Cheap Monitor quest* (*-quest itself is not cheap XD)

Hey fellow geeks!
I am in the market for a new monitor for around 5k , but I can't find any good monitors around my budget :'(

this one looks good but is sadly over my measly budget of 5k - Amazon.in: Buy HP 22 inch(54.61 cm) Ultra-Slim Anti Glare Full HD LED Monitor - 3 Side Micro Bezel, IPS Panel with VGA, HDMI Ports - HP 22m Display - 3WL45AA (Black) Online at Low Prices in India | HP Reviews & Ratings

I haven't changed my monitor for a long time so I am still in a uncertainity about the min. budget that's required to buy a moderately decent monitor.
So, my question is this -: are good monitors not available below 5k price mark? IF yes then send link if no then also please do send the links for the products

If a questionnaire for monitors exist I would be more than happy to fill it.

For now tho what imp. info I can give is this -: the monitor will see all kinds of work , from gaming to basic content creation.............. Don't hesitate if you have any other question to ask.

So, fellow geeks can you help me out here?

5K is a very low budget for a monitor that would be used for all kinds of work, like gaming as well as content creation.
And you didn't even mention lowest size you are willing to go for.
You can easily get 19" or lower monitor in under 5k.
Better to go for EMI than go for cheaper monitor.

I have a 17'' monitor lying around, I can sell it to you if you want.

Desmond David said:
I have a 17'' monitor lying around, I can sell it to you if you want.

I live in uttarakhand, how would be the shipping done? What would be the price?

Vyom said:
5K is a very low budget for a monitor that would be used for all kinds of work, like gaming as well as content creation.
And you didn't even mention lowest size you are willing to go for.
You can easily get 19" or lower monitor in under 5k.
Better to go for EMI than go for cheaper monitor.

Thanks for the enlightenment

, I knew something was wrong there.......
Can you tell me how much I need to expand my budget to buy a good monitor? Can you send me the link of those 19" monitors so that if I can decide would they be suitable for me? Beware though the content creation part would be not professional(that was to show that the monitor would be used for some content creation), moderately good reproduction (or less then that)would be ok for me
Same goes for the gaming aspect.

I would use the monitor for those tasks but the work would not be anywhere near professional.

Fill this:

*geek.digit.in/community/threads/questionnaire-for-tv-monitor-purchase-queries.185969/

SaiyanGoku said:
Fill this:

*geek.digit.in/community/threads/questionnaire-for-tv-monitor-purchase-queries.185969/

K I knew there was something like this!

1. Budget?
Preferably 5k but instead of buying crap I would increase my budget.

2. Display type and size?
Display size = I currently have a 15.6 inch ,so ANYTHING would be upgrade.
Type - Dunno. But CRT and OLED(cause budget) are out of equation.

3. What will the TV/monitor be used for primarily?
Everything ranging from gaming to using office to web browsing to moderate content creation.

4. Types and number of ports required?
HDMI is a requirement, won't complain if a VGA is thrown into mix.

5. Preferred choice of brand?
None , but won't buy from a unreliable brand

6. Any TV/monitor in consideration?
Amazon.in: Buy HP 22 inch(54.61 cm) Ultra-Slim Anti Glare Full HD LED Monitor - 3 Side Micro Bezel, IPS Panel with VGA, HDMI Ports - HP 22m Display - 3WL45AA (Black) Online at Low Prices in India | HP Reviews & Ratings - but price is high.

7. Any other info that you want to share.
i. Freesync at this budget? I don't think so

ii. Please don't suggest any weird aspect ratios and the monitor should have a resolution of more than 1366*768.

W

@omega44-xt

Amazon.in: Buy Acer Aopen 21.5 inch Full HD 1920 X 1080 Resolution Backlit LED LCD Monitor - 200nits Brightness -HDMI and VGA Port - 22CH1Q Online at Low Prices in India | Acer Reviews & Ratings

Might be the only option near 5k with 1080p panel. It is obviously a bad TN monitor, but you can't expect more.

For something good, you have to spend 8k:
*www.amazon.in/BenQ-Borderless-Brig.../B07LDH32ZP/ref=psdc_1375425031_t2_B07NX9CGTW

omega44-xt said:
Amazon.in: Buy Acer Aopen 21.5 inch Full HD 1920 X 1080 Resolution Backlit LED LCD Monitor - 200nits Brightness -HDMI and VGA Port - 22CH1Q Online at Low Prices in India | Acer Reviews & Ratings

Might be the only option near 5k with 1080p panel. It is obviously a bad TN monitor, but you can't expect more.

