Brand new Lenovo P32-P20 32in 4K 2160p IPS monitor $225 or less FS US only
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Nice, those HPs you have are 16:10. 
That was a great era of monitors because of the various types of inputs readily acceptable--I have the Dell version and it's great from everything from computer to dvds!
And you only have 40u of devices (I'm assuming 1U/ea)? You're normal to middling around here. I've seen pictures of people's homelabs with 3x full 42Us and enough UPS power to keep them up. It's 'go big and go home' when you're homelabbing!
That was a great era of monitors because of the various types of inputs readily acceptable--I have the Dell version and it's great from everything from computer to dvds!And you only have 40u of devices (I'm assuming 1U/ea)? You're normal to middling around here.
I've seen pictures of people's homelabs with 3x full 42Us and enough UPS power to keep them up. It's 'go big and go home' when you're homelabbing! They seem pretty similar:
Comparison between: 27" Philips 27E2F7901, 31.5" Lenovo ThinkVision P32p-20
Comparison between: 27" Philips 27E2F7901, 31.5" Lenovo ThinkVision P32p-20
www.displayspecifications.com
Never used the component connection nor S-video. Those input types, including DVI are now of a bygone era. After I got my monitor arms I just drilled four 1" holes for power, USB, and video cables and DVI no longer fit through.
The issue with my current monitors is they don't support USB 3.0. Transferring large files is a bit slow, although I don't do it often. But I find I still need to use smaller USB drives because for some reason Juniper's boot loader of their branch devices sometimes don't like larger capacity ones. I always have a 4 GB capacity on hand for emergency recovery. But whereas the failures of larger drives is something like 70%, using a 4 GB drive is successful around 80/90%.
The ~40U are all network devices. I haven't invested much time on rack mounted servers because I currently have a wall-mounted rack. My servers in production are enclosed within desktop cases. I do have a couple of rack mounted servers but only 3.
Looking at the specs of the Philips, it's pretty clear it is the superior unit. That's to be expected since it came out last year. I like the fact that it's almost half the weight of the Lenovo, but a part of me is thinking how well built is it.
The issue with my current monitors is they don't support USB 3.0. Transferring large files is a bit slow, although I don't do it often. But I find I still need to use smaller USB drives because for some reason Juniper's boot loader of their branch devices sometimes don't like larger capacity ones. I always have a 4 GB capacity on hand for emergency recovery. But whereas the failures of larger drives is something like 70%, using a 4 GB drive is successful around 80/90%.
The ~40U are all network devices. I haven't invested much time on rack mounted servers because I currently have a wall-mounted rack. My servers in production are enclosed within desktop cases. I do have a couple of rack mounted servers but only 3.
Looking at the specs of the Philips, it's pretty clear it is the superior unit. That's to be expected since it came out last year. I like the fact that it's almost half the weight of the Lenovo, but a part of me is thinking how well built is it.
Nah, it's just an eclectic mish-mash of my homelabbing journey throughout the years. Among them are my first enterprise switch, an Extreme Summit 400-48T, and an old workhorse Nortel ERS 5520-48T-PWR. Then there is the Brocade VDX-6740T which will always be in the lab because of the high power requirements.
A victim of Noctua fan replacement causing capacitor failure? I have no proof because I didn't open the cover after I purchased it. But after a year or so of operation it started rebooting every 5 minutes and upon inspection its capacitors were bulged.
Philips seem to have much better color ranges.
larger range of reds (DCI P3) and i suspect also better range of Adobe RGB (blues/greens)
While i'd rate both as HDR400 i'd suspect Lenovo panel would be rated somewhere around HDR300/350 (if such existed)
Price wise, for such monitors and color ranges aren't that great of a deal.
The monitors arrived today but one of them has an intermittent glitch. When I was testing them I just noticed a thin line that appeared and disappeared quickly several times in the span of 10 minutes. I thought it was a loose cable connection but swapping DP cables didn't take the problem to the other monitor. I also was using an HDMI cable when I was first testing. The glitch also manifests in a quick blanking of the screen. Once in a while there is a partially garbled display. Looks like the internal monitor cable is bad?
