Ask HN: Favorite monitors for programming? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Favorite monitors for programming?

8 pointsapi14 comments

I'd like to ask HN users what their favorite monitors are for programming?

Programming is a bit different from graphic design or gaming. For graphics you want color accuracy and for gaming you want refresh rate, but for programming it seems like crispness and ease on the eyes is the most important thing. Monitors that are good for graphic design are probably better in this way, but may not necessarily be the best.

So which models/lines or specific monitors do you like for many hours a day of staring at code? Newer and higher resolution is preferable but not absolutely required.

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Rather then having two screens try the following setup.

An ultra wide monitor like:

https://www.lg.com/us/monitors/lg-29UM68-P-ultrawide-monitor

Then you have your code screen + browser/test/shell in split screen. it’s like having two full screens due to being ultra wide.

When I am away from my screen I can feel the drop in productivity having to shift between virtual desktops.

If you have a laptop you also get a 3rd screen that you could use for something else like docs.

Having got used to 2560x1440, anything much less than that seems pretty cramped. I'm currently using a (now pretty old) Dell U2711, and it's... adequate.

The best I've used to date is one of the more recent 27" iMacs. Stunningly crisp. Depending on exactly what happens work-wise over the next few months (currently unsure whether I'm going to need mobility or not), my next purchase will either be a new iMac or a laptop that can drive a 5K display...

I'm using a fairly inexpensive BENQ "gaming" monitor that has a "Low Blue Light" feature that I've grown to really like a lot.

The Low Blue Light feature took a bit to get used to. I turned in on when I first got it but didn't keep it on because it changes the way colors are displayed quite a bit. But after using it a bit I decided to give it another shot for a week straight to see if I could get used to it.

At the end of the week I turned it off again and could immediately feel increase in eye strain. I ended up adjusting the other two monitors I have on my desk to reduce the blue light on them as well and it would be really hard to go back to the default settings now.

https://www.benq.eu/Microsite/eye-care-monitors/lbl.html

Is the hardware implementation of the Low Blue Light feature feels different than turning on Night Mode/f.lux?

I think its just constant low blue. Plus they guarantee its flicker free at low dim levels.

I can't say I've found a favorite, but I've been using a NEC 2490WUXi2 (24" 1920x1200) for a while. Would find it difficult to go with less. Would prefer the same thing, but with twice the width and maybe a color e-ink or OLED for display tech to be even smoother (though I have no real experience with such).

[0]: https://www.necdisplay.com/p/LCD2490WUXI2-BK

I can't praise the Dell P2415Q highly enough.

(https://amzn.to/2N7UtrC)

It's a 24" 4K monitor, so the ppi is really high.

I have one in portrait mode running at 1080 x 1920, which makes for super-sharp text that's large enough for me to read comfortably, and another in landscape mode at 2560 x 1440 for documentation, live-updating UI when I'm developing UIs, etc.

It's just an all-around fantastic monitor for your eyes.

I wish they'd update these. I ended up getting 27" 4K monitors even though I wanted 24" because I didn't want to buy 3-4 year old models.

That's a valid concern, although for programming purposes I don't think there's anything of any importance missing from these slightly older models. I just bought mine about three months ago, after much research; I couldn't determine any reason why a newer model would be better.

My favorite for programming: Dell U2515H. [0]

Just the right resolution, ergonomics and pricing. I have 2 of these attached to my iMac 5K. I am 3D graphics programmer FWIW.

[0] https://www.amazon.com/Dell-UltraSharp-U2515H-25-Inch-LED-Li...

Retina iMac 5K. Textual code is beautiful, no jaggies, no need for anti-aliasing.

It also has good color of course, but that isn't what I care about.

Any 4k 40+ inch (ideally OLED too) TV would work for me.

Split into what amounts to 4 FHD monitors, profit.

How far do you sit from the TV? Does the input lag and/or the brightness/contrast bothers you?

I have 2 x Dell P2715Q 4k monitors

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