LCD Buyer's Guide

[samduhman]

Don't be to hard on the VX2025 monitor when your comparing it to the 20WMGX2 guys. Especially since you can get it for $310 shipped after mail in rebate at Jr.com vx2025 at JR compared to $800+ for the NEC. Your comparing apples and oranges at that price difference IMHO. For a little over $350 Im going to give the vx2025 a shot (ordered it from buy.com before the JR deal hit). I can always return it if I don't like it.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: Starbuck1975
xtknight, to address some other rumors, I have read that between the 90GX2 and the 20WMGX2, the 20WMGX2 is the better quality monitor in terms of colors, clarity, intensity, backlight bleeding, motion blur, etc. Is there any truth to that, or are they comperable monitors save for the obvious size difference.

Honestly, the 20WMGX2 has all of the features I want...just its price point is so far beyond other LCDs, I may not be able to justify the plunge...the 90GX2 is similarly attractive, but I have read so many mixed reviews on it, that I am somewhat hesitant.

The 20WMGX2 is no better in motion blur but it is better in image quality and viewing angles. Not sure about backlight bleeding because there have been some reports of it on the NEC but I think it disappeared over time on most people's 20WMGX2s.

 

[farp96]

I went ahead and ordered the 90GX2 it was $498 out the door should get it Weds..... I just hope its better than my 19 inch CRT 930SB Diamond Pro Diamondtron monitor...

 

[farp96]

I was wondering if you heard anything about the LG L1920PQ? Its 19 inch and I think its 8 bit. Here's the link on newegg's site:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16824005066


Does it have the special coating like the NEC's opticlear... According to LG's website it has:

Hard Coating 3H, Anti-Glare

Is that the same as opticlear? If this monitor has the same glass surface as the NEC I might get this one instead..

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: farp96
Hard Coating 3H, Anti-Glare

Is that the same as opticlear? If this monitor has the same glass surface as the NEC I might get this one instead..

I'm pretty sure that's just standard coating. The NEC is still better because it can dynamically adjust the contrast while this one can not.

 

[xtknight]

Interesting. Apparently the NEC 20WMGX2 has a proprietary panel, specially made for NEC, and unavailable to any other monitor manufacturer.

 

[xtknight]

HOT DEAL! ViewSonic VX2025WM is $279.99 after 100MIR!

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=40&threadid=1852847

 

[roisin]

anyone here having problems with image.persistance/lcd-burn.in? i got that BenQ FP2092 that is supposed to come with LG.Philips LM201U05, and basically any window, you keep in the same position for couple hours, gets 'burned in' into the screen, and would stay there for days, unless you set your background to white and leave it like that for the burned.in image to heal away

I read somewhere, that the overdrive 'technology' made this even more of an issue..., wonder if this benq has any secret menu, that would let me turn it on/off, like the NEC LCD2090UXi does (although makes no difference according to behardware.com

so anybody here with a S-IPS panel experiencing something similar?

 

[imported_Loque]

Eek, sorry to hear about the FP2092.

On the topic of 75Hz+ on LCDs, when I set this after unchecking the 'hide modes' box, my L1970HR does not show the increase in Hz in the OSD (where it still shows 1280x1024 60Hz). Is this normal?

 

[cmge]

Originally posted by: xtknight
HOT DEAL! ViewSonic VX2025WM is $279.99 after 100MIR!

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=40&threadid=1852847

currently out of stock

 

[farp96]

Well I went with the 90gx2 I hope it was the right choice. I mean I didn't see that monitor with my own eyes. I did see the 1970GX nec which I loved, and I was told that the 90gx2 is 1 step up from that so I am assuming that its better...........................I hope

 

[t4t3r]

can you post back up with your impressions/quick review when you get it farp? i'm having a hard time choosing an lcd monitor and the 90GX2 looks like it might be the one, even with the slightly higher price than competing efforts.

Thanks

 

[farp96]

No problem I should get it on thursday...

 

[Dethfrumbelo]

Originally posted by: t4t3r
can you post back up with your impressions/quick review when you get it farp? i'm having a hard time choosing an lcd monitor and the 90GX2 looks like it might be the one, even with the slightly higher price than competing efforts.

Thanks

Same here. I'm coming from a 930SB as well, so I'm really interested in hearing how the two compare.

 

[farp96]

Can you tell right away weather a panel is 6 bit or 8 bit? I mean if you had 2 LCD's next to each other with the same desktop picture one LCD being a 6 bit and one being an 8 bit could most people tell the difference? The reason I ask is while at Frys they have the NEC 1970GX which is 6 bit next to the Viewsonic VP930B which is 8 bit. Both had the same desktop picture running, and to me anyway the NEC 6 bit looked better to me, the color looked more alive and the text also looked better on the NEC.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: farp96
Can you tell right away weather a panel is 6 bit or 8 bit? I mean if you had 2 LCD's next to each other with the same desktop picture one LCD being a 6 bit and one being an 8 bit could most people tell the difference? The reason I ask is while at Frys they have the NEC 1970GX which is 6 bit next to the Viewsonic VP930B which is 8 bit. Both had the same desktop picture running, and to me anyway the NEC 6 bit looked better to me, the color looked more alive and the text also looked better on the NEC.

