Shootist Loc: Wyoming

I finally decided to look into what is involved in more precise color management in work flow. After many hours of reading about the subject, searching out what that looks like considering my current setup and determining how I can get the best bang for the buck in new equipment this is what I have concluded. I currently have a windows 8.1 laptop with just about adequate horsepower but supplied with the infamous Intel HD 4600 graphics card. Also I have an old 24 inch Acer monitor and a 27 inch Dell S2718H monitor all tied together. Within its limits the graphics card seems to handle the three displays pretty well.
What I am finding is that between the limited capabilities of my current monitors and the way my graphics card doesn't play nice with Windows Management and the monitors I cannot get where I want to go (A final well calibrated image).
I am leaning toward purchasing a BenQ PD2700U monitor, retiring the Acer and using the dell as a dual monitor for where I need to use two programs simultaneously. I know the BenQ PD2700U is designed for graphics but the specs suggest it would serve very well as a poor man's photo monitor (did I mention it is also on sale?) The photo specific SW models cost nearly twice as much and I can't quite reach them. I should be able to calibrate the BenQ, use it to sight calibrate the Dell monitor and final finish images needing to be exported or printed.
Before I spend $500.00 on a new monitor I would appreciate any comments/suggestions

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

Windows 8.anything is a dead end. You will never get the results you are looking for. And a new display is not going to do what you want either. Sorry to be blunt.

Shootist Loc: Wyoming

Thanks for the input but a little more detail would be greatly appreciated. Please do not be sorry for doing what I asked of you.

yssirk123 Loc: New Jersey

Check out the BenQ SW240 which is slightly smaller but is an excellent editing monitor, and is available for $369 at B&H.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

The preferred approach is to use a color profiling tool. I am partial to Xrite products - and suggest the i1 Display Pro - as it will develop a profile for any display or projector. The other popular tool is made by Datacolor, and I have found their support to be lacking, and their tools do not profile displays with programmable LUTs, like the Display Pro.

Trying to do this by eye will not get you to where you want to be and will only result in a very frustrating experience. The primary reason will be that your target image for calibration needs to have all of the important colors and the brightness has to be matched, and the color gamut needs to be somewhat similar.

Your woes are not because you don't have a discrete graphics card - Intel HD4600 will work just as well as anything else currently available for establishing proper, accurate color. It does not compare to discrete cards when it comes to overall performance.

The BenQ SW2700PT would be a better choice for a photo editing display - wider color gamut and programmable LUT/hardware calibration. Even the SW240 would work very well - same gamut, programmable UT and 10 bit. Personally I prefer working on a wider gamut 24" display over a lower gamut 27" display - a bit easier on the eyes. The very high res displays are nice to look at but not nearly as comfortable to work on, especially if your application doesn't do a good job at font scaling.

So I suggest you rethink your overall budget, get a slightly smaller photo-editing-specific display, and an i1 Display Pro - for a total cost of about $610 for both - and you kiss goodbye to your profiling issues.

anotherview Loc: California

Do you mean calibration of your monitor for accurate color rendition?

Shootist Loc: Wyoming

Thanks for your input. There are so many variables to consider and your suggestion has some merit. I will certainly put it into the mix for consideration. I use a 27 inch monitor but perhaps I need to reconsider if it is the best bet.

kenArchi Loc: Seal Beach, CA

One time I bought an 8. Couldn't sell it, gave it to good will.
Bought a 7 and a monitor from Costco, and a spider.

Shootist Loc: Wyoming

Thanks for commenting. The points you make are all well worth considering. Being the BenQ PD and SW models come with a precalebrated guarantee I had supposed I could skip the cost of a celebration device. Perhaps this is a misconception on my part. One of the challenges I have had is getting the OS, graphics card and monitor adjustments to play nice together. This seems to be solved by the monitor you recommended having an onboard and independent color adjustment regimen.
Again, thanks for your insight.

Shootist Loc: Wyoming

Yes.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

No. Hardware calibration is not the same as creating a color profile, and color settings drift as the backlight/edge light ages over time.

http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/calibration-and-profiling-not-the-same-thing/

The OS has nothing to do with this. I've been color profiling displays since Windows 2000. And in this regard, Win 8 is just as capable as any other version. The graphics card only needs to send the colors it is told to send to the display, and the display only has to receive the color information, and translate that into visible color. Developing a profile for a monitor will ensure that the colors displayed will resemble real life, taking into consideration the color gamut (how many colors) the monitor is capable of displaying. The OS really doesn't figure into this because it does not really read the profile information. An application has to provide color management (read the color profile information) in order to have the monitor display accurate color. Even the Intel onboard GPU is capable of doing what is needed for this.

Shootist Loc: Wyoming

Thanks for hanging in there with me. I think I get most of what you are communicating but my onboard processor (The one between my ears!) has degraded with age and processes information rather slowly. I will need just a little time to digest the information you provided and its implications for me.

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

You will find applications, for instance, Photoshop, Lightroom, Luminar, Capture 1, etc that will no longer run installed on Win 8 or will run but limp along. Windows 8 has been end of life status with Microsoft and is no longer supported.

I will say, from personal experience, do not do a Windows 10 install over Windows 8. The result is a mish-mash of code that will not leave you happy. Either buy a new HD, swap out for the Win 8 drive (what I did as a get out of jail free card) and install from scratch.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

See if you can upgrade your onboard unit

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)