Looking for the very best 22" widescreen LCD money can buy

[systemlord]

Hi everyone. I'm looking for the sharpest, best 22" widescreen LCD on the market with no budget. I simply must have the best, have heard of Samsung's "S" & "C" built LCD's where theres a big difference in performance. Simply put, Who makes the best 22" widescreen LCD's? And thanks.

 

[jadeite]

Maybe you have a specific application in mind, but 22" is just one step below the sweet spot IMhO. Why not go 24" so you can have 1920x1200 resolution and 1080p? Those cost $400US up.

 

[g13man]

well I do not know why 22 inch if you have a unlimited budget, go 24inch hi-def..
but budget 22 inch ,I have 2 [yes two] hanns-g 22 wide screen monitors.. they looked fantastic at a friends , so...now me..
but
end of year bonus will be a 24 hi-d to go with gigabyte p35 and e2160..

 

[wsbsteven]

I just purchased a 22" Acer from Newegg whose cost was in the low $200s. It's pretty nice.

 

[sailer]

I have a Samsung 226BW 22" widescreen "S" panel and I like it. That said, a Planar 22" is also good, perhaps better. This is because the Samsung, along with many screens, has a 160 degree viewing angle while the Planar has a 170 degree viewing angle. Ten degrees may not seem like much, yet it means there's more room for adjusting the height without having the screen seem to fade out.

I also have to add that if money isn't a problem, a 24" widescreen is better. The 22' is not all that big, mainly being just a 19" screen that has been stretched slightly. If I had realized that at the time I bought the Samsung, I would have gone for a 24" screen.

 

[saintones]

Make sure if you want a gaming monitor you do more research. I've seen a big difference between a gaming monitor and a "brilliant" screen.. Most of the major companies "rig" there MS times since there is no legal standard. Check on the reviews first, depending on what you want... New Egg is a great place for reviews even if you don't buy from there...

 

[systemlord]

You know I payed over $600 dollars for my square 19" that I bought two years ago along with my 7800GTX, and that cost over $600 also. I'm planning on getting Nvidia's next monster graphics card in November (hoping), can you play almost any game at 1920x1200 using only one 8800GTX? I did find a 24" widescreen LCD but it was like $1700 dollars, I never thought that they went for that much for a gaming LCD.

BTW, I am looking for a gaming LCD with very fast responce times. I will consider 22-24" model's, but won't ever go SLI so keep that in mind please. Thanks guys, anymore suggestions?

 

[pauldh]

Aren't all 22" TN panels? 24" will give you PVA and MVA choices. Although the TN's are cheaper.

I bought the 22" Acer AL2223W and am very happy with it. It was a great price at the time. Only issue is there is some backlight bleeding at the very top and bottom of the screen which is noticable if those areas should be dark/black at the time. Also the base is fixed(no height adjustment), which doesn't hurt my application but may for others.

 

[prodystopian]

If you plan to watch high def movies or plug in a new console (xbox 360 or PS3) 24" is the way to go. As a previous poster mentioned, the 22" panels are TN, which are of lower quality but faster than those used in nearly all 24" monitors. This difference isn't very important in gaming (you likely won't notice), but the colors will be much better when watching movies and looking at high quality images. Also, 24" monitors typically have more inputs and provide higher resolution.

I just purchased a 24" Dell monitor for $600 after taxes and shipping (on sale on the website) and it is fantastic. Also, the BenQ FP241W models are supposed to be really good also.

 

[sailer]

Aren't all 22" TN panels? 24" will give you PVA and MVA choices. Although the TN's are cheaper.

From what I've read, the Planar LCDs don't use TN panels. Two of the giveaways on this are that the respose time is not as fast as on TN panels and the viewing angle is ten degrees larger, 170 degrees instead of 160 degrees. This reduces the bleeding at the top and bottom of the screen.

 

[smelly_feet]

look for dell or apple monitor if your not concerned about the price but want quality

go for the 22" if it must be that, but otherwise Apple has a nice 30" monitor (requires dual DVI I think). Just make sure you have the proper graphics card for it.

hope this helps

 

[systemlord]

look for dell or apple monitor if your not concerned about the price but want quality

go for the 22" if it must be that, but otherwise Apple has a nice 30" monitor (requires dual DVI I think). Just make sure you have the proper graphics card for it.

hope this helps

The way I look at it is if I get an 8800 or 9800GTX I will expect nothing less than 60+ FPS @1900x1200 on 90% of games out on the market. If that performance can't be met then I would have to say no to 24" LCD's. So do you think that I will ever have problems running all my games at 1900x1200, and if not how bad will my games look if I had to step down in resolution to what ever is below 1900x1200? Thanks.

