How to choose a monitor for a programmer?

Question

Monitors

I mainly work from the office, there are two Dell 22 "FullHD with IPS matrices.
However, at least once a week I work from home, there is a BenQ 22" FullHD with a TN matrix.
In general, I thought it was time to stop scoffing at the eyes and buy something decent for home too.
I do not work with graphics and the web, JetBrains IDEA + Java. Sometimes under Windows 10, sometimes under KDE Plasma 5.
I think, in general, two options - take two monitors similar to those in the office, or take one 25 "with a resolution of 2K (what Dell calls UltraSharp ).The price of both options is identical.What
do you think, which option is more justified?

Answer 1

As they wrote, take 2x24", the only thing I can add is take the 16:10 format (not 16:9) and preferably with the ability to rotate 90 degrees. I have 2 x HP ZR24W, already 5 or 6 years old, I don’t want to change anything.

Answer 2

I agree with benipaz - if there is space, two 24" monitors are better than one 26"

Answer 3

I advise you to protect your eyesight as much as possible:
1) the greater the distance to the monitor, the better - so that there is no accommodation spasm due to chronic tension of the eye muscles that change the curvature of the lens.
Ideally, 5 meters - then the complete relaxation of these muscles.
2) as an option to periodically change the distance to the monitor - from a tablet to two meters
3) a maximum diagonal monitor - from 27 for example DELL
SE2717H
computer, for example blue gut - which cut off the blue part of the spectrum - because of which the eyes get tired and the retina burns out

Answer 4

Choosing between IPS MVA TN - rushing between the fiery tongues of marketers)))
The main load on the eyes-brain is given by a changing image, so if a pulsation in brightness is added to this, you can imagine a kaleidoscope that the brain has to process ...
Therefore, I think to choose it should be like this:
1. Diagonal - select it for your workplace (to fit in) and the need for simultaneously open windows, sometimes 2 * 24 is more convenient than one 32, in any case, it’s definitely not worth less than 24.
2. PWM backlight pulsations with backlight reduced to almost zero - you only have programming, so the brightness will be 10-20%, keep this in mind. 100% for watching movies/toys is a bit of a different category))) Most monitors give low pulsations only at 100% brightness, turn it down a bit and nuances begin. Read tests on specialized forums, they help a lot.
3. Resolution - here it's up to your taste, 2k or 4k I don't see a difference for a programmer ...
I myself have two BENQ27, I chose it according to tests - I don't regret it!

Answer 5

People, what the hell are you? 1920 x 1080 for a programmer in 2017? 4K (3840 x 2160) monitors have been available for a long time at quite reasonable prices. This is a completely different level of comfort and productivity - you can place four FullHD windows at the same time, you can 1920x2160 (for code) and two 1920x1080 (for browser and console). The picture is much more detailed and clear. Conventional monitors after UHD look like a trip to the past.
I use three pieces of LG 27UD88 (with a total resolution of 11520 x 2160), I'm quite satisfied. Reasonable diagonal, no flicker at all brightness levels, supports DDC / CI (allows you to change settings on all three monitors from a computer at the same time).
Cons: the LED blinks in sleep mode, text inscriptions appear during the boot process (when switching modes).
I considered DELL P2715Q as an alternative , but it has HDMI 1.4 (only 30 Hz in full resolution), no USB Type-C (with DisplayPort Alternate Mode support), complaints about cheap case materials, and complaints about freezing when exiting sleep mode.
LG 27UD58 and LG 27UD69P are budget analogues of 27UD88 with a reduced set of ports. The 27UD58 has a non-adjustable height stand.

Answer 6

1. TN matrices are an absolute evil for the eyes. Take only IPS
2. With current prices , I think the best option is 2 pcs 27 "IPS FullHD
3. Do not forget that doctors recommend staying at least 60-70 cm from the monitor.
Accordingly, monitors larger than FullHD, in my opinion, it makes no sense to take with a diagonal of less than 32" - everything will be too small.

Answer 7

if desk space allows, two monitors are more practical. better to take from 24"

Answer 8

In addition to all the comments - you need to pay attention to the backlight PWM - so that the monitor does not "blink" at brightness < 100%

Answer 9

And I couldn't work with two monitors. But I love large pixels and took a viewsonic 32 vx3211-mh. 32 inches, 1920x1080. Gloss. I really like the gloss too.
Of its advantages: a great price (15-16 thousand) and there are no built-in speakers.

Answer 10

Personally, I've been using a 27" Retina monitor for a long time. I think it's the best investment I've ever made.
Clear picture and excellent color reproduction reduce fatigue. Tested many times. Reading text is much more pleasant than on a screen with a low pixel density.
The large screen size allows you to fit more on it . code and display the file structure and project tree.Much
easier to navigate.I
recommend you look at something like this https://www.amazon.com/LG-27UD58-B-27-Inch-Monitor...
looking at ordinary monitors, my eyes hurt, because I'm used to the good (the picture is no longer soapy). So I recommend UHD, but rather iMac 5K 27 "(this is if you don't feel sorry for the money at all).

