The absolute best 24" LCD monitor.

[Laminator]

Hello; I am trying to identify the absolute best LCD 24" monitor. A lot of people are buying cheap 24" LCD monitors right now and a lot of other people, including me, are waiting for the prices of 24" monitors to go down. If I'm going to spend several hundred dollars on a monitor, I want to get a really good one that will last a while.

From my understanding, the hierarchy goes like this (overall image quality is paramount; I could care less about card readers, etc.):

Low-End:
======
Samsung 245BW
Acer AL2416 (series)
Westinghouse L2410NM

And all the other ones you've never heard of. I have personally seen the Samsung and the Acer next to the LG and the Gateway at Best Buy, all displaying the same image. The Gateway had the best colors by far. The colors on the LG, 245BW, and Acer were dark and washed by comparison. The 245BW and the Acer were the most so, noticeably more than the LG.

Mid-Range:
========
Dell 2407WFP
HP LP2465
Gateway FPD2485W
Viewsonic VX2435WM

From reviews, I get the idea that the Dell is the best for its features. The HP is extremely bright. All three non-Dell monitors have slightly better image quality than the Dell but not enough to offset the Dell's better features/price.

I have seen the Dell with Call of Duty 2, FEAR, and Battlefield 2 and I don't notice any ghosting, but maybe that's just me. Picture looked great but I didn't have anything else to compare it to.

High-End:
=======
Samsung 244T
BenQ FP241 (series)
Dell 2407WFP-HC
LG L246WP-BN
NEC 2470WNX

The BenQ has the best image overall - great viewing angles and clear picture. The Dell has the best colors, covering 92% of the color gamut. The LG is the fastest, with the lowest actual response time. The only thing I have heard about the Samsung and the NEC is that they are comparable to the BenQ in terms of image quality.

The Best:
=======
NEC 2490WUXi

Expensive.

Am I even close? I have categorized these monitors based on reviews from enthusiast web sites and reliable end-users (mostly from the "official whatever monitor" threads, which are extremely detailed and may compare the monitor to other monitors, but also from http://www.bexox.com/showdown.htm). Some of these monitors are famous for things, so it was pretty easy for the most part...

EDIT: I have read that the EIZO 24" LCD monitors are pretty good, too. Anyone know anything about these?

[Sinn707]

I'd say the BenQ FP241 is the best out there today. I once seen it in action in the local BestBuy, it was right next to a Viewsonic VX2435. Difference was night and day. Absolutely amazing picture, great viewing angles, no visible ghosting of any kind and 1080p. Also if you read some reviews of the people who bought one from Newegg, it becomes pretty clear that it is one amazing monitor.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...ALL&Pagesize=100&Page=

[seanp789]

I have both a Dell 2405 and Samsung 24" screen. Personally I would wait for the LED backlit screens to come out later this year.

Between the 2 the samsung is the better choice. Good color and responsiveness.

Dell usually rebrands so you may want to find what panel they are using for the model you are interested in.

[Laminator]

Sinn707, that is also the impression I get but when I look at the comparison pictures on http://www.digitalversus.com/ it looks like the LG beats the BenQ in every category...is there something specific about the BenQ's image quality that makes it the best?

seanp789, thanks for the tip on the LED backlit screens; I didn't know about those before. The Dell is actually kind of expensive now, anyways. I can get a refurbished BenQ from http://www.benqshopper.com/ for $429 + Shipping + Taxes = $490 or a Gateway from Best Buy or CompUSA for $680 before taxes, no shipping charges. Not that I think those are great prices, but the Dell is now $600 for the 2407WFP or $680 without taxes and shipping for the HC.

[WaTaGuMp]

FP241W owner here and its FTW. LED's are gonna be big bucks when they come out.

[CP5670]

The absolute best is probably the NEC 2490wuxi, seeing as it's the only IPS available, but it costs twice as much as the others.

[vhx]

The BenQ use to be the same price as the dell 2407wfp but both shot up over 80 dollars (how does that make sense?). Anyways, I too am waiting for the inevitable price drop.