Reached out to the seller. Hope to get it resolved soon.
The listing shows it's refurbished. Power up into "Factory" mode (turn off monitor; keep both Menu and <up arrow | input select> buttons pressed while powering the monitor on; power LED will alternate between white and amber) then press Menu and select the "F" menu just below the ThinkVision brand. It will show the total "lamp hours." Mine were 21 and 1 hour when I went into the menu. The seller must have reset the hours. Aside from a bit of dust the displays' LCD area are in excellent condition visually. There are some light scuffs in the back. And some of the silver paint on "ThinkVision" have rubbed off. Factory mode shows the panel as a BOE MV315QUM-N10. Some attributes from displayspecifications don't match what is published at www.panelook.com/MV315QUM-N10_BOE_32.0_LCM_parameter_45651.html. I can't find a freely-downloadable version of the BOE's datasheet to confirm specs.
The depression where the VESA mount is supposed to go is too small for HP's VESA adapter. 1/4" standoffs and 20 mm M4 screws may be used to aid installation.
That's my quick summary for now. More details probably after I get the replacement.
Reached out to the seller. Hope to get it resolved soon.
The listing shows it's refurbished. Power up into "Factory" mode (turn off monitor; keep both Menu and <up arrow | input select> buttons pressed while powering the monitor on; power LED will alternate between white and amber) then press Menu and select the "F" menu just below the ThinkVision brand. It will show the total "lamp hours." Mine were 21 and 1 hour when I went into the menu. The seller must have reset the hours. Aside from a bit of dust the displays' LCD area are in excellent condition visually. There are some light scuffs in the back. And some of the silver paint on "ThinkVision" have rubbed off. Factory mode shows the panel as a BOE MV315QUM-N10. Some attributes from displayspecifications don't match what is published at www.panelook.com/MV315QUM-N10_BOE_32.0_LCM_parameter_45651.html. I can't find a freely-downloadable version of the BOE's datasheet to confirm specs.
The depression where the VESA mount is supposed to go is too small for HP's VESA adapter. 1/4" standoffs and 20 mm M4 screws may be used to aid installation.
That's my quick summary for now. More details probably after I get the replacement.
Considering the condition of the monitors, do you not think the 21 and 1 hours are real? And for the glitchiness, I would still try another cable as not all cables are the same and end up working the same--I learned this a couple of years ago when a particular ethernet cable would drop to 100Mb on certain NICs but was fine on others of the same model. Go figure.
I used 3 cables (1 HDMI, 2 DP) so the monitor is the culprit, not cables. Monitors that have real sub 24-hour use would not have silver paint rubbed off. But because the monitors were packaged in a cardboard sandwich it's possible the paint rubbed off during shipping. I would presume the hours could be reset in factory mode. Factory mode is widely documented, but I haven't been able to find out how to reset the lamp hour value.
Panelook states the panel is good for a minimum of 30K hours. Of course the panel is separate from the control board and power supply. One of my LP2475w's control board has failed so none of adjustment buttons, except power work.
Panelook states the panel is good for a minimum of 30K hours. Of course the panel is separate from the control board and power supply. One of my LP2475w's control board has failed so none of adjustment buttons, except power work.
The seller contacted me after I initiated a conversation with eBay. These guys are pretty slow in responding compared to other sellers I've dealt with.
They offered a replacement or refund and provided a shipping label. I found another seller who sells open box of the same but for around $40 more. I decided to give these guys another chance but I have not received any replies to our message conversation after I shipped the item back. They probably want to wait until they receive the item before continuing and don't cross-ship, which is understandable. For communication it would be nice if they inform me of their policy. I just checked and UPS delivered the item today.
