to old order and cancel the new order so 2 screens don't arrive.
Edited by g4ry13 on Wednesday 29th March 11:07
The monitor arrived today and there's good news and bad news.
Good news: the monitor didn't arrive with any damage or any dead pixels which I have initially seen.
On to the bad news....I hooked up my laptop - for background information - it's closing in on being ~10 years old. It was dying a death last year and I swapped out the hard drive for a flash drive and upgraded the OS from Windows 7 to Windows 10. It seemed to improve things although my computer fans often spin up and it's noisy.
In any case, I connect the monitor to laptop via HDMI and go to display settings. 2048 x 1152 is the recommended resolution. I can go one higher but there is nothing close to 3840 x 2160. So I guess that answers the question about whether my computer does 4K. I checked with my partner's work computer (nothing super fancy in terms of specs) and I have the option to select 3840 x 2160. Prior to buying this screen, I had tested her ultrawide monitor on my laptop and was able to select some large resolutions (although probably not 4K I assume).
I'll have a look on Google whether there's any way to be able to select a resolution which Windows doesn't offer but it seems that I have 2 options:
1) Return the screen and get a 1440p, or something which my laptop can display on.
2) Look to upgrade my laptop which in honesty is probably overdue as the tech is pretty old, case is breaking, fans seem to struggle with Windows 10. Although the computer does a fairly decent job in running my applications and the screen / keyboard is nice.
Good news: the monitor didn't arrive with any damage or any dead pixels which I have initially seen.
On to the bad news....I hooked up my laptop - for background information - it's closing in on being ~10 years old. It was dying a death last year and I swapped out the hard drive for a flash drive and upgraded the OS from Windows 7 to Windows 10. It seemed to improve things although my computer fans often spin up and it's noisy.
In any case, I connect the monitor to laptop via HDMI and go to display settings. 2048 x 1152 is the recommended resolution. I can go one higher but there is nothing close to 3840 x 2160. So I guess that answers the question about whether my computer does 4K. I checked with my partner's work computer (nothing super fancy in terms of specs) and I have the option to select 3840 x 2160. Prior to buying this screen, I had tested her ultrawide monitor on my laptop and was able to select some large resolutions (although probably not 4K I assume).
I'll have a look on Google whether there's any way to be able to select a resolution which Windows doesn't offer but it seems that I have 2 options:
1) Return the screen and get a 1440p, or something which my laptop can display on.
2) Look to upgrade my laptop which in honesty is probably overdue as the tech is pretty old, case is breaking, fans seem to struggle with Windows 10. Although the computer does a fairly decent job in running my applications and the screen / keyboard is nice.
Could pixel double in the mean time.
Set it to 1920 x 1080.
Given electronics are developed with a 10 year life span in mind, I’d prob retire the laptop. Capacitors, resistors and other components are likely to start declining out of spec, if they haven’t done so already. Its not dissimilar to running a 10 year old car.
Don’t know what laptop it is, but some of the old huge ones, you could buy and plug in gpu’s. Was not uncommon 10 years back that integrated graphics couldn’t handle 4k but seperate GPU’s could.
Almost all modern laptops will handle 4k now though.
Set it to 1920 x 1080.
Given electronics are developed with a 10 year life span in mind, I’d prob retire the laptop. Capacitors, resistors and other components are likely to start declining out of spec, if they haven’t done so already. Its not dissimilar to running a 10 year old car.
Don’t know what laptop it is, but some of the old huge ones, you could buy and plug in gpu’s. Was not uncommon 10 years back that integrated graphics couldn’t handle 4k but seperate GPU’s could.
Almost all modern laptops will handle 4k now though.
Edited by wyson on Thursday 30th March 13:16
RizzoTheRat said:
Did you set it to be an extended screen or were you mirroring your laptop screen? If the latter it won't ley you go higher than the laptop screens resolution. If you have a separate mouse and keyboard try it with the laptop closed as well so it's only driving one screen.
It is set to extended display in the settings. I have also checked the graphic card drivers and they appear to be the latest.Closed laptop screen, hooked monitor up and max resolution available is 2048 x 1280.
I will hunt around a bit more on Google / YouTube but it's not looking good
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