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I'm looking for a new PC and am debating the choice of monitor. Dell offer a E228WFP as part of the deal but is it any good. I'm tempted to upgrade to the Ultrasharp 22" (or 20.1") as I know the Ultrasharp monitors have a good reputation. Any thoughts about the standard Dell monitors?
the e228wfp and the ultrasharp 22" both use tn panels. the big difference is the zero dead pixel policy that the ultrasharp models have. the 20.1" model on the other hand will either be a pva or ips panel, which are better than tn panels.
from the reviews i've read, it seems that the image quality is quite good and overall a good 'no-frills' monitor.
how much are you looking to spend?
Thanks for your post. Budget is approx £800 but I could go higher if necessary.
So far I'm looking at a Dell Inspiron 530 with the following Spec:
Intel® Core™ 2 Quad-Core Q6600 Processor (2.4GHz, 8MB cache, 1066MHz FSB)
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium - English
3Yr In-Home Warranty Support, including evenings and Saturdays
22in E228WFP WIDESCREEN UK/Irish (1680 x 1050) TCO99 DVI-D
3072MB 667MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM [2x1024+2x512]
500GB Hard Drive with Dell™ DataSafe Local™ Backup solution (2x500GB) - English
256MB ATI® Radeon™ HD 2600 XT graphics card
DVD +/- RW Drive (read/write CD & DVD)
Logitech EX110 Cordless Keyboard and Mouse - Reliable and affordable way to go cordless in style
Mouse Included in Wireless Keyboard and Mouse option
Integrated 7.1 Channel High Definition Audio
Dell™ A225 Speakers
19-in-1 Media Card Reader
No Modem
Microsoft® Office 2007 Basic - English
Price: £675 + VAT
This seems pretty good value to me but am tempted to change the monitor for something better. My only concern with a 20.1" is that the resolution (1680 x 1050) is the same as the 22" but the screen area is much smaller. I know Vista's dpi scaling will help but I'm concerned that text & icons will be very small. I'm currently using a 19" (4:3) with a 1280 x 1024 resolution and a lower (11.5) number of pixels per sq mm of screen area. Let me explain:
Type Resolution Pixels I nternal Screen Area Pixels per sq mm
19” (4:3) 1280 x 1024 1,310,720 114000mm² 11.50
19” (16:9) 1440 x 900 1,296,000 104040mm² 12.46
20” (16:9) 1680 x 1050 1,764,000 117408mm² 15.02
22" (16:9) 1680 x 1050 1,764,000 140280mm² 12.57
15.02 pixels per sq mm seems a hell of a lot for the 20". If it's better quality and sharper I'd be tempted but then again maybe the 22" would be easier on the eyes.
any ideas??????
are planning on gaming? as the best monitor i can think of in terms price/quality is the yuruka 24
http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Displays/Monitors/TFT+24+%2B/24%22+Yuraku+Widescreen+LCD+Monitor+DVI+HDCP+?productId=30640
MISCO SAVER 24 WUXGA TFT - Misco.co.uk
the only problem with this screen for you would be the graphics card (if you plan on playing games that is) it's a pva panel, so its better quality in terms of image than both the 22" dells. but it does come in at just over 200 quid (aria normally have it in its superspecial deals).
i get what you mean by the pixel pitch, 22" would probably be ideal for that resolution imo. like you said the texts and icons won't be tiny, even though the quality would definitely be better. thats why i'm suggesting the above, huge screen and its got a good panel for not alot of money!
obviously it won't come with the dead pixel warranty that the ultrasharp models come though.
btw, why not build the comp yourself? at least that way you can customise it to suit you're exact needs....
Buy the same machine from dell outlet, or even!! You listening? Good :D
Get a XPS 420 for about I dont know 500-550 from the outlet? Much better case and machine.
Then spend the money on a Samsung SM2232BW From PC World @ 199 or Ebuyer for around 186. Just bought two, cracking monitor :D
No gaming. Well maybe Freecell but does this count? :)
The machine isn't actually for me it's for my neighbour. He's asked me to spec him a machine. Much as I could build a machine I haven't the time and really don't think I can beat Dell's price anyway.
An upgrade from the standard 22" to the Ultrasharp will cost approx £90 - is it worth it though? I'm sure the 20.1" is a better quality panel but I'm still concerned about pixel size. I'll keep thinking but would appreciate more hexite thoughts...
hmm... well do you know what your neighbour has in mind for it? if he's looking to watch alot of movies or needs the extra space then i think the 22" or 24" monitors are the better choices. the samsung is a good monitor but for the price, just 20-30 quid more than the yuraku i poseted earlier, i think its not as good of value. remember that 1080p needs 1920x1080 and only 24" monitors or above can display that, plus as i've pointed out already it is a pva panel instead of the tn panels in all the 22" monitors.
I'd say that if he really isn't fussy or wouldn't notice the difference then go for the e228wpf as it's the cheapest. but otherwise i'd go for the yuraku personally, the ultrasharp and the samsung don't look as good for roughly the same money.