A [thankfully] very short dose of work-from-home this week has proven that my ViewSonic monitor -- as big and nice as it is -- sucks for the CAD work I'm doing.

Maybe I'm spoiled by the curved Dell P3421W I have at work, but the resolution on my old VS just isn't enough.

So I've spent more time than I should today looking at a few 34" monitors and trying to keep cost down.

The top two on my list are a Samsung (LS34C502GANXZA) and an Alienware (AW3425DWM).

Resolution is stated as 3440 x 1440 for both.
The Samsung offers 5ms response time and a 100Hz refresh rate.
The Alienware boasts 1ms and 180Hz.
The Samsung claims a weight of 10.8 pounds (source: Best Buy's web site), while the Alienware hulks in at 21 pounds (source: Amazon).
Samsung offers a year warranty; Alienware offers 3 years.


I'm not doing heavy-duty photography work, and I don't do any gaming. I just need more screen real estate for software menu and large models. Based on the Dell I have at work, the 3440x1440 is great.

ViewSonic's VP3456A has been recommended, but is way out of budget. Either the Samsung or the Alienware can be had for about $300, and I'd be okay at that price point.

So... here come the thoughts.
- Obviously, the Alienware warranty kicks Samsung's tail.
- The Alienware weighs twice as much?! Why?
- - And do I care? (I won't wall-mount it.)
- What have I overlooked?

Thanks, all. And happy Friday!

1ms and 180hz.
More warranty is always a plus.
Unless you are toting it around with you does the weight really matter?

IMO, get the Alienware (better specs) and keep the ViewSonic. Run 2 monitors if space allows. Do your fine work in the Alienware monitor and push e-mail, word processing, and such on the ViewSonic.

As suggested use two monitors.

You may also want to look at LG monitors, they make several in that size, spec and price range.

I just bought one of these, I'm pleased as punch with it. and at $180 hard to beat.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/MSI...nitor-21-9/645944608

I spent $700 on a 4K Dell. No regrets. Bought a second for more utility.

I had one of these Curved 34" LG Monitors, really liked it.

What are the best use cases between large (as BIG) flat screens, large curved screens, or multiple monitors two or three across your desk. I see these configurations at my workplace, but I'm not sure of best use cases, though both the BIG flat screens, and the multiple monitors I see being use in IT settings.

Do any of you guys use these larger setups, and what pros/cons do they give you for your line of work ?

^^^

For a good long while, I saw zero need for the big ol’ widescreen. I had dual 19s and thought I was on top of the world. Email on the laptop screen, Word and Excel on one big monitor, CAD or other applications on the other… I was living large.

And then I got the chance at work to swap the 19s for this curved 34. I was a fan, quickly. It’s wide enough that I can have multiple documents (Word/Excel) up at once, or get a good CAD view, or even have multiple browsers open at once. Email still lives over on the laptop screen.

Key for my current situation is resolution. The 19s here are a few years old, and are great for most of my “homework.” Quicken and email on one side, Excel and a browser on the other. It makes the periodic bill-paying and account-reconciling easy. Truth is, I’ll keep that setup. I’m fortunate (I guess) to have two desks here in the home office — one for “home work” and one for “work work,” aka ‘second shift.’ So I’ll keep the dual 19s on the home desk, and replace the 24” ViewSonic on the work desk with a 34” widescreen. That way, my work desk at home will pretty much duplicate my home at work (see what I did there? ), and I’ll have that sweet 3440x1440 resolution available for the CAD work in both locations.

If I were really bougie and had a bit wider desk (and a fatter wallet), I’d be tempted to put up two of the widescreens. But that’s just overkill for my use. If I were a stockbroker or someone watching a ton of real-time data, that might just be the bee’s knees.

quote:

The Alienware weighs twice as much?! Why?

Possibly the stand?? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯


I have used Alienware monitors for quite a while now.

AW3418DW
AW3423DW
and I just got the AW3425DW.

You can check monitor deals here if you want:
https://old.reddit.com/r/build...on&q=flair%3AMONITOR

Looks like the AW3425DWM was on sale around Christmas for ~$187...
https://old.reddit.com/r/build...rved_gaming_monitor/