Looking to buy an external monitor as good (or better) than r2 RGB!

I currently have a Dell 2007 FPW 20 inch wide screen monitor. I'd really like to get something a little bigger with better quality. I'd like to set up my alienware m17x r2 like a desktop while on my desk, but with the monitor being so good on it, I'd rather use my 17 inch than my 20! Can anyone give me a good link / advice on getting a really high quality monitor? Thanks.

Also, is there any detriment to running the Alienware @ full capacity (gaming) with the screen closed? IE if I have it closed on the desk with mouse / keyboard / monitor hooked up and am using it ask a desktop. I know with other laptops in the past the heat would be an issue with the screen closed, but I'm not sure about this one. Thanks.

 

Any ideas?

 

Id also like to know lol I got my R2 a week ago and I've been using it more than my desktop due to the screen. And I have a 24" Samsung LED monitor. lol

 

take a look at the dell ultra sharp line up, they're ips panels so color quality is very good.

 

There are several prosumer-type IPS monitors out there that are very nice, probably significantly better specs than the R2's LCD. The R2's screen is great, for a laptop.

I have an HP 2475w 24 inch IPS LCD which is calibrated and used for professional photoshop work. I believe there is a newer model of this available now (HP ZR24W I think), but the 2475w ran around $500-600 if I recall.

Dell also has at least one 24 inch IPS panel with similar performance, but I don't remember the model. Pricing was in the $500 range.

 

I love my monitor. I'm sure newer versions have improved but it was damn expensive .

 

How do you get a monitor calibrated?

 

You do it yourself with the proper equipment but the high-end monitors come pre-calibrated after they hit the assembly line

 

NEC has a ton of different stuff. They have 24 inch monitors between 1300 and 400. Nutts. I really want a good monitor for gaming.

If my video card doesn't support 3D but my monitor (external) does, can I play 3D games? Does the video card even have to be 3D enabled? I thought it only really had to do with the monitor (provided the system can handle the game in general).

 

The video card must support 3D and you must have the right equipment (i.e. the glasses) to use 3D as well as the 3D monitor.

For ATi you can probably use the iz3D driver to use 3D but you'll still have to buy the glasses for it, and I'm not sure where you can get those.

 

Even those ($2000+ pro displays) are calibrated by users. Most pros I know calibrate their displays often, like monthly. The key is keeping the colors, contrast, and brightness 100% consistent so you know that what you see on the screen is exactly what it looks like coming out of a printer.

As for calibration equipment, there are a number of brands, EyeOne and Spyder being two common ones. They have a range of products, but you can get a decent calibrator and software package for $150-$300.

 

How difficult is it to calibrate? How lengthy is the process? As far as the 3d is concerned, the alienware monitors that support 3d come with glasses, but I think they're nvidia brand (not sure if it makes a difference). Are those 3d drivers any good? I'm just trying to figure out if it's worth getting a 3d monitor, or maybe I should just buy a nice non 3d one. Ack!

 

Calibration is simple. The calibrator will be a sensor package that you place on the front of your display, plugged in via USB. The software will use the sensor to first determine where on the screen it is, and then it will go through its colors and gradients. It basically displays known colors on the screen and then compares that to the reading from the sensor. Once it is finished, it creates an ICC color profile that your display can use.

Most software also has at least some ability to calibrate luminance, brightness, etc... as well. Of course, the more expensive packages give you more features. Most do a pretty good job walking you through the process. Calibration typically takes around 20-30 minutes.

Here is what I use:

Amazon.com: X-Rite EODIS2 Eye-One Display 2: Camera & Photo

Highly recommended. Even if you aren't doing printing the difference is pretty huge for off-the-shelf monitors. On my Dell monitor for example, it was off the charts bright to begin with. Once the brightness was lowered to near the minimum to achieve the value recommended by the calibrator, the colors were much more vibrant and less washed out.

Of course, the other major benefit of calibration is so you can calibrate multiple displays so they all look the same (or as close as possible). This is required if for example, you plan on working with the same images on your desktop and on your laptop's display.

 

Thanks a lot for the info. I really appreciate it. Now all I need to do is find a good monitor. CNET didn't love the 24 inch Dell Ultrasharp, so that was my idea. NEC has a myriad of monitors for different prices, even within the same size. I'm not sure which does what, though - or what I really need / need to spend.

 

Here are the NEC 24 inch monitors. I really don't understand the MAJOR differences between all of them except the price. Can someone shed some light on this for me?

EA241WM-BK, 24 Eco-Friendly Widescreen Desktop Monitor - Highlights & Specifications | NEC Display Solutions
LCD2490WUXI2-BK, 24 Widescreen Color-Critical Desktop Monitor - Highlights & Specifications | NEC Display Solutions
PA241W-BK, 24 Widescreen Professional Graphics Desktop Monitor - Highlights & Specifications | NEC Display Solutions
LCD2490W2-BK-SV, 24 Widescreen Color-Critical Desktop Monitor w SpectraViewII - Highlights & Specifications | NEC Display Solutions
PA241W-BK-SV, 24 Widescreen Color-Critical Desktop Monitor w SpectraViewII - Highlights & Specifications | NEC Display Solutions

Also, the Dell UltraSharp? U2410 Monitor with PremierColor technology (Dell 24 inch ultrasharp) but Cnet says it has a pinkish tint? Not sure what would be best.

EDIT: Now I'm really interested in http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=224-8284 . The only thing that worries me is gaming performance with a resolution that high. Is that a viable concern? Should I just keep the resolution @ 1920 x 1200 on the 27 inch or would that look fuzzy? I worry that I won't be able to game with the kind of performance I'm used to with a 2560 x 1440 resolution. Any advice?