For something good, you have to spend 8k:
Robot Check

Ohk, so ideally I should instead wait sometime to increase my budget to get the most bang for my buck.................

omega44-xt said:
For something good, you have to spend 8k:
*www.amazon.in/BenQ-Borderless-Brig.../B07LDH32ZP/ref=psdc_1375425031_t2_B07NX9CGTW

I am currently using big brother of this monitor: *www.amazon.in/BenQ-inch-Bezel-Monitor-Built/dp/B073NTCT4R
It's good. But yes, I bought it for Rs 11699 (after bank discount).

So, yes "increasing budget to get the most bang for buck" holds true for everything in the tech world.

Vyom said:
I am currently using big brother of this monitor: *www.amazon.in/BenQ-inch-Bezel-Monitor-Built/dp/B073NTCT4R
It's good. But yes, I bought it for Rs 11699 (after bank discount).

So, yes "increasing budget to get the most bang for buck" holds true for everything in the tech world.

Now I am more confused than I have ever been. I mean yeah , technically increasing budget always brings you more , but there is a certain limit for everything, like 3k mic is enough, a 4k writing pad (remember that post?) is enough , a controller for 1k, a headphone for 4k, a pc for 27k, mouse for 200rs, gaming mouse for 3k , lappy for 40k , usb cable for 100-200rs , hdmi cable for 600rs etc etc, graphics card for 13-16k etc. etc. Like I mean if you go below that budget , you are basically buying garbage and increasing e-waste, and later you will regret that buying decision.

I wanna find that limit for a monitor.

W

abhitruechamp said:
Now I am more confused than I have ever been. I mean yeah , technically increasing budget always brings you more , but there is a certain limit for everything, like 3k mic is enough, a 4k writing pad (remember that post?) is enough , a controller for 1k, a headphone for 4k, a pc for 27k, mouse for 200rs, gaming mouse for 3k , lappy for 40k , usb cable for 100-200rs , hdmi cable for 600rs etc etc, graphics card for 13-16k etc. etc. Like I mean if you go below that budget , you are basically buying garbage and increasing e-waste, and later you will regret that buying decision.

I wanna find that limit for a monitor.

There is no such thing as absolute upper limit of price when it comes to pc components. You can't even build a pc nowadays with 27k assuming you are not reusing any component. A 40k laptop is reasonable enough if you do only typical tasks & even then this price is for usual pre-corona situation as now laptops & mobiles are much costlier. A 16k graphics card won't suffice if you want to play latest games at high settings. For a monitor I can tell you that buying anything less than a 22" IPS panel is simply wasting money unless you simply don't care about monitor picture quality at all.

abhitruechamp said:
Now I am more confused than I have ever been. I mean yeah , technically increasing budget always brings you more , but there is a certain limit for everything, like 3k mic is enough, a 4k writing pad (remember that post?) is enough , a controller for 1k, a headphone for 4k, a pc for 27k, mouse for 200rs, gaming mouse for 3k , lappy for 40k , usb cable for 100-200rs , hdmi cable for 600rs etc etc, graphics card for 13-16k etc. etc. Like I mean if you go below that budget , you are basically buying garbage and increasing e-waste, and later you will regret that buying decision.

I wanna find that limit for a monitor.

I'd say 8-11k for a 22-24" IPS 1080p monitor for most value for money. But VFM is a relative term. For many that cheap TN is sufficient. For me, it was a 14.5k 1080p 144Hz IPS monitor.

whitestar_999 said:
There is no such thing as absolute upper limit of price when it comes to pc components. You can't even build a pc nowadays with 27k assuming you are not reusing any component. A 40k laptop is reasonable enough if you do only typical tasks & even then this price is for usual pre-corona situation as now laptops & mobiles are much costlier. A 16k graphics card won't suffice if you want to play latest games at high settings. For a monitor I can tell you that buying anything less than a 22" IPS panel is simply wasting money unless you simply don't care about monitor picture quality at all.

