Entry Level Buyer's Guide, October 2005
by Jarred Walton on October 14, 2005 12:05 AM EST- Posted in
- Guides
Display Recommendations
The final component left to choose is the display. This is very difficult to do for a budget guide, without compromising on quality. We'd love to throw in an LCD, but without resorting to three-year-old models on clearance - a lot like what you get with many $500 OEM systems - the cost is a bit high. The cheapest decent LCDs (i.e. 17" 1280x1024 panels) start at over $210, so we're going to stick with CRTs. As with cases, you can probably get a better idea of what you're buying if you go to a local store. Larger stores like Best Buy and CompUSA will often have sales as well, and shipping costs on 35+ pound monitors often negate any price advantage of shopping online.
One other piece of advice if you want to get an LCD: you'll really want a model with a DVI connection. The digital signal prevents noise from creeping into the image, and we definitely feel it's worth the added cost. This brings up a second point: none of the current motherboards with IGP (that I'm aware of) have a DVI port. Even if you don't care about graphics performance, you'll have to purchase an add-in video card to get DVI-out.
Before we get to the actual recommendations, we want to offer this advice: your display is what you look at when you use the computer, and if it's a lower quality display, you will notice. You might also keep the display for many years, going through several PC upgrades. More than any other component, we would advise people to splurge on a really nice display. If you gave most people the choice between a really fast $800 system with a cheap CRT vs. a budget system with a nice 19" or even 20" widescreen LCD, the vast majority would prefer a quality display over the faster PC. If that doesn't apply to you, that's fine, but most of us have moved to LCDs now, and old 17" CRTs (as well as the early 40 ms LCDs) are almost painful to use.
Price: $127 shipped
The options for decent 17" CRTs are very limited. There are better models, but they are increasingly difficult to find online, and prices are often higher than 19" CRTs. Envision is a generic brand, and the display uses an invar shadow mask tube as opposed to the preferred aperture grille. Still, it has decent quality output and can run at up to 1280x1024 at 60 Hz, though we'd recommend 1152x864 at 75 Hz instead. (Unlike LCDs, a 60 Hz refresh rate on a CRT is clearly visible and most people find the flicker effect to be irritating.)
For about $20 more, you could "upgrade" to the NEC FE772 model, but you really don't get anything extra. They have the same resolution and features, and while the NEC display might be a bit better, we'd go for a larger display instead. The older NEC FE771-SB was a better monitor, and it used an aperture grille tube. It no longer shows up on most online pricing engines and has been discontinued. The replacement FE772 is a shadow mask like the Envision, and we find the displays to be a little less flat and a little less bright. As we've already stated, the quality of CRTs is on the decline, and "upgrades" like this only further illustrate the point. The majority of CRTs now being manufactured are cutting every corner possible to keep the costs down, and in reality, most 17" CRTs probably cost more to manufacture than even the 19" LCDs. Demand is the only thing keeping LCD prices up, and conversely, it keeps CRT prices low.
Price: $169 shipped
Déjà vu - didn't we already see this monitor? Just as the pickings are slim for 17" CRTs, they are equally poor on 19" models. We ended up with Envision again, based on price and quality. There are no aperture grille displays to be found online (in the 19" market), so the only thing that you can get out of the more expensive models is support for higher resolutions. Anything beyond 1600x1200 on an 18" viewable display is going to be difficult to notice.
Slightly better models are available for about $70 more, such as the Samsung 997DF. Contrary to the manufacturer specs, that actually will run 2048x1536 at 60Hz - at least the one that I own works at that resolution. 1600x1200 at 75 Hz is far preferable, though, outside of running high resolution benchmarks - at least in my opinion. Incidentally, I picked up my Samsung 997DF over a year ago for $200 at Best Buy, which is $40 less than the current online price plus shipping. They might still have some on clearance, if you're lucky.
The final component left to choose is the display. This is very difficult to do for a budget guide, without compromising on quality. We'd love to throw in an LCD, but without resorting to three-year-old models on clearance - a lot like what you get with many $500 OEM systems - the cost is a bit high. The cheapest decent LCDs (i.e. 17" 1280x1024 panels) start at over $210, so we're going to stick with CRTs. As with cases, you can probably get a better idea of what you're buying if you go to a local store. Larger stores like Best Buy and CompUSA will often have sales as well, and shipping costs on 35+ pound monitors often negate any price advantage of shopping online.