I've been using the other monitor for around a week and I have some interesting things to share compared to my HP monitors. As a new user of 4K displays it forces me to change some of my workflows.
Windows by default scales the display to 150% and I find the rendering not pleasing. Some fonts appear bold while others appear thin and tiny. Scaling at 100% is much too small so I've settled with 125%. 125% is a little smaller than my 1920x1200 @24" so it's not difficult to see the text. But there are still some rendering issues. Certain programs will have text that look blury so I need to find the program and right click Properties > Compatibility [Change high DPI settings] and check Override high DPI scaling behavior. Scaling performed by: [Application]. Selecting this option will resolve blurred text in an application. It has a small side effect where a custom splash display won't render anymore.
The higher DPI setting wreaks havoc on VNC. Rescaling won't work because the mouse coordinates are mismatched between the client and remote. I need to use RDP instead. RDP works well because it automatically rescales the 4K to the client's resolution.
The P32p-20 only has 4 USB ports. Three type A and one type C. My LP2475w has 6 type A but are USB 2.0. I needed more so purchased some USB hubs. I didn't know too much about USB hubs but discovered them during my quest for more ports. The first is every hub provides four ports. If there is a hub with more than four ports, they do so through multiple hubs. I purchased several types of hubs. USB type A to 4 USB type A; USB type C to 3 USB type A and 1 USB type C; and a cute mini one going from USB type A to 3 USB type A. https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/36...20f5579.8f99f020786676df78c5d37fe6f7603f.jpeg
The first two hubs look like the normal pigtail hubs. They do not work on the P32p-20. They only provide power but if I insert any computer peripheral Windows does not activate it. If I remove the device Windows triggers the disconnect notification sound. This is probably related to the way these hubs work and they would only function if they have are self-powered. These hubs work if I connect them directly to my computer's USB ports. The mini hub works fine and I am glad.
When I was trying the native USB ports on the P32p-20 I found it was inconsistent in recognizing a USB 3 device. It could take one or two tries and I found it recognizes a USB 3 device as USB 2 ~20% of the time. I used the program UsbTreeView to confirm.
There is a USB charging setting that apparently allows 90W charging. But enabling this setting only allows charging. Devices aren't seen by the computer. I thought if I enable this setting I could charge a device even when the monitor is off but that's not possible.
The monitor has a setting from its menu's Port Settings that says USB Source Selection. It is dimmed and was set to USB 2.0. The manual doesn't describe what it does nor inform the user how to change it. While I was trying to learn more about its KVM feature I found out through Lenovo's community that one needs to install their Display Control Center. The monitor's manual doesn't inform the user about Lenovo DCC either. I don't have a need to use KVM, where one would need to have USB keyboard and mouse connected to the monitor and control multiple computers. Besides I'm still using an IBM M15 and it has a PS/2 interface. Anyway, installing Display Control Center was interesting because it is an Appx and requires a valid trusted certificate. DCC is available from the Windows Store but it doesn't install--probably due to the same problem I encountered for the download from Lenovo's website. I've never really dealt with appxs before so the archive has a setup.exe. This setup.exe is for a support package and not the Appx. Launching the .Appxbundle informed me there is no trusted root certificate. A websearch told me I could extract it by going into the Appxbundle's Properties > Digital Signatures [highlight signature from list][Details][View Certificate][Install Certificate].
Using default choices for the install of the certificate didn't work. Windows's default places the certificate in the wrong folder. Lenovo included the certificate in a sparate file within the archive so their customers don't have to go through the Appxbundle's properties. The key is to install the certificate in the Trusted People folder within certmgr. After that the Appx installed.
Within Lenovo Display Control Center, I could change a bunch of stuff, much like the HP monitor app, including USB Source Selection. This selection manages what standard the USB C port uses on the monitor. The KVM settings is also exposed by DCC. It is a little confusing what some of the controls do but in essence one could associate certain USB ports between 2 PCs. https://smartdisplay.lenovo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/slide-tc-kvm-switch-1568x880.png
The Appx works well I suppose but it tends to leave multiple icons in my systray when I put my computer out of sleep. It is just a status icon and does nothing else.
