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Ask HN: Best Monitor Around $300 for Dev Work?
Title says it all! Have a $300-ish budget for a new screen for dev work. I've been using a https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=10509 for a past job and enjoyed it but it's been a few years since that model came out so I thought it was worth asking.
If it makes any difference I'm on the new Macbook Pro w/ Touchbar which I'll be pairing it with (as well as wireless keyboard/mouse). Thanks for any suggestions!
- kyled 10y agoI remember asking for a smaller monitor and getting some weird looks. To much screen space and I'm always turning my head left and right, was hurting my neck. I prefer virtual desktops and a tiling window manager.
- grogenaut 10y agoa bit ($420 tot) more but dell U2715 is a great super thin bezeled monitor.
- trcollinson 10y agoI have been using two of these with a 15" MBP and have had no problems. I like them! https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-PB277Q-WQHD-2560x1440-Monitor/dp/B01EN3Z7QQ/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1481510934&sr=1-4&keywords=computer+monitor&refinements=p_n_size_browse-bin%3A3547807011%2Cp_89%3AAsus https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-PB277Q-WQHD-2560x1440-Monitor/dp...
- bdwalter 10y agoWe have a fleet of these as well and have had a good experience. We are now switching to the 4k version for new ones.
- pbreit 10y agoI like small pixels and have been happy with this Acer 25" 2560 x 1440 currently $255: https://www.amazon.com/Acer-G257HU-smidpx-25-Inch-Widescreen/dp/B00QS0AKVK/ https://www.amazon.com/Acer-G257HU-smidpx-25-Inch-Widescreen...
- hprotagonist 10y agoI like the Dell UltraSharp 24". Usually on sale for about $250. (e.g., https://www.amazon.com/Dell-Computer-Ultrasharp-U2415-24-0-Inch/dp/B00NZTKOQI https://www.amazon.com/Dell-Computer-Ultrasharp-U2415-24-0-I... ) Very thin bezel, high enough resolution, lots of positions. Buy two, keep one in portrait!
- pan69 10y agoI have two Dell Ultrasharp displays. They come with Display port cables and they support MST (you can daisy chain 'm together). Quality wise I have been very happy with 'm. http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&cs=04&l=en&sku=210-AGSU http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&c...
- intrasight 10y agoMe also. If you need one then get two. If you need two then get three. If you do development for a living, you don't want to wait for Dell to send you a warranty replacement (been there, done that, learned my lesson).
- garyfirestorm 10y agoDo you keep an extra monitor in your cupboard, just in case one blows up?
- intrasight 10y agoI do. And they have.
- gregordv 10y agoI use the Seiki 42" 4k TV which hovers around $300 (http://camelcamelcamel.com/Seiki-SE42UM-42-Inch-Ultra-Black/product/B00RBA9MOC http://camelcamelcamel.com/Seiki-SE42UM-42-Inch-Ultra-Black/...) as my primary development monitor. As a TV, color-correct, or a gaming monitor, it's rather dross, but as a wall of pixels to work on code, I will never go back to anything smaller. Ever.
- thebiglebrewski 10y agoThis is really interesting but yeah it almost seems like overkill for my use case! However I may be editing some 4K video too in the future (from a drone) so maybe this is the way to go.
- peller 10y agoHow far away do you find you have to sit?
- thatsethnz 10y agoYou dont. At 42 inches a 4k screen is basically four perfectly aligned 21 inch HD panels. Don't think 4k for smooth fonts and "retina" style pixel density. Think of it in terms of screen real estate.
- Tempest1981 10y agoSitting an arms-length away, I'm just imagining a lot of head movement going from the bottom (dock or taskbar) to top (menu bar or window title bar). Any tips? Maybe it works if you put only less-frequently-used windows up high. I've used a 30" display (at arms-length), and it felt nice, but already rather tall.
- prawn 10y agoAnyone have any issues driving one of these from a MBP?
- 10y ago
- OhSoHumble 10y agoHonestly, try to go for an ultrawide if you can. https://www.amazon.com/LG-UltraWide-Gaming-Monitor-34UM57-P/dp/B011ESXHBA/ref=sr_1_8?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1481512859&sr=1-8&keywords=monitor&refinements=p_n_size_browse-bin%3A3547808011 https://www.amazon.com/LG-UltraWide-Gaming-Monitor-34UM57-P/... This model would be a good place to start.
