Which monitor?

[genetic]

I'm torn between two choices;

The Ultra-wide Philips 34" 346B1C (3440x1440) @ 100Hz

Philips 346B1C/00 34" UWQHD (3440x1440) 100Hz 4ms VA Curved USB Type-C Gaming Desktop Monitor - Wootware

Buy Philips 346B1C/00 34" UWQHD (3440x1440) 100Hz 4ms VA Curved USB Type-C Gaming Desktop Monitor at Wootware with fast shipping & superb service.

www.wootware.co.za

Or...

The Dell 32" S3220DGF 2560x1440 HDR400 @ 165Hz

Dell S3220DGF 32" WQHD (2560x1440) 165Hz 4ms VA FreeSync 2 Curved Gaming Desktop Monitor - Wootware

Buy Dell S3220DGF 32" WQHD (2560x1440) 165Hz 4ms VA FreeSync 2 Curved Gaming Desktop Monitor at Wootware with fast shipping & superb service.

www.wootware.co.za

I really wanted an ultra-wide to replace my 2 x 27" FHD displays, but really keen on the HDR and high refresh rate features of the Dell.

Am I really losing out width-wise from 34" to 32"?

 

[Dimpie (COMPUTEK)]

None of those for me ... Im not a fan of curved monitors

 

[Pineapple Smurf]

I'm half blind so size matters
1080P is more than enough, so is 60Hz.
I spend an hr or 2 a week gaming

 

[rh1]

At a certain age, a heart rate monitor should be also considered

 

[genetic]

After a lot of reading, I ended up going for the Dell 32". Better colour accuracy, HDR10 / HDR400 and response times.

 

[animal531]

I have the Dell, it's great. Not a lot of things support HDR, but the few games that do look really awesome.
The refresh rate is also really nifty.

 

[genetic]

I have the Dell, it's great. Not a lot of things support HDR, but the few games that do look really awesome.
The refresh rate is also really nifty.

Recently upgraded to a RTX 3080, so want to push that 165Hz refresh rate!

 

[animal531]

Recently upgraded to a RTX 3080, so want to push that 165Hz refresh rate!

Ah that's sweet, I'm still rocking a 1070 so I usually don't get much more than 90-120, depending on the title. But once availability becomes better I'll look into getting a 3060 or 70.

 

[HavocXphere]

If gaming - 32 cause of freesync. If not the 34 cause pixels

 

[SirFooK'nG]

27" for gaming is big enough, so go for the one with the best hertz. I'm using an Asus Tuff 165hz 27" and love it. To get decent fps rates out of 4K gaming you need a 3080 at least.

But from your options, the 32" Dell would be my choice.

 

[zolly]

After a lot of reading, I ended up going for the Dell 32". Better colour accuracy, HDR10 / HDR400 and response times.

I'm considering replacing my double 27" set up with a single 32". Have you done any dual window work related stuff on this screen? Constantly looking slightly left for my secondary monitor is literally a pain in the neck.

 

[genetic]

I'm considering replacing my double 27" set up with a single 32". Have you done any dual window work related stuff on this screen? Constantly looking slightly left for my secondary monitor is literally a pain in the neck.

The monitor is fantastic! Works great in dual window mode. I usually have YouTube on the right, and another window on the left. I also got sick of a dual monitor setup. 32" is a perfect size for me.

Being a VA panel, viewing angles are not great, but if you sit in front of the screen (as you should) it's not an issue at all. The contrast ratio and colours are rich. The black levels of this VA panel are almost inky black, which is really nice coming from IPS panels. rtings.com rated the colour accuracy as outstanding after a bit of tweaking, although it's already good out of the box;

Dell S3220DGF Review

The Dell S3220DGF is an impressive 1440p gaming monitor. It has a curved design and it doesn't take up much room, even with the support stand attached. Gaming fe...

www.rtings.com

Once you've seen 165Hz (even just moving your mouse pointer around in Windows) it's hard to go back to anything lower. Games are buttery smooth (provided you have the graphics grunt to drive it), and being G-Sync and Freesync compatible makes it even better.

Only tried one HDR game - Far Cry 5, and the highlights really pop. In HDR mode the monitor's peak brightness jumps from around 300cd/m² to over 460cd/m². That's pretty bright, especially in a dark room. You can't adjust the brightness in HDR mode - so it's only useful for HDR videos and games.



Dual window mode works well - more real estate than HD being QHD.

 

[animal531]

For HDR you should try Hellblade, Senua's Sacrifice. In the intro she walks from a dark area into a lit one that's so bright that I had to actually squint.

@zolly : I don't use dual window mode, but for dev in Visual Studio I've started using a 1/3 - 2/3 split window setup. I read code on the left panel, then mainly work on the right 2/3, which starts right in front of my eyes - it's great. Dual monitor is really crap on your neck. I still have a 2nd one, but I only rarely use it (for example when doing game dev and I want to see real time logs vs something in game)

 

[Barbarian Conan]

I'm considering replacing my double 27" set up with a single 32". Have you done any dual window work related stuff on this screen? Constantly looking slightly left for my secondary monitor is literally a pain in the neck.

Which resolution 27" monitors?

1440p is about 1.5 x 1080p, and imo not really a perfect swap.
If you don't want to use it for gaming, your eyes are good and you can the monitor reasonably close to your face (wrist distance for me), I suggest rather getting one of these:

LG 68 cm (27") UHD 4K HDR LED Monitor | Screen Size > 25" | Monitors | Monitors | Computers & Tablets | Electronics & Computers | Makro Online Site

www.makro.co.za

For dev work, 4K is absolutely amazing.