New Monitor

[worth]

Guys,

I'm in need of some suggestions for a new monitor, i've had some issues latley.

I have a 22" Samsung at work that is 6 months old that crapped out, so I sent it to Samsung to be repaired under warranty. While that is out, I brought my home monitor, a 21", to work because the only replacements at work are tiny 17", and there's no way i'm staring at a 17" all day long.

So now my 21" from home had crapped out. It was on its last legs anyway. It is one of the first models gateway produced.

I need suggestions for a new widescreen monitor.

Criteria are:

22"-24"
probably will not see a ton of gaming
< $300
DVI and RGB ports
no need for audio
would like it to be avaliable in town so don't have to wait, but willing to wait if there is a good online deal.

Thanks.

[socktape]

Tiger Direct was having a big sale on monitors... you might want to check it out. I have a 23' BENQ that has been really good.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by socktape

Tiger Direct was having a big sale on monitors... you might want to check it out. I have a 23' BENQ that has been really good.

It's not worth it after shipping from Ontario both in the time it takes and the cost and the difficulty in making returns. We don't have any TD outlets in Calgary.

For a monitor, I really suggest looking at them in person yourself to decide, you can't just buy a monitor without knowing how it looks with your own eyes. Many good monitors also have different modes (movie mode, text mode, photo mode, game mode, etc.). Switch it to text mode to see how it looks for office work.

The best deals to be had in town are usually open box items @ Futureshop & Best Buy. Costco has a very limited selection. Memory Express has decent but run of the mill prices. Those are basically the only places I would shop for an LCD monitor in town. I would also consider ordering one from Dell as well, especially when they have a Dell Days of Deals.

As you are doing work and not gaming, response time is not that important, so get an IPS panel and not a TN panel.

[silentsim]

Dell 2209WA
Can be had around 2-300$.

This is an e-IPS panel, not a crappy tn!

Great for the price.

[Vulcan]

Any of these look good but there is probably little difference in picture quality among them. You pay extra for speakers etc., so I'd probably take the cheapest one there.

http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/Computers%28ME%29/LCDMonitors%28ME%29/Default.aspx?cf=MO_ScreenSize|24.0+Inch

[Jimmy Stang]

I have a Samsung T240 (24") at work, and liked it so much I bought one for home as well. The one at home is the version with the TV tuner built in, however. Advantage - could be used as a TV (obviously). Disadvantage - you pay the TV tax/levy on it when you buy it, whereas regular monitors aren't subject to that fee (if I remember correctly).

[malcolmk14]

I have the same monitor as Jimmy Stang above. Love it.

Edit: Nevermind, I don't have the T240, I've got the 226BW.

[BloodFetish]

My recommendation is the NEC EA231WMi - also over $300, but it's a very nice IPS panel with a fully adjustable stand. NewEgg.ca is the cheapest right now at $330.

The main selling feature of this panel, for me, is the matte screen. I can't figure out if people really like the glossy screens, or if manufacturer's just make them because they look better on a store shelf.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by BloodFetish

My recommendation is the NEC EA231WMi - also over $300, but it's a very nice IPS panel with a fully adjustable stand. NewEgg.ca is the cheapest right now at $330.

The main selling feature of this panel, for me, is the matte screen. I can't figure out if people really like the glossy screens, or if manufacturer's just make them because they look better on a store shelf.

Glossy screens are good for dark rooms or for watching movies and playing games because they make colors more vibrant as the matting layer doesn't diffuse them.

Definetely get a matte screen for any kind of work though.

[worth]

Thanks for the info guys.

I'm working on a crappy 17" monitor right now at 1280x1024 and it's killing me!

The Dell and that NEC look really nice, both of which would suit me fine.

One question about IPS panels though, is it worth it to get one if you're going to be using a VGA port?

My desktop at work is using onboard video, so there is no DVI port. I may just pick up a cheap video card off ebay that has a DVI port actually.

I'm going to wait this out I guess and look for a good deal online. I'll keep an eye on the dell deals page like H&L said. Plus, when I get the widescreen back, it's gonna blow my mind how huge it is and i will be happy for 2 days.

[silentsim]

The 2209wa goes on sale pretty much every dell deals. Usually around a 230-240 pricepoint. You will not regret going IPS over tn, especially working with graphics.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by worth

Thanks for the info guys.

I'm working on a crappy 17" monitor right now at 1280x1024 and it's killing me!

The Dell and that NEC look really nice, both of which would suit me fine.

One question about IPS panels though, is it worth it to get one if you're going to be using a VGA port?

My desktop at work is using onboard video, so there is no DVI port. I may just pick up a cheap video card off ebay that has a DVI port actually.

I'm going to wait this out I guess and look for a good deal online. I'll keep an eye on the dell deals page like H&L said. Plus, when I get the widescreen back, it's gonna blow my mind how huge it is and i will be happy for 2 days.

Many high end monitors still come with VGA ports, you don't need DVI specifically but a digital signal sometimes looks better and you can get higher resolutions.

This 23" is only $169 today on the Dell Deals and does have a VGA port along with speakers but it might be glossy. I personally like glossy but not all people might like them for work.

http://accessories.dell.com/sna/prod...1&sku=320-8299

[worth]

I do use photoshop often enough (without a video card it can be a bit of a pain), so i'll look for an IPS panel.

[-TC-]

I use a LG 2353 and it rocks