Looking to buy new LCD monitor for under $430 that has a resolution of 1920x1200 that also preferably does not have any speakers built in (i have a surround sound system so speakers are unecessary). I have looked a couple on Newegg (specifically the Acer ones) but i admit i dont know much about current LCDs so i was wondering if anybody has any suggestions for me?
nice, but I dont really care about thickness, it doesnt need to be slim at all, im far more concerned with image quality that and that off centre mount looks kinda unstable
Neither of these can display 1920x1200. I was looking at a couple of other Samsung monitors, how are they quality wise?
Well I think you will find it difficult to find a better 24" monitor regardless of thickness in that price range. If you are willing to spend more a hp w2408 might have slightly better image quality but at the expense of a dvi-d port (it does have a hdmi port). Other than that you will not find anything better in the tn panel price range.
Got no use for HDMI at current so that really doesnt work for me, what price range should i be looking at? ($500-550 better?) also are there any 1600x1200 resolution LCDs you could suggest?
The hdmi can be converted to dvi using an adapter. One of the better 24" monitors would be the dell 2408wfp, will probably cost just under $600. As for 1600x1200, well most newer widescreen monitors have a res of 1680x1050 with some exceptions, they should be within your original budget with high image quality and better viewing angles. I do own a 22" samsung syncmaster 226bw which has some great reviews but find the colours look washed in comparison to my 24" acer p243w, though it has excellent viewing angles in comparison. In fact I have just ordered a hp w2408h and a hdmi to dvi-d adapter to go with it, I would highly recommend it as it only falls slightly out of your price range at around $450.
I am pretty happy with it, it has great image quality and rich colour, works well as a gaming monitor however the downside being viewing angles and having to press too many buttons to switch connectivity between ports.
how sensitive are the viewing angles? ive read that the P243 doesnt support its native resolution in a 64bit OS (i have 32bit OS but if i am going to buy a monitor i want to make sure its going to last a while in case it makes sense to buy a 64bit in the future) I was looking at the Acer X243, have you heard anything about this monitor? (i should have mentioned before that the monitor im upgrading from is a 6 year old Gateway FP1730, so i imagine all of the monitors you've listed are far superior in everyway)
The viewing angles can be a pain, in particular the vertical angles are pretty bad with the image looking too bright from above and dark from a lower angle, for gaming it's great but if you want to watch alot of movies you will need to keep this in mind. Also using a 64bit os should make absolutely no difference, in fact I dual boot with xp 32-bit and vista x64, never had a problem. The Acer x243 is the lower model as it comes with a slower response time and lack of a hdmi port. I would stick with the p243w. Unlike crt, with lcd monitors you really need to be careful as image quality varies alot from one monitor to another so newer larger monitors are not necessarily better in everyway, in fact you are unlikely to find an lcd that matches an old crt in terms of image quality and response time when gaming.