One other piece of advice if you want to get an LCD: you'll really want a model with a DVI connection. The digital signal prevents noise from creeping into the image, and we definitely feel it's worth the added cost. This brings up a second point: none of the current motherboards with IGP (that I'm aware of) have a DVI port. Even if you don't care about graphics performance, you'll have to purchase an add-in video card to get DVI-out.
Before we get to the actual recommendations, we want to offer this advice: your display is what you look at when you use the computer, and if it's a lower quality display, you will notice. You might also keep the display for many years, going through several PC upgrades. More than any other component, we would advise people to splurge on a really nice display. If you gave most people the choice between a really fast $800 system with a cheap CRT vs. a budget system with a nice 19" or even 20" widescreen LCD, the vast majority would prefer a quality display over the faster PC. If that doesn't apply to you, that's fine, but most of us have moved to LCDs now, and old 17" CRTs (as well as the early 40 ms LCDs) are almost painful to use.
Click to enlarge.
Price: $127 shipped
The options for decent 17" CRTs are very limited. There are better models, but they are increasingly difficult to find online, and prices are often higher than 19" CRTs. Envision is a generic brand, and the display uses an invar shadow mask tube as opposed to the preferred aperture grille. Still, it has decent quality output and can run at up to 1280x1024 at 60 Hz, though we'd recommend 1152x864 at 75 Hz instead. (Unlike LCDs, a 60 Hz refresh rate on a CRT is clearly visible and most people find the flicker effect to be irritating.)
For about $20 more, you could "upgrade" to the NEC FE772 model, but you really don't get anything extra. They have the same resolution and features, and while the NEC display might be a bit better, we'd go for a larger display instead. The older NEC FE771-SB was a better monitor, and it used an aperture grille tube. It no longer shows up on most online pricing engines and has been discontinued. The replacement FE772 is a shadow mask like the Envision, and we find the displays to be a little less flat and a little less bright. As we've already stated, the quality of CRTs is on the decline, and "upgrades" like this only further illustrate the point. The majority of CRTs now being manufactured are cutting every corner possible to keep the costs down, and in reality, most 17" CRTs probably cost more to manufacture than even the 19" LCDs. Demand is the only thing keeping LCD prices up, and conversely, it keeps CRT prices low.
Click to enlarge.
Price: $169 shipped
Déjà vu - didn't we already see this monitor? Just as the pickings are slim for 17" CRTs, they are equally poor on 19" models. We ended up with Envision again, based on price and quality. There are no aperture grille displays to be found online (in the 19" market), so the only thing that you can get out of the more expensive models is support for higher resolutions. Anything beyond 1600x1200 on an 18" viewable display is going to be difficult to notice.
Slightly better models are available for about $70 more, such as the Samsung 997DF. Contrary to the manufacturer specs, that actually will run 2048x1536 at 60Hz - at least the one that I own works at that resolution. 1600x1200 at 75 Hz is far preferable, though, outside of running high resolution benchmarks - at least in my opinion. Incidentally, I picked up my Samsung 997DF over a year ago for $200 at Best Buy, which is $40 less than the current online price plus shipping. They might still have some on clearance, if you're lucky.
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i am getting angry - Friday, October 14, 2005 - link
As most of you known, I'm usually a big fan of Anandtech, however this time I couldn't disagree more!A "cheap/no name/ POS" PSU is an open inventation to every problem possible!
Very good PSU's can be had for under $30!
Cheap, but Good PSU's! [url]http://www.hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1027898523...[/url]
I am "davidhammock200" however I couldn't login as me!
JarredWalton - Friday, October 14, 2005 - link
"A 'cheap/no name/POS' PSU is an open inventation to every problem possible!"It depends a lot on how high-end you go with parts. I've got a system sitting two feet from me with that MGE case and PSU. It's running at 2.70 GHz with a Sempron 3100+, and it's been running that way for three months. Did I get lucky? Maybe. More likely, people are just a little too concerned about power supplies and budget systems. $30 more would be enough to upgrade the 19" CRT to a 17" LCD - which do you think most people will choose?
I personally have never encountered instability that I would attribute to a PSU. I've had PSUs fail on numerous occasions, but in every case all it required was a new PSU. I've heard the stories of PSUs taking out the entire computer, and it's certainly possible in theory. I've never actually seen it happen, though.
