Good Gaming/Multi-tasking Monitor?

I know absolutely nothing about computer monitors, but I want something to hook up to my macbook air that looks better (video quality wise). I also do a lot of data entry for biological research, so I need something that is good to look at for general use, not just gaming. My budget is ~$500. I fucked up my macbook pro with retina, so I'm really missing the retina screen (I know a monitor cannot get anywhere close, but still). I also plan on mostly console gaming with it, maybe upgrading to PC gaming eventually. Size wise, I want something that fits on my desk without being super obtrusive.

thanks duders!

What do you mean a monitor cannot get anywhere close to a 'retina'? The retina displays in MacBook Pros aren't much higher res than most non-budget 27-30" monitors. (which are generally 1440p or 1600p)

Not to mention the high resolution (retina) displays are overkill on small laptop displays. I'm not saying they aren't nice but I wish manufacturers would start getting higher res monitors out there at competitive prices instead of sticking huge resolutions in laptops that gain very little benefit at 13-15". It's stupid, so is quadHD on phones.

As for multitasking if you want to fit two windows on screen very comfortably you want a resolution of 1920x1200 or higher. 1920x1080 is acceptable but the extra height of 1200 is optimal.

@privodotmenit: what I mean with the retina thing is that I have never seen anything come close to having the text as crisp as a retina screen. I read a shit ton of research papers and the retina is the first screen that didn't bug me.

A good 27" with a 1600p resolution should give a similar effect, the main reason it looks so crisp is because of how small the laptop screen is, if you sat a bit further back from a monitor you'd no doubt have the same impression.

OS X also has really nice font rendering, so that might be playing a part as well.

I use the 27" Yamakasi Catleap Q270 1440p and like it quite a bit. Not sure if there are newer models available, but I can vouch for this one. I also use a desk double monitor mount to keep space and cable management nice and neat.

Eh, a 27" at 1600p is about half the PPI of a retina MBP. The tech simply isn't there at the moment at his price point for a screen that has the sharpness of a laptop screen. The Korean 27" aren't too bad if you're not worried about color accuracy, gamut, and slightly uneven backlighting, which the OP doesn't sound like he cares much about.

Yeah, because of the size of the MBP screen. That's what pixels per inch is. Relative to screen size.

The MBP will always win on ppi because it's using a much smaller screen, its actual resolution is only one notch above 1600P.

On top of that you will generally sit further back from a 27" monitor than you would a MacBook, the distance you sit from a screen makes a very big difference. Therefore the perceived sharpness of the displays could be quite, quite different for the user.