 

[croc]

The way I look at it is if I get an 8800 or 9800GTX I will expect nothing less than 60+ FPS @1900x1200 on 90% of games out on the market. If that performance can't be met then I would have to say no to 24" LCD's. So do you think that I will ever have problems running all my games at 1900x1200, and if not how bad will my games look if I had to step down in resolution to what ever is below 1900x1200? Thanks.

That target can't be met now with some existing titles, most notably FSX. Since future games are not released, do you expect us to have crystal balls (pun intended)?

Most 22" monitors will not run at 1900 x 1200.

Measure your space requirements, measure your pocketbook, look at the (worthless for the most part) online specs. Then go to your nearest retailer with a large selection of lcd's and take a look.

The apples are pricey, the dell's are good for the $ but not great. Caveat emptor. YMMV. (btw, I have a dell 2405 and two 6800 ultras in sli... Oblivion runs acceptably to good in XP, but doesn't meet your standards...)

 

[shargrath]

why ont just grab a cheap Chi Mei till the end of the year im getting one in the next few weeks. their really really excellent value for money on the whirlpool forums most people recommend a 221D or the Samung 226BW if you have the money.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824252008&Tpk=chi%2bmei%2b221d

 

[Kamrooz]

Ok..sorry to hop on the bandwagon a little late...

there are 3 types of panels...TN, MVA/PVA, IPS...the choice is up to you..

TN is the cheapest...bad colors and overall the cheapest of the TFT technology....They are also the fastest in terms of response time/lag....They are basically what comes with all computers that you get from brand name companies. If money is no object stay away from TN..since you said you want the best, it's just a waste of cash to consider a TN panel.

PVA/MVA have the best contrast ratio and blacks...BUT..The blacks crush...Which mean you lose detail in very dark areas since the blacks merge together (crush). They have the highest response times also which is their downside. Basically if you are a very competitive gamer (as in FPS in leagues) I wouldn't really recommend these either...They are great monitors though..but if input/response lag doesn't bother you then don't worry about it..nice choice...You can go for the dell 24 or 27" if you wish on this behalf..

IPS...The cream of the crop. They have the most accurate colors and best details. Their contrast ratio isn't as high as PVA/MVA which means there blacks aren't as deep...But you don't get the problem with black crushes...A lot of people say that MVA/PVA are the same in terms of color reproduction as IPS...Do not believe this...It's complete horseshit...If you do web designing, video work, photography...Anything that relies on video and imagery...you NEED a IPS panel...the rest just doesn't suffice. But then again CRT's are still better at color reproduction then these panels...Heck...The movie companies don't use CRT's still for no reason. The movie "300" purchased numerous Sony FW900 monitors since they are the only monitor that can accurately display the color they were looking for. Unfortunately, these IPS panels are slowly becoming rare thanks to the surge of shitty lcd panels...Blame the american consumer for thinking "Wow!...a 24 inch widescreen flat panel for 250 dollars!..I'm there.."..IPS panels also are faster then PVA/MVA but not as fast as TN. They are quite close to TN though unlike PVA/MVA..which has quite a bit of lag....Overall CRT technology is VASTLY superior to LCD in MANY aspects..But the brightness of LCD's are CRT's weakness as well as the wide color gammut...CRT's also use a Tube technology which scans the glass screen to produce the image...LCD's are basically crystals that react to voltage to change color...They don't scan which is easy on the eyes...Great for web work but not anywhere near the league of a cutting edge CRT for gaming/video.

I'm planning to get myself a new rig and monitor in the next few months..Of ALL the monitors I was planning to get a IPS panel..but decided to just nab a Sony FW900 24" widescreen trinitron CRT...they are the best CRT made to date which is unfortunate that they have stopped making CRT monitors...But with FED out in 2009 I'll be in the flat panel community...FED is basically a technology that utilizes the benefits of CRT in a flat panel form...very cool stuff...

But if you are going with any LCD panel look at the NEC 2490WUXI or the Nec 2690WUXI..This is what I was going to get. They range around 1400-1700 dollars but they are amazing monitors....If it's out of your price range a nice PVA/MVA panel will do...such as the dell 24/27 incher. But if you do any video work or website design seriously you will want a IPS panel...

