Final Words
If you're buying a monitor for grandma, there isn't anything wrong with purchasing one of the many budget LCD options available. Be aware, though, that the Dell SR2320L and HP 2311x are not likely to be what you'd want as a gamer. If you're a gamer, wider gamuts should be your preference because the gamut required to adequately represent the colors in titles like Just Cause 2 is much larger than what's needed to watch an episode of House (which usually uses a smaller and darker color palette). This also goes for anyone that seriously cares about content creation. For example, if you're a photographer, accurate representation of a color space may be your livelihood.
| Brand | Dell | HP | Samsung |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model | SR2320L | 2311x | PX2320 |
| Market Price | $229.99 | $229.99 | $299.99 |
For many, the biggest factor in play is the default performance of a monitor. Manufacturers tend to calibrate displays toward a setting that looks good in dim environments. This is why monitors often look better on the showroom floor than they do in a well-lit home office.
Many people have a false impression of what monitor calibration can actually accomplish. We want to point out that calibration can help achieve better color accuracy and better representation of the sRGB color gamut, but it will not increase the numbers of colors a monitor can represent. This is what you pay for in the $70 dollar price difference (besides the warranty) between Samsung's premium 23" LCD and the more budget-oriented options from Dell and HP.
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