The LCD Buyers Guide

[STEvil]

costco is great

[sviola]

I´m searching for a new monitor for gaming, and I have come across these 4 monitors. Does anyone know anything about them?

# SCEPTRE X20G-Naga III Black 20.1" 8ms ->$400
Brightness: 300 cd/m2
Contrast Ratio: 800:1
Display Colours: 16.7 Million
Panel: Active Matrix, TFT LCD
Recommended Resolution: 1680x1050
Viewing Angle: 176°(H) / 176°(V)

# Acer AL2032WA Black 20" 8ms -> $530
Brightness: 300 cd/m2
Contrast Ratio: 800:1
Display Colours: 16.7 Million
Panel: TFT LCD
Pixel Pitch: 0.258mm
Recommended Resolution: 1680x1050
Viewing Angle: 176°(H) / 176°(V)

# SAMSUNG 214T-Black 21.3" 8ms (G to G) -> $736
Brightness: 300 cd/m2
Contrast Ratio: 900:1
Display Colours: 16.7 Million
Panel: a-si TFT/PVA LCD
Pixel Pitch: 0.27mm
Recommended Resolution: 1600x1200
Viewing Angle: 178°(H) / 178°(V)

# NEC Display Solutions LCD2170NX-BK Black 21.3" 8ms G-to-G -> $856
Brightness: 300 cd/m2
Contrast Ratio: 1000:1
Display Colours: More than 16 million
Panel: Active Matrix, TFT LCD
Pixel Pitch: 0.27mm
Recommended Resolution: 1600x1200
Viewing Angle: 176°(H) / 176°(V)

All the info I got was from Newegg. Has anyone seen any review on these? Is the Sceptre any good (its price is much lower than the Acer, which is the same size)?

[bmac11]

sviola:: no 2005FPW??

I would definitely drop the 1600x1200 options. If you're gonna spend that much money and use it for gaming.. get widescreen!

[KeithM]

I'm not sure which one of those to tell you to get. But IF it comes down to a choice between the Samsung 214T or the Nec LCD2170NX, I would go with the samsung, as they both use the SAME samsung LTM213U6 panel in them (reference: http://www.flatpanels.dk/panels.php ). Not sure though why the Samsung has a listed contrast ratio of 900:1 while the NEC model has 1000:1?? But I have heard/read, the 214T has beautiful picture and it can be bought from zipzoomfly.com for $695 so not sure it's worth the extra $150 or so more for the NEC one.

That SCEPTRE X20G-Naga III monitor looks like a new one that I only saw on Newegg myself earlier today. Don't know anything about it yet. It does "appear" to have very nice spec.'s for an impressively low price. But it's so new there aren't even any user reviews on newegg for it yet so buyer beware.

There also appears to be a promising new viewsonic [20.1" 1600x1200 res. 8ms gtg / 16ms white-black-white response time, 1000:1 contrast ratio] monitor coming out called the VP2030b
From it's spec's it looks like a 20.1" higher res. version of the fairly well regarded(except for many with backlight bleeding) vp930b 19" monitor. Again not even really out in stock anywhere yet(Dell has them on their site with a 1-2 week wait time for shipment) so no user reviews let alone professional reviews available.

[sviola]

sviola:: no 2005FPW??

I would definitely drop the 1600x1200 options. If you're gonna spend that much money and use it for gaming.. get widescreen!

It's on the list. I only am searching other models to choose the one that best fits my needs. Actually I'm leaning towards the Acer, which besides it's nice specs, also looks great.

I'm not sure which one of those to tell you to get. But IF it comes down to a choice between the Samsung 214T or the Nec LCD2170NX, I would go with the samsung, as they both use the SAME samsung LTM213U6 panel in them (reference: http://www.flatpanels.dk/panels.php ). Not sure though why the Samsung has a listed contrast ratio of 900:1 while the NEC model has 1000:1?? But I have heard/read, the 214T has beautiful picture and it can be bought from zipzoomfly.com for $695 so not sure it's worth the extra $150 or so more for the NEC one.

