Who runs a large 4k computer monitor?

[CGT80]

Will I be happy with a 40" 4k computer monitor?


I was considering a 40" 4k unit to gain desktop space. I do a small amount of 2d CAD work on solid edge, office programs, firefox/internet, and watch youtube and similar web based video. I don't do design work, gaming, or video editing so my needs seem basic.

The 40" 4k was to add space to my desktop so I can see more when doing cad and have multiple browsers and windows open for office work. I need to keep text readable.

My current setup is:
Gigabyte brix usb 3.0, amd richland A8 1.7/2.7 GHz (this is not 4k)
22" monitor, hdmi to dvi cable, running at 1920x1080 in win 8.1 with size of all items at 150%

I have found a usb 3.0 to dp video card but it is only 30hz at 4k and I don't know if this processor will run it well. And I'm not sure if 30 vs. 60 hertz will matter for my use. The other option is to get a new mini pc which supports 4k 60hz.

Upgrading to windows 10 may be in my future if it will help with setting up a new monitor solution (eventually 8.1 will disappear anyway).

There are many mixed reviews on monitors and I haven't figured out if a 40" 4k tv would be as good for my uses (they seem popular and have lower prices than dedicated monitors). Gaming is no concern but watching video is and some people report problems with scrolling on firefox with certain monitors. Ghosting or blurring when scrolling would be a problem for me. Do you like the curved screens? Some people say they are much better even for office type work.

I did do a lot of reading (but it has been a while) on physical size vs. resolution to compare what size objects on the screen would be vs. the image quality and how it compared to what I had. Based on the numbers, it looks like 40" would be the minimum size I would want at 4k, otherwise objects will be too small.

Two cheap 1080 monitors would add desktop space, but they wouldn't do anything to help with working in CAD.

What do you guys run?

[Abu Riyah]

I have a 47" 4K VIZIO that I use on a forensic workstation running Win 10. I like it and the desktop real estate is unbeatable, but the truth is that the image quality is not as good as a "real" monitor. I have tweaked the settings on the TV and in my graphics card utility...it is acceptable and I work on it all day with no problem. For me, the big desktop outweighs the slight compromise in image quality. Also, I only paid like $375 for the VIZIO as a factory refurb. The largest "real" monitors seem to max out at like 34" and are $1K+. I haven't used the curved screen ones yet, but that will be my next move since I do notice issues with having such a large flat screen a couple of feet from my eyes. My advice is to go for it and maybe go with a curved screen, just don't expect full "real" monitor quality and you'll be happy.

[Turbinator]

A guy at work has one of the curved ones, probably in the 34" range, it's pretty nice. The real estate is amazing. Pretty high quality image, I'd say - as you'd expect from a dedicated monitor, vs a TV being used as a monitor.

Turby

[Exile Machine]

I originally went 4K by putting 4 de-bezeled 27" Samsung 1080p monitors on a custom rack.

Got tired of having the big "cross" in the middle of the screen so went to a Hisense 55" 4K LCD TV. Had to put it in game mode to get the screen image to look right with respect to fonts etc. Never could get the mouse to sync properly. It was always about a tenth of a second lagging behind the physical mouse movement. That monitor became the family TV.

Upgraded to a Dell 43" 4K monitor and works perfectly now. Great picture, mouse is 100% sync'd and no futzing around with multiple monitors on a stand. Only drawback to the dell is the audio quality Suxx. But I found a free graphic equalizer program and now the audio is passable. Sure is great to have lots of screen real estate.

-Mark

[naeco81]

I would strongly recommend you take a look at ultra wide screen displays like Turbinator suggests. They have similar width as 40"+ monitors without the vertical height, but they are designed for efficient work because your viewing distance can be normal for desktop computers.

4K is not really production workflow ready from the basis of the GPU hardware you'd need to properly drive it, especially when doing any rendering work. Also such larger screen sizes will produce eye strain unless you are sitting back 4-6 feet from the display. There's also additional cost and window resizing issues (google large display paradox).