The choice is up to you...was a bit in a rush so not re-reading the message..if you have any questions feel free to ask and I'll help out to as much as my ability ^_^.


edit---

I just noticed you have a 7800 nvidia card in your rig. The higher you go in monitor sizes the higher the native resolution will be. I would suggest also nabbing a high end video card so you can play in these monitors native resolutions. TFT technology and native resolutions play a big role. Basically if a 24 inch wide screen flat panels native res of 1920x1200 means there are exactly 1920 pixels in the width and 1200 in the height. If you play using a lower resolution the monitor will blur the image among several pixels to make up for the lower resolution. So figuring out what resolution you are going to work in is a big issue. If you plan to game try to nab a g92 or 8800gtx (try to nab a EVGA card if you are going for a 8800..this way you can have 3 months to step up to a g92 when they come out). CRT's don't have this problem since they use a tube technology...CRT's can just alter their resolution without the downsides of TFT pixel blurring in not native resolutions...

If you have ANY questions feel free to ask....If you can also mention a price range I can pick out a few choices for you...If you're looking for the best go PVA/MVA or IPS panels...please stay away from TN panels..a lot of people really don't know how to review TFT panels...You'll browse around the net and see a review that says "colors great, great for gaming, nice blacks"...There is a entire lingo for TFT technology that really should be learned if you are serious in getting the best monitor possible...There is NO perfect LCD monitor out there...They all have faults...But nabbing the best one for your needs requires time and research...But yea..if you have any questions fire away.

 

[systemlord]

Ok..sorry to hop on the bandwagon a little late...

there are 3 types of panels...TN, MVA/PVA, IPS...the choice is up to you..

TN is the cheapest...bad colors and overall the cheapest of the TFT technology....They are also the fastest in terms of response time/lag....They are basically what comes with all computers that you get from brand name companies. If money is no object stay away from TN..since you said you want the best, it's just a waste of cash to consider a TN panel.

PVA/MVA have the best contrast ratio and blacks...BUT..The blacks crush...Which mean you lose detail in very dark areas since the blacks merge together (crush). They have the highest response times also which is their downside. Basically if you are a very competitive gamer (as in FPS in leagues) I wouldn't really recommend these either...They are great monitors though..but if input/response lag doesn't bother you then don't worry about it..nice choice...You can go for the dell 24 or 27" if you wish on this behalf..

IPS...The cream of the crop. They have the most accurate colors and best details. Their contrast ratio isn't as high as PVA/MVA which means there blacks aren't as deep...But you don't get the problem with black crushes...A lot of people say that MVA/PVA are the same in terms of color reproduction as IPS...Do not believe this...It's complete horseshit...If you do web designing, video work, photography...Anything that relies on video and imagery...you NEED a IPS panel...the rest just doesn't suffice. But then again CRT's are still better at color reproduction then these panels...Heck...The movie companies don't use CRT's still for no reason. The movie "300" purchased numerous Sony FW900 monitors since they are the only monitor that can accurately display the color they were looking for. Unfortunately, these IPS panels are slowly becoming rare thanks to the surge of shitty lcd panels...Blame the american consumer for thinking "Wow!...a 24 inch widescreen flat panel for 250 dollars!..I'm there.."..IPS panels also are faster then PVA/MVA but not as fast as TN. They are quite close to TN though unlike PVA/MVA..which has quite a bit of lag....Overall CRT technology is VASTLY superior to LCD in MANY aspects..But the brightness of LCD's are CRT's weakness as well as the wide color gammut...CRT's also use a Tube technology which scans the glass screen to produce the image...LCD's are basically crystals that react to voltage to change color...They don't scan which is easy on the eyes...Great for web work but not anywhere near the league of a cutting edge CRT for gaming/video.

I'm planning to get myself a new rig and monitor in the next few months..Of ALL the monitors I was planning to get a IPS panel..but decided to just nab a Sony FW900 24" widescreen trinitron CRT...they are the best CRT made to date which is unfortunate that they have stopped making CRT monitors...But with FED out in 2009 I'll be in the flat panel community...FED is basically a technology that utilizes the benefits of CRT in a flat panel form...very cool stuff...

