Review: Best 19-Inch Monitors

CTX International's PR960F monitor has a frequency range of 30-110kHz (horizontal) and 50-160Hz (vertical)

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By PCWorld Staff

(IDG) -- Five new monitors make the cut this month, with Dell's M991 climbing the highest -- into second place -- thanks to solid text and graphics. Cornerstone's C910 lands at number six with a bargain price; and CTX's PR960F, at number seven, offers razor-sharp text. NEC's MultiSync FE950+ and LG's Flatron 915FT Plus, in ninth and tenth spots, respectively, render handsome graphics.

Dell M991

WHAT'S HOT: Text on the M991 looked especially crisp and was easily readable at smaller point sizes. Judges were particularly impressed with the easy readability of text on spreadsheets. The M991 also rendered rich colors.

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WHAT'S NOT: At $359, the M991 is not the cheapest 19-inch monitor available.

WHAT ELSE: Our test unit came dressed in sophisticated black, but the M991 is also available in beige. Its case swiveled fairly easily, and it comes with generous 24-hour toll-free technical support.

BEST USE: Both graphics pros and users who do word processing will be pleased with the M991's solid combination of first-rate text and graphics quality.

Cornerstone Technology C910

WHAT'S HOT: At $269, the C910 is $151 less than the average 19-inch monitor, so if you're looking for a bargain, this might be the one for you.

WHAT'S NOT: Despite its low price, the C910 fails to deliver high-quality text and graphics. Text is readable, though not as sharp as on other models we've tested, and some colors on Web pages look muddied and could be brighter.

WHAT ELSE: The C910's case tilts and swivels with ease, making it useful when you need to adjust it for your workspace. The weekday-only 24-hour support might frustrate SOHO users who need assistance over the weekend.

BEST USE: Bargain-hunters willing to compromise on slightly subpar text and graphics would do fine choosing the C910.

CTX International PR960F

WHAT'S HOT: The PR960F displayed easy-to-read text, particularly at smaller font sizes in spreadsheets and in word-processing documents.

WHAT'S NOT: When rendering graphics, the PR960F didn't match its strong showing on text; colors looked slightly dull when compared with colors from other monitors.

WHAT ELSE: The PR960F sports two USB ports in the back, which are useful for hooking up peripherals such as scanners. Slightly skimpy support hours -- 12 hours on weekdays only -- might better serve business users rather than SOHO users.

BEST USE: With its sharp text, the PR960F would work well for people who do heavy word processing.

NEC MultiSync FE950+

WHAT'S HOT: The MultiSync FE950+ displayed rich, lustrous colors on both Web pages and in photos. Its ability to render various subtle hues of green in a photo of a park particularly impressed our panel of judges.

WHAT'S NOT: When rendering text, the FE950+ stumbled slightly. Lettering could have been sharper and more well defined, and lacked the denseness visible on other models.

WHAT ELSE: The FE950+'s case tilted and swiveled easily. It comes with 24-hour technical support -- useful to SOHO users. It also offers an advanced control, moire adjustment, in its on-screen controls.

BEST USE: The FE950+ would make a good choice for business or SOHO users who need to do heavy graphics work.

LG Flatron 915FT Plus

WHAT'S HOT: The Flatron 915FT Plus rendered graphics with flair -- colors on Web pages and in photos looked bright and lustrous. In our test photo of a park, colors looked delicately shaded and vibrant. Text on the Flatron also appeared sharp and well defined.

WHAT'S NOT: Superior text and graphics come at a price -- in this case, $470, which is about $50 more than the average price of a 19-inch monitor.

WHAT ELSE: The Flatron sports four USB connectors, which are useful for connecting peripherals such as scanners or digital cameras.

BEST USE: Graphics pros willing to shell out a few extra bucks will appreciate the Flatron's fine display of colors.

HP warns some monitors can deliver electric shock
March 30, 2001
Flat panel displays big at CeBIT
March 27, 2001
Review: Top 17-inch monitors
March 2, 2001
Big and flat: LCD monitor prices thin out
February 1, 2001
Review: Powerful, sleek LCD monitors
September 28, 2000

Toshiba to launch 20.8 inch TFT LCD
(IDG.net)
HP monitors may cause electric shock
(PCWorld.com)
Organic EL displays step forward at CeBIT
(IDG.net)
PC World: Top 10 products picks
(PCWorld.com)
Top 10 17-inch monitors
(PCWorld.com)
PC World: Computer monitors
(PCWorld.com)
Flat is the trend for detached monitors
(IDC)
Can't afford an LCD monitor? Hang on
(PCWorld.com)

NEC Inc.
Dell Computer Corp.
LG Electronics Inc.

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