Gateway FHD2400

[AV-Wayne]

Is the gateway FHD 2400 the best 24inch lcd on the market for the money? im thinking about buying one for christmas!

It depends on what you need.

If you want TONS of inputs, it's a great choice.

It also does pivot, PiP (Picture-in-Picture), and HDCP.

You have to decide if it does PiP the way you want -- it lets me do PC/PC PiP, but because it does, it doesn't do DVI/HDMI PiP. You usually get one or the other.

The glossy panel is a plus for sharpness and contrast, but a minus if you are going to use it in a reflective environment.

The panel is a TN-type, which is good if you are a gamer. It is not good if you will have people standing around you that you would like to watch what you're doing. You will also need to check for backlight bleed when you get your unit.

Photographers usually steer clear of TNs, but I've gotta say, the technology has come a long way, and this panel looks excellent.

This unit was the best for my needs. I positively love it.

 

[onegoodsoul]

Santa placed one under our Christmas tree and it just happens to be addressed to me. However, my wife reminds that could change if I am a naughty between now and Christmas morning.

 

[APOLLO]

On a note slightly related to the monitor, my new monitor had one stuck pixel. The UDPix program actually worked. I think I let the little box go for about 30 minutes.

Thanks for info on this program.

 

[reductant]

I've noticed some problems with the Wii over component on this monitor. If the Wii is set to 16:9, then the monitor needs to be set to Wide to get any kind of descent aspect ratio (regardless of the scaling mode selected, the monitor will place two horizontal black bars on the top and bottom).

If the Wii is set to 480p, then the problems start. If Overscan is Off, then the Wii image is slightly distorted vertically (not terribly) and there are small black bars on all four sides of the image as part of the Wii output.

If Overscan is On, then Wii image will have a thin black bar (10-20 lines of pixels) along the top only (in addition to the monitor's black bar) due to the Wi image being shifted downward (the bottom part of the screen is cut off by an equivalent amount). Also, a few lines of pixels are cut off on the right side of the Wii image. I feel that the image is better proportioned when Overscan is On, though. Since the Wii only has a horizontal screen position adjustment option, you can't get rid of this black bar on the top. I wonder why they only have a horizontal adjustment?

Setting the Wii to 480i with Overscan On does not have this image shifting, but the image looks so much worse quality-wise. Anyways, just a heads up to others who may want to use the Wii on this monitor. The image is not going to be pixel-perfect.

EDIT: Turns out that with Overscan On with Wii set to 480p may appear more proportioned at first glance but does have slight horizontal distortion. But again, a bit of the screen is cut off anyways. I'd stick with Overscan being Off. Link looks better in that mode anyways.

 

[Battle_Rattle]

Santa placed one under our Christmas tree and it just happens to be addressed to me. However, my wife reminds that could change if I am a naughty between now and Christmas morning.

I would cordially tell santa that you need to backlight bleed and dead pixel test because you dont trust his minimum wage elves. He'll understand, he's under the same macro to micro, currency exchange, labor force, and general economic forces that most third world countries are under. Territorial water and fishing rights skirmishes with Iceland have drastically cut into the North Pole defense budget. Compound that with supply chain issues from climate change - Polar bears just can't deliver raw material when the ice pack has become so diffuse. Typically, the bear service rate is at 98% but it's fallen to 91% over the last 5 years.

He'll understand

 

[reductant]

Are people having problems with the stand? I noticed some people in here have already mentioned that the stand doesn't appear to keep the monitor perfectly level with a slight angling down to the right when viewed head on. My previous monitor had this defect. I don't notice it on my new one, though.

One issue with the stand I have noticed on both my previous and my current monitor is that the monitor is not parallel to the front of the stand. You can see this by pushing the monitor all the way down to the base and keeping it perpindicular to your desk. Then look down on the monitor from the top. The gap between the front of the monitor and the stand appears uneven. Anyone else?

 

[gtg465x]

Are people having problems with the stand? I noticed some people in here have already mentioned that the stand doesn't appear to keep the monitor perfectly level with a slight angling down to the right when viewed head on. My previous monitor had this defect. I don't notice it on my new one, though.

