Three-Way 23" LED LCD Roundup: Dell, HP, And Samsung
Table of contents
- 1. 23" LED LCD Roundup: Dell, HP, And Samsung
- 2. Dell SR2320L
- 3. HP 2311x
- 4. Samsung PX2370
- 5. Size Profile
- 6. Our Benchmarking Approach
- 7. Out-Of-Box Performance: Brightness And Contrast Ratio
- 8. Out-Of-Box Performance: Color Accuracy And Gamut
- 9. Out-Of-Box Performance: Maximum And Minimum Brightness
- 10. Calibrated Performance: Brightness And Contrast Ratio
- 11. Calibrated Performance: Color Accuracy And Gamut
- 12. Black And White Uniformity, Viewing Angles
- 13. Power Consumption
- 14. Final Words
We've spent a lot of time evaluating the performance of graphics cards and processors, but a good monitor is almost every bit as important to gamers and professionals alike. For our first look at monitors in 2011, we are starting out with three 23" LCDs.
Tom's Hardware LCD Reboot
It has been five long years since our last monitor roundup (19" LCD Monitors: The Spring 2006 Collection). Since we don't cover the cost of a monitor in our quarterly System Builder Marathon, we know that the lack of LCD coverage has been frustrating for those building completely new systems. Generally, we assume you're trashing your old system for parts, but keeping your existing monitor, keyboard, mouse, and operating system. Obviously, this isn't always the case, and we haven't forgotten that fact.
While the days of bulky CRT technology are over, the expense of a monitor really hasn't changed. The cost of an LCD can still break your next PC's budget. Researching monitor purchases is hard enough without having reliable information, and that's why your review requests for haven't fallen on deaf ears.
We are relaunching our LCD coverage with three 23" displays, all of which we pulled off the shelves at Best Buy. Reviews will continue to be presented as roundups, because they allow you to more easily make comparisons. However, our benchmarking process has changed dramatically. We are specifically interested in traits like color gamut, luminance uniformity, and contrast ratios. We'll explain our benchmarks individually, but first, we're going to take a physical look at our three LCD monitors.
| Brand | Dell | HP | Samsung |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model | SR2320L | 2311x | PX2370 |
| Type | LED | LED | LED |
| Panel Type | TN | TN | TN |
| Screen Size | 23" | 23" | 23" |
| Max Resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 | 16:9 | 16:9 |
| Response Time | 5 ms | 5 ms | 2 ms |
| Brightness cd/m^2 | 250 | 250 | 250 |
| Contrast Ratio | 1000:1 | 1000:1 | 1000:1 |
| Picture in Picture | No | No | No |
| Antiglare Coating | Yes | No | No |
| Speakers | No | No | No |
| VGA | 1 | 1 | - |
| DVD-D | - | - | - |
| DVD-D with HDCP Input | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| HDMI | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Tilt | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Energy Star Qualified | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Refresh Rate | 60 Hz | 60 Hz | 60 Hz |
| Warranty | 1 year | 1 year | 3 years |
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I'd like to see a round-up review of lower-end IPS panels (think NEC EA231/323WMI-ish).
TN panels are predictable in their poor performance, true high end IPS is out of reach for the average gamer, so the €300-400 IPS range is where the true surprises are to be found imo.
The table on P1 - should that be DVI-D rather than DVD-D by any chance?
And still measuring in inches? Come on USA!
I'd like to know what difference the response time really makes whilst gaming. How much of an advantage is 2ms over 5ms response time?
I'd like to know what difference the response time really makes whilst gaming. How much of an advantage is 2ms over 5ms response time?
None. Period.
A perfect human eye needs over 16ms to respond to visual changes. As such, anything under 16ms is fine - even a die hard gamer can't notice the difference.
Anyone claiming he can actually do so is subject to the placebo effect...
I'd like to see a round-up review of lower-end IPS panels (think NEC EA231/323WMI-ish). TN panels are predictable in their poor performance, true high end IPS is out of reach for the average gamer, so the €300-400 IPS range is where the true surprises are to be found imo.
+1
None. Period.A perfect human eye needs over 16ms to respond to visual changes. As such, anything under 16ms is fine - even a die hard gamer can't notice the difference.Anyone claiming he can actually do so is subject to the placebo effect...
I agree about the difference between 2 ms and 5 ms, and the fluididty of images at 60Hz (~16ms), but an extra 16 ms of input lag (which is the case here) will be noticed.
Say you have a ping of 70 ms while playing online: add 16 ms for monitor lag, and another 8 ms of mouse lag and you're looking at an effective ping of 94, at which point precision is definitely compromised.
I mean heck, I can tell whether my mouse is polling at 125 Hz (8 ms) or 1000 Hz (1 ms) just from the feel!
I agree with Silmarunya, low end IPS panels would be a great read. Also consider maybe some 120Hz screens as many people are looking to 3D these days...
For purely selfish reasons, I'd like to see a review of Asus VG236HE. It's a relatively cheap 23 inch 3D monitor. While everything on it looks good to my untrained eye, I wonder if it sacrifices some fidelity for the 3D gimmick feature.
I'd like the spec in the reviews to include VESA mount point. Although pictures of the back will reveal this, it would be nice to be included as a spec.
I would like to see high end LED monitor round up, for best quality and performance and make an advise what's better needed for gaming/professional video/photo/graphics.
16:10 is better form factor than 16:9, why all monitors now are 16:9???
So if you want to get a real monitor for work you have to go for 24" because of that!
I'd like to see a round-up review of lower-end IPS panels (think NEC EA231/323WMI-ish). TN panels are predictable in their poor performance, true high end IPS is out of reach for the average gamer, so the €300-400 IPS range is where the true surprises are to be found imo.
I have Del 2209WA I'm so happy!
I'd really like to see them test out the big guns - the LED LCD TV's. Matchup between a good Samsung, LG and Sony Bravia setups, and how well they are suited for gaming (on a decent rig, obviously, V-Sync and everything enabled). 3D isn't needed, probably a bit out of the price range. Now THAT would be epic!
When you do a review of 24" screens don't forget to look at one of the best samsung screens. The BX2440X
http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/8720/dsc0101gx.jpg