I'd probably pick one up after that, I really hate BenQ logo tho, and IMO it looks like garbage on the black panel. I saw there was a silver version in a review but was only able to find the black one. Newegg, does have a silver one but it has this weird stand thing and the front bezel is still black [and is a lot more expensive]. Looks nothing like the one here: Text
I guess the silver ones are for the UK only?

EDIT: And those waiting for LED backlit, you are going to be paying out the behind for those when they come out.

[pcslookout]

Originally posted by: CP5670
The absolute best is probably the NEC 2490wuxi, seeing as it's the only IPS available, but it costs twice as much as the others.

[GEOrifle]

What's the quality of 24 '' GATEWAY from BestBuy ?

[imaheadcase]

I ordered me the new dell 24inch HC monitor, should be here Tuesday. I will post my thoughts on it in the LCD thread when it arrives.

Been getting nice reviews.

[WaTaGuMp]

Originally posted by: GEOrifle
What's the quality of 24 '' GATEWAY from BestBuy ?

I thought it sucked when I went and looked at it.

[Laminator]

Originally posted by: imaheadcase
I ordered me the new dell 24inch HC monitor, should be here Tuesday. I will post my thoughts on it in the LCD thread when it arrives.

Been getting nice reviews.

Thanks! This would probably be of great help to those of us looking to buy a 24" since there is a lot of interest in the 2407WFP-HC. There's currently only two reviews of this item that I know of - the one on the VR-Zone forums that has a side-by-side comparison with the original 2407WFP and one by ComputerShopper.com.

[dennilfloss]

Originally posted by: WaTaGuMp
FP241W owner here and its FTW.

Representing!

[yacoub]

Whichever one doesn't have input lag... which translates into whichever one is S-IPS because that generally has much better user input responsiveness compared to MVA/PVA panels.

[shilatoe]

Originally posted by: Laminator
Hello; I am trying to identify the absolute best LCD 24" monitor. A lot of people are buying cheap 24" LCD monitors right now and a lot of other people, including me, are waiting for the prices of 24" monitors to go down. If I'm going to spend several hundred dollars on a monitor, I want to get a really good one that will last a while.

I notice that there are rarely comments about the NEC 2470 on the forums. I bought one last month and could not be happier. I play FPS games and video performance is great, no blurring or tearing. Images are clear and sharp, color appears well balanced. When in MS Office apps the text is sharp, easy to read. The monitor feels and looks very solid. I haven't calibrated it b/c it was already to go right out of the box. When first converting my games to the larger screen size I was viewing them in a smaller scale and the monitor was able to scale to the wide screen w/no visible distortion.
I'm sure the NEC 2490 would be a better monitor if I were doing professional graphics work but the 2470 does it all for me for little more than half the price.
Highly recommended.

[theslug]

What monitor does the deepest blacks?

[Machinus]

Is there a detailed analysis of the input lag and response time of the six high end monitors (including the NEC)?

I'd really like to see those specs if the are available.

[vhx]

Originally posted by: Laminator
Sinn707, that is also the impression I get but when I look at the comparison pictures on http://www.digitalversus.com/ it looks like the LG beats the BenQ in every category...is there something specific about the BenQ's image quality that makes it the best?

seanp789, thanks for the tip on the LED backlit screens; I didn't know about those before. The Dell is actually kind of expensive now, anyways. I can get a refurbished BenQ from http://www.benqshopper.com/ for $429 + Shipping + Taxes = $490 or a Gateway from Best Buy or CompUSA for $680 before taxes, no shipping charges. Not that I think those are great prices, but the Dell is now $600 for the 2407WFP or $680 without taxes and shipping for the HC.

Going with a refurbished model isn't that smart IMO. I mean, 90 day warranty isn't all that great. What's the warranty on the retail model?

EDIT: For the benq?

[Captante]

Originally posted by: dennilfloss

Representing!

I also have one & its a fantastic moniter... I did a lot of shopping around before buying & I'm 100% satisfied.