But if you are going with any LCD panel look at the NEC 2490WUXI or the Nec 2690WUXI..This is what I was going to get. They range around 1400-1700 dollars but they are amazing monitors....If it's out of your price range a nice PVA/MVA panel will do...such as the dell 24/27 incher. But if you do any video work or website design seriously you will want a IPS panel...

The choice is up to you...was a bit in a rush so not re-reading the message..if you have any questions feel free to ask and I'll help out to as much as my ability ^_^.


edit---

I just noticed you have a 7800 nvidia card in your rig. The higher you go in monitor sizes the higher the native resolution will be. I would suggest also nabbing a high end video card so you can play in these monitors native resolutions. TFT technology and native resolutions play a big role. Basically if a 24 inch wide screen flat panels native res of 1920x1200 means there are exactly 1920 pixels in the width and 1200 in the height. If you play using a lower resolution the monitor will blur the image among several pixels to make up for the lower resolution. So figuring out what resolution you are going to work in is a big issue. If you plan to game try to nab a g92 or 8800gtx (try to nab a EVGA card if you are going for a 8800..this way you can have 3 months to step up to a g92 when they come out). CRT's don't have this problem since they use a tube technology...CRT's can just alter their resolution without the downsides of TFT pixel blurring in not native resolutions...

If you have ANY questions feel free to ask....If you can also mention a price range I can pick out a few choices for you...If you're looking for the best go PVA/MVA or IPS panels...please stay away from TN panels..a lot of people really don't know how to review TFT panels...You'll browse around the net and see a review that says "colors great, great for gaming, nice blacks"...There is a entire lingo for TFT technology that really should be learned if you are serious in getting the best monitor possible...There is NO perfect LCD monitor out there...They all have faults...But nabbing the best one for your needs requires time and research...But yea..if you have any questions fire away.

Well with the unknown future of how DX10 will perform both in graphics & performance wise I'd have to say that its better to have high FPS at 1680x1050 then to not have enough FPS at 1900x1200. So I have decide to go 22" on my widescreen LCD, I have an Nec 1970GX 19" 8ms now and was wondering what type of TFT it is? Since I have decided to go 22" which one do you think is the best for gaming with fast responce times and have great color plus great image quality with no ghosting? Thank you all for your suggestions!

 

[Kamrooz]

Well great color is out of your range. They literally make no IPS or PVa/MVA panels in 22 inch form. If you want a IPS or PVA/MVA you have to nab a 20 inch or 24 inch or higher. So unfortunately you're **** out of luck sorry to say...lol..

The higher size/res monitors should have a feature to play in lower resolutions with screen centering. So let's basically say you want to play in a 1600 res instead of 1920...So what it does is remove the extra 320 pixels...so it would remove 160 from both sides to center the image. Yes they'll be a black border but hey...it's better imo then being stuck with a inferior 22 TN panel. Don't get me wrong though...TN's have come a LONG way...but considering a 22 TN compared to PVA/MVA and IPS panels is just ridiculous...The quality difference is quite vast. If you want good color you have to go with something else besides TN...

You can nab a a PVA/MVA 24 incher for a decent price from dell and such. But if you want an IPS panel I would recommend the planar which is about 900-999...It's a 26 incher as well with an IPS panel. With the g92 coming out around the corner the future of DX10 will be fine. Even so...current high end cards can still run dx10 games in DX9 mode for better performance...Also depends on OS considering vista is the sole supporter of DX10. But yea..not worth getting a 22...Trust me on that.

If you want one of the best IPS panels possible nab a Nec 2690...or 2490...but for the extra 200 dollars to go from 24 to 26 inch I think it's worth it. the 2690 has a wide collar gammut while the 24 does not. It's up to you if you want that feature or not. If money is a concern then you can look at the 26 inch planar which uses the same panel the nec2690 uses..although it has inferior firmware which causes problems in quality...but the trade off for the price is worth it. Also the quality isn't really low...it's just not near the level of a nec2690.

If you want Fast response times AND great color..you need a IPS...if you just want Fast response times and don't care much for color and blacks...get a TN....

Just tell me what you're looking for and I'll try to help. But like I stated before...TFT technology has a language of its own. To get the perfect monitor for your uses takes time and research. It took me a week before I decided on the monitor I was planning to get...only to change my mind about the idea of nabbing a LCD to get the best possible CRT made to date instead....

Choice is yours..I'll be here to help out anyway I can =P.