- protomyth 10y agoI have an LG ultra wide and I never want to go back. It is truly amazing how many windows you can fit with it feeling natural and uncrowded.
- tbyehl 10y agoSo many things work well at half-width and full- or half-height on a 21:9 display. I've got a AOC Q2963PM & Dell U3415W on my main workstation and it feels like having a 2x2 grid of 4:3 displays without a border down the middle. I will never buy another 16:9/16:10 display.
- Ardren 10y agoI agree that ultrawides are a great option. I have a 29" LG and I'm very happy with it, wouldn't hesitate to buy another one.
- sologoub 10y agoCan't recommend that ultra-wide setup enough, though I'm using Dell U3415W. You basically get the space of two monitors without bezels. Allows for several side-by-side windows of code, as well as preview of results (if working on UI or API) and still room for slack/hangouts/whatever else. The Dells are definitely more expensive, but come hardware calibrated for color (report included) if you need any graphics or CSS work. Unfortunately, the prices really went up - snagged mine a year ago for around $600. $729 before taxes now on newegg.
- fimdomeio 10y agoYep, I've got one of these and think it's a great choice.I have it standing above my macbook monitor as forcing me to move my heads up and down also feels like an ergonomic bonus.
- no_protocol 10y agoI have three of the following: Dell Computer Ultrasharp U2415 24.0-Inch Screen LED Monitor I purchased them from Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NZTKOQI https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NZTKOQI This is a 24 inch screen in the 16:10 ratio, at a resolution of 1900x1200. It has four inputs (2x HDMI, 1x Mini Display Port, 1x Display Port). I am very happy with these monitors. I like the 16:10 ratio as it gives some extra height compared to 16:9 screens.
- Declanomous 10y agoI have a 16:9 Ultrasharp from the previous year, I believe it is the U2414h, but I could be mistaken. I was a little skeptical at first, because Ultrasharps are pretty expensive if you are used to buying the cheapest monitor that meets your criteria. Subjectively though, this monitor is amazing. The best thing I can say about it is that I almost regret buying it, as every other monitor looks terrible when placed next to it. Otherwise, I could look at the monitor all day without really thinking about it. It's like a really nice tool, in the sense that you almost forget you are using it because it does it's job so well. For those of you unfamiliar with Dell monitors, the first letter is the model range. U is Ultrasharp, which generally are IPS displays and come from the factory with a certificate indicating the display has been calibrated, as well as stands with tilt, swivel, rotation and height adjustment. P is professional, which are generally very similar to the Ultrasharp displays, but without the exacting calibration, and the stands generally only have adjustable tilt and height. E (I think) is the third type, which is the kind of monitor you might get with your average computer. The stand generally only tilts. The first two numbers following the letter indicate the size of the monitor, and the last two numbers indicate the year the monitor was released. I believe trailing letters are used when disambiguation is needed. So a U2414h is a 24" monitor released in 2014, and the h indicates it's the 1080p model rather than the 1200p model. The U2415 was released the following year.
- sdrothrock 10y agoThank you for the explanation! How did you learn what the model numbers mean?
- Yhippa 10y agoI have two of these and a VESA mount to put them side by side: http://store.hp.com/us/en/pdp/hp-pavilion-24xw-238-inch-ips-led-backlit-monitor http://store.hp.com/us/en/pdp/hp-pavilion-24xw-238-inch-ips-.... I also have a Magic Trackpad 2 and Magic Keyboard (both by Apple). I feel I'm immensely productive with this suite. With the gestures you feel like you're in Minority Report without the augmented reality. I thought. Out getting one cheap 4K TV as a monitor but this works better for me as a developer on a MacBook Pro. I can easily run apps in full screen on multiple essentially positionally locked displays and within them snap-to-edges. For web app development in the left monitor I'll have a browser with the app running full screen and in the right I'll have my IDE in the left 2/3 of the screen snapped and terminal in the right 1/3.
- GavinMcG 10y agoI have one 27" version of the above, and I like it so far, with about a month of use.
- homero 10y agoI just use lg ips
- spencerflem 10y agoI love this site, and ended up getting the cheaper BENQ. http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-27-inch-monitor/ http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-27-inch-monitor/
- bioinformatics 10y agoJust got two of the 27-inch BenQ and really like them.
