17-inch LCDs are bargains, everywhere

IF YOU know of any good value IT sales (auctions, rebates, one-off, clearance, surplus, classified ads) going around in the United Kingdom, France, USA or Singapore, don't hesitate to contact me, at least 24 hours before the sales end.

The price delta between 15-inch and 17-inch LCDs has shrinked to such an extent that it currently no longer make sense to buy a 15-inch LCD monitor when a 17-inch one costs only a few dollars or euros more. The advantages of going to a 17-inch are more visible in the LCD world than in the CRT world since the 2in difference translate into something more important.

Singapore
The cheapest 17-inch LCD in Singapore has dropped a few more dollars to reach a new low. At S$445 at Dat Computers, the CMV 17-inch LCD monitor is damn cheap. £123.90+VAT in equivalent amount does not buy much LCD hardware kit. It offers a viewable surface equivalent to a bulkier 19in CRT and saves you not only money but also loads of pennies on your electricity bill. Furthermore, the CT-712D - assuming that it is this one - comes with a full three years warranty and a hybrid D-Sub/DVI input interface. Chimei Optoelectronics is one of the most recognised LCD manufacturers on the market.

They were the first back in July to release a 10ms total response time LCD monitor which was a boon for gamers. The monitor has a 0.264mm pixel pitch and a native resolution of 1280x1024, enough for the mundane office tasks and for more exciting gaming. It has a brightness of 400cd/m2 and a contrast ratio of 500:1, spot on track with th rest of the market. It offers a response time of 14ms which is more than enough and has a weight of only 3.4Kg including the stand. Note however, that the AC adaptor is not embedded in the LCD's chassis. On top of that, it has two smallish 2.5w speakers which should be enough to start Windows. Last but certainly not least, it is available in a variety of colours, ranging from Silver black to Titanic blue. Pity though that CMV is not present in UK.

UK
Aria has managed to undercut the competition in the race for the cheapest LCD monitor in the UK. You won't find one 17-inch cheaper anywhere either in High Street stores or on the web. The Arianet Premium Plus TFT Silver has a three year manufacturers warranty and can be wall mounted - a definite plus if you want to put four of them together to form a 2560x2048 pixel tile for your forthcoming Dual DVI SLI rig, especially when you consider that the monitor has one of the slimmest rim surrounding the monitor.

The monitor has a silvery finish and a DSub connection. Even if it has a good contrast ratio, its 260cd/m2 brightness means that you won't get all details if you are to view it in bright sunlight. For the rest, it is pretty standard. 1280x1024 pixel resolution, 0.264 dot pitch, built in speakers etc. The monitor costs A HREF="http://www.aria.co.uk/ProductInfoComm.asp?ID=10271" target="_blank">£144.25+VAT. FYI, Aria also has a 15-inch LCD monitor going for a cheapo £109+VAT.

France
Cheapest 17-inch LCD monitor is an unknown brand found on UK. The price is far lower than what you'd normally find on specialised search engines. A HREF="http://cgi.ebay.fr/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3695&item=5139975075&rd=1" target="_blank">At Eur 229, it is much more expensive than the US one but does not require any rebate. The rest of the specs are pretty much up to date. A 431.8m LCD panel, a viewable size of 338x270mm, an industry standard pixel pitch of 0.264mm, a contrast ratio of 450:1 and a 250cd/m2 brightness. Response time will suit gamers at 16ms while native resolution is again 1024x768. You do get a pair of two watt speakers and of course a DSub input. It consumes slightly less than other monitors in the same range at 40w, less than an average light bulb. The monitor comes with a three year onsite warranty.

USA
You'll try hard but there is little chance that you can beat the $189 price for a A HREF="http://www.ecost.com/ecost/shop/detail.asp?action=detail&dpno=486824#scroll" target="_blank">17-inch Monitor from ecost. Yes, you should include a $80 rebate but if you try your luck, you can undercut the cost of the nearest cheapest LCD monitor by up to $80 and you also get free delivery. FYI, the next cheapest LCD monitor is at Unity Electronics for $40 more. The GEM GM-170B has been covered three weeks ago in those columns. So I'll be brief. Analogue connection, 45w maximum consumption, 1280x1024 native resolution, 300:1 contrast ratio - fares worse than most competitors as is the 30ms response time, which should limit its use to office usage.

Yes you do get two speakers and a fairly well designed LCD monitor. But the large bezel and the slightly awkward stand prevents it from being in the top buyers listing. An excellent buy if you are going to buy from ecost. µ