 

[overlandpark4me]

I have to echo the 226 Samsung guy above. My son is extremely happy with it, and Circuit City had one for 249. the brightness was set to 100 percent, so you'll need to back it off quite a bit.

I have the 22 inch Chimei, which I paid 269 for a few months back, and I've seen it as low for 200, but it isn't as nice from a gaming standpoint, although it looks good with text etc.

 

[Kamrooz]

I'll admit TN panels aren't bad. They have come a long way as well..But since he's considering the "best money can buy" I'm taking the feeling he wants a damn good monitor to last him years...so I wouldn't suggest TN...I'd rather put a large investment into a product that I know will deliver the best quality to last me a few years...rather then grabbing a TN only to realize later you want more accurate/vivid colors....If you haven't used a MVA/PVA, or IPS panel you probably won't notice much...But once you see them in action it's pretty breathtaking...but yea...It's all up to how much you want to pay systemlord...If money is an issue just nab yourself a PVA/MVA panel...A dell or other choice is well suited. But if you want the best color possible and FAST response times then you have to go IPS...since PVA/MVA are higher then TN and IPS in the input/response times.

 

[smodd]

Please forgive my bad english ...

http://reviews.cnet.com/lcd-monitors/hp-f2105/4505-3174_7-31453816.html?tag=tpr

This is one of the best lcd 21" money can buy (link above) otherwise (if money is not a problem) choose a NEC...both of them have the highest score in visual quality... I have a vx2025wm viewsonic premium MVA TFT panel and is the best 20" lcd monitor money can buy ... it was calibrated in the fabric ...4 of 5 in bothj running movies and playing games..none other have made this...

See the DisplayMate test ... i personally will choose in the future some Oled technology monitor (Samsung 1400 euros)... because excess the maximun color gamut of these days ...

Heres the link where u can buy it now and new ... free shipping and 250 usD plop.... http://cgi.ebay.com/HP-f2105-21-Wide-Screen-LCD-Monitor-Flat-Panel_W0QQitemZ220144406905QQihZ012QQcategoryZ51047QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[badger101101]

I bought two of the Dell 24" LCDs (2407WFP-HC) and could not be happier. I was shocked at how much more responsive this is than my old 19" LCD. I have used a ton of LCDs - including the 22" Samsung Syncmaster that everyone raves about - and this one takes the cake. As an added bonus, it boasts a 92% color accuracy. Most LCD's are in the 70th percentile.

1920x1200 resolution just rocks. HD Movies & TV at 1080p. A couple other things I love about it are: 5 different inputs which you can easily switch between with a button on the front of the screen (ideal for consoles etc...). Fully adjustable stand, including rotation by 90 degrees. 4 USB ports, 5in2 flash card reader on the side.

Now for the bad....
You need a freaking monster of a video card to make games sing at 1920x1200. I use a 7900gs and it can barely handle UT2004.

 

[systemlord]

I am going to look in person at the different LCD monitors to get some idea of whats out there. How will I know which ones are IPS and which ones are of the other type? Thanks again.

 

[Kamrooz]

It's always a good idea to look at the models before hand....

Unfortunately...When you travel around to the wonderful world of retailers their staff are complete idiots...Most companies never state what panels they use. So you literally can't ask to find out unless they have a employee who actually researches the flat panels...

Even the websites of the manufacturers don't state what panel they use. Only a few actually do but they are the top tier TFT manufacturers. The best choice is to find out on the net..there are a lot of forums and other areas you can find the info...Google will always give you the result as well.

If you want to go look at them in the store..I would recommend this. Figure out what size you want and then look around on the net of the major brands...Then write down the model numbers and call around and ask if they have the model...then go into the store to check it out. It might seem like a lot of effort but it's worth it. Unfortunately Tomshardware doesn't have a very good display forum...it's not very active. If you want to learn more about TFT and hear reviews from people that actually bought them with pictures and everything I'd suggest going here...

http://www.hardforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=78

When you go to newegg or any other forums you really can't trust what most people say....It may be "good" to one person but not to another depending on what your looking for. All LCD's are different and have weaknesses and strong points...Hard's forum would be a better bet...They also have quite a few people who really know what they are talking about and benchmark and review the lcd panels so you really know what you're buying...it's great research...

If you have any questions feel free to ask...I'd suggest looking at all the large threads on that forum so you can get an idea of the popular products...