Best general purpose monitor Archives

November 14, 2015November 14, 2015

AOC Q2770PQU Monitor: Good For Just About Anything

Our reviews are geared towards guiding you towards robust 27-inch monitors that get the job done. The AOC Q2770PQU 27-inch monitor is one of those PC monitors.

Decently priced with solid imaging the widescreen AOC Q2770PQU is your all-around kind of monitor. Meaning it works well for a plethora of activities with an eye for detail and a solid responsiveness.

AOC Q2770PQU Lowdown

When your shopping for a 27-inch monitor you should be looking for something that has a high resolution, IPS or PLS panel, a decent brightness and universal connectivity. With that kind of set-up you’ll be golden.

You’d think in this day and age all monitors would have that but you’d be surprised. There are a number of companies releasing sub-par monitors with low-resolution, horrible viewing angles and generally junk guts (bad parts).

Let’s cover the specs of the AOC Q2770PQU and show you how it’s not one of these junk 27-inch monitors on the market today.

Specs

27-inch viewable screen (it’s widescreen by the way)
It weighs 17.6 pounds
Resolution is 2,560 x 1,440 (also known as 2K)
The screen display is backlit by LED
Brightness is 300 cd/m2 (which is good)
Response time is 5ms which is pretty good
Refresh Rate is 60 Hz
IPS (In-Plane Switching) Panel which is what allows you to view the screen from different angles up to 178 degrees. It also helps with the crispness of the image.

The connectivity situation on the back looks like this:

1 Display port 1.2
1 HDMI 1.4
1 DVI-D Dual Link
1 VGA Port
4 USB 3.0 ports

So overall the connectivity is pretty universal and allows for several different options. It’s rare that you find a monitor today with these many options in the back.

What’s the AOC Q2770PQU going to work well with?

You can bet on this monitor working well with any applications that require solid imaging. Covering 99.8% of the sRGB color space and with 1440p resolution you can put your money on this bad boy when it comes to delivering a crisp image. In fact, just to show I’m not blowing smoke here, most users will pretty much report that off the bat. The chief positive comment in most user reviews is that the imaging is fantastic.

Beyond crisp images when it comes to gaming you’re going to want more than just great graphics (although that’s important). No, with gaming you’re going to want clean flow of images with no screen tearing and no or minimal “stuttering.” With a 5 ms response time and 60 Hz refresh rate this monitor holds up in the gaming world.

When it comes to watching videos or even video editing, angles become important. With the IPS Panel you won’t have a problem with that. You can view up to 178 degrees horizontally or vertically (that comes in handy if you like to stand above your computer while working on it or if you’re Shaq).

Here’s a list of things the AOC Q2770PQU will work well with:

Video editing
Photo editing
Gaming
Video watching
General office or home use (goes without saying)

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Crisp images
Solid response time and refresh rate
Price ain’t too bad

Cons:

– Backlight bleeding. There have been more than one user complaining about backlight bleeding from the corners of the monitor. Best thing to do if you’re a victim of this pain in the butt is to return it for a new monitor. That is not a consistent problem with every single unit but only a few. Just return until you have one with no backlight bleeding.

Price

The AOC Q2770PQU fetches for $699.95 plus shipping (they always get you with the shipping). That’s neither cheap nor expensive when it comes to a really solid 27-inch monitor. It’s definitely worth the investment if you’re looking for something to serve you well that’ll hold up over time. You can purchase this monitor at .

Summary

The AOC Q2770PQU is one of the stronger 27-inch monitors on the market right now. With great imaging, connectivity and response time there’s little this monitor can’t do. From gaming to video and photo editing it does it all. I think I even saw it save a child from a burning building once.

June 16, 2015September 24, 2015

What To Expect With A 27 Inch iMac

Ok, so you’ve finally given in and you’re going to treat yourself to a new, sleek, sexy iMac. Apple has finally roped you in with their “hip”marketing schemes on this beautiful monitor/computer combo. But you don’t want to be reckless, you want to do a little research first, don’t you?

Well then, you’ve come to the right place. I’m going to lay out the specs as well as the pros/cons of a iMac.

Retina 5K Display

Introduced by Apple in October 2014, the newest version of the 27 inch iMac features a Retina 5K display, Apple’s supreme high resolution screen. What this basically means is the screen is a whole heck of a lot clearer and crisper than previous screens. In fact its visual excellence is the only major difference between this current model and earlier versions of the iMac.

Compared to earlier Mac screens the pixelation on this screen is barely noticeable if at all. This is what the 5K Display offers. From the desktop to videos you won’t get enough of this vibrant, bright screen.

Yet despite the inclusion of this revolutionary screen tech it’s still only 5mm thin at the edge. To give you a comparison that’s 2 mm THINNER than an iPhone 6. Slick stuff here, huh?

But if you’ve never owned a Mac before you’re probably wondering what the specs are outside of the 5K Display.

27 Inch iMac Standard Specs

The specs, as I said, are the same as previous years so if you’re looking at buying an earlier, used iMac model, specifically the 2013, then these specs minus the 5K Display will be the same.

It’s got 8GB of memory but can be configured up to 16GB or 32 GB. That’s memory now, not storage space. It’s important to know the difference. Computer memory is storage for everything that needs to be accessed quickly by the computer like the programs and stuff you’re currently looking at or working on.

The storage space is 1 Terabyte but can be configured up to 3 Terabytes.

With a high-quality graphics processor and 2GB of dedicated graphics memory combined with the Retina 5K Display this guy is great for graphic design, photo editing, video editing, etc.

