New monitor (1 Viewer)

[Ron_dK]

Hi all,

I'm considering buying a new monitor for one of my PC's. I'm using an old NEC 1880 LCD, which I personally find a very good one. Hence, I figured that a NEC LCD 2190 UXp would be a great choice, albeit it's quite an expensive thing.
Could anyone give me some alternatives on what you consider a good monitor for a reasonable price.

 

[Minkey]

First off I do rate NEC monitors highly, we buy the pro versions at work but I do think, especially the consumer versions, they are very expensive (very good but very expensive).

IMO Samsung are making some of the best screens out there, I have a 226BW at home and it's fantastic.
We recently bought one of these well actually the previous version of it for work and again it's brilliant, 24" AND under £300.

Or if you want an HDMI input how about this one for about £350. It's currently PCPro's A-Listed LCD clicky for a review.

I really think £550 on a 22" LCD is just too much to spend especially considering you can get a 26" LCD for under £300 clicky, I know size isn't everything but you don't have to spend that much to get an excellent quality large screen now.

Oh and if you restricted to a 22" monitor how about the new version of mine you should be able to get it for under £250.

 

[Ron_dK]

Thanks for the valuable info Minkey.
Man, it's really a jungle out there , identifying a good product for a reasonable price. But the 226BW seems to be one of the better monitors.
I 've been bombarded with info and reviews , but nevertheless made some sort of selection to choose from :

NEC MultiSync EA221WM
Iiyama ProLite B2403WS
BenQ X2200W
Samsung SyncMaster 226BW

There all within budget of approx. € 350,-

I think I'll have to do some more research and have a look at those in the nearest town PC shop.


Cheers, Ron

 

[Minkey]

I think I'll have to do some more research and have a look at those in the nearest town PC shop.


Cheers, Ron

That's always a good idea but I've got a tip for you that some people overlook - this also applies when buying a new TV - sorry if you plan to do this but I think it's worth mentioning.

They very rarely setup the screens correctly, they often have the brightness and contrast set way to high to 'show them off'. To get a true comparison set them all the 50% (for a TV ask to see the remote if you can't get to the setting through the buttons ;-). You'll get a much better idea of their 'default' image.

 

[Ron_dK]

Thanks will take that into consideration.

Btw. The PC I'll need the monitor for is from 2006. Would I need to change the
128MB ATI RADEON X300 SE HYPERMEMORY to a newer version.
I hardly play any games, so it's not to improve to video display.

 

[Minkey]

Would I need to change the
128MB ATI RADEON X300 SE HYPERMEMORY to a newer version.
I hardly play any games, so it's not to improve to video display.

Ah well now according to the specs it supports:

640x480
800x600
1024x768
1152x864
1280x1024
1600x1200
1920x1080* 16:9
1920x1200
1920x1440
2048x1536

*16:9 aspect ratio monitors are supported on 1920x1080 and 848x480 on Windows® XP, and Windows® 2000. The complete list of resolutions depends on the driver version and operating system. NOTE: resolutions are limited by the performance of the attached monitor.

Which is a little odd because for example my Samsung 226BW's native resolution is 1680x1050 (widescreen) so according to your graphics card is doesn't support that only 1920x1080 in widescreen.

Now I'm not saying you have to upgrade your graphics card - why not try it first ?- but IMO, though bare in mind I'm a bit of a geek and a gamer, I would want a card that runs at my monitors native resolution for perfect pixel mapping

Though even if you felt the need to upgrade you can get a perfectly acceptable cheap graphics card to do the business and more clicky about £35 - If you watch or plan to watch HD films this is a great card.

As I've said try it first it might been fine for you I'm a bit of an AV/IT nut so I'll pay that bit (sometimes lot !) extra for that little bit better