Answer 11

For the last year I have been working on a 42 "fullHD TV at a distance of ~ 2 meters. Awesome convenient and comfortable.

Answer 12

I can say that it is convenient for me for similar tasks.
1) At least two monitors. On one IDE, on the second dock or something else. I can not imagine working with one monik. Sometimes you even want 3.
2) Not a problem if the monitors are different.
3) The monitor on which the IDE will be best taken with a resolution of 2560x1600. Definitely 16x10. More text goes in vertically. More panels and windows horizontally. More space is left for the code itself. But 4k has a very small pixel size for my taste.
4) The second one can be smaller, and just fullHd. Your current one can be left without problems.
5) I strongly do not advise you to take a monitor with a resolution of 2560 × 1080 for work, and similar stumps.

Answer 13

The question is chilly. For example, I personally DO NOT like two identical monitors side by side, I prefer one, but a large one. The desired size is 27+. A second monitor may be present, but smaller and secondary.
And I also DO NOT like too wide monitors - all these newfangled 21:9 or even more so 32:9 mutants, God forgive me. Keep in mind that the programmer is working with listings of text that grow in height, so there should always be a fair amount of vertical space. All the arguments about toolbars and stuff blah blah - the 16:10 monitor already has enough side room for these panels.
Turning the monitor to a vertical position is a very amateur idea, not everyone has to court (I didn’t have to).
Oh, and a couple of words about the retina. Retina is a definite and big plus, especially for working with text. But there is a nuance - only a dozen of the entire Windows line is suitable for it. If for some reason you have a seven, you will have to take the usual pixel density.

Answer 14

They touched on diagonals and matrices, but no one said about height adjustment, very good. it is important for the programmer that the monitor be raised high, and the head looked at it not at an angle down, but perpendicularly or even a little higher. Thus, height adjustment is mandatory, unless of course it is possible to attach it to the wall at the required level, this is even better. For myself, I chose AOC budgetary 23'' IPS

Answer 15

Maybe not quite in the subject, but personally I have always preferred window tile management to two monitors (in Windows 10 this is done using win + numpad, in Linux it is still better), so I took benq xr3501 for the same tasks that you need: IDEA + browser + console. In IDEA, tabs and panels are displayed at the edges, so that the vertical space is reserved for code as much as possible. As for the browser, everything looks like on two monitors, but without space between them: the developer tools are displayed on the right half, the page itself is on the left. There are two 24" monitors in the office, and personally it's much more convenient for me to work on my home monitor, mainly because I can just press win + num6, and not drag the window from one monitor to another, and the window focus is not lost (maybe a matter of habit, but I often pressed ctrl + z into the console instead of the IDE).

Answer 16

After experience with multiple monitors, I realized that this is EVIL. For the dispatcher? May be. For a programmer only as a last resort. Eyes can be killed in different ways, but this is the easiest way.
Regardless of the model, what will be a plus:
- slope (almost always there);
- turn by 90 degrees;
- IPS-matrix or better, forget about TN;
- diagonal 22 and less is too small, for me the ideal is 27;
- full hd resolution is good at 24 and below, at 27 I prefer, and I consider it the best, 2560x1440.
My choice in 2015: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009C3M7H0/_encoding=UTF...
In 2017.
I thought about 4k, but it might not work, and there is no video card for games to pull. Diagonal 27 suits. If you take a new monitor, then only for the sake of even better quality of the matrix.

Answer 17

The topic ̶s̶i̶s̶e̶k̶ of the monitor picture in the answers is disclosed. In turn, as a technician, I recommend choosing a model with an external power supply. Such a scheme is more reliable and easily replaceable. Yes, and more aesthetic when there is no bundle of thick wires behind the monitor.

Answer 18

Get a monitor with Flicker-Free

Flicker-Free
Illumination Uses LEDs with a continuous glow as illumination.
Modern LCD monitors typically use light-emitting diodes as the backlight. In this case, pulse-width modulation (PWM) is used to adjust the brightness level. The LEDs turn on and off at a high frequency. To increase the brightness of the screen, the period of time when the LEDs are on is increased. On the contrary, to reduce the brightness, this period is shortened. Backlight flickering at low brightness levels can be noticeable, often resulting in eye discomfort and fatigue.
In monitors with Flicker-Free, the backlight is produced by a continuous light, without flicker, which makes the device more comfortable to use.

Answer 19

No matter how hard I tried, I settled on several desktops (24 "FullHD) ...
On the mouse on the left, on a couple of buttons, I set them to scroll. I'm not used to turning my
head to different monitors