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LCD Monitor Reviews
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LCD Monitors Performance
Most buyers of budget monitors seem easy to please. We saw plenty of raving monitor reviews from customers about the picture quality of the monitors they purchased, as well as many positive comments about the ease of set up and use.
Still, some users did find fault with other aspects of their monitors' performance. Many consumers who bought monitors with speakers are underwhelmed with the quality of the audio, and some say the control buttons and on-screen display menus could be improved.
Cheap LCD Monitors Picture Quality.
A cheap monitor's picture quality is far and away its most important feature, and for the most part, monitors meet and often exceed consumers' expectations. LCD monitors reviews at Best Buy describe the HP 2009m's picture quality as "vivid," noting that the colors look true, images are sharp, and the picture is bright. Users posting monitors reviews on Walmart say text is easy to read on the HP 2009m because of its good contrast and 20-inch display. The picture quality of Asus' VH236H monitor earns applause from users in reviews of cheap monitors on Newegg.com, who specifically cite its excellent color, brightness, and speedy response time. In LCD monitors reviews on Compusa.com, consumers give a thumbs up to the Samsung SyncMaster 2233SW for its ability to handle fast games and movies, sharp image quality, clear colors, and good contrast. Lenovo's L215p merits applause, according to LCD monitors reviews in PCworld.com and PCmag.com, given its rich color quality and sharp images. CNET is likewise impressed with the L215p, noting it turned in a near-perfect score in the review site's color test.Although we found few complaints from users about image quality, we did run across some gripes about a couple of cheap models. The color on the Acer X203H seems a bit "off," according to an LCD monitors review on Newegg.com, and a consumer posting an LCD monitors review on Amazon likes the price of the Acer but says the graphics could be better. But the Acer has its fans, and some monitors reviews by users on the Walmart site contend that the Acer's graphics look fine.
In general, users seem less critical of the picture quality on their budget monitors than the experts. Expert reviewers actually subject the budget LCD monitors to a battery of tests that can reveal even tiny shortcomings in a cheap monitor's picture quality. These deficiencies may not be readily apparent to the untrained naked eye, and the average home user might not notice them. But if you come across a cheap LCD display that meets or exceeds an expert reviewer's expectations, you know it's a good product.
Our good and best LCD monitor picks win plaudits from expert reviewers even after passing through reviewers' grueling tests. The Asus VH236H, for example, receives a Very Good rating from CNET, which reports no signs of ghosting and otherwise raves about its performance with games and movies. An expert LCD monitors review in PCworld.com describes the HP 2009m's video quality as "impressive," noting that the display produces very good skin tones in digital photos as well as crisp and clear text. The gray level accuracy of the Lenovo L215p receives high marks in an LCD monitors review on PCmag.com, which also approves of the Lenovo's color quality and the fast response time that eliminates ghosting. Experts at PCworld.com also checked out Samsung's SyncMaster 2233SW and like its clear display of text, excellent color, and good image quality. Expert reviewers were a bit tougher on the ViewSonic VX2433wm; a Macworld.com monitors review reports that text on this monitor looks "fuzzy" and a CNET review pans the VX2433wm for dull colors but does note there wasn't any noticeable ghosting during testing. Maximumpc.com is particularly critical, stating the VX2433wm performed poorly in tests and photo displays on the monitor look "washed out."
Cheap LCD Monitors Audio.
Users and expert reviewers may be pleased with the image quality of most inexpensive monitors, but they are almost universally disappointed with the quality of cheap monitor speakers. A CNET review of LCD monitors pans the otherwise highly-rated HP 2009m for its speakers, noting the absence of any bass. Several user reviews of cheap LCD monitors on Best Buy and Compusa also criticize the HP 2009m's speakers. A Macworld.com review of the ViewSonic VX2433wm describes the built-in speakers as "mediocre," and Newegg.com users are also underwhelmed by the audio quality. Given the amount of criticism we've seen for budget monitor speakers, it's best to leave them turned off and stick with a pair of PC speakers or headphones.Budget LCD Monitors Ease of Setup/Use.