Both are 6-bit as a matter of fact. The main difference is contrast. My old TN also looked better at first sight than the VP930b but then I quickly realized the VP930b's superiority after I used it for a while. I don't know how the 90GX2 compares, though the DFC may put it ahead.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: Loque
Eek, sorry to hear about the FP2092.

On the topic of 75Hz+ on LCDs, when I set this after unchecking the 'hide modes' box, my L1970HR does not show the increase in Hz in the OSD (where it still shows 1280x1024 60Hz). Is this normal?

Hmm...it should say 75 Hz in the OSD.

 

[farp96]

I found out I should actually get this LCD tommorrow. Turns out Ewiz is only like 20 miles from me so ups should have it to me by tommorrow. I'll throw up a review then

 

[CP5670]

CP5670: I think you'd be happiest with the 70GX2. While TN and 6-bit, its brother, the 90GX2, is reported to have the best colors of any of the TN screens. I haven't seen any reviews of the 70GX2 so I can't confirm that though. If you're sensitive to the screen door effect then you should probably turn away from 19" screens. Wanting the coating unfortunately limits your options. But the only thing the 70GX2 is missing is the integrated speakers. I don't think you are going to get any closer than the 70GX2 though. Looking at Buy.com's policy that seems to be the case but I haven't ordered from them. I have always ordered from Newegg and have had no dead pixels.

Just an update on this, I ended up getting the 90GX2. I saw both at a local Circuit City recently and the screen door effect looked about the same on both (the coating greatly reduces it on any LCD) and my dad, who will be using this machine occasionally, wanted the larger text on the 19" one. I'll post my thoughts on it soon.

By the way, for those of you planning to buy this one, www.digitalhotbuy.com has the black 90GX2 for $400 and some amazingly low shipping prices. That's where I ordered mine from.

 

[samduhman]

Circuit City? Guess their website isn't up to date. It shows coming soon and not available in stores.

 

[farp96]

It figures I call in sick to work today because 99% of the time ups deliverys stuff to me by like 10 or 11 am....and as I type this its 2 pm and still no 90gx2 :-( It says out for delivery just haven't got it yet..............I wanted to mess with this thing all day looks like its going to be late afternoon before I can sink my hands into it :-(

 

[farp96]

Ok I got the Nec 90GX2 I think its got 2 or 3 dead pixels in the lower left hand corner. If I run the dead pixel buddy test on a white background I can barely see it. If I run it on a black or green or red its not their, what does that mean? Now for the colors, colors are awesome on this LCD, I think its alor better than the Viewsonic vp930b I had. Text is so much clearer and alot more readable than it was on the viewsonic. With the viewsonic I had to wear my glasses to see things, with the NEC is perfect. I played BF2 and was really suprised at how good it was. I noticed almost no ghosting or blurring, it was near perfect. It was leaps and bounds better than the viewsonic was. Its still not as smooth as my CRT but its dam near close. I'll do more testing and let you guys know how good or bad it is. But for now my first impression is really positive. For a 6 bit panel I think its way way better than the 8 bit Viewsonic in both games and general desktop use....Oh forgot to ask what do you clear the screen with? I have stuff for LCD's with no chemicals in it but I was wondering if their's a special cleaner just for opticlear screens....

 

[xtknight]

Well it's quite surprising to hear that the 90GX2 is superior to the VP930b...in everything except viewing angles, I assume? The VP930b is also a 6-bit'er, or both dither up to 8-bit, whichever way you want to put it (though the smaller 70GX2 is truly only 6-bit). I turn off my LCD, then just use water out of the faucet, and a damp cloth to clean my LCD. Distilled water is better if you have it available. Well I don't know for sure about the OptiClear coatings but water is probably the lowest common denominator for cleaning anything.

The dead pixels on a TN LCD will only appear in their inactive (on) state.

 

[farp96]

Yeah as far as viewing angles go it seems pretty good to me. If I stand up I can still see everything its just a little yellow I think. I always thought the vp930b was 8 bit. All I know is that the NEC is alot better at games. Baring any major short comings of this LCD I think I may have found something to replace my CRT. I mean my CRT is still smoother in games, but this LCD is right their with it. One thing that is cool is that dam buzzing noise from my CRT is no londer their with this LCD. My system is dam near silent now. I never really tested the viewsonic for view angles, that is something that I really could careless about. But for those of you that do, this NEC seems perfectly fine to me, view angle wise. So far the only thing that I have a grip about is the fact that you can't adjust the height of the LCD. You can do everything else but that.

 

[farp96]

What panel does the Nec 90GX2 use?