From corner to corner the screen is 27 inches and coming in at just 21 pounds it’s pretty lightweight especially considering that the computer and monitor are all in one.

Gaming

Gaming is another thing altogether. Macs have never been highly regarded as great gaming machines. Not to mention the fact that you’ll still find a larger selection of games for PC than you will Mac. But this view is steadily changing and Mac is starting to come into its own with regard to gaming. With better graphic cards and more and more games being supported on the 27 inch iMac you’ll have a decent experience gaming.

But if you’re specifically looking to buy a computer for gaming purposes there are better (and cheaper) options out there than an 27 inch iMac. When it comes to price, graphics and availability of games Mac is not leading the race.

Accessories, Ports, etc

Here’s the kind of configuration you’re looking at in the back of this bad boy:

Headphone Jack – This is a little complicated. To explain the headphone jack in layman’s terms it’s – who am I kidding? You know what a headphone jack does.
SDXC Card Slot – A fancy looking series of letters that basically means a slot that can read memory cards from digital cameras.
USB Ports – 4 to be exact. Ports for USB, obviously.
2 Thunderbolt Ports – Sounds like something you plug into in order to tap into your superpowers. Unfortunately no, it’s just a lightning fast connector port that allows you to connect your iMac to other external devices and monitors and transfer large amounts of data with record speed.
Ethernet Connector – You know, so you can connect with a hardline to the internet instead of using WiFi.

Pros/Cons

Pros – Robust graphics displayed in an uncanny Retina 5K Display, high durability performance and speed, aesthetic. The 27 inch iMac is great for office or home use.

Cons – Not your first choice for gaming and incredibly pricey compared to others. It is Mac after all, they’re not known for keeping things cheap.

So What Are We Looking At Price-wise?

You can buy a 27 inch iMac for as cheap as $1799 without the retina display or as cheap as $1999 with the retina display. These are base prices and don’t include extra options to soup up your new toy. Of course you can always go for a refurbished iMac sold through Apple if you want to save a few bucks.

So there you have it, the rundown on the 27 inch iMac. Apple continues to up their game and don’t show any signs of slowing. Let us know what you think and your experience with the 27 inch iMac.

June 15, 2015December 10, 2015

U2715H: What To Expect From The Dell UltraSharp

http://best27inchmonitor.wistia.com/medias/fgfxf710mz?embedType=api&videoWidth=640

Dell U2715H Analyzed

There are a number of 27 inch monitors out there for PCs. Not all of them are really up to snuff. In fact plenty of them fall short of the job they were built to perform. But I’m not here to tell you about the sub-par tech out there. I’m here to inform you of the real hot stuff that you might want to consider investing your hard-earned cash in and the Dell UltraSharp U2715H is just that.

The feature that makes the U2715H really shine is the screen’s high resolution. After all, the one thing we must demand from our monitors is that the screen is superb.

The resolution is 2,560 x 1,440 pixels which offers an “ultrasharp” viewing experience. I guess that’s why they named it that, clever Dell!

In fact many claim this monitor stands up to the standard iMac display, which really is saying a lot.

Well let’s get into the specs of this guy.

U2715HM Specs

Often when laying out the specs for tech products I try to find the easiest way to tell you most about the monitor, information that is actually useful. I could tell you the Dynamic Contrast Ratio is 2 million:1 and the Brightness is 350 cd/m2 but that tells you nothing when you’re trying to find out what monitor is the best for gaming and watching your favorite flick especially when you’re not a techie.

Here’s the simple, important data:

Weight is 23 pounds with a 27 inch viewable monitor (obviously)
The screen display is backlit by LED
The screen has an antiglare coating
With 2,560 x 1,440 resolution you’re going to get a wicked sharp picture
The U2715H comes with a height-adjustable stand that tilts and pivots with a built-in cable management system

Your connectivity looks like this:

2 HDMI ports-1 Mini DisplayPort
1 DisplayPort
1 DisplayPort out
1 Audio Line out (for your speakers to connect to)
5 USB 3.0 ports – Downstream (for flashdrives, printers, etc.)
1 USB 3.0 port
Upstream (for connection straight to another computer or a USB hub)

What’s The Dell UltraSharp U2715H Good For?

Because of the high-resolution screen you’re looking at a monitor that is good all around whether for home or office use, medical office use, for video editing, photo editing, watching movies, code writing and of course gaming. The U2715HM is especially great for gaming because some PC games are the only thing that’s going to fully utilize that kind of resolution output. The general consensus amongst gamers is that this is definitely one of the good ones in terms of getting the most out of your gaming. Especially with first-person shooter games where enemies are way more easily identified.

Pros/Cons

Pros:

Excellent, high resolution images
Very little to no backlight bleed
Compact size and thin bezel so you’re not dealing with some big clunky piece of equipment
Tilt, swivel and pivot allows you to arrange the monitor anyway you want for optimum space saving
Price is significantly less than the earlier U2713H

Cons:

Not compatible with earlier computers that use VGA input so make sure your computer is compatible before purchasing.
Some have reported significant backlight bleed but this seems to be an occasional case here and there. If you do purchase one and you notice a significance problem consider returning it for a non-dud.

What’s This Bad Boy Going To Cost You?

If you go to dell.com you can get the U2715H monitor for $599 but you can pick it up on Amazon for as low as $519.99.

So, whether you’re looking for a gaming monitor or just something for the office the Dell U2715H is definitely worth considering.