[EyeStrain Burning]

Hello pcm2, sorry but :/ pls i need information about asus VX238H if can reduce eyestrain (+ if good monitor or not)

ASUS VX238H:
Brightness(Max) : 250 cd/㎡
Display Colors : 16.7M
Response Time : 1ms (Gray to Gray)
Flicker free
Low Blue Light : Yes
…
thanks for th reply&help.

[PCM2]

See my previous reply. The same applies here, with this being a model I have no personal experience with. Although I would add that it does have a flicker-free backlight and some easily accessible ‘Low Blue Light’ settings, so it certainly has potential to be a comfortable monitor to use.

[EyeStrain Burning]

ok ! thx (y)

[jeffc]

Hi there Adam,

Firstly thanks very much for providing all this technical, detailed, and most of all, impartial information on your site all for free. I appreciate your integrity and not showing a bias to certain manufactures.

I am posting in this thread, rather than creating a new one, because my query relates to eye strain and general eye health. I’m looking for the best quality display of text (Word, Web, PDFs etc.) with least eye strain. Not necessarily the sharpest but the smoothest and better quality text. I’m also on a tight budget right now so don’t have the luxury of buying the best for purpose monitor.

Please could you tell me the difference between the
BenQ GL2450HM and the BenQ GL2460HM? I looked at the specifications on the BenQ website and couldn’t notice any differences except for the bezel size, reduced weight and 1 speaker on the 60HM.

Is the difference between the two monitors coating/finish significant? I read that the GL2450HM has a slight anti-glare finish and the GL2460HM has a more matte finish. Does this matter with regards to text legibility?

I read elsewhere from a non-official source that the GL2460HM has an LED backlight and the 50HM does not? Is this true, does it matter for text display? I saw from one your of comments you were not too impressed by the reading mode of the 60HM. From your information provided obviously I’ll try and purchase the later revisions including flicker free.

Of the two, seeing as they are virtually the same price on Amazon right now, please could you tell me which would you recommend for high quality text reading with minimal eye strain and why?

Thanks very much,

Jeff

[PCM2]

Hi Jeff – welcome and thanks for the kind words!

I haven’t actually used the GL TN models myself, just the GW series VA models. I am quite sure they will work well enough for your uses and are of course affordable which is what you need. Given this I can’t really give any sort of technical comparison. The ‘versus’ source you cite has erroneous data regarding the backlight and also some other aspects such as response time. They are both essentially very similar, now featuring flicker-free LED backlights.

The GW2460HL just brings some thinner bezels to the table, is slightly thinner and has the addition of a headphone jack and line-in. The speakers have been ‘downsized’ to fit the more slender chassis but speakers on either model are likely quite mediocre really. The screen surface is medium matte anti-glare as far as I can tell, I’d be very surprised if they were different from my experience with TN panels. I’ve never actually seen a Full HD TN panel with anything other than a medium matte or highly glossy screen surface.

[jeffc]

Thanks for the welcome and very speedy reply PCM2.

I think I have just confused myself further :-/
I thought the BenQ GL and GW both had VA panels? On the BenQ website the GW2460HM and GL2460HM are both listed with VA panels and identical spec. I didn’t realise a difference between the GL and GW ranges

This is getting quite overwhelming for a simpleton like me. Could I perhaps ask you instead, what you would be your top 24″ monitor of choice (for less than £150, and I’m guessing VA panels only?) just for optimum text writing and display (no games, movies, 3D etc.) with minimal eye strain?

[PCM2]

I’m not surprised you’re confused. I blame BenQ for using such similar model designations for very different monitors. The GL range are definitely TN and should be listed as such by BenQ (here for example).

For your uses I would definitely consider the BenQ EW2440L. It’s comfortably within your budget and produces good inky-looking text. I recently recommended it to somebody for text-based work (and also watching some animated films) and she loves it for both. The ‘Low Blue Light’ settings are also very relaxing on the eyes, especially useful for the evening I find.

[jeffc]

Lol. Thanks once again for replying so quickly PCM2 and help clearing the confusion regarding panels. Sorry for multiple posts and bothering you. It’s too confusing in the range from just one manufacturer (BenQ) with so many near identical models which are not differentiated clearly to the end user, never mind choosing from different brands. That’s another reason why your website and expert advice is valuable.