You should take a look at how far back your monitor can be from where you sit. If it's around 4-5 feet, then probably 40"+ will be enjoyable. You may still prefer a 34" ultra widescreen display because you'll generally get a better quality panel in it, until 4K matures a bit.

My advice would be to go check them out in person and get as close as you would normally sit from the monitor. You'll be the best judge of what makes you happiest. If you're interested in a great 34" display, I can personally recommend the Predator X34 curved display. It is exceptional, but you should do some research as there may be newer models of this - I bought it when it first came out.

Good luck & post a picture of your battlestation once you get something!

[Bobby Ricigliano]

Coincidentally, I just set up an LG 34" wide screen monitor here about an hour ago. I migrated from a 27" 1080P monitor, to a 29" widescreen, and now to the 34"

Too early to make a substantial review, but out of the box it definitely pops!

[HKJay]

Just an FYI, the previous generation Intel Nuc (5i5) will run 4k@60hz out of the box. If you're running a Gigabyte brix right now, this would be a pretty comparable system. You can find the Intel Nucs on craigslist fairly frequently for around $300.

Hard to say whether you'll like a 4K monitor or not. With the resolution you're running now it'll be a massive difference. It's pretty much like you're running quad displays with your current monitor. I'd recommend finding a store with a good return policy and trying one out.

[NYT]

what are the CAD resolution and refresh requirements? does screen flicker bother you?

if its a lower end CAD, i dont see a problem buying a cheap 4k 40" tv. if blacks are important to you, i would shy away from it.

a friend of mine uses 4k tvs as monitors and he seems to like it but he is far from a power user. he mostly uses it for about the same reasons as yours above, minus the CAD.

i personally wouldnt go with a 4k tv simply because even the best 4k tvs arent as sharp with text as i want it to be and calibration with diff video cards is an issue. color reproduction is another issue.

instead of buying a 4k tv, i would recommend a dual display setup. i currently run dual 27" ips monitors at home and three 27" displays at work. refresh rate and flicker is an issue for me so i stick to displays that are over 100 hz.

[MrFeetZ]

Careful of the curved displays..... Some don't scale text properly and ends up looking fuzzy.. I had samsung S34E790C that had the issue and got rid of it for two deal 27" 4k.

I've the dells

[CGT80]

Coincidentally, I just set up an LG 34" wide screen monitor here about an hour ago. I migrated from a 27" 1080P monitor, to a 29" widescreen, and now to the 34"

Too early to make a substantial review, but out of the box it definitely pops!

I was debating on a 27" at 1920x1080.
On the 22" I have to run 150% to read text and it still isn't ideal. I'm borrowing a 24" at this resolution but it is a wide screen and I don't like it. Text is easier to read with it being 2inches larger.
On a 27" I might be able to run at 100 or 125 percent and get more desktop space. 29" seems big for 1080, but maybe at 100% scaling it would work.

what are the CAD resolution and refresh requirements? does screen flicker bother you?

if its a lower end CAD, i dont see a problem buying a cheap 4k 40" tv. if blacks are important to you, i would shy away from it.

a friend of mine uses 4k tvs as monitors and he seems to like it but he is far from a power user. he mostly uses it for about the same reasons as yours above, minus the CAD.

i personally wouldnt go with a 4k tv simply because even the best 4k tvs arent as sharp with text as i want it to be and calibration with diff video cards is an issue. color reproduction is another issue.

instead of buying a 4k tv, i would recommend a dual display setup. i currently run dual 27" ips monitors at home and three 27" displays at work. refresh rate and flicker is an issue for me so i stick to displays that are over 100 hz.

The cad is a free Siemens version that only does 2d. I use it to make parts to cut on the cnc plasma table, but I'm not a cad guy. I don't know what resolution it needs, but I can see the tools and use it on the current resolution at 150% but I need to see more of the part when zoomed in. I was able to autohide the horizontal toolbar, but it might get annoying. The demand is low, as long as I can see the part easily to draw or edit it.

I find that I need more height when using web pages. For some reason, everything is geared toward showing a little horizontal strip and I hate it. The reply box on forums is that way (until you hit the expand arrow) and many web sites have horizontal panes that eat up space when scrolling through a list. Wide screen is opposite of what I need. Calguns is hard to read on the wide screen.