$329 on sale with free shipping total cost of this one is $364, tax included with a 3 year cross shipped "no questions asked" warranty: http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/...etail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=320-6095 i have the 22in version and like it a lot. its good for gaming and watching movies and all that. has clear sharp text. its a standard "TN" panel (matte, not "glossy") and doesn't produce what i'd describe as a "great" or "brilliant" picture. but it does have good image quality imo. if nothing too special. i like mine because it has a thin bezel so its just a whole lot of screen looking back at you without the distraction of some wide "piano finish" bezel like many others made today. it has a simple stand with just a tilt adjustment. no height or swivel. so its a fairly basic unit. no usb ports, speakers, or card reader. some of the user reviews give it a bad rap. but that's true of all monitors, some people are just very picky. early models may have had some issues but Dell has corrected those things since then, as well as some quality control issues. hence the superb three year warranty. this is probably not the monitor to choose for the working professional in graphic design, professional video editing, or advanced photoshop. or the too particular "videophile." and it may take some calibrating / adjustment out of the box. but for the majority of users it would probably be just great so long as your not struck with OCD about perfection. make up your own mind. i like my 22in version just fine EDIT: here is a recent thread from a forum with people discussing the relative pros and cons of the monitor: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=287530 and an older one: http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=641903
go for a Samsung with an SPVA panel like the 245T pricey but worth it I have the 244T and absolutely no complaints here, IQ is amazing
hmm...well that monitor is $270 over his budget at newegg if you include shipping. and you have to include shipping. he can get two of the Dell's for less. but of course quality before quantity. so i come back to Dell. the 24in ultrasharp are really nice....but again pricey like the samsung: http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/...2&cs=19&c=us&l=en&dgc=SS&cid=27530&lid=627063 although i'm sure you know that. these are premium monitors not found for $400. however you can get a refurbished one with a one year warranty for $425 http://www.recoupit.com/Shop/Control/Product/fp/SFV/31197/vpid/4128843/vpcsid/0/rid/125016 i say $425 because its $44 / 12% for the one year warranty. otherwise its just 30 days. so why pay for the warranty? because $425 is still a good price for this monitor. which is excellent. and if it works for a year it should work for another. and another... i would try to call and ask about this monitor, however. refurbished monitors are given grades. "grade a" are completely top quality refurbs put back to spec. like new. "grade b" are the same, but could carry some cosmetic blemishes / imperfections. below that is "c" and i think these can actually have scratches on the screen, unusual markings, signs of wear. what concerns me a little is the standard warranty on this monitor is just 30 days. that's like a legal minimum. on Grade A refurbs many times you'll see a 90 day warranty. its like a factory refurb. it may cost less because they want you to purchase the warranty? but in that case why not just price the monitor at $425 with a one year warranty? meh, sounds better at $379, i guess but anyway at $425 with a one year warranty to repair, replace, or refund (make sure it covers dead pixels, too), thats a damn GOOD monitor in your price range. just make sure its not "used" or "off lease." it should be at least a grade "b" refurb with all internals taken care of and NO screen blemishes. everything on it should work. if its a "grade a" i would say buy it for sure. EDIT: they also have this one for $332 with a one year warranty: http://www.recoupit.com/Shop/Control/Product/fp/vpid/4488401/vpcsid/0/SFV/31197 and a review: http://www.anandtech.com/mobile/showdoc.aspx?i=3188 that is a very nice monitor at that price. fully adjustable, great picture. not as good as the ultrasharp or samsung, but not bad. and not as expensive
Yeah, I am looking at the Acer p243waid at newegg also. I am in a 400 dollar budget window and want a good quality monitor.
^ ooh thats a nice one at that sale price. brand new, good quality, great picture. i think thats the pick right there. or the refurbished ultrasharp.
Yeah I'm definately leaning towards the Acer P243, seems to be the best bang for the buck. I looked at that refurbished Dell and send the company an email trying to figure out what grade of a refurb it is but, i dunno, buying a refurbished LCD kinda makes me nervous. Also I did find a Samsung 245T at ecost.com for $450, but im not sure how reliable that company is. Unless i find something that really stands out as better (cost/benefit) i will more than likely be ordering the Acer in a couple days, Also is 1:1 Pixel Mapping a feature i need/want?
yeah the acer on sale seems the happy compromise. its not exactly a basic no frills unit like the base Dell, but not a top quality unit like the samsung or ultrasharp, either. i believe it is a TN panel like the basic Dell, however. so if that might bother you after some time you may want to consider the refurbs. here is a forum thread someone made who purchased the acer: http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1267477 reading the reviews on newegg it would seem to get the same complaints (from the complainers) that the Dell gets. just the usual TN panel complaints about color and what not. if you have time to stop in a computer store later you may want to go look at some side by side or one after another. just find a monitor with a good TN panel and play with the adjustments, see what you think. then look at one with the more....desired panels like the ultrasharp and samsung have...and you can see what you can live with. just don't compare a top of the line LCD to a TN panel LCD. heck, an ultrasharp can put most other monitors to shame, much less a basic one :'(
The new HP w2408h or the HP w2448hc. I have the w2228h and am very pleased with it's quality Haven't checked prices though...
