Cheap Monitor Recommendations (1080p/1440p - 22 to 34 Inches) and Some PC Setup Questions and more.. warning long haha lol

AlienC on 22/07/2018 - 05:31
Last edited 22/07/2018 - 05:31

Setup my new HP Compaq 8200 pc in my room.. very solid and heavier than I expected but very nice size it's like the size of a large hot plate horizontally down and an oversized console but still slim vertically up, not too unwieldy at all.

Now just need a good monitor to link it with or rate my current one.

I got this on gumtree for $40 + $20 postage

https://www.mwave.com.au/product/aoc-e2450swh-236-2ms-hdmi-f…

Seems to run ok screen turns on and logo comes up but now pc won't show up and can't get it to POST.. So need to troubleshoot that but I have another question besides that to ask.

Looking at something between a 22 inch minimum 32 inch maximum ideal would probably be 24-27. I will be facing it head on just me alone.

Using it for everything under the sun (gaming, editing, media consumption, YouTube, Netflix, email, programming, heavy browsing you name it).

Sticking to just one single monitor for now 1080p minimum was thinking of buying another 22 inch 1080p monitor to read reddit or watch YouTube while steam gaming not sure if a 1050Ti can handle that especially since I will be pushing it to its limits. Don't really need the best will take super cheap bargain bin offers and recommendations can always move up and have a good experience with a variety of monitors later.

No space for a tv yet unfortunately but will be buying a steam link and TV maybe in future when prices die down.

Port selection seems to be 1.4 HDMI, D-Sub and DVI (Galax GTX 1050ti Low Profile). Next build will be a i5 8400 1080Ti minimum and maybe sell my case and psu and cpu/mobo if i7 2600 starts to show its age.

Low chance of overclocking but if I research enough and get confidence I may try it with the monitor also.

Room is pretty dark and I will be using mostly after dark so maybe screen brightness important?

AOC e2450Swh 23.6" 2ms HDMI Full HD LED Monitor with Speaker connected using DVI (35 watts power consumption)

i7 2600
GTX 1050Ti Galax Low Profile
32gb DDR3 (4 x 8gb)
8TB HDD Seagate shucked from an external (this one https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Expansion-Desktop-External-ST…)
2.5TB SSD (Samsung 850 EVO 500GB + Micron 1100 2TB)
WiFi card with b/g/n/ac (temporary fix until I decide to either run some Ethernet cable or a powerline from my pc to my router)
DVD combo drive (because some bargain bin sales still have discs and it's not much for cheap DVD watching capabilities either)

So final questions are:

1) would my setup be able to handle another monitor with one monitor gaming the other having a video maybe playing worst case scenario, I only have 3 ports (HDMI, DVI, D-Sub) does using one or the other have any effect or differences especially if I plan to use 2 monitors so 2 ports in use I am assuming unless you need a splitter)
2) how good is my current monitor
AOC e2450Swh 23.6" (what are it's weaknesses and strengths - on initial inspection it looks pretty ok I don't see anything missing besides maybe super fine tuned modes and higher refresh rate but for standard gaming it seems tough)
3) what could I possibly gain from upgrading to a new more current monitor besides higher resolution and larger screen size.. please list any extra gaming specific functionality from special monitors or Netflix type advantages
4) question more for the pc than just monitor - is this computer ok for some game development, 3D art modelling and development, video editing and maybe even twitch/YouTube streaming, etc if so awesome if not what am I missing or lacking and should improve or change out?
5) any tips for a brand new battle station.. I'm thinking of adding a strip of those situational rgb lights at the back behind the monitor and some other cool stuff maybe later if I can think of any.

Might try buy a knock off cheap rgb keyboard off a mate or gumtree and cheap "gaming" mouse during this eb games mid year sale, saw some ozone mice for cheap but my local didn't have any available so might go shopping in Sydney tomorrow.

Haven't thought about speakers or headsets yet either.. but that should be very simple have some ideas and some spare headphones to use for now in the meantimes.

Webcam and mic not that needed yet atm, I have an android phone and tablet anyways if need be and if I were to stream it would be most likely only gameplay or developing and no face cam, maybe a mic but should be simple to pick one up.

