[PCM2]

Hi alizbazar (Albert), Happy New Year and welcome!

If you’re concerned about pixel density and found your 24″ 1920 x 1200 model to be something of a sweet spot, then I think you’d feel right at home with a 32″ 2560 x 1440 model. There is actually a very recent thread with somebody in exactly the same position – https://forum.pcmonitors.info/topic/upgrade-from-24-1920-x-1200-to-27-2560-x-1440-monitor/. He was initially considering going for a 27″ 2560 x 1440 model, but instead decided that he’d like to keep the pixel density very similar to his current 24″ 1920 x 1200 model. There are no downsides to models like the BL3200PT for eyestrain over the Dell models, they’re excellent for viewing comfort.

[alizbazar]

Thanks, PCM, for the quick response! The thread that you mentioned was quite helpful.

BenQ also released a few new 32″ WHQD models, such as EW3270ZL and PD3200Q. Do you see any reason to wait for their release?

[PCM2]

I don’t think they will offer any revolutionary changes over existing models, so probably not.

[lapis]

Hello,
What type of monitors are currently the best to avoid eye strain? I need to choose two monitors (in dual screen setup) for my office and I am limited to 222 € per monitor to get it approved.

I work as IT professional so I have to stare at the monitor 8 hours per day, mostly displaying text.

Some time ago, I had Benq BT2411PT and despite the fact it was flicker free, I was disappointed by eye strain it caused and for me it was worse than older 22″ TN monitors. I am not sure if the problem was in IPS matrix or something else. Currently I am testing Dell P2417H second day and I feel some eye strain too.
I also wear glasses for slight farsightedness and astigmatism, but I wear them only for working with PC, which may also contribute to the eye strain.

I am thinking about these options that would fit into the budget:
24″ 16:10 – LG 24MB67PY (IPS flicker free, mostly because of 16:10 ratio)
24″ 16:9 – iiyama ProLite XB2483HSU-B2 (AMVA+, should be flicker-free) or BenQ BL2420Z (AMVA+ and flicker free)
27″ 16:9 – BenQ BL2700HT (AMVA+) or LG 27MB67PY (IPS)

I am particularly interested in 2 points:
– Does 27″ 1920×1080 monitor make significantly less eye strain than 24″ monitor with the same resolution? 27″ may be a bit too big for my office desk in dual monitor setup, but I can try that if it should be significantly better.
– Is AMVA+ significantly better than IPS from eye strain perspective? AMVA+ has much higher contrast and doesn’t use 6bit colors with FRC, so potentially it should be better, but I am not sure how important it is in reality… Unfortunately I don’t see any 16:10 VA flicker-free monitor that would fit into my budget (I am moreless limited to one supplier only).

[PCM2]

Hi lapis,

As this thread highlights there are many factors which affect viewing comfort and many different opinions and views on what would be best.

The fact you’ve used the BL2411PT and found it bothersome to your eyes despite it being flicker-free could have been for a number of reasons. Same for the Dell P2417H. What sort of brightness settings were you using and did you ever try the ‘Reader’ mode on the BenQ or ‘ComfortView’ feature of the Dell?

To address your questions:

– The level of eye strain based on pixel density depends entirely on your own eyesight and the viewing distance. As you say you wear glasses for farsightedness (hyperopia/hypermetropia) and also have an astigmatism this could be a factor and you may find 27″ 1920 x 1080 more comfortable.

– AMVA+ or VA in general is not usually considered more comfortable than IPS-type screens. It is nice to have relatively inky-looking text, but technically high contrast can be counter-productive for viewing comfort as the eye spends more time adjusting to changing light levels. It’s the premise of Samsung’s ‘EyeSaver’ mode which purposesfully knocks down contrast and it seems some other manufacturers are looking to implement similar ‘features’. There are many factors, though, and some users do find ‘IPS glow’ visually bothersome and for whatever reason find the image on VAs more visually pleasing and comfortable. So VA models may well be worth trying, especially over other IPS models which will likely be very similar to what you’ve already tested and had issues with.

Are there any monitors you’ve used recently (or screens, including laptops) which you found comfortable?

[lapis]

Thank you for your reply. I didn’t use Reader mode on the BenQ, but I tried ComfortView now on the Dell and it doesn’t seem to be significantly better.
But I noticed some level of improvement when switching from default Dell preset to warm colors, reducing brightness to 20% (while I still have contrast set to 75%, maybe I should try reducing that too) and increasing display Sharpness from 50 to 90 in Dell’s OSD.

