Member Avatar for Acidburn

Hey guys, I'm heading back to university to complete a masters course which requires an extreme amount of programming. Something which I'm looking forward to!

Last year I spent most of my time down the labs with a dual screen setup which meant that the IDE could be displayed on one of the monitors whilst the other could be used for the output.

Could anyone name a few great makes. Mother just had a samsung die on her, so don't know whether thats a great choice after all? I'm a big Sony fan but lately they don't seem to impress me much when it comes to design, and overall look of their monitors.

A 19" or something bigger would be nice.

Budget: I'm settling for £300 for the two monitors, the less the better but I wouldnt want to compromise the performance of the screens.

Thanks guys.

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requested two decent screens for heavy programming on a limited budget; mentioned the “go big” alternative. Rather than focus on brands, pick features that matter for a dual-monitor coding setup and use them to compare models.

Look for a panel with wide viewing angles and good color/contrast (IPS-style technology) so text is sharp and consistent from different seats (IPS overview). Aim for a resolution that gives useful vertical space — 1080p is the baseline, higher vertical resolution is better for more lines of code. Choose thin bezels or a VESA-mountable monitor so you can align screens closely or use arms ().

Quick buying and testing checklist:

  • Confirm inputs your GPU supports (DisplayPort/DVI/HDMI) for full resolution.
  • Test for dead/stuck pixels, backlight bleed and uniformity on dark and white backgrounds before finalising.
  • Prefer adjustable stands (height/tilt) or a VESA arm to line up tops and reduce neck strain.
  • Check the vendor’s return and dead-pixel policy and the warranty length.
  • If budget is tight, consider refurbished business-grade panels — they often have sturdier electronics and better support.

Setup tips and cautions:

  • Match resolutions and pixel density across both screens where possible to avoid awkward scaling and cursor/size jumps.
  • Consider one portrait monitor for long text or logs.
  • Calibrate brightness/contrast so the two displays look similar; mixing different panel types (TN vs IPS vs VA) will usually produce visible differences.
  • If considering a single very large screen (as mentioned by ), weigh bezel-free workspace vs the convenience of two separate displays for IDE + output.

These checks will help find reliable, comfortable monitors that last and serve a programming workflow well.

Recommended Answers

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Member Avatar for JonathanD

I Strongly recommend the 30" Apple Cinema display if you can afford it.

Otherwise, I have dual 20" AOC monitors which work great.

I like Samsung monitors, most of the electronics are Samsung in my apt.

Member Avatar for Acidburn

AOC?

Member Avatar for Acidburn

Arr AOC I liked the 22" but cant find a british reseller :\

Member Avatar for JonathanD

AOC actually makes the monitors for some companies like Dell (I think) and a few others, then they get relabelled with their brand, so AOC is the original makes.

I love my AOC monitors, they're amazing

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