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Budget LCD Needed - Pref. 17"

init6

init6

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Sep 26, 2002
Messages
1,209
Upon receiving my tax refund, I will be purchasing a Mac mini and an LCD. I don't game much anymore, so I'm essentially making the switch (I don't need to hear any garbage about why I shouldn't, either). I plan to either sell outright or part out my PC when I get comfortable with OSX (sig box).

Where the problem comes in is that, with a student discount, the Mac mini (1.25GHz, base, upgrade to 512MB RAM) comes to $546 (free shipping). I really only wanted to spend $700 for the combo, but I can go $800 if absolutely necessary, as I need to pay this month's rent with the remainder of my refund!

I've been looking at Dell E173FPs. They seem like a decent LCD at 450:1 CR, 16ms, 1280x1024 (my preferred res) and are going on eBay for ~$250 after shipping (which seems a bit exorbitant to me at $50-$60). Anything wrong with these LCDs? Anything right? They fit my price point and I know Dell has a very good track record with its LCDs, so I want to make sure I'm not looking at the one dog they put out.

Thanks in advance for any help! :cool:
 
You can get a samsung with as good of specs at seeral stores right now, it's a 712N, I like it, it is the same thing as a 710N, but retail, it is the 712. The 710 you can get at newegg, shipped free with no taxes for 259 after rebate. Notice the positive feedback on newegg for this monitor.

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproductdesc.asp?description=24-001-171&DEPA=1

This monitor is a TN panel, however, so it's viewing angles are going to be less than stellar.

There are many options out there between the 250 and 350 price range for flat panels, just check out the egg.
 
Alas, $250 - $350 is not my price point. By going to $250, I'm hitting $800 for both the Mini and the LCD, which is the most I can do right now. Currently this CRT is driving me berserk as it takes up literally my entire desk (I have a small desk - my system's in my bedroom).

I have looked at the Samsung's and have considered them. I will check it out on eBay as well and if it hits my budget range, I will check one out. No feedback on the Dell I mentioned? They're quite prevalent on eBay...
 
If you can make it work I'll second the vote for the 712N. I got a good deal for it, $250 after rebates from BB :). I really like this monitor. Good contrast and color reproduction as well as great response time. I don't notice any ghosting in games at all. When I was looking for an LCD I was in a situation like yours because I didn't want to spend a small fortune on a display. In my opinion, this was probably the best LCD I could have gone with for that price. Plus, all the Samsung LCDs I've looked at had nice pictures and seemed to be very well-built and sturdy.

My opinion FWIW...
 
I'll look into the 712N. I'd still like to either see a review of, or better still speak to someone who owns, a Dell E173FP. I'm not going to be doing any gaming on a Mac mini. I enjoy my AOC CRTs, but they're just too big. I need more desk space, which is a major factor in switching, and I'm just dead tired of Windows.

I'd still like something that's going to be bring me the visual marvel that OS X is but at the price I can afford which, as mentioned, is sadly little. :(
 
As I had suspected, the Dell E173FP is indeed a dog. I didn't see a single positive review of it. After checking around and double-checking the Samsung entry I've decided to go with the 710N-2 from Newegg. It's only $24 more (before rebate) than the Envision EN-7220, but shipping is free and it has a MUCH smaller bezel which I really like. The massive bezel on the Envision really turned me off as I might eventually want two of these for a dual-head setup if I get a G5 workstation at some point.

Thanks for the input, guys, you ended up steering me in the right direction even though I was bucking it! :D
 
Well, I've just changed my mind again on this. For not too awfully much more, I can get the ImageQuest L90D+, a 19" DVI. It's on Newegg for $379, free shipping, and I think I'm gonna front the extra bucks and grab it so I can go DVI. Was reading on Anandtech about it, and quite a few people there seemed like they really like theirs. Any [H] experiences with that monitor?
 
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