From a usability perspective here are my thoughts. The crevice used for handle in the rear is very convenient because my son's monitor has none and it would take 3 hands to mount and unmount to a monitor arm using my VESA adapter. Most adapters have tabs on top but the HP VESA adapters slide down and has enough resistance to not work as well as the snap on type.
I tend to have a dimmly-lit room and using the monitor's menu can be a challenge in this environment. It's difficult to press only the menu button and not press the power button. All buttons are flush against one another. This sitation would be resolved if the menu's buttons are replaced with a joystick-type control or if the buttons were spaced further apart, .... With the Lenovo Appx I don't need to use the physical buttons anymore.
That's about it. I'm pretty happy with the performance. I don't game so don't need high refresh rate. I am not a content creator so am not too finicky about color space quality. There are no damaged pixels. I disable Dynamic Contrast, Overdrive, set brightness to 0, contrast to 40, color to Neutral.
They offered a replacement or refund and provided a shipping label. I found another seller who sells open box of the same but for around $40 more. I decided to give these guys another chance but I have not received any replies to our message conversation after I shipped the item back. They probably want to wait until they receive the item before continuing and don't cross-ship, which is understandable. For communication it would be nice if they inform me of their policy. I just checked and UPS delivered the item today.
I've been using the other monitor for around a week and I have some interesting things to share compared to my HP monitors. As a new user of 4K displays it forces me to change some of my workflows.
Windows by default scales the display to 150% and I find the rendering not pleasing. Some fonts appear bold while others appear thin and tiny. Scaling at 100% is much too small so I've settled with 125%. 125% is a little smaller than my 1920x1200 @24" so it's not difficult to see the text. But there are still some rendering issues. Certain programs will have text that look blury so I need to find the program and right click Properties > Compatibility [Change high DPI settings] and check Override high DPI scaling behavior. Scaling performed by: [Application]. Selecting this option will resolve blurred text in an application. It has a small side effect where a custom splash display won't render anymore.
The higher DPI setting wreaks havoc on VNC. Rescaling won't work because the mouse coordinates are mismatched between the client and remote. I need to use RDP instead. RDP works well because it automatically rescales the 4K to the client's resolution.
The P32p-20 only has 4 USB ports. Three type A and one type C. My LP2475w has 6 type A but are USB 2.0. I needed more so purchased some USB hubs. I didn't know too much about USB hubs but discovered them during my quest for more ports. The first is every hub provides four ports. If there is a hub with more than four ports, they do so through multiple hubs. I purchased several types of hubs. USB type A to 4 USB type A; USB type C to 3 USB type A and 1 USB type C; and a cute mini one going from USB type A to 3 USB type A. https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/36...20f5579.8f99f020786676df78c5d37fe6f7603f.jpeg
The first two hubs look like the normal pigtail hubs. They do not work on the P32p-20. They only provide power but if I insert any computer peripheral Windows does not activate it. If I remove the device Windows triggers the disconnect notification sound. This is probably related to the way these hubs work and they would only function if they have are self-powered. These hubs work if I connect them directly to my computer's USB ports. The mini hub works fine and I am glad.
When I was trying the native USB ports on the P32p-20 I found it was inconsistent in recognizing a USB 3 device. It could take one or two tries and I found it recognizes a USB 3 device as USB 2 ~20% of the time. I used the program UsbTreeView to confirm.
There is a USB charging setting that apparently allows 90W charging. But enabling this setting only allows charging. Devices aren't seen by the computer. I thought if I enable this setting I could charge a device even when the monitor is off but that's not possible.
