An expensive yet worthwhile investment
Written: Aug 07 '03 (Updated Aug 08 '03)
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Pros: Screen size, response time, resolutions/refresh rate, image quality, ergonomic stature and aesthetic, usage, warranty.
Cons: Pixel policy, possibly cost.
The Bottom Line: If you're in the market for a high quality, quickly refreshing and very responsive flat screen display, this is the monitor to buy.
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| nlhlacrosse's Full Review: NEC MultiSync LCD1760V Flat Panel (TFT) Monitor |
I recently built a new system for myself for school, and was looking to buy my first LCD Flat Screen monitor. My brother owns an older, 15" LCD from NEC and my friend's family has a newer, larger NEC monitor. However, considering I research products thoroughly before I buy them so as to avoid some bad experiences, I merely kept that in mind.
I learned that response time is especially important when considering a flat screen monitor in order for it to compete with CRTs, especially for those who play visually intensive games on their computers. What I would like then, considering I do a fair amount of gaming and 3D work, was a solid flat screen monitor with low response time, high image quality and a good warranty for a reasonable price. This particular NEC monitor has it all (when considering its competition).
I decided to go with the 17" because of the combination of price, screen size (definitely large enough) and the resolutions supported at the specified refresh rate. At 1280x1024, the optimal resolution, the refresh rate is 60hz. That is plenty for a human eye, and the quality of the display is great at this resolution. A little nuance to mention is that the monitor will automatically notify you if you're not using the optimal, recommend resolution. You can quickly disable this notice in the TOOLS area of the monitor's settings.
The first thing I noticed upon removing my monitor from its box was that it was smaller than expected. Then I realized that I was used to seeing large, clunky CRTs with a 17" beveled screen size, not a flat screen whose screen takes up much of the monitor's surface area, using its space efficiently.
Next, the ease of setup was just straightforward - normal for modern monitors - simply plug and play.
Its base does not take up much room on my desk at all. It seems the base is plenty big enough to support the screen, yet it takes up little surface area and has a sleek design. I'm thankful NEC decided to use space efficiently, as it is a great positive to flat panel displays.
I generally use this monitor for normal, every day desktop work and intense 3D gaming. So far I've found it to be very successful in performance - notably so in games. The response time of 16ms certainly pays off, and the color quality remains high (higher than my older CRT, actually) with no noticeable ghosting. That is, as far as I can detect. It's performed well so far in the new XIII demo, a cel-shaded first person shooter, and in Battlefield 1942. I'm using it in conjunction with an MSI GeForce 4 Ti 4200 128mb video card, but will upgrade to an ATI 9700 pro or better when the market improves. I am having no current issues, nor do I expect any issues with the upgrade.
The color quality and brightness is great, especially since the monitor auto adjusts when you change resolutions. I'm very pleased with the performance of this monitor so far and have found no issues as of yet.
A positive and negative populate the warranty category. NEC's warranty is a nice, 3 year parts/labor, etc., but their dead pixel policy is a little high. They require 8 dead pixels before they will repair the pixel issue. To me, this is of little importance, but if you are meticulous about such things, it is something of note. Some other companies require 3 of a certain color, 3 in general, 1, etc. Each brand is unique.
All in all, I found this purchase to be very worthwhile. As mentioned, it can be quite expensive if you don't search for it well enough, but Epinions tends to find excellent prices on products. Thus far, this monitor has been absolutely great. My brother (the owner of the older flat screen) commented on how vibrant the image quality was and the sheer screen size of the monitor. I myself and very pleased with this purchase and feel it is a secure investment in a great product.
Enjoy!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 425.00
Operating System: Windows
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Epinions.com ID:
nlhlacrosse
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Reviews written: 7
Trusted by: 1 member
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