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Shopping for a New Monitor?

Posted by Cliff on from the for-the-discriminating-consumer dept.

Cecil asks: "Well, I've looked through the reviews and found several good displays. The problem is that quality can vary drastically from unit to unit. Just because the reviewer got a good screen doesn't mean you will. A lot of people say that it's a bad idea to buy a display device sight-unseen and from experience I have to agree. There are the big chain stores that will have monitors on display, but they will typically only have the 'value' models. So, what is your monitor buying process? What do you do to make sure you get the sort of high-quality display that'll last you through the next couple hardware upgrades?"

4 of 604 comments (clear)

  1. Internet, then store, then internet by daevux · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I do a lot of internet research first then I goto the store. Unfortunately, the store's don't do a good job of showing you the real quality of the monitors. My current monitor (Viewsonic VX900), which I bought sight-unseen, is incredible. The same one at stores doesnt look as good. Know your specs, read user reviews, and then goto the store.

  2. Samsung and NEC know what they're doing by gnatware · · Score: 5, Insightful

    These guys have been churning out great value for CRT and LCD monitors for many years now--why bother going elsewhere? They supply a vast range of sizes, prices and features, so you can easily pick the one that fits your (analog|DVI|flat|CRT|15|17|19|20|21) profile.

  3. Viewsonic used to be good but..... by Dark+Bard · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I used to be a big Viewsonic fan. One of the best for the money but I had to replace one recently and got what should have been the new model of my previous monitor which I loved. It's the A90f. The first one I brought home I assumed was defective. The bottom of the screen has a nasty upward curve on the sides, no way to adjust that on the monitor. The other annoying problem is the image drifts. At times the toolbar would completely disappears. I've had to shrink the size of the screen to allow for that. I returned the first one and found I had exactly the same problems on the new one. Personally the next time around I will go flat screen. The color depth is much better now and I would assume they are more problem free. Not sure who to recommend for CRT monitors. Seems like everyone got so obsessed with making them cheaper the quality has suffered.

  4. Re:Depends on Your Price Range by 2short · · Score: 5, Insightful


    I'm a C++ guy, so naturally lot's of people ask me what kind of computer they should get :) I alternate between my smart aleck answer ("The one the IT guy puts on your desk") and my two tidbits of actual advice:
    1. Don't buy a Compaq.
    2. Whatever your price range, drop it a little, and put the extra into the monitor. A nice monitor will improve your computing experience more than anything else. Particularly in a year or two when the difference between the CPU you get and the next one up or down seems entirely trivial.

    And if you didn't mention your price range on purpose, because it's not a major issue, one word: Trinitron.