monitor reviews

When it debuted a few years ago, the Nvidia 3D Vision Kit required four components to work properly: 3D glasses, an Nvidia graphics card, a compatible display, and a separate, USB-connected 3D emitter.

In the time since that debut, not much has changed. But, while all four of those things are still required, some manufacturers have figured out how to make the process a bit more streamlined and instead of a separate USB-connected device, Asus builds the emitter into the monitor.

The VG278H also includes Nvidia's 3D Vision Kit 2 glasses; a much better-designed pair of 3D glasses compared … Read more

Not going to beat around the bush here: the HP 2311gt offers passive 3D for only $260 (at the time of this review). From my experience, that's a pretty good price for a 3D monitor.

Sure, the 3D effect requires that you sit at least 2.5 feet away from the screen, but when it works, it's actually surprisingly convincing.

The question is: is it worth it?… Read more

Thanks to the fine folks over at Samsung, this week I got the chance to check out the Samsung SyncMaster S27B970 in pre-production form.

As you can see from the picture above, the monitor is quite striking in looks and while this is a preproduction model, performance (aside from a few bugs) is also really impressive. … Read more

Cheap monitors are easy to find. Go to most computer hardware outlets and you'll see plenty of off-brand, "get the job done" monitors (and by "job" I mean delivering images to your optics) awaiting your dollar.

However, just because you're paying $150 or less for a monitor doesn't mean you're necessarily getting a great deal. Paying $150 for a monitor with a paltry feature set, thoughtless design, or lackluster performance could induce an annoying and probably unexpected sense of buyer's remorse. Despite how little you paid.

Luckily, there are plenty of monitors that pay off with excellent performance, practical design, and plentiful features. You'll have to pay more for them, but in the long term you're getting more for your money.

Now, if you simply want a device that translates ones and zeros into images your eyes can decipher, then stick with the cheap monitors; however, if you're looking for an actual monitor deal, keep reading.

Monitors in the list below top out at $500 in price. The reason being that most consumers have a difficult time paying more than $500 for a monitor while still considering it a "value." … Read more

Yes, the Samsung SyncMaster S23A750D supports Samsung's proprietary active shutter 3D, but forget about that for a minute. What you should really focus on is its movie and games performance.

Now, not everyone loves glossy screens. As I mentioned before, they can get uber-reflective, particularly during sunny days, and movies or TV shows or games with lots of dark scenes can suffer as a result.

However, the payoff of watching movies on the S23A750D under proper lighting conditions (i.e. at night) is worth any difficulties that sunny days bring.… Read more

The Dell UltraSharp U2412m trades in the series' staple, the H-IPS panel, for a cheaper and lower-performing E-IPS panel.

I'll admit to being a bit disappointed when I learned Dell went with a cheaper panel. However, what this enables it to do is offer a monitor full of ergonomic features, a fully stocked OSD, and--despite its less-than-stellar viewing angles--excellent performance at a great price.

The full review has always been waiting for you. You just needed to believe in yourself first in order to see it.

More reviews can be easily accessed from the monitor hub.

Let's talk a bit about the effect an incredibly high-resolution screen can have on a video game's presentation. And by video game, I mean PC game.

Thanks to powerful video cards, many PC games are capable of running at resolutions that dwarf what console-only owners are accustomed to.

Most PC gamers however don't get to experience the face-melting experience of a 2,560x1,440-pixel resolution and higher screen however, because of the usual high prices of extreme definition (XD-2560x1440) and extreme high-definition (XHD-2560x1600) monitors.

By offering an XD monitor for about $700, HP changes all that with … Read more

For some, a monitor is a monitor, and the lower the price, the better. As long as it pumps images from their PCs into their eyes at a reasonable quality, they're good. Thing is, there are cheap monitors and then there are cheap monitors.

And by cheap I mean "the last time I saw my power button was when it went flying past my face immediately after pressing it for the first time." Yes, this actually happened to me some years ago. I pressed the power button on an older monitor, only to have it pop off and nearly take out an eye on its way to some now forgotten crevice in CNET Labs.

Luckily, I've not had that experience with any monitor on this list. At least not yet. The list features the best monitors priced under $200.

The only criterion for the list is that each monitor has to be available from a major retailer for $199 or less. From there, the four best monitors I've reviewed were chosen.

Dig in.… Read more

When considering a new purchase, the importance of price can't be understated. Just attaching a low sticker price to a product can make something not even on your radar suddenly become a must have.

If, like me, you were a Steam customer during the holidays, you'll know exactly what I mean.

For large purchases, however, functionality takes precedence over price. At least for me it does. I've been burned too many times going with the cheaper alternative only to be unsatisfied by the experience it provided.

The HP 2311x got a lot of attention on CNET last … Read more