No, I meant here that buying below it would be waste of money, like gt710 is a waste of money (for 16k you used to get rx590, but I realise that is a precorona thing) , those cheap 100rs mics(generic ones) are waste of money. For pc I assumed reusing all components except the Mobo, cpu and the likes. TBH those 10k notebooks (which due to corona are out of stock) are absolute waste of money. See what I am getting at here? Yes, you can get much better price/performance ratio in 10k headphones but 4.5k would suffice, other than that you can absolutely use a 400rs earphone and not waste your money on 1k, 2k exxxtra bass headphones u see poping up all the time.

omega44-xt said:
I'd say 8-11k for a 22-24" IPS 1080p monitor for most value for money. But VFM is a relative term. For many that cheap TN is sufficient. For me, it was a 14.5k 1080p 144Hz IPS monitor.

Oh, I see. But sometimes that jargon can really mislead. I mean there would be good TN panels and bad IPS panels right? Also there is sometimes a term that you do not know the importance of , like I didn't knew the importance of sensor quality in mouse, and got a cheap gaming mouse thinking it would be good enough for my gaming needs(I ain't no pro). Tracking issues I suffered from.

W

abhitruechamp said:
No, I meant here that buying below it would be waste of money, like gt710 is a waste of money (for 16k you used to get rx590, but I realise that is a precorona thing) , those cheap 100rs mics(generic ones) are waste of money. For pc I assumed reusing all components except the Mobo, cpu and the likes. TBH those 10k notebooks (which due to corona are out of stock) are absolute waste of money. See what I am getting at here? Yes, you can get much better price/performance ratio in 10k headphones but 4.5k would suffice, other than that you can absolutely use a 400rs earphone and not waste your money on 1k, 2k exxxtra bass headphones u see poping up all the time.

Yes I understood but what I meant to say is that just like an absolute lower limit there is no absolute upper limit. I don't know about you but I would never use or buy a Rs.400 earphone & in my opinion 1k earphone is min for those who care about sound quality.

W

abhitruechamp said:
Oh, I see. But sometimes that jargon can really mislead. I mean there would be good TN panels and bad IPS panels right?

A bad ips panel is still better than a good TN panel as long as viewing angles & colour accuracy is concerned.

abhitruechamp said:
Oh, I see. But sometimes that jargon can really mislead. I mean there would be good TN panels and bad IPS panels right? Also there is sometimes a term that you do not know the importance of , like I didn't knew the importance of sensor quality in mouse, and got a cheap gaming mouse thinking it would be good enough for my gaming needs(I ain't no pro). Tracking issues I suffered from.

Good TN panels are rare and can only be better than an average IPS, not those 100% sRGB IPS (which even that 8k IPS has apparently, the BenQ one). TN just has bad colours & contrast. But TN has fastest response times, so competitive gamers do go for those, like 240/300Hz monitors sacrificing image quality. For most people, IPS & VA are better choices.

whitestar_999 said:
I don't know about you but I would never use or buy a Rs.400 earphone & in my opinion 1k earphone is min for those who care about sound quality.

Dunno amazon basics do it for me

, I mean its better than having no earphones. And later down the line you can even upgrade to a decent headphone...........

omega44-xt said:
Good TN panels are rare and can only be better than an average IPS, not those 100% sRGB IPS (which even that 8k IPS has apparently, the BenQ one). TN just has bad colours & contrast. But TN has fastest response times, so competitive gamers do go for those, like 240/300Hz monitors sacrificing image quality. For most people, IPS & VA are better choices.

Oh, I see...........

Buying a monitor has been more headache than I was prepared for. Guess I should just save upto minimum 8k to avoid those hefty bezels and TN panel as my earlier monitor is functional even now, I just needed to upgrade.

If anyone is interested its this - Dell E1609W Widescreen Flat Panel Monitor Details | Dell Aruba
I know, I know , its specs are laughable , but it was a real beauty at that time when CRTs were still a thing.

I WILL RETURN!

I think the point which whitestar was trying to make (and not actual concluding) is minimum and maximum varies for everyone by many factors like:
1. Enthusiast (like a photo enthusiast would spent a minimum amount which might be maximum for a non enthusiast)
2. Your budget and the value of money (simply put rich / poor)
3. Age and gender of person
4. Your actual requirement from a product (like if you only need phone to make call, your max budget = minimum budget for someone who wants to do more)

Similarly, in terms of monitor, there can't be absolute min or max. It depends on how much value and future proofing you want from your monitor. More the better.