Maybe I just care for my PCs too well? I do try to give them a good dusting every 3 months, which does wonders for fan life. I also don't try putting high-end builds with low end power. Low end parts with a low end PSU is exactly what you get from Dell and the likes, though. I've got a P4 2.8C Dell at my corporate job that has a 150W PSU. Amazing, eh? And it's been running 24/7 for over two years.
bldckstark - Friday, October 14, 2005 - link
If you want to get PO's about an article take a look at this one that is posted on THG. This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever read. They put together a MAJOR POS, don't use any logic, then also don't have any benchmarks to show what a piece it is. Take a look @ http://www.tomshardware.com/howto/20051014/index.h...">$500 gaming rig from THGYou may disagree with some of the picks here, but that whole system is crap. But at least they stayed in budget! I used to love THG, but now it is ridiculous. They have become a system buyer site, instead of a system builder site. It's like PCWorld bought them or something.
If you were going to build a system for $750, and you found you could build a significantly better one for $100 more wouldn't you do it? Hell, that is only 13%. I recently did the exact same thing. I got an SLI board cuz it was only $20 more. I got a 3200+ on a deal cuz it was only $15 more than the 3000+ on a package deal. I got a 6600GT even though they cost more than I originally thought. I got 512MB OCZ Platinum Rev2 ram cuz I can buy more later instead of 1GB of value ram now. I got a 300GB SATA drive cuz it was cheaper per GB than a 250, but it cost more too. Any project of any kind should have built in 10% contingency plan. In my lonely opinion Jarred is only liable for grief on the 3% over that. So here it is WAAaa.......... (3% of a whine).
bgladwyn - Friday, October 14, 2005 - link
It seems odd to include a speaker package with a subwoofer for an office setup when headphones would do. Similarly, flat panels are useful in the office because of the desk space they liberate. Lose the $37 speakers and shell out $199 for the cheapest 17" TFT on PriceGrabber and you have $33 well spent.JarredWalton - Friday, October 14, 2005 - link
When I say office in this guide, I mean "home office" as opposed to an actual workplace computer. For a workplace, speakers are generally frowned upon. There are many ways to get to an LCD, but quality is a bit more important than price if you're going that route. I'd forget about 15" LCDs and put 17" as the minimum, with a DVI input being preferred. Still, $200 for a 17" LCD isn't bad. $250 will even get you a 19" model, possibly with DVI.Like I said in the displays section, the only reason I didn't include an LCD was to get closer to the $500 price. I highly recommend anyone that can should spend more money on the display, with 19" LCDs being the ultimate goal.
bgladwyn - Friday, October 14, 2005 - link
Fair play, I've read all the article now(!) and can see that you'd already considered this point.ceefka - Friday, October 14, 2005 - link
Any expectations on integrated DVI graphics?I think that a 17" VGA LCD like the Samsung 710v (think it was 12 or 16ms) is quite OK for office use. Granted it is more expensive than a "comparable" CRT. It uses less juice, produces less heat and occupies less space, plus you actually work on that screen. My latest experience on a CRT was that after some time the numbers danced before my very eyes :D Just weigh that in and draw your own conclusions.
pcmatt1024 - Saturday, October 15, 2005 - link
i believe the new 6150 from nvidia (basically the higher end version of what was used on the amd office board) will have dvi out. boards should be out in the next few weeks.
JarredWalton - Saturday, October 15, 2005 - link
I can say for sure that the ATI Xpress 200 and Intel 915G both *can* support DVI output. The problem is that no motherboard manufacturers actually have such support so far. (I know that it's possible because I have two SFF cases with those chipsets, and they both have DVI ports.) Basically, DVI is a "high-end" option and IGP is often "value-oriented". It's sort of like the problem with uATX motherboards: no one makes an "enthusiast uATX" design; they're all built for value. And yes, there are some people that would like a high quality uATX mobo.PrinceGaz - Friday, October 14, 2005 - link
LCD panels are certainly getting better and I know for a fact that my next display (when this Mitsubishi DP 2070SB fails, which hopefully won't be for several years) won't be a CRT as there is already nothing available as good as it.If you were having problems using a CRT, then the refresh-rate was almost certainly too low. Windows 2000/XP defaults to 60hz which is unusable for most people for extended periods with a CRT monitor, and that is probably what you were using. Any half-decent CRT monitor will support at least 85hz at the ideal resolution, with which most people have no problems. Really good CRT monitors will support 100hz or more at their optimum resolutions, but unfortunately those really good CRT monitors can only be bought second-hand now as all the best manufacturers have switched to LCD panels.