I feel like my eyes have often difficulties to focus on the text and stay somehow unfocused after a while, just staring in the direction of the monitor without proper focus and without much of blinking, so that I get headache and dry eyes after some time. It could be also result of my glasses or farsightedness with astigmatism…

So I am thinking whether 27″ monitor (with bigger pixels) or 24″ VA panel (with different pixel matrix, higher text contrast and 8 bit colors without FRC) can be better. However I don’t have possibility to test them before ordering, as people in the office generally have 24″ IPS screens (and some have 32″ with high resolution)

I think I found 22″ TN monitor with 1680×1050 resolution more comfortable to my eyes and the text looked somehow sharper. I had 19″ 1280×1024 monitor with MVA screen and CCFL some years back and I think it was fine. Just a few years ago, I bought 23″ MVA 1080p monitor from Benq at home, but I returned it (mostly due to motion blur, I don’t remember how was it from the eye strain perspective) and bought 23″ IPS from HP instead, but I usually don’t use it for prolonged period of time like in the office, so it is moreless fine…hard to compare it 🙂

[PCM2]

Why not kill two birds with one stone and try a 27″ VA model? The BL2700HT on your list, for example?

[Sebarpe]

Hi, in 16:10 and 24 inch format, which do you recommend for Easiest monitor on eyes for daily usage?

I’ve been reading about the Eizo EV2455 and the NEC EA245WMi. Both look like very good options.
Or better some other like the Dell U2415, HP, Benq, etc. ???

Thanks a lot!!!!!

[PCM2]

A lot of this depends on pricing, because in my view the U2415 is an excellent monitor that provides everything you need for a comfortable viewing experience. It’s as good or better than any 24″ 16:10 model out there, in my view. It has a good luminance adjustment range, flicker-free backlight, well calibrated IPS panel and a Low Blue Light setting (‘Paper’ mode). No reason to pay more for something from NEC and EIZO.

[lapis]

PCM2: Yes, I am thinking about getting BL2700HT as primary monitor, and some IPS 24″ (like LG 24MB67PY or DELL P2417H) as secondary (IPS may be better for looking from angle).

However I have suspicion that the problems can be caused also by anti-glare filter, as my HP 23xi at home is relatively better (even when it has PWM) and I have hazy feeling that GW2450HM, which I tried before that (3 years ago), was worse…but it was mainly due to motion blur and ghosting (even scrolling a black text made significant yellow or blue ghosts – depending on AMA/overdrive setting) that I returned it. I am a bit worried if BL2700HT won’t have that too. Also colors were quite more washed-out than on IPS…

[PCM2]

The screen surface isn’t particularly light on the HP 23xi, not compared to various models you found uncomfortable. And the 22″ TN model you used to use is presumably similar. The BL2700HT does have a lighter screen surface than all of those, incidentally, regardless of if it is a factor in your case.

[lapis]

OK, so I found out that BL2700HT exceeds the budget limit (by just 10%), so I have to choose something cheaper.
So if I want to try 27″ VA monitor, I can order one of those without pivot or adjustable height and go down with ergonomy:
BenQ EW2775ZH
BenQ EW2750ZL (what is difference between this and the previous one, except design?)
BenQ GW2760HS (it seems like quite old model already)

Eventually there are some IPS monitors also without pivot/adjustable height:
Dell S2715H
Dell SE2717H
Philips 276E7QDAB
AOC i2781fh
LG 27MP58VQ

Or I can just forget about having primary monitor 27″ and 24″ as secondary, and just get two 24″ 16:9 monitors:
iiyama ProLite XB2483HSU-B2 as one to try VA panel as primary and Dell P2417H or ASUS BE249QLB (which of those 2 has lighter surface/antiglare filter?) as secondary

Alternatively, I could try also ordering two 24″ BL2420PT with 2560 x 1440 resolution – how does such high resolution work with sensitivity to eyes?

[PCM2]

The GW2760HS may be ‘an old model’, but the panel used has actually been updated to something very similar to the EW2750ZL, according to my BenQ contacts. Another advantage is that it has VESA holes, so you can attach it to a fully adjustable stand. Given the relatively low price (in most regions), you could invest some of the savings in a nice stand. The EW2775ZH I have no experience with, but I imagine core performance will be similar to the others just with the extra features noted in the news piece.

Higher pixel density doesn’t really affect viewing comfort unless you struggle to read things on it. So that’s a very individual thing. I’m currently using a model with exactly the same pixel density as the BL2420PT and find it very comfortable, but my eyesight is also very good.

[lapis]

Hmm, I see…Unfortunatelly that won’t help me much with the decision, whether to take 27″ 1080p VA monitor, regular 24″ or 2k 24″ 🙁 It is difficult to judge if higher or lower pixel density would suit me better without testing it..

Which of the monitors currently have the lightest / smoothest antiglare filter, which doesn’t blur text? I was trying to find some information on google, but I found just multiple references from year 2011 about VA panels being better for text than IPS due to IPS have too grainy coating (and crystaline white color), but I think LG made coating on IPS panels smoother since those times. Especeially DELL and LG monitors were said to have very grainy coating. Then on other side, some people mentioned VA panels have the worse subpixel structure making the text more blurry.

