New LCD

[Raptor45]

I'm currently using a somewhat recent 19" CRT (Viewsonic A90f+) which has begun to fail on me lately. Occasionally it will become very dim and colored yellowish; its extremely annoying and unpredictable. I'm not sure how long it will keep working for, so I'm looking for a replacement, probably an LCD.

Originally I was looking at regular 19", but then the 20" widescreens caught my eye, like the Dell 2007WFP. The Dell is about on the very upper max I'd be willing to pay, but overall it seems to have the relatively best quality and good features (1:1 on lower res, HDCP). I will probably be using it a lot for gaming (eVGA 7800GT), and a lot of general web/word use, and maybe some movies as well. Basically, I want to be able to do everything.

Why I'm posting is, I want to ask for general opinions on the matter. Will there be a big lowering of prices on LCDs soon, so I should wait and get something bigger? Will I have trouble getting the horsepower to run newer games at the recommended resolution? Would I be better off looking at a different monitor/size/aspect ratio for my budget? Its a big chunk of change, and I don't want to be regretting my decision in a few months.

Yes, I read the stickied LCD buying guide, and have been doing research elsewhere.

Thanks!

 

[Raptor45]

Anything to add? I tried to make it a bit of a quicker read.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: Raptor45
Originally I was looking at regular 19", but then the 20" widescreens caught my eye, like the Dell 2007WFP. The Dell is about on the very upper max I'd be willing to pay, but overall it seems to have the relatively best quality and good features (1:1 on lower res, HDCP). I will probably be using it a lot for gaming (eVGA 7800GT), and a lot of general web/word use, and maybe some movies as well. Basically, I want to be able to do everything.

The Dell is a great LCD for those purposes. Full 8-bit color and either: wide viewing angles (S-IPS) or high contrast (S-PVA), depending on the panel that comes with yours. It sounds just right for you.

Why I'm posting is, I want to ask for general opinions on the matter. Will there be a big lowering of prices on LCDs soon, so I should wait and get something bigger?

No, not really. LCDs don't come in waves like GPUs.

Will I have trouble getting the horsepower to run newer games at the recommended resolution? Would I be better off looking at a different monitor/size/aspect ratio for my budget? Its a big chunk of change, and I don't want to be regretting my decision in a few months.

I use a 7800GT and used to have a 19" 1280x1024 screen. I can play games (BF2 and WoW) on my 20" wide 1680x1050 and notice hardly any difference from 1280x1024. I'd say both are avg. 45 FPS w/ 2xAA and without AA >60 FPS which is just in line with the 60 Hz refresh rate. Antialiasing really starts to bog it down though. With the small dot pitch and high resolution, AA isn't as important. 2xAA may be fine depending on other image settings but 4xAA or 8xAA is just too slow. I'd turn down the other settings a tad and use the 2xAA because it still makes a difference.

 

[Raptor45]

Thanks for the input xtknight. That all everyone has to say?

 

[Skeeedunt]

Originally posted by: Raptor45
(1:1 on lower res, HDCP). I will probably be using it a lot for gaming (eVGA 7800GT)

Don't the nvidia drivers let you do 1:1 on their own? If so, there are other monitor choices to look at (viewsonic 2025, samsung 205) for cheaper, some without DHCP though. The 2007 is still a good choice though (did they ever resolve the banding issue?)

 

[xtknight]

Banding is fixed and does not exist in the Desktop mode. NVIDIA cards let you do 1:1 centered mode on the GPU while with ATI the burden is placed on the monitor to do such scaling.

 

[Raptor45]

Originally posted by: Skeeedunt

Originally posted by: Raptor45
(1:1 on lower res, HDCP). I will probably be using it a lot for gaming (eVGA 7800GT)

Don't the nvidia drivers let you do 1:1 on their own? If so, there are other monitor choices to look at (viewsonic 2025, samsung 205) for cheaper, some without DHCP though. The 2007 is still a good choice though (did they ever resolve the banding issue?)

Originally the Viewsonic seemed like a possibility, but the back light bleeding seems like it would get annoying and kinda turned me away. Plus, with this monitor dying, I'm not the biggest fan of Viewsonic anymore. That Samsung appears to have a TN panel, and I don't think the poor colors and view angles are worth the response rate because it seems most other screens work fine for games these days without the drawbacks. However with that price, perhaps I should rethink my opinion...