Err... the stand allows you to rotate the monitor. Rotate it so it's level?

One issue with the stand I have noticed on both my previous and my current monitor is that the monitor is not parallel to the front of the stand. You can see this by pushing the monitor all the way down to the base and keeping it perpindicular to your desk. Then look down on the monitor from the top. The gap between the front of the monitor and the stand appears uneven. Anyone else?

1. Why would you do that lol?
2. Who cares if the stand base and the screen aren't perfectly aligned lol? You can't even tell unless you pull that funny business you describe.

 

[reductant]

Err... the stand allows you to rotate the monitor. Rotate it so it's level?



1. Why would you do that lol?
2. Who cares if the stand base and the screen aren't perfectly aligned lol? You can't even tell unless you pull that funny business you describe.

You can only rotate clockwise, and since people's monitors are leaning clockwise (down to the right when facing the screen), it wouldn't help the issue. As far as the monitor not being parallel with the front of the stand...You are right, I guess it doesn't matter haha But I think you can tell the screen's not straight if you have monitor stand aligned with the edge of the desk as I do.

 

[gtg465x]

You can only rotate clockwise, and since people's monitors are leaning clockwise (down to the right when facing the screen), it wouldn't help the issue. As far as the monitor not being parallel with the front of the stand...You are right, I guess it doesn't matter haha But I think you can tell the screen's not straight if you have monitor stand aligned with the edge of the desk as I do.

Hmm... that's odd. I can even rotate my screen a tiny bit counter clockwise from parallel.

 

[AV-Wayne]

I put my keyboard on the stand because my monitor sits on the edge of an end table, and there's no room in front of it. So, my display is up a bit.

 

[Racasdorph]

So is the Gateway FHD 2400 the best LCD out in the $549 range? Ill be using this monitor for gaming and dvds!

I was also looking at the HP w2408, but to me...the gateway looked so much better color wise.

 

[AV-Wayne]

So is the Gateway FHD 2400 the best LCD out in the $549 range? Ill be using this monitor for gaming and dvds!

I was also looking at the HP w2408, but to me...the gateway looked so much better color wise.

Did you catch my response to the first time you asked, up at the top of this page?

 

[reductant]

I put my keyboard on the stand because my monitor sits on the edge of an end table, and there's no room in front of it. So, my display is up a bit.

If you add the speaker bar it's hard not have it all the way down touching the stand. That thing is like 2-3 inches wide.

 

[reductant]

I wanted to give a heads-up about BestBuy's Product Service Plan ($80 for 3 years) since I recently used it. I kept stressing the backlight issue with the monitor but becasue the monitor's blacks are brilliantly black in a lighted room, they weren't seeing it. One of the Geeks took the monitor into their theater room and turned down the lights and was disgusted with the backlight bleed so it was an easy exchange after that. The other pitfall is when the Geek Squad passes it on to customer service. The CS had to type my problem into her computer to determine whether the problem would qualify me for service or an immediate exchange. Thankfully the computer system qualified backlight bleed for an immediate exchange.

 

[AV-Wayne]

If you add the speaker bar it's hard not have it all the way down touching the stand. That thing is like 2-3 inches wide.

True. It's all the way down, just above my keyboard anyway. I'm at work right now so I can't check how it looks, but it hasn't been anything that's jumped out at me. Well, at least not until you mentioned it (heh-heh).

 

[reductant]

POST UPDATED 11/30

$150 BESTBUY GIFT CARD FOR $600 PURCHASE WITH AMERICAN EXPRESS
If you are going to buy this monitor and have an American Express credit card, you may want to consider getting a BestBuy Wish Certificate from American Express's My Wish List promotion. If you can bring your single purchase total to $600 (buy the speaker bar, protection plan, a game?) then you will get a $150 gift card at BestBuy for future purchases. If you don't win one I'm sure you can find it on eBay in about a week or so (although with that many chances, it should be very easy to get). The Wish Certificate does not need to be presented at time of purchase, so you can go ahead and get the monitor now. The gift card will not be received immediately but will be sent later.

AmEx also doubles Gateway's warranty.