Honestly don't care much about mice and keyboard as long as it sits up nice and doesn't have bad tracking I'll be fine. But if anybody has some really cheap macro ones available please post in the comments below.. macros and cheat scripts ftw.

Might get a driving sim setup (pedals and steering wheel down the line maybe).

VR at this point looks unfeasible maybe next time.

Joystick for flight sim games maybe.

Have a chair but if I find a good deal on a dx racer or ozbargain equivalent I'll consider it but honestly very low priority.

I think that covers most things I hope for now.

Might keep this computer and just salvage some parts when I build my 1080ti or new gen equivalent or higher monster pc as a backup or stream assistant pc we shall see.

Finally nice to have a desktop again now just gonna get it running since my first time turning it on all plugged in into gumtree monitor can't post and not sure if it is the pc or monitor or whatever.

Total cost of this pc was around $1600 total delivered (about $20-50 was for labour while I was multitasking other things for some friends and family).. So under $1700 for the whole setup including monitor not too shabby imho definitely could have done better since my builder stuffed up some of the sales especially the gpu but just happy it finally came together..

If I did it myself I would have taken much much longer having to relearn pc building in this small case from scratch and also buying necessary tools but would ahave saved easily $400 in better deal hunting abilities than my Melbourne builder and no labour cost or shipping cost ah well.. I felt like being generous and this past two years I have been making some bad decisions but it's over now and just gotta keep moving forward.

I could have gotten a 1080ti prebuilt for this same price but would have lesser storage and ram and I think no monitor but keyboard and mouse included.

It's ok I like the small pc form factor and was one of the main reasons this build took forever to make and realise.

Next one will take even longer because the obstacles around high end sff is not only size and cooling but customized power supplies and will have to decide whether I want a DVD drive or WiFi etc.

If you have read this long I applaud and thank you.

Users who know me well know probably that I have been hunting for this for ages now and usually make odd long posts like this haha.. sorry if it was a bit tedious but I like to write and will probably regret this in the morning.

I think I should start a blog for all my long posts lol haha. Idk.

Btw what is the description character word limit?

Computing 1440p 22inch 24inch 27inch 32 LCD TV 34inch Computer Peripheral LCD Monitor Monitor

Comments

  • Baysew on 22/07/2018 - 09:02
    +2

    Lot a questions! Why not reach out to this member, they are in your area. https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/379544

    • AlienC on 22/07/2018 - 09:03

      Heard he was a loony toon crazy person.. No thanks. Hard pass on this one.

  • o53djz7qTPY4der on 22/07/2018 - 10:03

    I am going to admit, I didn't read all of that.

    I have almost the same machine - HP Elite 2500 i5 2500. I use a GT710 I got on gumtree for $25.

    I run a triple display:

    1: Acer 23" [DVI]. $30, gumtree.

    2: ViewSonic 22" [VGA], in portrait. Free, gumtree.

    3: Samusung 32" [HDMI], spare TV. Used for gaming/video playback. Not always turned on.

    Machine runs fine, Nvidia reports about 19% usage with all screens on and using chrome. 80%+ when playing FM.

    It doesn't skip a beat, whatever I throw at it. That said, I am not a hardcore gamer.

    I run Manjaro.

    • AlienC on 22/07/2018 - 14:03

      Very impressive I am in awe at your setup.

      What's FM?

      Any plans to upgrade gpu?

      How much ram / ram used at maximum usage?

      • o53djz7qTPY4der on 22/07/2018 - 16:17

        FM = football manager.

        I will only upgrade the GPU when I upgrade the machine. That'll be either when it dies OR in a couple of years.

        Ram: 12gb (2x2gb, 2x4gb)
        Ram@max: probably, 4-5gb.

        I run Manjaro Gnome, which is know to be a resource hog.. But I don't notice any slow downs.

        I also have a 120gb as boot.

        I run a server at home (an old i5 machine) so all my HDD are in there.

