LCD Monitor Review

LCD monitors: Tests and ratings

There are lots of places to read reviews of LCD monitors. Though their coverage isn't perfect, mainstream websites and publications such as PCMag.com, Macworld and CNET provide testing-backed reports and enough detail for all but the most technically sophisticated readers. Government Computer News (GCN) isn't exactly a mainstream publication, but its reporting is detailed and substantive, yet easy to digest for those with less technical expertise.

For enthusiasts who want more details and professional users who require them, sites such as the U.K.'s TFT Central, PCMonitors.org, Bit-tech.net and X-bitLabs.com provide reams of data, including detailed results from exhaustive lab testing. However, these reviews can be a challenging read at times. Plenty of user reviews for LCD monitors can be found at Amazon.com and especially at Newegg.com, and those are helpful for learning about owners' experiences, including long-term satisfaction.

For this update, we found that LCD monitors by Dell and Asus are often well regarded in reviews. While we didn't find any brands or specific monitors that are consistently poorly rated, most reviewers pan one or two monitors; yet the same LCD monitor that's panned by one reviewer receives hearty recommendations from other sources. Whether this is a case of beauty being in the eye of the beholder or variations in review sample quality is very much an open question. Regardless, this divide in opinions means that buying a monitor from a vendor with a reasonable exchange policy is probably a good idea.

So-called conventional LCD monitors with a 4:3 aspect ratio have become very difficult to find, and are often more expensive than their widescreen counterparts. Despite the popularity of widescreen LCD monitors, they aren't necessarily the best choice for some users. LCD monitors with conventional shapes are taller than same-size widescreen displays, which means less up-and-down scrolling in Word and Excel documents and on web pages for that given screen size. If that's your primary usage, either a conventional 4:3 aspect ratio monitor, a monitor that swivels from horizontal to vertical or a larger widescreen monitor will provide the greatest productivity. On the other hand, a widescreen LCD monitor is ideal for watching movies, and it allows you to fit two documents or web pages side by side on the display. Given their lower price, you're better off buying a widescreen monitor in most circumstances.