American Express MyWishList will be giving away the BestBuy Wish Certificate on these days (times are Eastern)...
Dec 5 at 6PM
Dec 7 at 11AM
Dec 8 at 6PM
Dec 9 at 6PM
Dec 10 at 2PM
Dec 12 at 11AM

$25 BESTBUY CREDIT WITH REWARD ZONE MEMBERSHIP
Also, if you have a Reward Zone card, you can sign up for one of five holiday bonuses at the Reward Zone web page. One of those bonuses is a $15 gift card if you spend $500 at BestBuy during the holiday season. This is in addition to the $10 you would normally get for spending $500 at BestBuy as a Reward Zone member.

10% OFF AT BESTBUY
Also, here is a 10% Off Coupon for use at BestBuy (expires Dec 31). The coupon applies to computer accessories so you can argue computer monitors should be included. It does not explicitly say computer monitors are included or excluded.

In addition, you will have until January 31 to return the monitor (if purchased before December 24). So, you could come away with $175 in credit at Best Buy, a doubled warranty, and extended return/exchange period.

***Wish Certificate Details***
To redeem this offer, purchase must be charged in full to any American Express® Card. Offer available with select categories: TVs $399 and up, DVD players/recorders, Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD Players, home audio, Audio & Video Accessories, furniture $99 & up, Home Theater Installation by Geek Squad®, also valid at Magnolia Home Theater, major appliances, small appliances, vacuums, microwaves, desktop computers, notebook computers, monitors, and projectors. Excludes Bose®; Magnolia Home Theater products: Bose®, Sonos, Vienna Acoustics, Tivoli Audio, MartinLogan, BDI furniture, Magnolia Guaranteed Performance Agreement and special order merchandise; Samsung 81, 89, and 94 series TVs; Power Price TVs, Home Theater Delivery; Apple® products and special order, clearance, demo and open-box items.
This Wish Certificate need not be presented at the time of purchase. Valid only at Best Buy stores in the U.S. and at BestBuy.com®. Limit one offer per Cardmember, per household. Not good in combination with any other Certificates or offers. Not valid on prior purchases and only good on single qualifying purchase of $600 or more. Valid on in-stock items only. No rainchecks. No dealers. Cash value is 1/100th of one cent. Allow 4-5 weeks from date of transaction for delivery of your Best Buy Gift Card by mail. Best Buy, the Best Buy logo and the tag design are trademarks of Best Buy Enterprise Services, Inc. Gift Card will be awarded on a single qualifying purchase of $600 or more. Offer does not include tax. Limit one award per Cardmember. Other restrictions may apply. This offer is valid on purchases 11/27/07 ♥ 1/15/08.

 

[AV-Wayne]

I wanted to give a heads-up about BestBuy's Product Service Plan ($80 for 3 years) since I recently used it. I kept stressing the backlight issue with the monitor but becasue the monitor's blacks are brilliantly black in a lighted room, they weren't seeing it. One of the Geeks took the monitor into their theater room and turned down the lights and was disgusted with the backlight bleed so it was an easy exchange after that. The other pitfall is when the Geek Squad passes it on to customer service. The CS had to type my problem into her computer to determine whether the problem would qualify me for service or an immediate exchange. Thankfully the computer system qualified backlight bleed for an immediate exchange.

Thanks for that feedback! I just bought it too. Figured $26 a year to take me out to 4 years wasn't too terrible...

 

[zerohaste]

I wanted to give a heads-up about BestBuy's Product Service Plan ($80 for 3 years) since I recently used it. I kept stressing the backlight issue with the monitor but becasue the monitor's blacks are brilliantly black in a lighted room, they weren't seeing it. One of the Geeks took the monitor into their theater room and turned down the lights and was disgusted with the backlight bleed so it was an easy exchange after that. The other pitfall is when the Geek Squad passes it on to customer service. The CS had to type my problem into her computer to determine whether the problem would qualify me for service or an immediate exchange. Thankfully the computer system qualified backlight bleed for an immediate exchange.

Does Best Buy not let you exchange for backlight bleed / dead pixels if you don't have an extended warranty, even if you're within your first 14 days? I've never bought an LCD before (CRT only) so I'm not sure what to expect.