That SCEPTRE X20G-Naga III monitor looks like a new one that I only saw on Newegg myself earlier today. Don't know anything about it yet. It does "appear" to have very nice spec.'s for an impressively low price. But it's so new there aren't even any user reviews on newegg for it yet so buyer beware.

There also appears to be a promising new viewsonic [20.1" 1600x1200 res. 8ms gtg / 16ms white-black-white response time, 1000:1 contrast ratio] monitor coming out called the VP2030b
From it's spec's it looks like a 20.1" higher res. version of the fairly well regarded(except for many with backlight bleeding) vp930b 19" monitor. Again not even really out in stock anywhere yet(Dell has them on their site with a 1-2 week wait time for shipment) so no user reviews let alone professional reviews available

Thanks, I'll look for the viewsonic as well. I just wished I could see them in action. Unfortunately around here I can't find them. I just have to purchase one throught the internet and hope it doensn't have dead pixels.

[Salahuddin]

I actually have the Acer 2032W hooked up to one of my parents' computers right now, but it is rated at 16ms. The biggest problem with it is the lack of a DVI port. The one you listed might be the same monitor with a newer panel, so you might want to double check that. I wouldn't buy a monitor today without a DVI port. I'll be returning the one I have to Costco soon enough

[krille]

I'm looking to buy a new LCD for my gaming rig this Xmas. I want a ~23/24" capable of (at least) 1920x1200 (max budget around ~$2500, I could go higher if there is a good reason to). So, what LCD in this category would be my very best gaming LCD?

Is the HP L2335 my best choice (I don't want the speakers unless I have to)? Or is there an even better (only three are listed in first post, there has to be more out there?)?

I took it in the first post that HP L2335 was better than Dell 2405FPW for gaming (and Apple was worst), is this correct? I'd still like to be able to watch some movies and TV shows from time to time too, that I download, but I don't usually use my gaming rig for this purpose.

Many thanks!

[MaMMa]

SED = orgasm

[bugeyes]

New model from BenQ FP202W (AUO P-MVA) ----> Linkage

Specs:
LCD Size 20"
Resolution (max.) 1680x1050
Pixel pitch 0,258 mm
Colours 16.7 million
Horizontal Frequency (Max) KHz 81
Vertical Frequency (Max)Hz 76
Video Bandwidth (MHz) 25 - 182
Viewing angle (L/R;U/D) (CR>=10) 170/170
Display Area 433.4 x 270.9 (mm)
Contrast 600:1
Brightness 300 cd/m2
Response time (tr/tf) 8 (5+3) ms
Colour temperature Reddish/sRGB/Bluish + user mode
Input connector D-Sub/DVI-D
Power supply Built-in
Speaker No
USB No
VESA Wall Mounting Yes (100 x 100mm)
Swivel No
Pivot No
i-Key Yes
Kensington Lock Yes
Product Colour Silver-Black

[FallenAngel]

New model from BenQ FP202W (AUO P-MVA) ----> Linkage

From what the specs tells me i want one of those

[bugeyes]

The BenQ FP202W may not be so new after all?
found a review from the 21st of October 05 -----> Linkage

Going to my local computer shop on the weekend to have a look at one,($620 USD) the panel specs look good but benq's implementation seems less than satisfactory... only one adjustment and that for tilt only.

[sviola]

I actually have the Acer 2032W hooked up to one of my parents' computers right now, but it is rated at 16ms. The biggest problem with it is the lack of a DVI port. The one you listed might be the same monitor with a newer panel, so you might want to double check that. I wouldn't buy a monitor today without a DVI port. I'll be returning the one I have to Costco soon enough

Newegg lists it as having a DVI port. I just wished any good review site tested it.

[OmegaMerc]

Where is the VX922 on the list?