I wasn't aware the NVIDIA drivers let you do 1:1, so I guess that isn't as big a deal as I thought. I had looked for the option but didn't see it. If I ever switch to ATi though, it could be a problem.

I don't really care about HDCP... I have no plans to use it right now, however its one feature thats nice to have, and it would suck to have to buy a whole new monitor if I want to do something that requires it in the future.

 

[Skeeedunt]

I've got a 2025 at home, and while the backlight bleeding at the corners is fairly noticeable with a pitch black screen... I can't honestly say it's ever actually bothered me in any normal usage conditions. YMMV of course depending on how much you notice that kind of thing.

 

[Raptor45]

So it seems that three monitors are standing out.. (Though I'm still open to options.)

Dell 2007FPW - $373.15
PROS: very good quality, basic video inputs, HDCP, 1:1
CONS: highest price.
Viewsonic VX2025wm - $349.99
PROS: slightly cheaper, very good quality
CONS: no extra features, back light bleeding
Samsung 205BW - $269.99
PROS: very cheap, HDCP
CONS: no video inputs, worse colors and aspect ratio

Looking at it this way, the Viewsonic doesn't really seem to stand out. Though, the low price on the Samsung is starting to look quite attractive... I'm just afraid of settling for that and being disappointed later.

 

[Skeeedunt]

Yeah, the viewsonic's really only a contender when it's on sale closer to the $300 mark. Didn't realize the 205BW was TN panel, probably a bad move. Hard to regret investing in a quality display (in case you needed any encouragement )

 

[LittleNemoNES]

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=31&threadid=1745344&enterthread=y

 

[Raptor45]

Yes, I read the stickied LCD buying guide, and have been doing research elsewhere.

 

[LittleNemoNES]

Originally posted by: Raptor45

Yes, I read the stickied LCD buying guide, and have been doing research elsewhere.

heh, sorry didn't mean to be a jerk -- just my auto post

xtknight's guide I think says it all.

Thanks, xtknight

 

[Raptor45]

So it seems the Dell is coming out at the top of the 20" wide screens? I'm surprised more aren't proposing the Viewsonic, judging by response in another thread...

I suppose the main thing thats holding me back from saying "YES! This is the one for me!" is the cost. $350~400 is right on the very upper edge of what I'm willing to pay, and in fact is far, far over what I originally wanted... Knowing that I could save $100 or more and go with something like the Samsung 205 for the same size really has me stuck. Or even step down to a 5:4 19" and save more cash. Would I even notice the difference? Would I even realize that the colors are off? I could do a lot with that cash... buy some games, movies, more RAM or something... but would I end up regretting it every time the picture looks funny or I see the black bars on movies?

 

[xtknight]

Well, what are you planning to do with regards to monitors? Buy a new one in 2 years, 5 years, 10 years maybe? If you're going to keep it for awhile you might as well eat the cost now and get the true 8-bit color, functionality of all the inputs and HDCP. Just FYI I would much rather have a good monitor than 2 gigs of RAM (vs 1). I mean, you don't have to find something else to spend it on just to say you didn't spend that much on a monitor. A monitor is a hefty (especially an LCD) and long term investment for most people. It's usually the one thing you keep when you do a complete PC rebuild (and maybe speakers/keyboard). I think you'd regret not getting the Dell but that's just me. Disclaimer: I love monitors so I may be biased.

gersson, I should hire you as my advertiser...

 

[LittleNemoNES]

gersson, I should hire you as my advertiser...

lol I gladly do it for free

 

[Rockhound1]

Why limit yourself to these three monitors? Why not also consider these while you are at it:

BenQ FP202W
LG L203WT
Samsung 215TW

All three of these seem to get positive reviews on NewEgg. However, this Samsung model is more expensive than the Dell, it seems like a strong contender.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: Rockhound1
Why limit yourself to these three monitors? Why not also consider these while you are at it:

BenQ FP202W
LG L203WT
Samsung 215TW

All three of these seem to get positive reviews on NewEgg. However, this Samsung model is more expensive than the Dell, it seems like a strong contender.

