Noob Cheap PC Question

cristobaljamesy on 14/04/2025 - 20:53

Hi OzB Crew,

I'm thinking of buying this cheap Dell desktop
https://www.australiancomputertraders.com.au/dell-optiplex-7…
to run two of these 27" monitors
https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/dell-se2725h-27-fhd-75hz-…

Basically just need it for study and light internet usage, I do have a laptop with USB C so I realise with these cheaper monitors I wont be able to connect them that way.

Would anyone suggest against it or should I go for the larger form factor PC, such as this? https://www.australiancomputertraders.com.au/dell-optiplex-7…

If any readers can please share their wisdom on the setup I'd appreciate that :)

Computing Computer Desktop Computer

Comments

  • Hybroid on 14/04/2025 - 21:02
    +3

    They’re only 1080p displays. You can easily get a USB-C adapter to plug in both HDMI cables.

    • CascadeHush on 14/04/2025 - 22:35

      My main monitors have been 1080p 27" for many years until about a week ago I upgraded to a 1440p 32". For general internet use and studying, there really isn't much point having a 1440p monitor and I'm not sure I'd want that resolution at 27" anyway. For a lot of apps that's just going to make the UI really small.

      • CrispyChrispy on 14/04/2025 - 22:51
        +1

        and I'm not sure I'd want that resolution at 27" anyway.

        1440p is pretty much the gold standard for 27" gaming displays

        For a lot of apps that's just going to make the UI really small.

        Nah not really. 4K at 27" would be another story. TBF I do have mine at 125% scaling and it's just right.

        • CascadeHush on 14/04/2025 - 23:17

          OP said study and light internet usage not gaming.

          Scaling at 125% sounds like it should be right if it actually worked. I'm glad if it does what you need but UI scaling is a hard pass for me.

      • Hybroid on 14/04/2025 - 23:28
        +1

        It wasn't intended as a slight on 1080p monitors, rather saying it's not that bandwidth heavy so any basic adaptor will work (as opposed to say 4K ones which are a lot more finicky due to higher bandwidth).

        Having said that, I don't personally believe 27" is big enough for productivity, you cannot comfortably have 2 pages or applications side-by-side, and 32" is the bare minimum for that. Also for immersivity for media/gaming. 1440p is a significant increase in sharpness and clarity at both sizes.

        1080p has been dropped by almost everything nowadays, from TVs to phones to action cameras to security cameras to even baby monitors etc. Rightly so.

        • CascadeHush on 14/04/2025 - 23:47

          I learned to use a wordprocessor on a 14" CRT so it's all a bit relative. The upgrade from 640x480 on a 14" to 800x600 on a 15" was a H.U.G.E!!!.

          I agree that 27" is not really big enough for 2 things side by side… not if you are doing that all the time. But I've been running dual monitors as a bare minimum for over 15 years, and more often than not a tripple monitor setup.

  • freefall101 on 14/04/2025 - 21:10
    +4

    I do have a laptop with USB C so I realise with these cheaper monitors I wont be able to connect them that way.

    Pick up USB-C dock with dual display support and your problem is solved with the laptop. But I'd hunt around a bit more on monitors, 1080p at 27" isn't pleasant and you could probably buy something secondhand/refurbished that's better. Or just go with 24" at the same resolution.

    Would anyone suggest against it or should I go for the larger form factor PC, such as this?

    I have the micro version, it's a great little machine. Definitely useless for anything video related, it craps out trying to blur the background on a Teams call (it'll still play a video file at least), but otherwise it's my office desktop that I use regularly. Perfectly fine for everything I do and RAM/storage are easily upgraded.

    Due to the small size you will hear a bit of noise when the fan kicks in, I assume the larger version doesn't. Plus there is a power brick that the larger version doesn't have. So it comes down to how much space you have.

  • scrimshaw on 14/04/2025 - 22:33
    +1

    I would consider buying one ultra-wide monitor if you want a cleaner setup, with a minimum vertical resolution of 1440p (avoid the 1080p stuff). Less cables overall.
    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/tag/34inch

    Would anyone suggest against it or should I go for the larger form factor PC, such as this?

    One reason you would want a larger form factor is upgrades and more room for additional drives. There is no room at all for any kind of SATA drive or PCIE device in the Micro SFF machine.

    • CascadeHush on 14/04/2025 - 22:39
      +1

      worth considering but having 2 monitors lets you run 2 apps maximised without any issues. Yes you can use stuff like Fancy Zones or Display Fusion to divide things up, I do that all the time. But some apps just don't play nice. The only way to guarantee you can get 2 apps full sized side-by-side 100% of the time with 0% of the fuss is to have 2 actual monitors.

      • Franc-T on 15/04/2025 - 03:58

        I agree - Its not the only way (there are apps that allow that sort of thing) but its certainly very easy. I have used a shitton of different monitor combos and My preference for work / casual stuff is two matched 27"s its just nicer (I use three + laptop screen for work myself and a single 38 + 13 for home stuff)

  • SYLTB on 15/04/2025 - 09:27
    -2

    Lenovo, if laptop ThinkPad. I am tired of saying this.

  • cristobaljamesy on 15/04/2025 - 17:15

    https://www.untech.com.au/products/dell-ultrasharp-u3415w-34…

    Would this be a respectable option to compare with the 2 x 27" 1080 resolution screens?

    Price wise its comparable but not a huge fan of their replacement stand..

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