The monitor has a setting from its menu's Port Settings that says USB Source Selection. It is dimmed and was set to USB 2.0. The manual doesn't describe what it does nor inform the user how to change it. While I was trying to learn more about its KVM feature I found out through Lenovo's community that one needs to install their Display Control Center. The monitor's manual doesn't inform the user about Lenovo DCC either. I don't have a need to use KVM, where one would need to have USB keyboard and mouse connected to the monitor and control multiple computers. Besides I'm still using an IBM M15 and it has a PS/2 interface. Anyway, installing Display Control Center was interesting because it is an Appx and requires a valid trusted certificate. DCC is available from the Windows Store but it doesn't install--probably due to the same problem I encountered for the download from Lenovo's website. I've never really dealt with appxs before so the archive has a setup.exe. This setup.exe is for a support package and not the Appx. Launching the .Appxbundle informed me there is no trusted root certificate. A websearch told me I could extract it by going into the Appxbundle's Properties > Digital Signatures [highlight signature from list][Details][View Certificate][Install Certificate].
Using default choices for the install of the certificate didn't work. Windows's default places the certificate in the wrong folder. Lenovo included the certificate in a sparate file within the archive so their customers don't have to go through the Appxbundle's properties. The key is to install the certificate in the Trusted People folder within certmgr. After that the Appx installed.
Within Lenovo Display Control Center, I could change a bunch of stuff, much like the HP monitor app, including USB Source Selection. This selection manages what standard the USB C port uses on the monitor. The KVM settings is also exposed by DCC. It is a little confusing what some of the controls do but in essence one could associate certain USB ports between 2 PCs. https://smartdisplay.lenovo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/slide-tc-kvm-switch-1568x880.png
The Appx works well I suppose but it tends to leave multiple icons in my systray when I put my computer out of sleep. It is just a status icon and does nothing else.
From a usability perspective here are my thoughts. The crevice used for handle in the rear is very convenient because my son's monitor has none and it would take 3 hands to mount and unmount to a monitor arm using my VESA adapter. Most adapters have tabs on top but the HP VESA adapters slide down and has enough resistance to not work as well as the snap on type.
I tend to have a dimmly-lit room and using the monitor's menu can be a challenge in this environment. It's difficult to press only the menu button and not press the power button. All buttons are flush against one another. This sitation would be resolved if the menu's buttons are replaced with a joystick-type control or if the buttons were spaced further apart, .... With the Lenovo Appx I don't need to use the physical buttons anymore.
That's about it. I'm pretty happy with the performance. I don't game so don't need high refresh rate. I am not a content creator so am not too finicky about color space quality. There are no damaged pixels. I disable Dynamic Contrast, Overdrive, set brightness to 0, contrast to 40, color to Neutral.
Thank you for the detailed thoughts! Aweome that you have an M15--I keep a regular 101 M on every single one of my workstations and even have a separate travel bag for a travel one.
It's interesting that the windows scaling hasn't improved much since win 3.1. After trying it back then, I resolved to always run native resolution or change the monitor and that has served me well. It's one of the reasons I'm not on a 4k monitor, but just 2560x1600--because the text will be too small on anything smaller than 40" at native resolution. One thing that might make the resolution more usable is to use the monitor vertically (if it's possible).
It's interesting that the windows scaling hasn't improved much since win 3.1. After trying it back then, I resolved to always run native resolution or change the monitor and that has served me well. It's one of the reasons I'm not on a 4k monitor, but just 2560x1600--because the text will be too small on anything smaller than 40" at native resolution. One thing that might make the resolution more usable is to use the monitor vertically (if it's possible).
The M15 was something I learned about decades ago when I had RSI. While in physical therapy so I could learn how to type properly, I was given an opportunity to try out many types of input devices. The M15 was among them. The keyboard saved my career. I have 4 of them, acquired through the years. It's unfortunate these types of keyboards were no longer made when US government funding for ergonomic input devices ceased. Though I do have a stack of IBM Model M 122-key specimens, I prefer my M15 because my trackball sits in between the two separated halves.