 

[AV-Wayne]

Does Best Buy not let you exchange for backlight bleed / dead pixels if you don't have an extended warranty, even if you're within your first 14 days? I've never bought an LCD before (CRT only) so I'm not sure what to expect.

I thought they let you exchange for any reason in the first 14 days (i.e. - you just don't like the way it displays).

I don't have my paperwork handy, but I think they only use their plan when the manufacturer's plan fails. So, they use that plan for sure after 1 year, but I think they use the manufacturer's plan first otherwise. In this case it appears they used the Best Buy warranty?

 

[reductant]

I thought they let you exchange for any reason in the first 14 days (i.e. - you just don't like the way it displays).

I don't have my paperwork handy, but I think they only use their plan when the manufacturer's plan fails. So, they use that plan for sure after 1 year, but I think they use the manufacturer's plan first otherwise. In this case it appears they used the Best Buy warranty?

Within the return period (14 days if bought before November 1 or after December 24; or until January 31 if bought between November 1 and December 24), you can return the monitor or exchange it for any reason (unless you destroyed it) no questions asked.

If it's outside your return period and you have a problem with the monitor and have purhcased the Product Service Plan, it's completely up to you whether you want to use the PSP or Gateway's warranty. The BestBuy plan is not in addition to the Gateway warranty. The BestBuy plan is three years from the date you purchased the plan. The BestBuy plan is obviously less hassle than dealing with Gateway, though. You must, however, purchase the PSP within the return period of your monitor.

EDIT: See later post. PSP provides additional convenience for the length of Gateway's warranty. After the warranty expires, the PSP plan is good for one replacement or the equivalent.

 

[AV-Wayne]

Within the return period (14 days if bought before November 1 or after December 24; or until January 31 if bought between November 1 and December 24), you can return the monitor or exchange it for any reason (unless you destroyed it) no questions asked.

If it's outside your return period and you have a problem with the monitor and have purchased the Product Service Plan, it's completely up to you whether you want to use the PSP or Gateway's warranty. The BestBuy plan is not in addition to the Gateway warranty. The BestBuy plan is three years from the date you purchased the plan. The BestBuy plan is obviously less hassle than dealing with Gateway, though. You must, however, purchase the PSP within the return period of your monitor.

I'll definitely have to check my paperwork when I get home now -- I swear it said the manufacturer's warranty comes first, and it was a 4-year plan (3 years past the 1-year Gateway warranty). Real curious now!

 

[liar2]

can someone explain to me exactly how the mywishlist program works? i just ordered the monitor last night but it has yet to ship. if i can cancel the order and come out ahead with this program, i'll gladly do it.

 

[reductant]

MyWishList

Enter your American Express credit card number where it says unlock. At the upper right you'll see the deals being offered. You can scroll through the days. The Wish Certificates are offered at 11, 2, and 6. The products are offered at 12, 3, and 7. Select the item you want to try for. In the upper left is the time at which you can try to win/purchase the next item. It'll automatically start counting down at 2 minutes prior to the time. When it reaches zero, click I Want It button and hope for the best. If you get it, follow the instructions as quickly as possible. You aren't guaranteed anything until you get a confirmation.

 

[reductant]

I was just reading through the BenQ thread, and apparently the BenQ FP241W has received a new firmware that now does proper scaling for Xbox 360 over VGA. It's now equally functional to the Gateway (of course it has a slower response time). Furthermore, the price seems to have come down now. It costs $568 USD at NCIX.com. It uses an A-MVA panel, so you'd have less viewing angle issues. Something to consider.

 

[liar2]

I'm still a little confused. Does this mean I have to spend $600 prior if I'm trying to get the bestbuy gift card? Or do I have to apply for the gift card first and then the instructions will tell me to spend $600?

I'm leaning towards not trying this if I'm not going to be guaranteed anything. I also think that if I cancel my order with bestbuy that they might realize they didn't charge me tax and I'll be charged more next time.

