Does the VP171s disappoint? If we compare it to its 19" counterpart, then it most certainly does. However, if we compare the VP171s to the rest of the 17" market, it's not necessarily the end of the world. In fact the VP171s is above the average performance of the other 17" monitors.

Conclusion

What lessons have we learned from this comparison? First of all, classic-panel 17" monitors are definitely slower than those with overdrive. Game-play-immersion is inferior and none of the monitors tested are capable of displaying video of sufficient quality. As far as overall performance goes, 17" LCDs are their way to the back of the class.

Vendors' R&D dollars also seem to be focused on 19" monitors, and the downward trend in prices clearly favors 19" monitors. For $100 more, you gain two extra inches in the diagonal, and for a gamer, the choice is easy. Indeed, demand in the future will likely be for 19" monitors that also offer overdrive capabilities.