Regarding to Benq VAs, I don’t think I could order extra stand for the monitor, so saving money on monitor selection won’t help me much. Unless I can use stand from some old broken Dell monitor for Benq 🙂 Perhaps EW2775ZH could offer something useful over GW2760HS, just because it si newer model, but hard to guess 🙂 I can as well put some books under its stand to make it higher (I am relatively tall). BTW, do you know what is the difference between older panel used in original GW2760HS and new AMVA+ panel in new models?

[PCM2]

To help you out, Full HD VA panels generally have lighter screen surfaces and smoother surface textures than Full HD IPS panels. For higher resolution IPS models there is a lot of variation and for the 23.8″ models the screen surface tends to be a bit grainy (refer to this review). The EW2775ZH has a light matte surface with smooth surface, similar to the EW2750ZL and others as we’ve reviewed.

[skypdx]

Hi there,

Really appreciate the great info on this forum. I use a 15″ late 2013 macbook pro with retina for work and I just bought my first external monitor to go with it, a Samsung 27″ WQHD LED Monitor (S27D850T) and I pretty much hate it. Images look great but text is quite blurry (at least by my standards), unless i use the “pinch/zoom” resize to make everything very large. This helps with text clarity but sort of defeats the purpose of having the additional screen real estate. Looking at the monitor is also just uncomfortable on my eyes, even after tweaking all many settings like brightness, contrast, color management, turning off custom upscale, connecting via displayport vs HDMI, etc.

So…i am planning to return the Samsung but need advice on a replacement. I would be open to a 24, 25, or 27 inch and i “assumed” i should go for 2560 x 1440 since that is the max my laptop can do at 60 HZ (thru mini displayport to displayport). BUT i would be open to a lower resolution if that would help with readability of text and general comfort? Should i just stick with any monitor tgat are fkicker-free or should i target a specific model or display type?

My main criteria are clarity of text and being easy on the eyes for long hours of work (email, web pages, pdf docs, office programs, etc). I currently run Windows 7 via parallels and use both MAC OS and Windows all day. I would also like a stylish, thin monitor so it looks good in the office. One with a very small bezel ideally. Budget is not a huge constraint…I’m just used to reading nice clear text on my laptop’s native display and want to get a monitor that can do the same.

Thanks in advance for any help and suggestions you can provide!

[PCM2]

Sorry for the delay in moderating this, it got stuck in the system.

I am not convinced that the monitor is set up correctly or is receiving the right signal. A 27″ 2560 x 1440 model with light matte screen surface, like the Samsung, certainly shouldn’t look ‘blurry’. Although you’re comparing it to a monitor with much higher pixel density plus a glossy screen surface. It could well be that you need to chase a monitor with superior pixel density (and decent screen surface). Going for a Full HD option is entirely counter-intuitive in that case.

The vast majority of monitors are flicker-free and no list can cover them all. What is your budget for the monitor?

[skypdx]

Hi,

I’m pretty sure the Samsung is connected correctly because most graphics and high resolution photos look great. They are very comparable to the macbook pro. It’s only the TEXT that looks blurry/fuzzy. And since i mainly do office work all day, having clear, sharp text is critical for me. As i said i can ‘pinch to zoom’ in web pages, email, etc. to make the text sharper, but then it’s way too large.

From my reading it seems lack of TEXT clarity is a common complaint for macbook users switching to an external monitor. My main replacement candidate right now is the Dell UltraSharp U2717D, but i am concerned by this comment in one of the reviews on Amazon:

3.0 out of 5 starsPicture is good, text clarity not so much
ByAmazonPrime Customeron December 16, 2016
Verified Purchase

I’m coming from retina screens, and I read a lot of good things about this monitor so I thought it’s going to be at least acceptable for someone who is used to retina quality sharpness of text but man this was a big disappointment.

My budget would be around ~$600 if i keep my current notebook. But at this point i’m also considering trading it in and buying a new new macbook pro + the 5K LG display that apple is selling. That would be quite expensive but since my current macbook is not capable of driving a 4K monitor at 60 HZ, I am willing if that’s the only way I can use an external monitor while keeping the same text quality i have gotten used to with the retina screen.

Thanks again for your help and any advice.

[PCM2]

It definitely sounds like an issue with pixel density primarily. It is where slight imperfections in clarity become most noticeable, especially when comparing to or used to other displays with higher pixel density. The U2717D is very similar to the S27D850T as it has an identical pixel density and a similar PLS panel. Given your budget I would suggest the Dell P2715Q featured in the recommendations section instead.

Edit: Sorry, you said 2560 x 1440 is the maximum your laptop would support at 60Hz… Hmm.. In that case the Dell U2515H would be worth considering. It has a slightly higher pixel density and nice smooth and light screen surface, so it might just do the trick.

[skypdx]

Thanks – that sounds like a good suggestion as the 25″ might be the sweet spot. I think i will give it a try! Quick question tho…the link on your website goes to the U2515H and the other the U2515Hx.

This other link (newer version) has a slightly higher price and different shipping date. The model numbers are the same except this one has an ” after it X” (U2515Hx), so i should order using the “newer version” link correct?

Thanks again!

[Author]

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