I just bought myself a brand new computer and now that I command a sturdier GFX card for my day-to-day activities (watching videos, work and the occasional, quite-infrequent gameplaying), I thought I could also afford a larger screen so as to enjoy full-fledged 1080p videos and roomier program workspaces.
The type of monitor I'm gunning for:
Since I'm not really big on online shopping or ordering items over the phone, I mainly rely on retail shops and whatnot - places I can actually walk into, to check out the merchandise (not that the employees there will actually give you a clear answer whenever you ask "which brand/model is the better one, btw?") and weigh my options with each of them in sight. It also helps that in two weeks or so, winter sales will start and that's when I expect to make a couple trips to those places, to see what else could pique my interest.
After visiting my favorite shops (those I find reliable, especially for after-sale services), I have set my sights on two different PC monitors -- which I know are in stock right now (saves me the hassle of ordering one item and having to wait for it; I can just pick it up right from the counter):
I was originally aiming for the Samsung (I kept hearing dithyrambic comments about them in terms of overall quality...as well as how certain well-known or emerging monitor manufacturers actually used rebranded Samsung screens), namely the S24 model (S22 had VGA but no DVI slot *insert Y U NO rageface here*), but some consumer reviews I came across recently either panned the S24A300BL (capacitive buttons being more of an annoyance than a technical eye-opener, excessive brightness and occasional yellow-green hue permeating the screen) or lauded it as the next best thing since sliced bread kthxbai. The S24A300BL appears to be the better power-saver and enjoys the larger screen size (though not by much: 23.6'' vs. HP's 23''), but it has less consumer feedback compared to the HP 2311x.
The HP 2311x had more reviews to go through, but...then again, I have to wrestle with my own benefit of doubt (was the reviewer too dumb or too biased to figure out a simple problem, did he/she have a defective unit, etc, etc). I hear good things about the 2311x, but some reviewers mumbled about Samsung being better and blah blah blah.
So...what do you think? Any clear winner or do you have any other model in mind? (note: I'll withhold judgment depending on the local prices and overall availability)
Thanks in advance for your input - I have at least two weeks left till I go hit the stores, so I'll be all ears until then.
The type of monitor I'm gunning for:
- 23''-24'' in size
- Boasts 1920x1080p resolution, duh
- Must have DVI; HDMI is not a must-have
- No internal speakers, since I still have my old external units (hence no need for HDMI)
- Good contrast and color range/fidelity
- Good image sharpness
- Power consumption has to be appreciatively low
- Great maximum: 200 Euros
Since I'm not really big on online shopping or ordering items over the phone, I mainly rely on retail shops and whatnot - places I can actually walk into, to check out the merchandise (not that the employees there will actually give you a clear answer whenever you ask "which brand/model is the better one, btw?") and weigh my options with each of them in sight. It also helps that in two weeks or so, winter sales will start and that's when I expect to make a couple trips to those places, to see what else could pique my interest.
After visiting my favorite shops (those I find reliable, especially for after-sale services), I have set my sights on two different PC monitors -- which I know are in stock right now (saves me the hassle of ordering one item and having to wait for it; I can just pick it up right from the counter):
I was originally aiming for the Samsung (I kept hearing dithyrambic comments about them in terms of overall quality...as well as how certain well-known or emerging monitor manufacturers actually used rebranded Samsung screens), namely the S24 model (S22 had VGA but no DVI slot *insert Y U NO rageface here*), but some consumer reviews I came across recently either panned the S24A300BL (capacitive buttons being more of an annoyance than a technical eye-opener, excessive brightness and occasional yellow-green hue permeating the screen) or lauded it as the next best thing since sliced bread kthxbai. The S24A300BL appears to be the better power-saver and enjoys the larger screen size (though not by much: 23.6'' vs. HP's 23''), but it has less consumer feedback compared to the HP 2311x.
The HP 2311x had more reviews to go through, but...then again, I have to wrestle with my own benefit of doubt (was the reviewer too dumb or too biased to figure out a simple problem, did he/she have a defective unit, etc, etc). I hear good things about the 2311x, but some reviewers mumbled about Samsung being better and blah blah blah.
So...what do you think? Any clear winner or do you have any other model in mind? (note: I'll withhold judgment depending on the local prices and overall availability)
Thanks in advance for your input - I have at least two weeks left till I go hit the stores, so I'll be all ears until then.