Many people say the IBMs are built like a tank but through the years, the plastic will become brittle, cord housing cracks, and plastic rivets that secure the bottom plate will break off. The M15 has intricate adjustable feet that allow tenting and mine have broken. Luckily they are still usable but moving the keyboard will dislodge the feet.
My Ergotron LX dual will probably not allow a portrait orientation of these 32" monitors unless they rest on my desk. https://www.carettaworkspace.com/up.../ergotron_lx_dual/ergoton_dual_main_image.png. I almost never use portrait mode even when I had one of those Radius Pivot displays.
Many people say the IBMs are built like a tank but through the years, the plastic will become brittle, cord housing cracks, and plastic rivets that secure the bottom plate will break off. The M15 has intricate adjustable feet that allow tenting and mine have broken. Luckily they are still usable but moving the keyboard will dislodge the feet.
My Ergotron LX dual will probably not allow a portrait orientation of these 32" monitors unless they rest on my desk. https://www.carettaworkspace.com/up.../ergotron_lx_dual/ergoton_dual_main_image.png. I almost never use portrait mode even when I had one of those Radius Pivot displays.
That's kinda when I discovered the M as well. We had a shiny new PS/2 30-286 at home with an M and in typing class I was using the F in XT and AT editions on wordperfect. My hands just fly on these and everything I've tried including cherry blue, green, topre and others have at best come close, but nothing is like the original M for my hands. I realized a long time ago that there's no reason to try to fix what isn't broken and I have somewhere near 50 Ms scattered at all the sites I deal with.
If you ever need your M15 fixed, I would contact clickykeyboards--they seem to be the very best of the best when it comes to restoring these iconic keyboards.
Ah yes, most desktop mounts like that won't rotate so you would have to permanently mount it vertical. And the problem with vertical is that your neck starts moving up and down and that can be a strain too. Those Radius displays were a neat idea when they came out, and my thought was always how in the world will a 17" pivot like that effortlessly when it's nearly 100lbs. Still nothing like the image quality from those old premium displays. I'd still be using them but now they're harder to find running 2560x1600 than the 30" ones I use.
If you ever need your M15 fixed, I would contact clickykeyboards--they seem to be the very best of the best when it comes to restoring these iconic keyboards.
Ah yes, most desktop mounts like that won't rotate so you would have to permanently mount it vertical. And the problem with vertical is that your neck starts moving up and down and that can be a strain too. Those Radius displays were a neat idea when they came out, and my thought was always how in the world will a 17" pivot like that effortlessly when it's nearly 100lbs. Still nothing like the image quality from those old premium displays. I'd still be using them but now they're harder to find running 2560x1600 than the 30" ones I use.
I'll make the time to repair the keyboard one of these days and will consider clickykeyboards. Thanks for the suggestion.
This Ergotron rotates and tilts. Unlike some rotating stands that come with monitors, like the HP, that do so in one direction, this one rotates in both clockwise and counter-clockwise. The HP's rotating feature has an annoying indent that is often off-center. The Ergotron has no indent. Convenient depending on how the cables are attached. But because the base is relatively low it doesn't have the height required for wide monitors. I think the design requirement was if it's mounted to a standing desk the tilt will help make it a "surface" monitor. Not practical if the monitor doesn't have a wide viewing angle--the P32p-20's is pretty good. Noticeably better fidelity than the LP2475w from obtuse angles.
This Ergotron rotates and tilts. Unlike some rotating stands that come with monitors, like the HP, that do so in one direction, this one rotates in both clockwise and counter-clockwise. The HP's rotating feature has an annoying indent that is often off-center. The Ergotron has no indent. Convenient depending on how the cables are attached. But because the base is relatively low it doesn't have the height required for wide monitors. I think the design requirement was if it's mounted to a standing desk the tilt will help make it a "surface" monitor. Not practical if the monitor doesn't have a wide viewing angle--the P32p-20's is pretty good. Noticeably better fidelity than the LP2475w from obtuse angles.
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