 

[reductant]

If you win the Wish Certificate on the web site, American Express will send you a coupon in the mail. Just take it with you when you spend the $600 (have to pay with your American Express, btw), and BestBuy will give you a $150 gift card. If the Wish Certificate is the same as last year, there may also be different increments for earning gift cards. I think last year you could get like a $30 gift card for spending like $200 or something.

 

[AV-Wayne]

I'll definitely have to check my paperwork when I get home now -- I swear it said the manufacturer's warranty comes first, and it was a 4-year plan (3 years past the 1-year Gateway warranty). Real curious now!

Reductant, I’ve looked over my Best Buy warranty, and one thing I noticed makes me a little nervous. It may also apply to you: They say repeatedly that once a product is replaced, the plan is fulfilled, and they have satisfied all their obligations to you. That makes me think the remaining term of the contract is therefore cancelled. In one place they say “when replaced after the expiration of the manufacturer’s warranty”, and in one place they make no such connection.

Another uncomfortable quote is related to how much effort they expend: "The total liability under this plan is the purchase price you paid for the product; in the event that the total of all repairs exceeds the purchase price paid for the product or we replace the product, we shall have satisfied all obligations owed under the plan." This makes it sound like they could leave us holding a bad display if they can't fix it!

Now, I’m not sure they gave me the correct pamphlet because the SKU number on my receipt isn't listed in it, but my receipt confirms it's a 4 yr warranty (“4 yr, $500-$599.99 Monitor, PS PSP# xxxxxx, SKU# 8550588, Exp Date Nov 2011”)

They say the plan does not replace the manufacturer's warranty, but provides "additional benefits" during that period. They don't go into much more detail on that, but since they didn't send you to the manufacturer, I'm guessing they handled the repair under this plan. Only question now is whether that evaporated the remainder of your extended warranty! You may want to call their 800 number (800-888-BESTBUY), or even your local store, and ask them if the PSP number listed on your receipt is still valid. I'd love to hear the answer to that!

 

[Number19]

This past Friday I girded myself to brave the crowds and drove 60 miles to the nearest Best Buy in the suburbs near Houston. Arriving there at 5:30 am, I quickly found myself back on the highway, driving another 10 miles to Circuit City - and then found myself standing outside in the windy chill of a cold front, as the line crawled its way toward the entrance. Once inside I got lucky and grabbed a salesman just as he was finishing up with another customer. A quick look at the computer and I was informed that they were out! However - the Sharpstown store in Houston showed some still in stock. Could he reserve one for me? No! Not that day! It was first come, first serve! So I found myself again on the freeway driving into the gut of Houston traffic - another 10 miles. Success! They had one remaining - and the speaker bar!

Was it worth it?

I am pairing the monitor with a brand spanking new Gateway - Quad-Core QX6700 overclocked to 3.2GHz, an overclocked nVidia GeForce 8800GTX (768MB) and with 3GB of memory.

The speaker bar easily connects to the bottom of the monitor and is a good looking match. The monitor is connected to the Gateway using DVI.

Now, I am not a "gamer". I use my computers mainly for non-professional image & video editing, internet research, word processing, discussion forums and, of course, e-mail. So my comments are directed toward this type of computer usage.

Ergonomically, my workstation is U-shaped with my 4-yr old Dell Inspiron laptop at the bottom of the U. I have a Viewsonic 20" P-810 graphic series CRT duel linked to the Dell, resting in one corner of the U. At 45 degrees, right next to the Viewsonic is my new FHD2400, on one side of the U. Directly across on the other side of the U, is my desk. I go into this detail so you understand that, as I work, I may swivel my chair between all three working surfaces. As a result, I am viewing my TN panel from a multitude of angles.

In landscape mode, the top of the monitor is at eye level. Swiveling into portrait mode, my eyesight is more in line with the center of the panel. The monitor raises and pivots with an easy, smooth motion. When pivoting, you raise the monitor and tilt back to give sufficent clearance, if this is necessary.

The speakers are by far the best "small" speakers I have ever had and are rated at 7 watts. Unless someone wants "immersion" sound, a computer user may never require anything more sophisticated.