  • onevstheworld on 22/07/2018 - 17:57

    1)
    If you're just doing desktop based things on your 2nd screen, like web browsers or word docs, even an iGPU will be fine. You'll only need a better GPU if you plan to game on more than 1 monitor. If your new screen is 1080p, any of your ports are fine. If you are getting 1440p, use the VGA or DVI for your current monitor and the HDMI for the 1440p one

    2) & 3)
    Your AOC is lower end. It's a 60hz TN panel. For gaming, 144hz is better for fast paced games, e.g. FPS. Also a G-sync capable screen (or Freesync for AMD GPUs) would reduce stutter, although those are pretty expensive. For professional media creation, an IPS panel has better colour reproduction and wider viewing angle. Then there are other features that may or may not be useful to you… low-blue light mode to reduce eye fatigue, HDR for better dynamic range, curved screen for better game/movie immersion.

    4)
    Are you doing those things professionally? If so, you'll want something much more powerful… 8 core/ 16 thread or more CPU, 1080Ti or Titan, as much RAM as you can afford, a robust backup solution, and in the case of streaming; a separate PC to use as your transcoding rig so your main rig can run the game smoothly. If it's more of a hobby, don't bother… your new PC will be fine.

    5)
    If you can afford it, consider an ultra-wide screen. Either 2560x1080 or 3440x1440… I got the latter and have been loving the extra screen space for both games and work. The 1080Ti is perfect for 3440x1440 (that's what I use)… I think it's a bit of a waste if use a 1080Ti for just dual 1080p… a 1070 or 1080 is more than enough for that resolution.
    Another addition to my own PC that I could never give up is a gaming keypad (Razer Orbweaver in my case)… standard keyboard feels really unnatural for games now.
    Finally, get a comfy chair… replacing my cheapo plastic Ikea chair made more difference than all the other upgrades I've ever put into my PC.

    Your other points)
    If you're streaming, you can keep your old PC as your transcoding PC. You can cannibalize some of it's RAM and the SSD to your new rig… it's main goal is to take the transcoding responsibility off your gaming rig, so it doesn't need to be a beast.
    DVD drives are dying if not already dead, so don't stress out on it. You can always add a USB one later.

    • AlienC on 23/07/2018 - 09:21

      Ok so the monitor is bare bones but still just what I need for a basic gaming computer.

      Yeah it will only be a hobby definitely not professional now or yet just want to dip my toes in it will mostly just be gaming.

      The ultrawide is an interesting proposition honestly I forgot about that and it may actually work better for me than a dual monitor setup will have to consider that. Just don't want too much black space as it may be distracting or feel like the monitor is not doing anything I.e wasting space wit the extra side real estate.

      I need to do some proper research now on gaming keyboards and mices preferably with rgb wavy lighting and cool effects and stuff.

      Have heard a lot about the razer chromas and some other razer keyboards but that's about it.

      Still haven't decided even on mechanical versus normal or membrane etc.. Still no keyboard yet so honestly the first great recommendation for the right budget will probably be it.. Don't want to spend more than $100 for a keyboard and no more than $50 for a mice unless it is worth it atm.

      Starting small low end low budget I guess so I can experience and compare between the different stuff later and no more about what some people are talking about.

      Going to go calling for $4 basic mices today from eb games and maybe do the gumtree search for a keyboard also but honestly am lost when it comes to rgb macro gaming keyboards.

      Need to find another new forum for that I think.

      • onevstheworld on 23/07/2018 - 22:24

        Ultrawides:
        Movies will have black bars if you watch in fullscreen… I usually just have a big movie window open at one end of the screen and a browser window in the remaining space. Also a lot of older games are not optimized for ultrawide…. often the picture is stretched, but altering the FOV or mods (I had to do this with Skyrim) sorts it out. Modern games are fine. That said, I'm loving the extra screen space for both work and games.

