Desktop monitors (for a ThinkPad of course)

[Jake.Werecat]

Hi folks, seems there is no better place to talk 'bout it then off-topic. Kinda surprised, we all love laptops but I guess we use them docked at home as well!
In any case. I've just sold my Dell U2412 24" FHD monitors. They were good, but I was looking for improvement.
Now I am wondering about a decent replacement for those. First of all configuration:
1)2x24" - same as before - cheap, easy choice.
2)2x27" - some more inches and pixels to look at, and a bit more pricey as well.
3)1x30" horizontal + 2x20"vertical - kinda my beloved setup, I've seen it years ago with Dell 3007 and two Dell 2007 monitors. But it's not so easy to find a 30/20 monitor pair with matching physical dimensions and resolutions. Maybe Dell U3014 + some 20" Dells... Maybe Lenovo P32U-10 + i don't know what? Also - this won't be cheap, and no matter how cool it looks is not something I really need.
Then the choice of brand. As I have been faithful to ThinkPad laptops for the last decade, I have equally been to Dell monitors, because older Lenovos just simply didn't look too well for me. It has changed recently though, and it'd be nice to have a ThinkPad + some ThinkVision on the desk
I'm rather leaning towards dual ~24-ish setup and was considering two candidates:
1) Lenovo P24H-10
2) Dell U2518
I have just found a sweeeeeet deal for the first one. $90 USD/each used, but in perfect shape, with 1 year of guarantee, sold without a stand (which I don't need anyway as I use VESA mount). Anyone ever used a P24H-10 before and can tell me if it's a worthy candidate? If it's half decent and reliable I'm going ahead and buying two of those.

[dr_st]

Ah, the choice of desktop monitor configuration. Such a lovely topic, grounds for almost endless discussions.

The first question is I would ask is what were you looking to improve in those U2412M monitors. Because if you are still considering option (1) - same size and resolution, it means that there were some other factors that you felt were limiting.

To me, if your desk space is wide enough for 2x27", I would prefer that over 2x24" or 2x25" in QHD, to have dot pitch size that is slightly easier on the eyes. But of course price is a factor.

1x30" horizontal + 2x20"vertical is indeed a perfect match in terms of size and dot pitch. 30" 2560x1600 monitors are still produced (but are quite expensive), not sure about 20" 1600x1200 ones.

Of course, it would be very hard to beat the deal of $90 for 2 P24H-10 with warranty remaining. I haven't used one myself. You can start by reading some reviews / customer opinions online.

Generally, the Thinkvision line, like the DELL Ultrasharp line is geared towards the high-end office and semi-professional market. They tend to be ergonomic and reliable. We have L200p units at the office that still work, for crying out loud.

[Jake.Werecat]

Oh, but obviously we just all love those never ending discussions about computer rig, don't we?

The first question is I would ask is what were you looking to improve in those U2412M monitors. Because if you are still considering option (1) - same size and resolution, it means that there were some other factors that you felt were limiting.

Same size - yes (though I am looking lustfully for 27's)
But not the same resolution. This is what I wanted to improve a bit. U2412M were 1920 x 1200, and I'm now looking for 2560 x 1440 for 24" (or 3840 x 2160 in case of 27").
Also lower power consumption is not main, but contributing factor

I think that I'd like to switch to ThinkVisions, I kinda like the new design, and having a "Thinkxxxxxxx" set on the desk is kinda appealing in a nerdy way.
Lenovo P27u-10 (4K) sells for ~$180-270 a piece, not a bad price, but those P24h-10 (1440p) for $90 a piece are really tempting. Not sure if extra 3" are worth double (or more) in price.

[dr_st]

Lenovo P27u-10 (4K) sells for ~$180-270 a piece, not a bad price, but those P24h-10 (1440p) for $90 a piece are really tempting. Not sure if extra 3" are worth double (or more) in price.

Well, it's not just the 3" but the significantly higher resolution too. Personally I would find 27" 4K a bit small. I like 32" for this resolution.

[Jake.Werecat]

It depends. 2560x1440 seems to be a great resolution for 24", giving me much better PPI then I used to have before on my U2412 Dells, but the same resolution on 27" won't be enough. I've not yet used 27" 4K but it seems a logical choice as 4K is the next step after 1440p. I don't understand craziness of putting super-duper dense displays in laptops (or especially in mobile phones) which is so fashionable these days, but I enjoy crispier image and more space on the screen due to smaller UI, e.g. 14"T470 with 1080p display is a huge improvement for me in comparisons to T430 1600x900.

As for the physical size, I've reconsidered - I was perfectly happy with 2x24 inches, thus it's silly to go for bigger screens just because they are bigger and more fancy. Also it's had to deny financial aspect. I was a bit overwhelmed with that cheap P24H-10's, you won't get no Dell in this price range with these parameters. I've ordered two of those, probably will get them delivered this week, we shall see how they behave.

I tried to search for a review for this model, but it seems it isn't very popular and is hard to find more then a few short opinions. But I'm optimistic

[Jake.Werecat]

Oh, there's yet one more question. These new lenovos support DisplayPort daisy chaining, something new for me, but seems to be a useful piece of technology.
T470's GPU can handle 3 screens in total (internal + two externals or 3 externals), however docking station has only two DP outputs, so to feed 3 monitors an old dogdy VGA had to be used which is obviously not wanted.
Will daisy chaining possibly allow me to connect three external monitors using DP only? i.e. two diasy chained monitors to the first DP output and a thrid one to the second DP?

[Jake.Werecat]

In case anybody would be interested - I'm running a dual P24H-10 setup for quite some time now, and I'm super content with it. The increased resolution is a bliss, I can fit so much more information on the screen, everything is smaller, sharper and more pleasant to the eyes. Also the wider aspect ratio is super nice, for the first time I'm comfortable with 4 windows on two monitors (two side by side on each). Dual 27" setup would be too much for me, so I'm happy I didn't fall for more inches just for the hack of it. As for the third 24" monitor, I'm not sure, the third would make this setup super-wide, possibly straining my neck a bit too much, or maybe I'm just wary. In any case two are enough for me, I don't fell like I need any more space any time soon.

[dr_st]

Thank you for sharing your experience.

2560 pixels wide for me indeed feels like the minimum resolution to be comfortable with two windows side by side.

At work I enjoy two monitors side by side. My desks at home are not big enough for that, even at 24". Besides, I do play video games on my home PCs from time to time, and like the monitor to be centered.

So at home I simply opted for large single monitors - a 32" 3840x2160 on one desk and 30" 2560x1600 on another.