Powering the unit on for the first time, I carefully look for dead pixels and backlight bleed. I am not going to use any special software or procedure to check for these - as a typical, casual home user, I am interested only in the results of practical observation and usage. During the background of login, the background of Stonehenge and my first DVD movie, careful observation shows no dead pixels and no discernible backlight bleed. Of course, being an LCD panel, there must be some bleed, but the average home viewer will not see anything on my panel. The small amount of visible backlight bleed I have on my Dell is not even apparent on my FHD2400. I couldn't be more satisfied.

Before purchasing this monitor, the primary concern I had was the viewing angle problems so often associated with the TN technology. The comments and satisfaction of AV-Wayne were the final nudge I needed to make my final decision and to go with this monitor.

The average home user will be completely satisfied with the viewing angles of this screen. Swiveling around in my chair, as I do, produces so little distortion that many people would say there was none. I can get out of my chair, walk to my file cabinet and from 6-8 ft away and at, maybe, 45 degrees, the viewing is clearly acceptable, both viewing a photo and watching a DVD movie. Standing, immediately in front of the monitor, with the extreme angle, I get color distortion with a photo, but only minimum darkening when watching the DVD. By getting down on the floor and looking upward at the panel, I get the darkening which is unacceptable. So, there is darkening and distortion. But for the average home user, with the small amount there is within a normal area of the working range, this issue is actually a non-issue. I echo AV-Wayne's surprise and satisfaction.

This is in landscape mode. Portrait mode is another matter.

In portrait mode, side to side movement definitely produces negative results. Short and sweet, when viewing photos, as an example, you need to be directly square with the screen and, possibly, just a degree or two offset to one side - what would be the top side when in landscape mode. However, this is completely consistent with the vertical distortion of landscape mode.

Portrait mode is also the position for the single, irritating negative I have found. The panel, when swiveling into this mode, does not lock into a perfectly vertical position. It is several degrees short. I haven't laid a level, just yet, to the working surface and to the monitor, itself, to see where the problem lies. But in landscape mode, there is no discernible problem. My expectation, at this point, is that there is a a design flaw in the swivel.

A pleasant surprise for me was the sharpness of text and graphics on this monitor. I spend 10 hours a day at a CADD station and then too much time at home in front of my computer. This really isn't good on my aging eyeballs. This past year I found myself going to tri-focal "computer" glasses. I have absolutely no problem reading text on this monitor at its native 1920x1200 resolution. The strain on my eyesight is certainly far less than on my tiny laptop and seems to even be improved over the Viewsonic. I find myself leaning back in my chair, on occasion, and viewing the screen from a distance of about 4 feet!

I found the EZTune calibration to be quite easy. The brightness is cranked all the way down to 5. Now, remember, my new FHD2400 is side by side with my professional, graphics level CRT. Viewing the same photo, simultaneously, on both monitors, the LHD2400 is definitely brighter than the CRT. The CRT has a "warmer" picture. The contrast in the darks of the foliage is more pronounced on my FHD2400, but flesh tones on the.Graphic Series Viewsonic are more realistic and true. The reds on the LCD need adjusting with a superior calibration utility, without a doubt. Except for the brightness, the greens of the foliage, and the hues of the paving rocks and fountain, are very close between the two. This is a hard call. I think the average home user will be more than satisfied with the color reproduction of this monitor as it comes from the box and calibrated with EZTune. But viewing the two images side by side, as I am, most would choose the quality of my Viewsonic.

I don't have the newest high def television, but playback of a standard def DVD movie, at full screen, is comparable to that displayed by my excellent, analog TV. The single aspect of movie viewing that I am reserving my opinion on is contrast. Even on my TV, I have had a problem seeing detail in night scenes. The problem is, I really haven't, in the past, watched movies on a computer. I'll have to try and remember, the next time I notice this on my TV, to note the scene and later replay it on the computer to see the comparison.

All in all, I'll give this monitor a rating of 8 out of 10. No consumer level TN panel LCD gets a 10 with today's technology and I deduct a point for the uneven portrait mode. Otherwise - for features, view ability and mid-level pricing, this is one fine 24" LCD for the average user.

So yes! It was definitely worth the Black Friday hassle.

 

[AV-Wayne]

Thanks taking the time to write all that up!!!

