Want to buy used 15 or 17" LCD Monitor - advice?

Talfuchre · 06-26-2007, 10:40 AM

What would you buy used if you had your choice - and what would you look for when buying a used 15 to 17" LCD Monitor?

THanks,

TF

respiegel · 06-26-2007, 11:10 AM

15's are a bit small IMO, go with a 17 if you have a choice, heck the 19"s aren't that much more. look for its native resolution, i wouldn't get one that was less that 1280x1024. what kind of video card are you running? if you have DVI out you might want to look for DVI in on a monitor (but i can't tell the difference) if you're doing alot of gaming you want the fastest refresh rate you can manage, but 8ms is fine for most things.

pizzaluvr · 06-26-2007, 11:25 AM

I have an old monitor(circa 2004/5) I could sell you. I don't even use it, so I could give you a good price. I can't get pics right now though, and I don't have it with me. It is a Compaq(or HP, pretty sure it's Compaq, but they are the same thing)15" LCD.

Rayodder · 06-26-2007, 12:18 PM

unless it is substantial savings buying used, new 19" LCD are listed around mid $200's.

BoBo · 06-26-2007, 04:12 PM

Dell Factory Outlet

Dell outlet - 17" for under 150.

Moose · 06-26-2007, 04:38 PM

Office Max has a 22" AOC Widescreen LCD monitor for $229.00 this week.

Brinstar · 06-26-2007, 05:53 PM

I was recently on the lookout for a 22" LCD, and learned a few lessons along the way: I ended up buying a Sceptre gaming 22LCD with exceptional specs for under $300. When I got it, the only thing I didn't care for was the viewing angle. After 3 weeks, the DVI connection went completely dead. Plugged it in through VGA, and it was usable, but the image quality was horrible, and could not be fixed through settings. Apparently, this was a very common problem with that model.

I would put viewing angle pretty high up on the list of important features. At least 150 degrees in both horizontal and vertical. A lot of the cheaper monitors can tilt up, but cannot tilt down. As a result, I've got a few CD cases jammed under mine to make it tilt down so it's usable. If you can go to the store, look at the monitor from all angles, and see how good/bad the image change is when you move around.

8ms response time is probably good enough. May want better for gaming, as mentioned above.

Depending on what you're doing with it, might want to check on the colors. 16.2 is probably fine for an email/movie/word processing machine, but if you're doing photo editing or high end gaming, you may want to shoot for 16.7. If it just says more than 16million, it most likely means 16.2

Unless you have the big fluorescent lights in your house, the picture will look different when you take it home. Best place to look at a monitor is at a friends house who has one set up in a normal use environment. Also, most display models have probably never been adjusted, when you're looking at them, play with the settings to see if you can get a better image.

If ordering online, be sure to check out the dead pixel policy. Last I checked, NewEgg requires at least a certain number of dead pixels to accept a return. That makes a monitor one of the few things I will avoid buying from them. Most retail stores probably don't have such a policy.

Whatever you think you've decided on, be sure to check for reviews online. NewEgg is where I usually go, but there may be other good places for reviews as well. Specs, and looking good in the store may be one thing, but knowing how other users like it is very valuable.

On some models, VGA vs DVI connection doesn't make much difference, but on some, VGA is almost unusable. If all you have is a VGA connection, check the display models to see what connection they are using.

Brands: Samsung, BenQ and Acer seem to get pretty good reviews. I would steer clear of Sceptre.

[Edit]Just re-noticed that you'll be buying used, so a couple things I said don't apply.[/edit]

Talfuchre · 06-26-2007, 08:15 PM

Thanks all for the suggestions.

Let me be clearer. This is ONLY for work and for daily things I do. Spreadsheets, a little web work and the like. This is for very simple use.

Okay okay so a little porn.

(Kidding - ofcourse).

I like the Dell option.

TF

BoBo · 06-26-2007, 08:45 PM

I've bought a few of these for clients and they work well.

Brinstar · 06-26-2007, 09:00 PM

Since you're using it for simple work stuff, a lot of the specs will be irrelevant.

The only 17" LCD I see on the Dell site is $179, the CRTs are the only ones I see under $150. The few Dell monitors I've seen have been pretty good, but for that price, you can find a decent 19". Since you're working with spreadsheets, you may also want to consider going to wide-screen to get a few extra columns in the visible area (or so you can look at your porn and the spreadsheet at the same time more easily

). Just make sure your system can handle the native resolution for the best viewing experience.