(loves his)

[brandinb]

why is there no talk of the 2ms responce viewsonic vx922
http://www.viewsonic.com/products/de...x922/index.htm
is this monitor anygood?
much better then the vx924??

can i get some opinions about this monitor the viewsonic va1912wb
http://www.viewsonic.com/products/de...12wb/index.htm
what type of panel is that and is it good for gaming??
its only 300 bux on newegg so its a crazy deal for a widescreen monitor if its any good.
please give me some honest opinions or critisizm on this monitor because i really want it but cannot find a store to try it out in before i buy it and dont want to make the wrong purchase

i mainly want it for battlefield 2/quake4/cod2/oblivion gaming using widescreen running native 1440x900 res 16:10 aspect

sounds sweet to me!!

[[XC] leviathan18]

lets wait until we see the new line up of lcd coming and we are going to update the guide

[OmegaMerc]

lets wait until we see the new line up of lcd coming and we are going to update the guide

Isn't the new line of LCDs about a year away? In terms of mass production and affordability.

why is there no talk of the 2ms responce viewsonic vx922

I own one, heres my newegg review

Comments: I have been VERY sceptical about getting into LCD's mainly because of ghosting. I stumbled apon this one turkey week in the states; I tryed to find reviews on it but since it had a street date of Dec 1 and a xxx$ price tag, I was unable to find anything about it. I checked out ViewSonic's website and it claimed to eliminate any type of ghosting. Any gamer knows ghosting is possibly the worse experience you can think of; playing BF2 Special Forces / CS: Source / World of warcraft, and seeing after images of people jumping around or zooming through is a down right a poopy experience. So with a price tag of xxx$ I made it my early xmas present crossing my fingers it wouldn't come with any burned pixels; or even worse ghosting.

I 2nd-day it through UPS and it arrived 4 days later because of Turkey day. Let me tell you, the monitor is absolutly AWESOME, the grey/black matches my mouse/keyboard/case and the image is absolutly brilliant (even at 50% brightness). Better yet NO GHOSTING OR DEAD PIXELS!! I tryed everything to produce a ghost image in all games(BF2,CSS,WoW), jumping, looking at arty hit dozens of targets, putting max sensitivity and moving the mouse randomly everywhere.

If your a gamer and your looking for that "special" LCD, and you can't wait a year for next gen LCD's this is the one.

[brandinb]

ok look at this panel its widescreen 20 inch with 8ms refresh for less the 400 dollars regular price!!! is it any good
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product...opnav=&browse=

[OmegaMerc]

ok look at this panel its widescreen 20 inch with 8ms refresh for less the 400 dollars regular price!!! is it any good
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product...opnav=&browse=

Never heard of them personally, but most LCDs come from a few select number of producers, remember when your looking for avg ms you should look at grey 2 grey and white 2 white scale, check the mfg website for more details.

[bmac11]

hmmm...
didnt see that coming

Looks like a new Viewsonic LCD, and by the looks of the specs, this may be a VA panel.
My guess it that it's using the VP191b's P-MVA tech, but with a different aspect ratio. I hope it's the same with the VA2012wb.
If this is true, I would highly recommend the VA1912wb for gamers looking for a 19" display, since the wide aspect ratio gives 20% more viewable advantage

I would wait for reviews before buying

Do you or anyone else have the detailed specs on the ViewSonic VA1912wb? Just wondering.. I've been using it for about two weeks now. I can't even look at my old crt for more than a few minutes now.

[OmegaMerc]

Do you or anyone else have the detailed specs on the ViewSonic VA1912wb? Just wondering.. I've been using it for about two weeks now. I can't even look at my old crt for more than a few minutes now.

Funny, I got the same problem, went to my brothers pc (hes using a CRT), and I was there for about 5minutes and my eyes were burning out. (if thats what you meant).

[bmac11]

can i get some opinions about this monitor the viewsonic va1912wb http://www.viewsonic.com/products/de...12wb/index.htm
what type of panel is that and is it good for gaming??
its only 300 bux on newegg so its a crazy deal for a widescreen monitor if its any good.
please give me some honest opinions or critisizm on this monitor because i really want it but cannot find a store to try it out in before i buy it and dont want to make the wrong purchase

i mainly want it for battlefield 2/quake4/cod2/oblivion gaming using widescreen running native 1440x900 res 16:10 aspect sounds sweet to me!!