A couple of things I thought I'd mention -- you said the native resolution is 1600x1200. I don't think there is such a mode, so that's probably just a typo. However if you are in that mode, give 1920x1200 a try.

Also, on the pictures -- CRTs are definitely the perfect display device as far as speed and picture are concerned. If they weren't so undesirable otherwise, I think we'd all still be using them. However, I got to say -- some high-quality super-high-resolution photos of celebrities or whatever displayed on this panel can REALLY knock your socks off if they were photographed well! Like looking through a window at them, they can be so realistic-looking. No doubt calibration counts on perceptions, but thankfully I was lucky out of the box. Overall, the picture is not as warm like you say, but sometimes it can really let you see detail you never noticed before.

Good write-up.

 

[Number19]

You are correct. I have no idea where that 1600x1200 came from.1920x1200 is my setting.

 

[Xenozx]

I bought one of these. 450 bucks, and I got one hell of a monitor. No dead pixels, worked perfectly right out of the box.

IM a HARDCORE gamer. For normal single player gaming this panel is top notch. Played Crysis on it last night and was VERY impressed! COD4 looks amazing at full res too!

Call of duty 4
bioshock
crysis
fate
hellgate london
fate

These games all looked great, played better then they did on my 21 inch Sony Trinitron CRT. No complaints at all, cant believe I waited this long to go widescreen and LCD. I had a 21 inch dell LCD w/ 16 ms response, and let me tell you, I couldnt use this to play games at all. It played games like crap. Solid pictures where GORGEOUS, but games just where not meant for it. The Gateway does not disapoint, even in the gaming department.


However,

Gears of war
UT3
UT2004

These games did not fare so well w/ this monitor. GOW is a dark game, and I found it hard to see in the dark. I also played the fear demo, and same goes there, but it was much more managable. Surprisingly the dark in Crysis was fine, which is surprising, but I thought I would notate it just incase. LCD's just still cant compare to CRT's in the contrast department. On a CRT you can look down a dark hallway and make out everything! On an LCD, because its backlit, its near impossible to do this in most cases, which really sucks, cause thats the one thing LCD's are lacking, when compared to CRT's now adays.

UT3 was fine, but a few issues similar to UT2004 see below:

UT2004 - when I say Im a hardcore gamer, I am mainly talking Q3 and UT2004. I play UT2004 quite a bit, and trying to play it on an LCD is still not worth it. I mean, it looks good, and runs pretty smooth, but playing on an LCD in comparison to my CRT really hurts my accuracy. UT2004 is very much a hitscan game. I did some tests, and my normal average of 30-50% accuracy w/ a CRT disapears to 5-20% when using the LCD. Their is some kind of lag/delay or something that is just not the same. This is the only reason I have kept my CRT. When I sit down to play UT2004, I switch over to CRT, cause otherwise, I cant hit a thing. This is gay, and I cant wait for the day LCD's catch up to CRT's in this department.


As far as my desktop at 1920x1200 OMG, I have a picture of hayden P on there and it looks SO realistic, I have to back the dood up above, its damn near a window. I mean I wish it was cause Id reach through and touch her (she is 18 right?) but unfortuately that is not the case. Anyway, great monitor, and my desktop just looks amazing. Games like WoW (which I dont play) and fate, and dungeonseige, really look awesome on a monitor like this. The widescreen works wonders too!

Anyway I give this monitor an 8/10, I give my old dell LCD a 2/10. Atleast for most general gaming this monitor does the job, and only fails to satisfy the hardcore gamer. Outside of that its a great monitor, and does its job above par.

 

[reductant]

The PSP works like this, according to my BestBuy.

So long as Gateway's warranty is valid, BestBuy will do as many repairs or replacements as needed. After the warranty expires, the PSP will be fulfilled if BestBuy replaces the monitor or does repairs equivalent to the cost of the monitor. In other words, while the Gateway warranty is going, the PSP cannot expire. After the warranty expires, the PSP is good for one replacement only.

 

[branana]

....overclocked nVidia GeForce 8800GTX (768MB) and with 3MB of memory. GB?.....Now, I am not a "gamer". ....