Ok, so the BenQ EW2440L is my top choice right now, thank you :-). I wanted to ask if there would be any problem (loss of quality) with using a HDMI to DVI convertor cable? As I am running an old computer with a GeForce FX 5500 graphics card so I don’t have any HDMI ports and the EW2440L model does not have a DVI port (but it has VGA, come on)?

If the BenQ EW2440L would be absolutely fine with using a DVI-to-HDMI convertor cable then I am happy with choosing this recommendation. However, if not I was thinking to spend a bit more and once, and buy the right choice rather than problems later. Say if we have the following criteria:

Budget: £200
Size: 22”-24”
Intended use: Just text entry and display (books, Word, Web, Excel, PDFs etc.). No games, movies/videos, or 3D work.
Panel: VA (I have read from your website that these are the best choice for text, please correct me if I’m wrong)
Coating: Semi-Gloss or Matte? I am not sure which is better for text. So whichever you recommend.
Minimal eye strain
Beautiful smooth inky text (close as possible to an e-reader like the Kindle)
Reliable and long lasting.

What would be your top choice/recommendation for me?

Sorry if I’m taking the mick with all of this. I’d really appreciate your response and will go through your link to Amazon. Thank you.

p.s. Aside from Patreon do you have any other way to donate? I can’t commit to a monthly, but I’d be happy to show my gratitude with a small one time sum.

[PCM2]

It’s really no bother! These forums wouldn’t be a very helpful place for people to learn if questions weren’t asked! 😉

HDMI to DVI (or vice-versa) is a straightforward passive connection. So there is no issue or loss of image quality when doing this. Not something to worry about.

The screen surface is a tricky one. The choice of 24″ VA panels is very limited as it is and if you are also looking for a ‘semi-glossy’ (very light matte, essentially) surface then your options would be severely limited. The Iiyama Prolite XB2483HSU would be the one to consider if you were really keen on ‘semi-glossy’. But the quality control is a bit questionable, so it could be a bit of a gamble. It’s a very good monitor if you do get a good unit and shouldn’t give you any eyestrain issues. And Amazon’s returns policy shouldn’t make it at all painful if you’re not satisfied with the unit you get.

I wouldn’t consider the regular matte surface used on the EW2440L bad for text work really. It isn’t overly grainy, not enough to inhibit viewing comfort in my view. I would consider ‘semi-glossy’ preferable, all else being equal, but it’s up to you whether you’d want to take your chances with the Iiyama.

And going through our Amazon links (doesn’t have to be to the specific monitor you end up buying) is a great way to support the website. Don’t worry about donations and stuff.

[jeffc]

Fantastic. Thanks a lot 🙂

I just ordered the BenQ EW2440L. I thought it was the safer choice. After all, we can’t have it all. BenQ or anybody else aren’t going to make a special monitor model just for me lol

I’ll report back after receiving it and trying it for a while. Thanks again

[drtim]

Hi. I am a researcher that spends a good amount of time at a standing workstation. I am presently using the HP w2338h monitor, but am looking to upgrade to a triple monitor setup. More than 90% of the time that I spend at the computer is reading, writing, and researching. I know of others that use the triple monitor setup and they think it is great for productivity, which would be one of my reasons to make the upgrade. My eyes will sometimes fatigue on me from many hours looking at the monitor. So my top reasons for making the upgrade to a triple monitor are for eye health and productivity.

I have noted that PCM2 has advised the BenQ EW2440L in a previous post; however, at BenQ’s site it has been discontinued. Does that matter? Did BenQ upgrade to another monitor to replace that one? I was either thinking of going with a triple monitor 24″ or triple monitor 27″. Any advice? Your feedback is appreciated. Thanks.

[PCM2]

Hi drtim and welcome!

BenQ have a few newer models in the pipeline such as the BL2420Z and GW2470H. It isn’t confirmed when or if these will be coming to Europe, but I don’t expect to see that happen until Q4 at the earliest. For your uses the EW2440L should provide a good experience and is good value for a triple-monitor setup.

[drtim]

Hi PCM2.

Thanks for your feedback and your very informative website.

You wrote XL2420Z above but linked to the BL2420Z. Did you mean to link to the BL2420Z?

I really like the BL2420Z and will probably wait for Q4 2015 or even Q1 2016 to see if it comes to Europe. All these different model numbers are confusing to say the least. I found thr BenQ Business Elite webpage, with reference to the BL2410PT. The BL2410PT can be bought from the benq.eu website, but not the BL2420Z. Although the BL2420Z is listed at the BenQ EU site – http://benq.eu/product/monitor/bl2420z/ which is a good sign that it will come to the EU at some point.