Vyom said:
I think the point which whitestar was trying to make (and not actual concluding) is minimum and maximum varies for everyone by many factors like:
1. Enthusiast (like a photo enthusiast would spent a minimum amount which might be maximum for a non enthusiast)
2. Your budget and the value of money (simply put rich / poor)
3. Age and gender of person
4. Your actual requirement from a product (like if you only need phone to make call, your max budget = minimum budget for someone who wants to do more)

Similarly, in terms of monitor, there can't be absolute min or max. It depends on how much value and future proofing you want from your monitor. More the better.

Oh, thanks for putting things in perspective.
(tho, I think ur 3rd point, esp. the gender part is not correct? I mean, I can't think of any product where a specific gender needs to spend more, esp. on a tech product.)

W

abhitruechamp said:
Oh, thanks for putting things in perspective.
(tho, I think ur 3rd point, esp. the gender part is not correct? I mean, I can't think of any product where a specific gender needs to spend more, esp. on a tech product.)

Many girls/women prefer lighter & sleeker laptops/mobiles even if it comes at a premium.

Not us, we want powerful, beastly machine, that we can get for sale prices. xD

Vyom said:
So, yes "increasing budget to get the most bang for buck" holds true for everything in the tech world.

Ok, so I am back with a increased budget this time, ~8K. I think it would be sensible to fill the questionnaire again, but most requirements remains unchanged.

1. Budget?
Preferably 8k but instead of buying crap I would increase my budget.

2. Display type and size?
Display size = I currently have a 15.6 inch ,so ANYTHING would be upgrade.
Type - Dunno. But CRT and OLED(cause budget) are out of equation, won't buy TN panel as okish viewing distance is a requirement

3. What will the TV/monitor be used for primarily?
Everything ranging from gaming to office work to web browsing to moderate content creation/consumption.

4. Types and number of ports required?
HDMI is a requirement, won't complain if a VGA is thrown into mix.

5. Preferred choice of brand?
None , but obviously won't consider an unreliable brand.

6. Any TV/monitor in consideration?
NA

7. Any other info that you want to share.
i. Freesync at this budget? I don't think so

ii. Please don't suggest any weird aspect ratios and the monitor should have a resolution of (greater than or) equal to 1080P

PS. I looked at the monitors you guys suggested at 8K price range, and those seem to go up to 11K recently, what happened? The market seems higher than before in general, is it even a good time to buy a monitor? I knew nothing of a monitor price jump up this pandemic.

earlier you could get 22" monitors within 8-9k,but as of now most of their prices have increased to ~10k.It maybe the result of supply shortages on the account of the pandemic.

8k seems enough for a budget 1080p ips panel ? Or have the times changed ?

Nerevarine said:
8k seems enough for a budget 1080p ips panel ? Or have the times changed ?

Seems like they have changed for the worst

Æsoteric Positron said:
Seems like they have changed for the worst

then its an unfortunate time for you dude, id say look at olx and get a cheap one. Make sure u visit and test before buying.

quicky008 said:
earlier you could get 22" monitors within 8-9k,but as of now most of their prices have increased to ~10k.It maybe the result of supply shortages on the account of the pandemic.

It seems rise in basic monitor prices is because of rise of WFH as premium monitors didn't get more expensive, in fact gaming monitors are better & cheaper than ever. Seeing a normal 24" 1080p IPS at 12-13k vs a gaming 144Hz one with height-adjustable stand at 16k these days.

Nerevarine said:
then its an unfortunate time for you dude, id say look at olx and get a cheap one. Make sure u visit and test before buying.

Nah, I'd make do with my 1366*786 discontinued dell monitor, and wait, since I have already waited around 1 year already.

Æsoteric Positron said:
Nah, I'd make do with my 1366*786 discontinued dell monitor, and wait, since I have already waited around 1 year already.

Jump from 768p to 1080p is a big one compared to 1080p to 1440p & so on for monitors. With WFH here to stay, any of the sales were the right time to buy. With all the uncertainties & rising inflation, maybe the prices will never fall down to pre-2020 level.

Nerevarine said:
8k seems enough for a budget 1080p ips panel ? Or have the times changed ?