 

[NismoSkyline]

I don't have comparison shots, but I have noticed a HUGE difference in backlight bleeding. My previous monitor was manufactured in August, but this new one was manufactured in September, and the backlight bleeding is so much less. Here's a picture of the screen with the lights off and at nighttime (taken just now) at default settings.

i have the same spot bottom right and a little bit on the top right (when you face the monitor)

its not as bad but i can tell the view angle is alot better from left to right than right to left

 

[Number19]

Branana, I really don't understand your question, but doing video editing, my Dell's system resources were just totally overwhelmed. So I just bought the meanest, baddest machine I could afford. I really don't know if I bought too much. No, that's not right. You can never buy too much! (Power Power Power) I just don't know if I bought more than I need for video editing. (edit) I figured it out. You're right! 3 gigabytes of memory.

 

[Racasdorph]

Awesome Review thanks!

 

[branana]

Branana, I really don't understand your question, but doing video editing, my Dell's system resources were just totally overwhelmed. So I just bought the meanest, baddest machine I could afford. I really don't know if I bought too much. No, that's not right. You can never buy too much! (Power Power Power) I just don't know if I bought more than I need for video editing. (edit) I figured it out. You're right! 3 gigabytes of memory.

As in why do you need a 768MB GTX for video editing?

 

[jinjjaone]

If you win the Wish Certificate on the web site, American Express will send you a coupon in the mail. Just take it with you when you spend the $600 (have to pay with your American Express, btw), and BestBuy will give you a $150 gift card. If the Wish Certificate is the same as last year, there may also be different increments for earning gift cards. I think last year you could get like a $30 gift card for spending like $200 or something.

I won one of these today so thanks for letting me know about the WishList but after reading the rules it seems they don't send you any coupon but you have to spend $600 at Best Buy on your Amex card by 1/15/08, then 4-5 weeks after the transaction they will send you the $150 gift card. No need to bring any proof into Best Buy.

It's all the same I guess, your explanation was better as it seemed like you get the gift card on the spot but I really can't complain now can I?

 

[reductant]

I won one of these today so thanks for letting me know about the WishList but after reading the rules it seems they don't send you any coupon but you have to spend $600 at Best Buy on your Amex card by 1/15/08, then 4-5 weeks after the transaction they will send you the $150 gift card. No need to bring any proof into Best Buy.

It's all the same I guess, your explanation was better as it seemed like you get the gift card on the spot but I really can't complain now can I?

I'm not sure how quickly you get the BestBuy gift card. However, last year, AmEx mailed a Wish Certificate to you. You should wait for that first before you buy anything to read the fine print and in case BestBuy needs to see it.

 

[jinjjaone]

I'm not sure how quickly you get the BestBuy gift card. However, last year, AmEx mailed a Wish Certificate to you. You should wait for that first before you buy anything to read the fine print and in case BestBuy needs to see it.

I read the rules and terms and it said that you don't need to show anything. But yea I did get a order number in the e-mail so I'm going to call Amex MyWish customer service before I go ahead and do that, also the wording is a little weird on if I have to buy 1 single thing that is at least $600 or if you can buy multiple things to add up to $600. I'm sure its the latter but calling to make sure. Sounds like I can't use any 10% off coupons when I make the purchase either, at least from what I understand. Anyway here's the terms if anyone else wins a certificate.


"This Wish Certificate need not be presented at the time of purchase. Valid only at Best Buy stores in the U.S. and at BestBuy.com®. Limit one offer per Cardmember, per household. Not good in combination with any other Certificates or offers. Not valid on prior purchases and only good on single qualifying purchase of $600 or more. Valid on in-stock items only. No rainchecks. No dealers. Cash value is 1/100th of one cent. Allow 4-5 weeks from date of transaction for delivery of your Best Buy Gift Card by mail. Best Buy, the Best Buy logo and the tag design are trademarks of Best Buy Enterprise Services, Inc. Gift Card will be awarded on a single qualifying purchase of $600 or more. Offer does not include tax. Limit one award per Cardmember. Other restrictions may apply. This offer is valid on purchases 11/27/07 ♥ 1/15/08"