- thebiglebrewski 10y agoThanks all for your fast responses!
- chx 10y agoThe BenQ BL2411PT is still hard to beat quality / price wise.
- jwaldrip 10y agoPersonally I love this monitor. Its about $150 more than you were looking to spend, but they have a 24" version at $300. The big feature here is 4k resolutions for a VERY reasonable price. http://a.co/eLC9Z7z http://a.co/eLC9Z7z
- en4bz 10y agoASUS PB Series 1440p 27.8" a little over your price point but they're on sale RIGHT NOW for $350 [1]. [1] http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236294 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236...
- rajington 10y agoMultiple smaller monitors over 1 big one. I use the main MBP screen plus three E2414H dells that I got for <$300. I have to context-switch so much less. I'd take utility over "ooh these colors look really good". 1080p @ ~22" is "good enough" pixel density too.
- santoriv 10y agohttp://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16889356246 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16889356... Samsung 40inch 4k - it was going for $300 on Black Friday but it's a bit pricier now. Purportedly you can get (3840x2160@60Hz 4:4:4) I have a Samsung 40inch 4k UN40JU6500 that I bought six months ago. Essentially you get the real estate of 4 monitors on a single screen. I usually have a browser, my IDE, and 4 terminals open all at the same time while doing development. It only supports HDMI2 input so I had to buy a Displayport to HDMI adapter to get it to work with my MacBook Pro.
- sean_patel 10y ago> Samsung 40inch 4k This is a 'want' not a 'need'. Why would anyone need a 4K monitor for Dev work? Even if he/she is developing games, doesn't make sense to me. Also > I have a Samsung 40inch 4k that I bought six months ago. How far do you sit from the screen? What's it's effect on your eyes?
- avmich 10y ago> This is a 'want' not a 'need'. This is probably subjective, but I at least feel much more productive when working with big screens. Every once in a while I prefer to have a couple of windows side by side - for comparison, for monitoring, etc. To me it's much easier to look on the side of the screen rather than flipping windows with keyboard. To me, 4k isn't too much at all.
- Raphmedia 10y agoI work with both depending on where I am. To me a 4k screen is the equivalent of 3 screens. It's either one 4k or three regular screens. I did try multiple screens (1 4k, 2 regular) but it was way too much. I ended up unplugging everything but the big 4k.
- santoriv 10y ago> This is a 'want' not a 'need'. You are absolutely correct. Strictly speaking, he doesn't need a monitor at all. He has a new Macbook Pro. It's got a monitor attached which is just dandy. As an overly privileged software developer, I like to have lots of stuff on the same screen. It's also a lot easier to navigate a giant SQL schema diagram when you can have a much larger chunk of it on the screen at once. >How far do you sit from the screen? What's it's effect on your eyes? I stand at a normal distance from the monitor. It's essentially like having 4 1080p monitors stacked 2x2. At that size the dpi is approximately the same. There isn't any difference in eye strain.
- tronreg 10y agoTwo 27" 1080p made by LG
- tapsboy 10y agoSlightly off-topic: Have people used 21:9 monitors for dev work? What has been your experience so far?
- fivedogit 10y agoBeen using these for the past few years at both home at work. Yamakasi Catleap q270, 2560x1440 for $250. Probably cheaper from overseas on eBay. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00KX1FZEW https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00KX1FZEW The stand is crappy and don't expect much from the speakers, but otherwise I love them.
- BJanecke 10y agoSo WQHD monitors are generally above that price range, but I would seriously suggest you consider investing in one. Since they have become fairly niche over the last few years only pro level users buy them, so almost any monitor you buy in this space is bound to be excellent and score far above average for things like colour accuracy. Also a WQHD resolution at 27" is the perfect size to have two text editors at 16pt next to each other. Or An editor and two terminals, or anything really. It's silly how small HD really is and how cumbersome 6:9 is for "getting shit done". Why not 4K? Because right now it's still a gimmick and the chances of you hitting a sold-to-chache-in-on-fad monitor is jus too darn high.
- KayL 10y agoSounds like you have Macbook Pro only. I think you won't enjoy any non-4k or non-5k display. I have a Dell 27" as the main developer screen and sometimes I love to read on my Macbook Pro 13" retina. I will save a bit more and wait for a cheap 5k in next one or two years.