Good point but the Samsung is obviously too high for him. He said 400 at absolute max and preferably much less. The BenQ FP202W hasn't gotten good reviews last time I checked. So...the LG L204WT is a good consideration. I'm not sure how the LG L203WT is but I do know the 204 is better. It's available at a very reasonable price, but only at Circuit City in the US AFAIK. http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=lg+l204wt&btnG=Search+Froogle

The LG L203WTX is good too: http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=LG+L203WTX&btnG=Search

 

[DeathSniper]

http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3585&start=200
I'd heartily suggest trying out the LG203WT (it's the same thing as the WTX) if you can find it. While the new 204WT may have better specs, the general consensus is that it may simply be the exact same thing with a tweaked panel (it also looks and feels alot less sturdy, at least IMO).

 

[Raptor45]

OK, the LG certainly seems interesting... but I'm seeing it this way:

-Doesn't come with a DVI cable... So I'm looking at spending another $40ish or so, making it the same price as the dell or more.
-Less adjustability. I suppose this really doesn't matter a lot at the end of the day, but more is better.
-No in-monitor 1:1. Not needed, but again, more is better.
-No other inputs. Don't know if I'd use em, but more is better...
-TN panel.
-Same (?) IQ as dell, for same cost, but less features.

 

[TheRyuu]

Originally posted by: Raptor45
So it seems that three monitors are standing out.. (Though I'm still open to options.)

Dell 2007FPW - $373.15
PROS: very good quality, basic video inputs, HDCP, 1:1
CONS: highest price.
Viewsonic VX2025wm - $349.99
PROS: slightly cheaper, very good quality
CONS: no extra features, back light bleeding
Samsung 205BW - $269.99
PROS: very cheap, HDCP
CONS: no video inputs, worse colors and aspect ratio

Looking at it this way, the Viewsonic doesn't really seem to stand out. Though, the low price on the Samsung is starting to look quite attractive... I'm just afraid of settling for that and being disappointed later.

Very good selection.
Let me adjust your Viewsonic Description:
-$323 with free 3day shipping at newegg
-Once adjusted backlight bleeding is minimal to non-existent (i really have to look hard to find it on a black scree)
-Your right about no extrea features but it does have built in speakers
-Seriously once the brightness/contrast are adjusted and the gamma turned down in the CP (and some digital vibrance too) then the monitor will look just as good as the Dell.

But if you can afford the dell then go ahead.

 

[Raptor45]

I wasn't going with newegg because of their horrible dead pixel policy, but I just checked CompUSA again and they slapped a $50 main in rebate on the Viewsonic, putting it at $299.99...

Gah I hate this...

 

[Raptor45]

I've been thinking it through, and I think I can eliminate the LG L204WT, because of its high price but low value, and the Samsung 205BW, because I'd rather pay a little more and get the apparently far better Viewsonic.

Unless I've missed out on another alternative, this leaves the $373.15 Dell 2007WFP and the $299.99 Viewsonic vx2025wm. So to straighten out my mind and possibly stir up some enlightening discussion, I'm gonna try to do a comparison.

The Viewsonic obviously wins in price.

As far as I can tell, they both have very comparable image quality and neither really comes out on top. The Dell used to have banding issues but this was fixed, while the Viewsonic has back light bleeding, but arrantly it isn't noticeable. I would guess from lack of comments that neither has ghosting issues. No real winner, but I guess Dell is slightly on top because of the back light.

Both have 3 year warranties, and I'm guessing if either monitor had dead pixels or another issue I could easily send it in to get fixed. I don't know the quality of their tech support, but I suppose they come out about equal.

For features, the Viewsonic has speakers. The Dell has HDCP, USB ports, video inputs, 1:1 scaling, optional speakers, is far more adjustable, and looks better IMO.

So... it seems that the extra $75 are essentially for a USB hub, a different logo, and some features which I may or may not end up using. And yet for some reason, I still don't want to give up on the Dell. Perhaps because I feel screwed by Viewsonic for my A90+? I don't know. And then I read something like this, and it makes me feel like I'm paying extra for quality with either of these, but not actually getting it.

 

[Raptor45]

One last bump for comments and I'll let this go.