Cheap LCD monitors are one of the easiest devices to set up. Just plug in the power cord, plug one end of the video cable into the monitor, and the other end into the corresponding port on your computer's video card, and you're all set. We didn't encounter any comments from users or expert reviewers who ran into trouble installing a low-cost LCD monitor.However, we did see some criticisms regarding ease of use. In particular, users and experts complain about control button placement on some cheap monitors, as well as problems navigating the on-screen menu when trying to adjust display options such as brightness level and contrast. CNET, for example, mentions that the Asus VH236H controls can be hard to use, an opinion seconded by a monitors review by a consumer on Newegg.com. A reviewer at PCworld.com grumbles that the controls for the Samsung SyncMaster 2233SW are not intuitive. And then there is the HP 2009m, which sports controls that PCworld.com says are easy to use.
And finally, a computer without a monitor is little more than a giant doorstop. If you use your computer frequently for any purpose, you want a display that's easy on the eyes. If you're a gamer or like to watch movies on your monitor, you also want a display with vibrant colors and a crisp, clear picture. Remember that today's inexpensive monitors double as cheap flat-panel TVs, so if you're interested in attaching a Blu-ray player to your display, find one with an HDMI port. And don't forget that a cheap monitor can make a great dedicated display for today's game consoles, like the PS3.
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Best Cheap LCD Monitors
Asus VH236H
The 23-inch VH236H from Asus is a large display for this price range. Both users and expert reviewers are impressed with this monitor's image quality (particularly for movies and games) as well as its included HDMI port. The Asus VH236H is a true high-definition display, supporting a 16:9 aspect ratio, resolution of 1920x1080, and rapid 2ms gray-to-gray response time. Its range of features makes it a stand out in the cheap monitors category. Read more »Monitors Deals
HP 2009m
HP's 20-inch 2009m serves up excellent video at an affordable price, with a 5ms response time, 1000:1 contrast ratio, and a 1600x900 resolution. We found several expert reviews and hundreds of user comments about this popular model, and the overwhelming consensus is that the HP 2009m is a solid value. Read more »Monitors Deals
Good Cheap LCD Monitors
Lenovo L215p
Lenovo's L215p barely qualifies for the Cheapism price range, but we're glad it does. The L215p earns rave reviews from experts and users alike for its solid performance and image quality. The L215p is the only monitor among our top picks that includes built-in USB 2.0 ports (it has three, plus one that directs data from the other ports to the PC). This 21.5-inch display has a 1920x1080 resolution for high-definition video, an HDMI port, and a speedy 5ms response time. Read more »Monitors Deals
Samsung SyncMaster 2233SW
Samsung is well-known for its high-quality monitors and TVs, but most of its monitors fall outside the Cheapism niche. This model, however, makes the cut while still supporting some key features. Reviewers like this monitor for games and photo editing, and praise its overall image quality. The 21.5-inch display has a 1920x1080 resolution, 5ms response time, and 1000:1 contrast ratio but does not include an HDMI port. Read more »Monitors Deals
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Don't Bother Cheap Monitors
ViewSonic VX2433wm
At 24 inches, the ViewSonic VX2433wm is the largest cheap monitor that we researched; however, ViewSonic had to cut some corners in order to keep the monitor's price low. Although this model offers some nice features on paper, including a 1920x1080 resolution, 5ms response time, HDMI port, and 1000:1 contrast ratio, expert reviews note that it doesn't fare well in color tests and text appears fuzzy. Read more »
Acer X203H
Acer's X203 monitor boasts a super-low price, but in order to hit that target, Acer couldn't afford to include many features. This is a 20-inch screen with a 1600x900 resolution. Users and expert reviewers love the rock-bottom price, but say that the color accuracy and overall graphics quality could be better. The X203H lacks an HDMI port but does have a fast 5ms response time. Read more »
Products Mentioned in This Review
ViewSonic VX2433wmAcer X203H
Lenovo L215p
Samsung SyncMaster 2233SW
Asus VH236H
HP 2009m
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