Three-Way 22" LED LCD Roundup: Dell, LG, And Samsung
Table of contents
- 1. 22" LED LCD Roundup: Dell, LG, And Samsung
- 2. Dell ST2220L / SR2220L
- 3. LG E2241S / E2241T/ E2241V
- 4. Samsung SyncMaster S22A350H
- 5. Display Profile And Tilt
- 6. Our Benchmarking Approach
- 7. Out-Of-Box Performance: Brightness And Contrast Ratio
- 8. Out-Of-Box Performance: Color Accuracy And Gamut
- 9. Out-Of-Box Performance: Maximum And Minimum Brightness
- 10. Calibrated Performance: Brightness And Contrast Ratio
- 11. Calibrated Performance: Color Accuracy And Gamut
- 12. Black And White Uniformity, Viewing Angles
- 13. Power Consumption
- 14. Response Time And Final Words
We're back with another monitor roundup. This time, we're focusing on the extreme end of the cheap gaming spectrum: sub-$200 LCD monitors. It might surprise you to learn that, at this price range, your options are extremely limited. You could buy two 20" monitors or a single 22" screen. If you prefer to game at higher resolutions, the choice is simple: buy the one 22" display.
Monitors smaller than 22" typically can't hit resolutions above 1366x768. If you're a gamer, that's to your disadvantage, because higher quality settings shine when you're gaming at higher resolutions. There are some decent deals on 23" LCDs that run under $200, but they are fewer in number. In practice, you're likely to spend at least $150 to get a solid display, and that's why many folks start off by shopping for 22" monitors.
If you want a cheap screen to complement your budget-oriented gaming rig, we're telling you right upfront that it'd probably be better to keep an eye out for affordable 23" TN-based LCDs. The results of this 22" three-model LCD roundup are a bit mixed, but it is quickly becoming apparent that there's a substantial difference when you move from 22" to 23."
| Brand | Dell | LG | Samsung |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model | ST2220L / SR2220L | E2241S / E2241T/ E2241V | S22A350H |
| Type | LED | LED | LED |
| Panel Type | TN | TN | TN |
| Screen Size | 21.5" | 21.5" | 21.5" |
| Max Resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 | 16:9 | 16:9 |
| Response Time | 5 ms | 5 ms | 2 ms |
| Brightness cd/m^2 | 250 | 250 | 250 |
| Contrast Ratio | 1000:1 | 1000:1 | 1000:1 |
| Picture in Picture | No | No | No |
| Antiglare Coating | Yes | No | No |
| Speakers | No | No | No |
| VGA | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| DVI-D | - | - | - |
| DVI-D with HDCP Input | 1 | 1 | - |
| HDMI | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Tilt | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Energy Star Qualified | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Refresh Rate | 60 Hz | 60 Hz | 60 Hz |
| Warranty | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year |
I've put a Jihad out on TN panels. There are so many decent, cheap e-IPS panels out there. At their worst, eIPS screens are better than TN, and at their best comparable to much more expensive IPS units. There isn't really a reason to consider TNs anymore. It's bad enough that every laptop has a TN (except for a few 12" Lenovos), but why rape your precious eyeballs with a terrible TN on your desk? With that said, I look forward to monitor reviews, and this is a pretty good one.
Point taken. The key is finding those good IPS panels. There are good IPS monitors and there are bad ones. In the same way, there are good and bad TNs.
I mean if we're breaking down everything down to tech...
VA are great at black
IPS are probably the best at color accuracy
IPS better at color shift resistance, but you get light bleed at angles.
TNs better than IPS for motion blur, IPS better than VA for motion blur
VA and IPS both suffer a bit from flashlighting and clouding effects
TNs don't have great color, but offer decent middle ground
TNs are dirt cheap
TNs generally have lower lags
Big generalization here. The point is that nothing is perfect. If it was, there would be little point to advance technologies. In the end, you pick your imperfection.
Cheers,
Andrew Ku
TomsHardware.com
How about 24"+ 1920x1200 monitors?
How about 24"+ 1920x1200 monitors?
I can do that. For whatever reason, I don't see that many 1920x1200 monitors. Most of the time I see 1920x1080.
Is there a particular reason that you prefer 1920x1200?
Cheers,
Andrew Ku
TomsHardware.com
+1 on 1920x1200 monitors.
"Is there a particular reason that you prefer 1920x1200?"
The extra desktop space really helps in my design workflow and adds quite a bit of space over 2 or 3 monitors.
I can do that. For whatever reason, I don't see that many 1920x1200 monitors. Most of the time I see 1920x1080.Is there a particular reason that you prefer 1920x1200?Cheers,Andrew KuTomsHardware.com
I would also be interested in seeing some 1920x1200 monitors. The reason I prefer that resolution is I find that having that extra vertical space is very useful for productivity software, especially word documents. However, for gaming the resolution really doesn't matter to me.
I would also be interested in seeing some 1920x1200 monitors. The reason I prefer that resolution is I find that having that extra vertical space is very useful for productivity software, especially word documents. However, for gaming the resolution really doesn't matter to me.
Any specific monitors? The list is pretty short on 1920x1200.
I agree with the above comments. I loath the 16:9 aspect ratio, and would really like to see some coverage of 4:3 or 16:10 monitors, which (IMO) are much more useful for doing work.
How about an eyefinity/surround test with a range of TN, IPS monitors across a range of budgets? I know this is pretty huge, but you are toms, so you should be able to easily pull it off.
The dell ultrasharp 24 inch mainly
Yup. Gamer girl just beat me to it. Could you please do a review of E-IPS panels like Dell 2311H and LG IPS236V specially their response time in gaming. Thanks in advance.
I Would like to TomsHardware.COM to test Which monitor is the Best Monitor for Gaming and Video Editing like those $400(Or lower) range Monitor like the BenQ:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] -_-Product
AND this LG Monitor:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applica [...] CatId=4231
I have a Philips 222ELSB 21,5' TN monitor, and it is very good. I dont see Comptons point here with the Jihad on TN panels. Not everybody can aford a very expensive monitor
Is there a particular reason that you prefer 1920x1200?Cheers,Andrew KuTomsHardware.com
Because 2560x1600 monitors are too expensive lol and
I have large excel tables, multiple windows at the same time.
On the gaming side it would mean the difference seeing that guy on the right-hand corner of your screen and getting shot xD
The Dell Ultrasharp U2410 runs at 1920x1200, I haven't checked any others. From what I've read, it's a pretty darn good IPS monitor.
Because 2560x1600 monitors are too expensive lol and
I have large excel tables, multiple windows at the same time.
On the gaming side it would mean the difference seeing that guy on the right-hand corner of your screen and getting shot xD
Point taken Gamer-girl. I'll call Dell up in the morning.
Cheers,
Andrew Ku
TomsHardware.com
If you're reviewing white-LED backlit TN LCD displays could you try reviewing one of ASUS's monitors? They seem to have a decent line in their VH###H monitors for someone looking for a budget display, but it's hard to know.
And if not try a roundup of some H-IPS and e-IPS monitors. Seems like these are becoming affordable for people with 200 bucks to spend.
Point taken Gamer-girl. I'll call Dell up in the morning.Cheers,Andrew KuTomsHardware.com
Really is that all you have to do and they just send you one? Now i wanna work at Toms. lol
There are lots of sites out there that show testing input lag using a CRT and the tested monitor both displaying the same image and taking pics with a high shutter speed. read here http://shoryuken.com/forum/index.p [...] faq.55593/ or here showing the testing procedures http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/sho [...] ?t=1166196