The BL2420U also looks good and has DisplayPort and USB3 – https://pcmonitors.info/benq/benq-bl2420u-uhd-model/. I want to go with a 3 DP connection for my triple monitor, thus having the DP feature is important to me. What are your thoughts on the BL2420U?

The Bl2420Z has DP and USB2 – https://pcmonitors.info/benq/benq-bl2420z-with-23-8-full-hd-va-panel/.

Do you think it is overkill to look into a triple monitor setup using 27″ monitors? What would be your top 27″ choice?

Further, do the monitors in question, also work well for watching video?

Thank you so much for your very valuable feedback.

[PCM2]

Yes, I did of course mean BL2420Z. See, these model numbers even confuse me sometimes! 😉

It being listed on BenQ Europe is indeed a promising sign and I think they would be foolish not to launch it in Europe. The BL2420U is a very capable monitor I’m sure and would give you a huge amount of real-estate, but for eye comfort it’s hardly very practical unless you employ scaling. It will be similar to the Dell P2415Q in that respect (see also this article on the ‘4K experience’).

I don’t think 27″ models would be overkill at all, it would just depend on your desk space and budget. And you could go for 3 WQHD (2560 x 1440) models such as the BenQ BL2710PT (just to stick with BenQ here for some reason) which most users will find fine to use without scaling on that size of screen. I personally find 25″ models with the WQHD resolution absolutely fine without scaling, so that would free up a bit of desk space and cost a bit less. Models like the Dell U2515H and AOC Q2577PWQ would be good examples.

Given my experience with comparable models I would say they work well for watching videos, yes. Although the VA panel type is strongest in that area I feel (so the upcoming BL2420Z for example) due to the strong contrast performance.

[drtim]

None of these 4 monitors (Dell P2415Q, BenQ BL2710PT, Dell U2515H, and AOC Q2577PWQ) are VA. Is there such a thing as a VA 25″ or 27″ monitor?

If I understand your last sentence correctly, are you saying that VA panels are strongest in the area of reading/text/research and typically not as strong in the area of watching videos, but with the BL2420Z things may change towards having a VA monitor for the first time that performs well for both reading and watching videos? Is it accurate to say that VA monitors in general have good contrast and that is why you have recommended it for my purposes of research and reading?

Thank you very much PCM2.

[PCM2]

In the area of movie watching VA are strongest due to contrast, I wasn’t suggesting ‘IPS’ would be better for this. When it comes to text and other such work IPS-types can be just as good, although some still prefer the deep and ‘inky’ look to text that VA can provide.

The models listed are alternatives to consider due to their higher resolution and better resulting ‘real-estate’. As unfortunatley VA models are limited to 1920 x 1080 at those sizes.

[drtim]

Sorry PCM2. I think I misunderstood. So VA is best for movie watching due to their high contrast, but is limited to 24″ screens or 1920 x 1080. I thought the high contrast is what made them beneficial for text and reading. I am certainly not a monitor expert like you are. Anyway, I am going to decide between BenQ BL2710PT and BenQ BL2420Z. They both seem like winners to me. Again, a big thank you.

[drtim]

The BenQ BL2420Z has DisplayPort 1.2, whereas the BenQ BL2710PT has only DP. Does that make any difference? My video card supports 3 DP 1.2 connectors.

The BL2420Z is very new, and will hopefully be launched in Europe soon. I think the BL2710PT is an older model that perhaps launched before there was DP 1.2. Do you know if there is a 27″ BL model that will soon be launched?

My video card (single 980Ti) has G-Sync and Surround functions. Does it truly matter if I don’t use a monitor that is G-Sync ready?

Thanks PCM2.

[PCM2]

You’re correct, DP 1.2 simply wasn’t widespread when the BL2710PT was released. There is no advantage whatsoever in using it on these monitors though, it supports higher bandwidth than DP 1.1(a) but that isn’t required on these models.

I’m not aware of any upcoming 27″ ‘BL’ models that are comparable to this. They’ve just released the BL2711U, but that is a ‘4K UHD’ model.

[EyeStrain Burning]

Hi PCM2.
i just want to ask again about a monitor if can fix my problem (eye strain)

BenQ XL2411Z

Good choice?

thx4reply
🙂

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