One that I'm considering for work is:
Acer AL1917WABD 19" Widescreen LCD Monitor - 5ms, 700:1, WSXGA+ 1440x900, DVI, VGA, Black, 300 cdm² ETC17WPA04 at TigerDirect.com

06-26-2007, 11:10 AM	#2 (permalink)
respiegel MCB Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Huntsville, AL	15's are a bit small IMO, go with a 17 if you have a choice, heck the 19"s aren't that much more. look for its native resolution, i wouldn't get one that was less that 1280x1024. what kind of video card are you running? if you have DVI out you might want to look for DVI in on a monitor (but i can't tell the difference) if you're doing alot of gaming you want the fastest refresh rate you can manage, but 8ms is fine for most things. __________________ My PBN Feedback \|\| My AO Feedback \|\| My MCB Feedback

06-26-2007, 12:18 PM	#4 (permalink)
Rayodder MCB Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Richmond, British Columbia	unless it is substantial savings buying used, new 19" LCD are listed around mid $200's. __________________ $$$ trumps dibs every single time!!! MCB Feedback

06-26-2007, 04:12 PM	#5 (permalink)
BoBo Active Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: SF Bay Area	Dell Factory Outlet Dell outlet - 17" for under 150. __________________ Say what now?

06-26-2007, 04:38 PM	#6 (permalink)
Moose Kicking Cancer's Ass Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: The Sticks, SC	Office Max has a 22" AOC Widescreen LCD monitor for $229.00 this week. __________________ Beating the crap out of cancer. Proud Recipient of Project M - Thanks MCB!!!

06-26-2007, 05:53 PM	#7 (permalink)
Brinstar MCB Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Spokane	I was recently on the lookout for a 22" LCD, and learned a few lessons along the way: I ended up buying a Sceptre gaming 22LCD with exceptional specs for under $300. When I got it, the only thing I didn't care for was the viewing angle. After 3 weeks, the DVI connection went completely dead. Plugged it in through VGA, and it was usable, but the image quality was horrible, and could not be fixed through settings. Apparently, this was a very common problem with that model. I would put viewing angle pretty high up on the list of important features. At least 150 degrees in both horizontal and vertical. A lot of the cheaper monitors can tilt up, but cannot tilt down. As a result, I've got a few CD cases jammed under mine to make it tilt down so it's usable. If you can go to the store, look at the monitor from all angles, and see how good/bad the image change is when you move around. 8ms response time is probably good enough. May want better for gaming, as mentioned above. Depending on what you're doing with it, might want to check on the colors. 16.2 is probably fine for an email/movie/word processing machine, but if you're doing photo editing or high end gaming, you may want to shoot for 16.7. If it just says more than 16million, it most likely means 16.2 Unless you have the big fluorescent lights in your house, the picture will look different when you take it home. Best place to look at a monitor is at a friends house who has one set up in a normal use environment. Also, most display models have probably never been adjusted, when you're looking at them, play with the settings to see if you can get a better image. If ordering online, be sure to check out the dead pixel policy. Last I checked, NewEgg requires at least a certain number of dead pixels to accept a return. That makes a monitor one of the few things I will avoid buying from them. Most retail stores probably don't have such a policy. Whatever you think you've decided on, be sure to check for reviews online. NewEgg is where I usually go, but there may be other good places for reviews as well. Specs, and looking good in the store may be one thing, but knowing how other users like it is very valuable. On some models, VGA vs DVI connection doesn't make much difference, but on some, VGA is almost unusable. If all you have is a VGA connection, check the display models to see what connection they are using. Brands: Samsung, BenQ and Acer seem to get pretty good reviews. I would steer clear of Sceptre. [Edit]Just re-noticed that you'll be buying used, so a couple things I said don't apply.[/edit] __________________ Forum Feedback Last edited by Brinstar; 06-26-2007 at 06:03 PM..

06-26-2007, 11:25 AM	#3 (permalink)
pizzaluvr Post Whore Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Arkansas	I have an old monitor(circa 2004/5) I could sell you. I don't even use it, so I could give you a good price. I can't get pics right now though, and I don't have it with me. It is a Compaq(or HP, pretty sure it's Compaq, but they are the same thing)15" LCD.

06-26-2007, 08:45 PM	#9 (permalink)
BoBo Active Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: SF Bay Area	I've bought a few of these for clients and they work well. __________________ Say what now?

06-26-2007, 09:00 PM	#10 (permalink)
Brinstar MCB Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Spokane	Since you're using it for simple work stuff, a lot of the specs will be irrelevant. The only 17" LCD I see on the Dell site is $179, the CRTs are the only ones I see under $150. The few Dell monitors I've seen have been pretty good, but for that price, you can find a decent 19". Since you're working with spreadsheets, you may also want to consider going to wide-screen to get a few extra columns in the visible area (or so you can look at your porn and the spreadsheet at the same time more easily ). Just make sure your system can handle the native resolution for the best viewing experience. One that I'm considering for work is: Acer AL1917WABD 19" Widescreen LCD Monitor - 5ms, 700:1, WSXGA+ 1440x900, DVI, VGA, Black, 300 cdm² ETC17WPA04 at TigerDirect.com __________________ Forum Feedback