- svarrall 10y agoAgree with this, a non retina resolution monitor just looks unfocussed to me next to a MBPro screen.
- painted 10y agoI recently got a Dell UltraSharp UP2516D, it's great, also because I stay quite close to it. At work I have a Dell Ultrasharp U2715H, I stay like 10 cm further away. I don't see much difference even if one is 25" and the other is 27". I can not recommend them enough, my macbook air's display seems tiny now :D
- sgt 10y agoThis may be above your budget but I have this one and I'm extremely happy. Retina quality is superb and comparable to my Macbook Pro's retina screen. https://www.amazon.com/Dell-Monitor-P2715Q-27-Inch-LED-Lit/dp/B00PC9HFO8 https://www.amazon.com/Dell-Monitor-P2715Q-27-Inch-LED-Lit/d... It's about $150 more than your budget allows but I made a liberal interpretation of your "$300-ish".
- jgys 10y agoI second this. I've got one at home and one at my office; it's a solid display all-around and excellent for dev work. The value for the price is outstanding, especially if you get one from Amazon Warehouse Deals for about $50 off new, as I managed to do twice without the slightest imperfections. (I bought "Used - Very Good" condition.) Edit: I have the 24" version of this display, what's linked is the 27". I imagine the quality is comparable; whether the value is better or worse may depend on how many centimeters you want between your nose and your monitor. ;-)
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- alkonaut 10y agoSteals the question: I have to get a new monitor for dev work. I work from home so the office also houses my personal gaming/photo editing rig, meaning this screen will be both my home and work screen. This means I want to get something that can also do games and photos, but on the companys dime. I want it to be IPS and it should be 1440+ (27"+ or a WS 34") and it would be nice if it could do e.g. 75hz. I don't need 4k. The important issue though is I don't want it to look to my boss as though I'm buying really expensive monitor just for my gaming - Ideally I'd like to buy a product that works for gaming but isn't called "republic of gamers predator yada yada" if you see what I mean. So which are the "sleeper" gamer IPS monitors out there? Perhaps something with freesync, or a WS 34 that can overclock or something.
- imafish 10y agoI recently got the 25" Dell Ultrasharp U2515H which runs at 2560x1440 resolution, and really love it. Much better to do split screen on than my previous 24" 1080p monitor. It's just north of $300: https://www.amazon.com/Dell-UltraSharp-U2515H-25-Inch-LED-Lit/dp/B00SPWPF1O https://www.amazon.com/Dell-UltraSharp-U2515H-25-Inch-LED-Li...
- rocqua 10y agoI have 2 of those, they are great monitors. That said, for dev work I'd want more screen space than a single U2515H. If possible within this price range I'd look for an ultrawide with a vertical resolution of 1440. A great perk of the U2515H is accurate sRGB, but that seems superfluous here.
- imafish 10y agoIronically, I went from a dual monitor setup (24" and 21" in 'portrait'), and I find that I'm more productive now. Probably just my lack of self-discipline but the dual monitor setup tended to encourage me to code on one monitor and procrastinate on the other.
- FilterSweep 10y agoActually had this conversation last week with some other devs at my job. This suggestion is coming from a coworker not myself but he likes using curved screens - here is an affordable one in your range (27") https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Curved-27-Inch-Monitor-C27F398/dp/B01CX26WIG https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Curved-27-Inch-Monitor-C27F39...
- ogsharkman 10y agoI picked up the 32" QHD HP Omen monitor that was on sale during black Friday and so far it's been really nice. I have two 23" Dell something or other monitors in portrait mode on either side.
- gmays 10y agoMy standards may be lower than most, but I bought two https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009HNEBLK/ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009HNEBLK/ and mounted them to https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002R9HQLI/ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002R9HQLI/ (clamps to my desk) a couple years ago and have been pretty happy with the setup.
- TheArcane 10y agoSuper happy with the 1080p LG 24MP88HV-S 24-Inch https://www.amazon.com/LG-24MP88HV-S-24-Inch-Monitor-Infinity/dp/B01BX3FCJG/ https://www.amazon.com/LG-24MP88HV-S-24-Inch-Monitor-Infinit... It's IPS and sleek.
- mamcx 10y agoSimilar to this, but that monitor will be the best for reading comfort? I have assumed a 4k monitor or TV, but not sure.