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How to pick a good monitor for software development

nickjanetakis.com

21–30 of 184 posts

Re: How to pick a good monitor for software development

#21
post #11

I went from 2 wide screens to a single ultra wide, and I'm never going back. It's like you have two screens (well, more like 1.5), but they are optimally positioned, and there's no bevel in the middle. It's worth mentioning that I use i3, which helps a lot organising all that screen real state. I can see how obnoxious it could be to use it with other desktop environments. Bonus: It's awesome for gaming. Most games su…

Which ultrawide and what size? I'm confused between getting 2 27 inch 4k monitors vs a QHD (low res) 34-38 inch ultrawide.

AOC Agon AG352UCG6, 35", Curved, VA, 1440p, 120Hz

https://www.techadvisor.com/review/aoc-agon-ag352ucg6-369041...

Re: How to pick a good monitor for software development

#22
post #2

Does anyone know why manufactures don't make 34,36 inch 4k monitors? There are plenty of 32 inch 4k monitors but next 4k resolution is 42-43 inch. Nothing in-between. The whole segment of 32-40 inch monitor is dominated by ultra wide monitors.

Ultrawide are actually still quite standardized.

The most common size is 34" . They are the same height as a 16:9 27" and the same amount of vertical pixels - one of 1080,1440, 2160. It is derived from the same panel as what goes into a 27", just longer.

The next common size is 38" @ 3840x1600 . I haven't done the math, but these are presumably derived from 16:9 42" 3840x2160 panels, with the bottom 560 pixels cut off.

I'm not aware of any '32" 16:9 but longer' ultrawide yet, but they will likely happen at some point.

I think you are right that there's nothing readily available between 32" and 42", but ultrawide do not contradict that UW panels are a niche product line so they use existing panel PPI arrangements.

Re: How to pick a good monitor for software development

#23
post #11

I went from 2 wide screens to a single ultra wide, and I'm never going back. It's like you have two screens (well, more like 1.5), but they are optimally positioned, and there's no bevel in the middle. It's worth mentioning that I use i3, which helps a lot organising all that screen real state. I can see how obnoxious it could be to use it with other desktop environments. Bonus: It's awesome for gaming. Most games su…

It depends on the game. I much prefer 24" 240Hz+ monitors for competitive reaction-based games. But yes, ultra-wide monitors are incredible for productive tasks.

Re: How to pick a good monitor for software development

#24
post #5

I recently got a 27" 4k monitor that I use at 2x scaling, and I'm never going back to fewer pixels per inch. When I now have to look at monitors with a lower PPIU it hurts my eyes. I can see the individual pixels very clearly and letters are blurry. Much less eyestrain on 4k, can recommend!

Funny I have a 27" 4k and it's low resolution compared to for example a basic MacBook Pro laptop screen.

The lack of options for 27 inch 5K monitors is disappointing. There is nothing cheaper than the old Ultrafine 5K.

Re: How to pick a good monitor for software development

#25
post #2

Does anyone know why manufactures don't make 34,36 inch 4k monitors? There are plenty of 32 inch 4k monitors but next 4k resolution is 42-43 inch. Nothing in-between. The whole segment of 32-40 inch monitor is dominated by ultra wide monitors.

120-130 PPI sounds like really awkward zone. Either you have really good eyesight and run it at 1x scale, or deal with scaling issues by running it at 1.25x without actually being as sharp as proper hidpi. In comparison, 31.5" works well with 1.5x, and 43" at 1x.

Re: How to pick a good monitor for software development

#27
post #11

I went from 2 wide screens to a single ultra wide, and I'm never going back. It's like you have two screens (well, more like 1.5), but they are optimally positioned, and there's no bevel in the middle. It's worth mentioning that I use i3, which helps a lot organising all that screen real state. I can see how obnoxious it could be to use it with other desktop environments. Bonus: It's awesome for gaming. Most games su…

Which ultrawide and what size? I'm confused between getting 2 27 inch 4k monitors vs a QHD (low res) 34-38 inch ultrawide.

38" 3840x1600 (109ppi) curved ultra-wide here (since five years now). It's an old monitor so by now there are better 38". I love it for software development.

Re: How to pick a good monitor for software development

#28
post #5

I recently got a 27" 4k monitor that I use at 2x scaling, and I'm never going back to fewer pixels per inch. When I now have to look at monitors with a lower PPIU it hurts my eyes. I can see the individual pixels very clearly and letters are blurry. Much less eyestrain on 4k, can recommend!

Even considering a resolution below 4k on a large monitor is absurd. This invalidated the whole article for me.

Re: How to pick a good monitor for software development

#30

I'd like to hear from people who develop with a 49 inch monitor. Especially the really curvy one. I had a 34 inch ultrawide for a while, but eventually got tired of the low resolution. Switched to a 32 inch 4K and I'm pretty happy with it. But it's a bit slow starting up, the refresh rate maxes out at 60Hz, and sometimes I find myself wishing for more space. Partially because I'm getting old and my eyes thank me for…

I have the odyssey version of this. Excellent for frontend work, where ill have some 3 or 4 windows up at the same time.
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