        Keyboards:
        Don't worry about RGB… those flashy patterns will get on your nerves after a while. Membrane keyboards are cheap as chips and will have all the bells and whistles you want for $100. You can get a new mech keyboard for under $100 nowadays, but not one with macro keys, and may not have RGB. More important is which switch type you prefer… my main keyboard is Cherry Browns (non-clicky, tactile) and my gaming keypad is Cherry Blue (clicky, tactile). Even the non-clicky one is fairly loud… if that bothers you, you need a non-clicky, non-tactile keyboard (e.g. Cherry Red or Black switch), or one of the newer hybrid switches.

        Mouse:
        Get an optical one. Laser mice tend to have acceleration, which throws off accuracy. You don't need the 1000000000000000 dpi anyway.

        Just google… there are plenty of sites and youtube channels that go through all your choices (I'd recommend Linus Tech Tips and Paul's Hardware as places to start)

        • AlienC on 24/07/2018 - 06:02

          Awesome sounds good. Yeah on the fence for ultrawides. Have a sizeable steam collection and even if one of those games don't play nicely its an instant turn off for me.

          Plus the price premium doesn't seem justified honestly just going for gumtree super cheap or very refurbished ozbargain deals.. miracle deals are unicorns and honestly never seen one for an ultrawide in my preferred budget range sub $200.

          Have no clue with keyboards been using standard ones all my life. I did get to play with a heavily macrod and featured one was Logitech I believe even had the screen pretty cool and handy imho but unnecessary I can live without it.

          I have seen razer chromas or some variant rather and the hypnotic colour effect was nice.. honestly might be the best thing about my setup so will have to choose it wisely.. I have some cheap fantech x4/x5 mices coming from a guy in my area kinda.. has some form of rgb will see how it goes in person but honestly was the cheapest available besides ordering from aliexpress which is probably where he got them and would only save $10-15 AUD but need them now asap. Worst case scenario I just sell them if the quality is really cheap.

          Will have to do the YouTube rounds again for this category and see what tickles my fancy.

          My room needs some sprucing as it is quite depressing so if I can get some old vintage looking or classy premium brown oak wood and some flashing disco rave lights it might make my place a bit more exciting haha.

          Everything atm is a sad ugly stained looking yellow..honestly looks really bad like I am trapped hostage in the 70s. Repainting isn't an option so fancy lights it is.

          Sorry for the long replies but I highly appreciate yours.

  • AlienC on 01/08/2018 - 20:10
    Merged from 23 to 28 inch IPS Monitor

    Using a mid 2013 23.6 inch TN panel atm very low latency probably sub 5ms for sure. Everything is ok but the picture looks faded and viewing angles is bad and not so bright.

    Gaming wise no problems but the other stuff make it feel like I am looking at regret especially if I sit back and play on my rocking chair recliner which sits a bit lower than my desk and monitor so tiny viewing angles problems.

    Looking for any 22 to 28 inch IPS monitor with great peak brightness or nits and ok for gaming but honestly don't mind if it has a bit of lag as price is main concern.

    Bonus points if it has speakers (the HP Compaq 8200 inbuilt speakers are horrible and headsets start cutting into my skull after even a little bit of usage which is making me think I should get a cheap standalone mic instead of a headset Ah well too late now)

    Mainly looking for good brand / model recommendations so I can pick out solid ones on ebay and Gumtree but if you know of any outstanding cheap deals now or the equivalent acer predator helios of IPS monitors let me know.

    1080p for now as I know 1440p will add a considerable price increase on the total cost.

    • Godric on 01/08/2018 - 20:24

      You already created a post requesting suggestions no?
      Cheap Monitor Recommendations..

      • AlienC on 01/08/2018 - 22:07

        I didn't specify ips I believe

    • iforgotmysocks on 01/08/2018 - 21:21

      What's your budget champ

      • AlienC on 01/08/2018 - 22:10

        Don't really have a budget but trying not to pay more than 200. As a reference my current monitor which is a 23.6 inch 1080p 60hz TN panel was 60 bucks delivered. So a 100 dollar ips second hand seems reasonable but basically aiming for the cheapest brightest semi clear ips 22 to 28 inch monitor new used whatever but working probably gonna get one from Gumtree but recommend the cheapest and maybe next step up and tell me why it is worth that much more etc.

        Will be using this TN one for now until a good price comes up.

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