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I currently have a triple monitor setup with three 1080 23" monitors. The side monitors have IPS panels and the center one has a TN panel. The monitors were purchased in 2011 for a budget price ($100-200 each). I have a good performing PC (Skylake i7, nVidia 1080 GTX, 32GB DDR4 RAM) and I play videogames of all genres (including first person shooters) <10% of the time and spend the rest mostly with my word processor, IDE, web browser etc.

Since I spend a lot of time on my computer and I would like to not bottleneck the experience with an old budget monitor, I think it's worth it to upgrade my old center TN-panel monitor.

Requirements

  • Since the side monitors are 23", I'd like to not deviate too much from their size. *
  • Since there could be driver issues and inconsistencies for UI's across the monitors, I prefer 1080p resolution over 4k or 1440p. *
  • As I have a nice machine to enjoy good gaming visuals, I would like to experience at least one noticeable differentiating feature from my old monitor: In particular a refresh rate of >100Hz. Based on my research, I'm able to operate the center monitor at a greater refresh rate than the side monitors in Windows 10.
  • With regard to strobing, the monitor should support something similar to ULMB for high frame rates.

* If it's strongly suggested that I get rid off all three monitors for some good reason, I'm also willing to upgrade to a single, "ultrawide" monitor with a high resolution.

Preferences

  • Low reaction time, high contrast, good color accuracy and range + (maybe automatically adjustable) brightness (doesn't have to be HDR)
  • Matte
  • G-SYNC (or the successor) would be nice since I have a new nVidia card. However, I doubt that many games on my machine will drop into the low framerates where this feature can shine.

Minor Preferences and Notes

  • I prefer it to be around $300, but I'm willing to spend more if there is a great one out there.
  • I'd also like to go with a reputable brand (e.g., ViewSonic, NEC, Philips) and a relatively new model.
  • Inbuilt speakers would be nice
  • Thin bezel and depth, fully adjustable (pivot, tilt, swivel) are nice to have
  • Eye care technology if it is not just marketing junk (have not looked into whether that is the case)
  • Modern connectivity (DP/HDMI, maybe even USB-C)
  • No strong preference for curved or flat, 3D, VESA wall-mounting abilities.
  • Not sure what panel (IPS, VA, TN) is the best for my needs.

Example Candidates

  • Samsung C24FG70: My current favorite because VA and Quantum Dot technology seems like a great compromise for my demands. It's also a very new model ($325)
  • ASUS VG248QE or ASUS MG248Q: Not that new but seems popular and solid, uses TN I believe, no G-Sync ($280, $300)
  • Acer Predator XB241H: Has G-Sync, but uses a TN panel & slightly pricier ($400)
Wuschelbeutel Kartoffelhuhn
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  • Some things to note: IPS panels will generally have a longer response time (5+ ms) compared to TN panels (1-2 ms), so you will have to weigh response time vs viewing angles. High refresh rate G-Sync monitors are currently going to be outside your price range (Expect minimum 400$ for a decent panel). Also some questions: Are you willing to deviate by 1" and go with a 24"? Are you gaming in a surround configuration, or just using 1 monitor for gaming? – MrPublic Feb 28 '17 at 03:20
  • Thanks for the follow up questions. Yeah, that latency tradeoff is why I'm favoring the VA panel in the "Example Candidates" section. My price range is actually not very limited. If there is a good reason I'm even willing to pay four figures, but I believe diminishing returns will kick in much sooner. I have a G-Sync model listed in the same section, which is 24" and $400, so yes. The last time I've played on 3 monitors was 4 years ago, so I pretty much just play on one monitor. If I used all 3, I'd have to settle with 60 Hz and no G-Sync for that particular gaming session :-) – Wuschelbeutel Kartoffelhuhn Feb 28 '17 at 03:29
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    Although I cannot make a specific recommendation, I would suggest looking towards a 1440p 120Hz+ G-Sync monitor. Your system should easily be able to handle any game at 1440p well over the 60FPS sweetspot, and with G-Sync the higher refresh rate will appear much smoother than without it. As for general PC use, you shouldn't see any text or UI scaling issues with a ~23" 1440p monitor, compared to a 4K one. I always recommend choosing a display very carefully, as it hopefully live through multiple system builds and choosing a higher quality one now will prevent the need to upgrade sooner. – MrPublic Feb 28 '17 at 03:43
  • I feel 1440p won't play nice with my 1080p side monitors. I only found one display, Acer Predator XB241YU, that's 1440p and ~23". It's $500, which is fine if I would buy 3 of them ($1500) and would find it acceptable to have all TN panels, but I spend the majority of my time with non-gaming, so I'm not sure if it's wise. Also, we are at the advent of new display tech like HDR, 4K AND >120Hz panels, so it's probably not worth it to go "all-in" with all 3 monitors today. – Wuschelbeutel Kartoffelhuhn Feb 28 '17 at 17:53

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