It was in 2020.. I got a 24inch FHD monitor for 8.5k. Now that costs 14k rs.

Æsoteric Positron said:
Nah, I'd make do with my 1366*786 discontinued dell monitor, and wait, since I have already waited around 1 year already.

Did you ever consider trying second hand ?
Many IT professionals upgraded their work setups during work from home and their older monitors can still be good enough for use. I would advice to try Olx or your local facebook marketplace groups.

maybe the prices will never fall down to pre-2020 level.

Yeah. But expect this for every PC component. Now those corporate people know for sure whatever is available will sell regardless of the price. 3060Ti which performs almost equal to 2080S, just half the price! I had my eye on this and was planning to upgrade in this year but it's not going to happen. Sigh.

vito scalleta said:
It was in 2020.. I got a 24inch FHD monitor for 8.5k. Now that costs 14k rs.

Monitor prices in 2020 were THE best prices IIRC. Those prices were lower than how it had been previous years, basically mean to say I don't think those were normal prices.

W

TheSloth said:
Yeah. But expect this for every PC component. Now those corporate people know for sure whatever is available will sell regardless of the price. 3060Ti which performs almost equal to 2080S, just half the price! I had my eye on this and was planning to upgrade in this year but it's not going to happen. Sigh.

It has more to do with chip shortage in various sectors & cryptocurrency craze.

whitestar_999 said:
It has more to do with chip shortage in various sectors & cryptocurrency craze.

I understand that this but we will not get old prices again even after the chip shortage issue is resolved. Of course I cannot say this 100% certainity as a fact but I do not have hope.

Because of GPU prices, gaming laptops are almost worth their price.. almost.

Nerevarine said:
Because of GPU prices, gaming laptops are almost worth their price.. almost.

Now situation is getting better, but still you can't build a complete PC with monitor which is outright better than a R5 5600H + 3050 laptop at 70k. Even an i3 12100F + 3050 + monitor will be above 80k easily, although it will be 20-25% or so better in games.

omega44-xt said:
Now situation is getting better, but still you can't build a complete PC with monitor which is outright better than a R5 5600H + 3050 laptop at 70k. Even an i3 12100F + 3050 + monitor will be above 80k easily, although it will be 20-25% or so better in games.

To think not that far away we had a time where those belonging to PCMR would laugh at laptop plebs on getting a system which they could build at 75% the price.

omega44-xt said:
Now situation is getting better, but still you can't build a complete PC with monitor which is outright better than a R5 5600H + 3050 laptop at 70k. Even an i3 12100F + 3050 + monitor will be above 80k easily, although it will be 20-25% or so better in games.

thats true, but few months back + too much uncertainty of buying a GPU. it was good time to get a laptop imo. PC prices are slowly recovering and in a few months, PC will be default choice back on top.
Me personally i had to sell off pc and go for laptop because of travel but I'd 100% would have chosen a PC otherwise. Man I was moments away from clicking buy now on that nvidia 3070 to replace the ageing 1080. Thankfully saner minds prevailed.

R

If anyone of you want to buy cheapest laptop try xiomi laptop.

Sent from my LM-G710 using Tapatalk

rupeshforu3 said:
If anyone of you want to buy cheapest laptop try xiomi laptop.

Sent from my LM-G710 using Tapatalk

Yeah no

Nerevarine said:
Yeah no

leave it, most of his posts are absurd

R

If you want to buy superb quality and performance then go for imac otherwise Microsoft surface Pro.

Sent from my LM-G710 using Tapatalk

What no

This monitor buying advice thread has turned in to a grievance meeting Lol.

rupeshforu3 said:
superb quality and performance then go for imac

I'd like to have 1kg of whatever you are smoking.

R

Sorry I have not seen the title of the current thread.

Sent from my LM-G710 using Tapatalk

rupeshforu3 said:
If anyone of you want to buy cheapest laptop try xiomi laptop.

Sent from my LM-G710 using Tapatalk

Definitely don't be beta testers for new laptop companies or any electronic company in general. Let them sustain in the market for 1-2 years more. Not like they have groundbreaking specs for the price either. I started recommending OP since OP3T actually.

So many memories with this thread, happy to see its was still active 2 years before

Edit: And no, I still haven't upgraded my monitor. One day.