ACD 27" or HP ZR30w?

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ACD 27" or HP ZR30w?

I'm looking at some major screen upgrades and I've narrowed it down to the Apple Cinema Display 27" refurb or the HP ZR30w with some rebates and discounts. Looking for pros-cons I may have missed.

Factors:

I need to run 3 of whichever I choose off a 5770 in a mac pro.

looking to spend an absolute maximum of 1k per display, since there's 3 savings add up fast...

I don't need flawless color reproduction, or anything else super specific.

I would like to do some gaming on them.

I don't care if they're glossy or not so long as they're clear (reflections aren't an issue in my space).

I tend to prefer 16:10 to 16:9, but it's really not a big deal either way so long as the pixel count is high.

I intend to run them at native res only, no other devices connected.

So here's my findings so far:

ACD 27" pros:

If I go with refurbs they're about $70 cheaper

Apple branded which is always nice for pairing with a mac

LED back light (and lower power draw as a result)

Better color accuracy

Includes speakers and iSight (both include USB hub)

ACD 27" notable cons (besides spec differences such as size):

I need to get a second video card or a DVI-D to MDP adapter (about $70) to plug in 3

I need extenders for the MDP and USB connectors to reach the computer

ZR30w pros:

more pixels and more physical space at 16:10 (that's what a big screen is for afterall...)

much lower response time

MDP and DVI-D connectors so no need for adapters or extenders

No monitor is perfect, wondering specifically if anyone has experience with both displays and would care to share their thoughts. Am I missing anything specific in regards to config (if you put 3 ZR30w in a room they fight and break tables and chairs while you sleep? or more realistically the 5770 can't push native res to all 3 at once, or something along those lines). In a multihead array the thickness of the border on the screens starts to matter, is the border on either excessively wide? etc.

Mac Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.1)

Posted on Sep 29, 2012 6:25 AM

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Answer 1

Anders O

Level 1

8 points

Nov 14, 2012 5:49 AM in response to ima747s

For what is it worth I am having the exact same considerations and just ordered the HP.

Reasons:

Prefer 16:10 over 16:9
Prefer 30" over 27" even if it just means that the pixels are slightly bigger (101 PPI vs 109 PPI) since horizontal resolution is identical. 2560 is a high horizontal resolution, so it's actually nice to stretch that just a little wider. Squeezing it in on a 27" is a little similar to users not really getting that much benefit from the iPad 3 and 4's high retina resolutions.
No reflection issues (which are quite serious in most environments)
Because it annoys me that Apple didn't just add a MiniDisplay-port to the Thunderbolt display and instead made them two different monitors. I would have liked a monitor that I could use both with my PC and with a Thunderbolt Mac.

I much prefer the design of the Apple Display and this was a major issue for me. But in the end it wasn't enough to sway me.

I am used to working with two 30" Samsungs side-by-side and the thickness of the border is about the same as the HP. Not a problem, really. From my visits in the Apple Store, I would say that the border on the Apple Display is actually a bit wider, but not excessively so, so not a major concern.

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