Get it!! Its a sweet monitor! Hands down the best-bang-for-buck widescreen gaming monitor. Only games that support WS will play at the native resolution.. BF2 doesn't.. it just stretches the screen. I even prefer to use it over my 27" tv to watch movies on. Best 300 bucks I ever spent.

[brandinb]

Get it!! Its a sweet monitor! Hands down the best-bang-for-buck widescreen gaming monitor. Only games that support WS will play at the native resolution.. BF2 doesn't.. it just stretches the screen. I even prefer to use it over my 27" tv to watch movies on. Best 300 bucks I ever spent.

wow thanks for your opinion on the va1912wb screen!
can you tell me how suited the panel is for fast gaming like quake 3 and counterstrike? i mean ghosting and that type. my friend has the vx924 with 3ms responce and it is just above my tolarance for ghosting for games like quake. other games its perfect like battlefield 2 its too slow of a game to need a very fast panel but quake is another story and i can notice slight ghosting its not too bad tho and i can handle it. is this monitor much slower then his vx924? also do you or anybody else know the more detail specs of the panel like what type it is and the color depth it provides? and more detail responce time then just 8ms like it shows hehe thanks to you or anybody else who can help me learn more about this screen before i put some hurt on my credit card hehe

oh and i tried battlefield 2 at that resolution and it doesnt stretch it it just chopes the top and bottom off to keep the right geometry but its not true widescreen i think
cod and cs source are good example of widescreen that works very well

[bmac11]

brandinb: I've only played BF2, COD2, and a little GTA SA.. theres some recent reviews on the egg from people saying its fine for CS and Q4. You won't find a faster widescreen for price like this.. well none that I know of.

BF2 isn't bad. Took me a few minutes and clicks back and forth to even tell the difference. Yup COD2 is ws. Just ordered WOW from amazon which also supports it. It was only $30 so I figured I'll give it a try.

http://www.widescreengamingforum.com...pic.php?t=1030

[Turok]

Get it!! Its a sweet monitor! Hands down the best-bang-for-buck widescreen gaming monitor. Only games that support WS will play at the native resolution.. BF2 doesn't.. it just stretches the screen. I even prefer to use it over my 27" tv to watch movies on. Best 300 bucks I ever spent.

Could you do some tests for us with your va1912wb to check for ghosting/motion blur?

Download the PixPerAn program (from PRAD.de) to test for ghosting and to help calibrate your LCD a bit.
http://www.prad.de/download/pixperan_english.zip

Please comment on other details like the options on this LCD, the connectors, check the back label to see if it shows the panel type, and use the DVI cable when testing the monitor (just in case you're not using it).
EDIT: also add the dimensions of the screen's Bezel (case) and display size, and take screenshots of the screens ability to bend, pls



I havent updated the guide for a while. Right now Im in mid-term exams, so hopefully soon Ill have time to work on this guide in the holidays. I have to add more LCDs since there are new LCDs that are releasing, but I wont be able to add reviews to all of them since some dont have any reviewers at the moment

[OmegaMerc]

Could you do some tests for us with your va1912wb to check for ghosting/motion blur?

Download the PixPerAn program (from PRAD.de) to test for ghosting and to help calibrate your LCD a bit.
http://www.prad.de/download/pixperan_english.zip

Please comment on other details like the options on this LCD, the connectors, check the back label to see if it shows the panel type, and use the DVI cable when testing the monitor (just in case you're not using it).
EDIT: also add the dimensions of the screen's Bezel (case) and display size, and take screenshots of the screens ability to bend, pls



I havent updated the guide for a while. Right now Im in mid-term exams, so hopefully soon Ill have time to work on this guide in the holidays. I have to add more LCDs since there are new LCDs that are releasing, but I wont be able to add reviews to all of them since some dont have any reviewers at the moment

Great prog! TYVM!