Going to double the height and width on 4k isn't necessary and my desktop is 29.5", with a keyboard drawer under, so a very tall monitor would not be good and I may ditch the stand and make my own mount so it sits right on the top. Looking up is not comfortable for me, especially with neck problems.

In the past...........way past, I had a dual 17" (it weighed about 60 pounds) and 15" monitor setup. It was cool. Maybe two standard width screens are the ticket. 24" or 27"? Or one of each?

This brix will run two monitors at this resolution and two 1080 screens would be much less money than a big 4k screen and a new computer. Budget is a concern. Light bleed on the blacks in annoying and I can see it with my black desktop on this 24" samsung, but I don't watch a lot of movies and do watch a lot of youtube and use web sites and office software where blacks are not as common.

Amazon has some inexpensive ips monitors that start at $130 each for 24". Some don't have the vesa mount, but they have very thin side bezels for dual displays.

Is a 24-27 inch curved screen a big improvement over flat?

You guys might have talked me out of 4k and saved my wallet from suicide.

[stilly]

the 4K things I see are like, LED signs, costing a LOT of money, but Pro Vantage would have things like that.

Dell Ultrasharps are nice monitors, but I do not know how big they go.
IF you want to gamble, you could have a look at this: http://www.microcenter.com/product/4...-_AMD_FreeSync

It is Samsung- do they REALLY make garbage like LG?

THAT is also really expensive.

You could try a philips: http://www.microcenter.com/product/4...HD_LED_Monitor

Heck, go to Microcenter and have a look at their displays.

Me, I would get 2-4 of these guys: http://www.microcenter.com/product/4...HD_LED_Monitor and stack them two by two or just a pair and set them next to each other.

[CGT80]

I figured out my vertical problem.......my old screen was 16:10 and new screens are 16:9.

Thanks for the info on micro center, Stilly. I didn't know they even existed.

This is what I am leaning toward right now: https://www.amazon.com/VN279QL-1920x...p?ie=UTF8&th=1

It is a 27" that will spin to portrait. Reviews are great and it would save me a drive to Tustin. The only thing is it is 28" tall in portrait. Maybe a 24" would be better. In horizontal mode, the size would be great at only 17.75" tall.

Update: I ordered the monitor in that link. After using it for a while, I'll decide if I want a second and what size or orientation would work best on a second monitor.

Thanks for all the help guys!

[NYT]

i would shoot for vesa monitors, and mount them to the wall or use an arm like these from ergotron if you can.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ergotron-LX-Dual-Side-by-Side-Arm-for-WorkFit-D-Sit-Stand-Desk/15188175?wmlspartner=wmtlabs&adid=22222222222000606386&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=e&wl1=o&wl2=c&wl3=10361439534&wl4=kwd-1105705375622&wl12=15188175_10000001208&wl14=ergotron%20dual%20arm&veh=sem

curved screens are cool if you have a single desktop but they are a gimmick more than anything. dual screen or even triple is where its at and the monitors are somewhat inexpensive depending on needs.

[NYT]

those asus monitors are good stuff. cant go wrong with them.

remember that you pay more for their crappy little stand. buying a good stand like an ergotron will allow for spinning the monitor as well but you open up desk space without the stand for each monitor.

https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-VE278Q-1920x1080-DisplayPort-Monitor/dp/B0043T34RK/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1502064665&sr=1-3&keywords=asus+monitor+27+vesa

[CGT80]

Yes, they have this exact monitor for $200 with a basic stand, but since I don't know if I will go dual yet, I got the fancy stand.

This is what I would use for dual: https://www.amazon.com/WALI-Standing...M4B87AFESDBGWK

It is $31.49 with great reviews. They have a version to clamp to the desk as well, but I will eventually be building a new desk with a steel 2" tube frame and an inset travertine slab with glass on top.

It looks like the height is quickly adjustable on that ergotron and that would be good for keeping the screens low. I may have the bottom of the screen right on the desk. Hopefully the larger screen will allow me to set it farther back on the desk, which is 28-30" deep and 60" wide.