Comparative review of current Dell LCD's

Dell LCD monitors are falling in prices. Big Time!!! Deal sites have been showing 19" monitors for as little as $235. Here's a quick comparative look at all the monitors Dell offers:

Dell E193FP 19": The best value for money in this group. The contrast ratio of 500:1 is above average for LCD's. Contrast ratio represents how *less* washed-out a picture is (i.e. how dark black is compard to white. Movie theaters have a 1000:1 ratio.) Response time is 16 ms. 16ms or below is what you want for non-blurry movies/games/animation. Rez is 1280x1024 (standart for 19"). No USB, but this shouldn't be a priority anyway for a monitor. No DVI (digital) input. Only analog. That's the only "negative"... though most people still use analog and it's still awesome.

Dell UltraSharp 1905FP 19": OK value for money. Contrast ratio is *awesome* (800:1)... pictures look very beautiful on this screen. Has USB, DVI, and 1280x1024 rez. BEWARE: Response time (20 ms black<->white, 25ms between some other colors) is *unacceptable* if you want to see movies or play games. I have this monitor. Watching a movie on this thing is not possible, unless you don't mind all the blurring that happens when things move (which happens a lot in a *mov*ie). I'm actually returning this monitor because of this issue. BTW, this one looks pretty slick. You pay a premium for it's thinner bezel, USB/DVI, and nicer looks than E193FP.

UltraSharp 2001FP 20.1": This is a very good monitor, though not the greatest value for money. The widescreen version is almost $100 cheaper (but for a good reason... see below). OK contrast ratio (400:1)... that's half of 1905FP... means colors are a bit washed out compared to 1905FP... but still very acceptable IMHO... you probably won't even notice. Response time is a very good 16ms. 1600x1200rez is a BIG plus and allows you to fit a lot of stuff on the screen... and you don't have to squint, since the screen area is also big. Has USB, DVI. Plus has s-video and composite video for connecting game consoles, laptops, dvd players, etc.

UltraSharp 2005FPW 20.1": They're selling it kinda cheap right now compared to 2001FP, but you should keep in mind that this is 20.1" *wide*screen. Anything widescreen but same size means that it's wider but also much *shorter* in terms of viewable area. I've seen these, and they give the perception of actually being a bit *smaller* than my 19" ultrasharp!! And in front of a 2001FP, it looks kinda like a midget. So keep this in mind. Also, the resolution is 1680x1050 (notice you gain 80px in width but lose 150px in height compared to 2001FP). Note: Make sure your video-card supports the wide-aspect resolution of this monitor before buying. Contrast ratio is 600:1, which is pretty good. Rest of specs same as 2001FP pretty much. I wouldn't buy this one. If you want something wide without losing height, then go for 2405FPW 24". But it costs around $1100 (btw, 24" has the BEST pic quality... 1000:1 and 12ms!!! you get what you pay for).


So, in conclusion, all monitors have their advantages and drawbacks. I'd personally go with the E193FP 19" (not-ultrasharp). It provides the best combination of features and price without seriously compromising in any one category. The second favorite is UltraSharp 2001FP 20.1", despite the price. The other two, I'd personally not buy... but that's my personal opinion.

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