A question for those with dual external monitors:

Is it important for both monitors to be the same model?

I currently have an HP ZR24w and want a second of the same resolution ( 24" 1920x1200) in an iPS variant. I am happy with the HP but part of me would like to try a different one. However, if the displays have a bit different contrast/color, will it be more tiring on the eyes when looking at one then the other? It seems that two of the same monitor would be ideal for the eyes, and easier to use since the same menu, such as for my daily adjustment of the brightness. (My large windows give a nice view of the lake and mountains but do not make for an ideal computer use.)

The "affordable" ones are around $400
HP ZR24w
Dell UltraSharp U2412M
Asus PA246Q

Comparison (but in German, so use Chrome):
http://www.digitec.ch/ProdukteVergleichen1.aspx?artikel=162771%2c208833%2c224769%2c222289%2c209891

{ FYI: I first tried a Samsung SyncMaster 2443BW 24" monitor but the TN screen was absolutely horrible so I decided not to mess around with another TN and simply bopught an IPS. My old 15" dell, 19" HP and several notebooks are probably all TN screens but none have the severely narrow viewing angles that the new Samsung had. Simply leaning back in my chair the brightness changed dramatically. The same color looked different when at the top or bottom of the monitor because the viewing angle changed. The HP ZR24w is great. No complaints except that it is thermally hot, a power hog, and no HDMI.}

Thanks in advance for sharing your experience.

~Brian

you can adjust the contrast and colour of the second monitor, obviously you need to do it manually. They will have the same menu, but even if they are the same monitor, doesn't guarantee they are the same LCD panel with the same setting.

Dell Ultrasharp U2412m is an eIPS model, the Ultrasharp U2410 uses H-IPS panel.

I happen to use two of the same monitor (Dell 1905) at work and two different ones (that same Dell and an HP) at home. The color rendition on the two at home is distinctly different - we're not talking subtle here.

I've never figured out how to color-calibrate either of them. Various settable things are greyed-out, and for the others I'm just not visually savvy enough to make the correct adjustments. So I've left them both as is.

In reality, it doesn't matter. There are a bunch of windows open on each of them, and there's nothing particularly in common where the differences would affect what I'm doing. It's a complete irrelevancy.

So there's one user's opinion.

Art

I used dual Samsung 204B's for years. Bought them as a matched set. I also used a set of mixed monitors at the office for development and it drove me crazy that they were different brands and models - with the same specs. The difference in text sharpness drove me to glasses (that's my story and I'm sticking to it).

I'd go for the matched set. Of course I'm no longer using the Samsung's as one died and my wife now has the other. I'm using the aforementioned HP ZR24W 24 inch IPS. The downside to a matched pair is when one kicks it, you're stuck...

At the very least, make sure the monitors have the same pixel density. My main desktop computer has a Dell 3008WFP (100.63 DPI) and three Dell 2407WFP (94.34 DPI) and the mismatch in DPI can be distressing.

Thank you all for the feedback.

I will receive my new T520 next week, so it is time to decide on my second monitor. Yes. I will definitely use the same size & resolution.

I think a second HP ZR24W is most logical, but then the Dell U2412M with LED backlighting should use half the power (i wonder how much my HP actually uses since 0% brightness most of the time). But the Asus PA246Q sounds like a better monitor, and more fun: with its HDMI input and Picture-in-Picture I could connect my cablebox into my monitor (but would I ever really do that? Hmmm... decisions.

~Brian

Dell also have PIP, which is fairly useless if you ask me.