Hey Guys, I’ve decided to start something a little different, whenever I buy something new for my Pc i’ll be reviewing it and giving it a different rating scale from the games reviews, but still out of 100%. This week it’s my new 27 inch LCD monitor i’m using right now to type this review. These item reviews will have many more pictures than the games reviews (at least 5 minimum) which will mostly be taken by me of it in action.
I’ve probably had my new monitor for about four months now and I must say it’s much much bigger than my previous 22″ LG monitor which i’m now using as a secondary monitor. I bought this monitor on a special for $315 which included shipping, however by the time you are reading this review the price could be much lower. The first thing I noticed when taking it out of the box was it’s sheer size, being 5 inches bigger than my previous monitor it just fits in the monitor gap in my desk. The border on the monitor is fairly thick as well being 3 cm’s which isn’t helpful if your going to use eyefinity or extended desktops with more 27 inch screens.
Specifications
- Screen size: 27 inches
- Resolution 1920×1080
- Aspect ratio: 16:9
- Horizontal viewing angle: 170 degrees
- Vertical viewing angle: 160 degrees
- Pixel pitch: 0.311mm
- Brightness: 400 cd/m2 (max)
- Dynamic contrast ratio: 50000:1 (max)
- Response time: 2ms (grey-to-grey)
- Ports: 2xHDMI, VGA, S/PDIF, Line out audio
- Dimensions: 26.2 x 20.3 x 9.1 inches (WxHxD, including stand)
- Weight: 18.74 pounds
- Stand: Tilt: +15 degrees, -5 degrees
- Built-in 3W stereo speakers, remote control, Kensington lock, VESA mount
Games are brilliant on this screen, I could see much more detail than than on the 22 inch screen as well as dramatically increasing the immersion for games like fallout 3. I don’t know how I lived with such a small screen before I bought this one, there’s no going back once you buy a bigger screen.
One feature I dislike about the monitor is the bulky underside of it where the speaker’s are located. It just looks fairly un-appealing to the eyes but ASUS have tried to fix this by adding a cut-out pattern with various pixel-looking objects in the shapes of patterns and circles.
One feature about this screen I really love is that it comes with a remote which makes it much easier to turn the screen on and off from my bed, when watching movies at night. Previously I had to get up and turn it off which just gets annoying when you need to check if something’s done or how a renders going, you can now do it from a distance. There are many useful buttons on the remote, a few of the most used ones are the on/off button, the volume controls, brightness, mute and the input selection. There’s also a slot in the side of the monitor to store the remote, however I’ve found I haven’t used this yet, mostly due to the port being inaccessible to me and the fact that remotes are meant to be used at range, therefore I keep it next to my bed.
Alongside the remote there are controls on the top of the display, for those who aren’t so lazy and don’t want to use the remote, or the batteries are dead. They are fairly well located with descriptive pictures under each one which makes it easy to work out which button does what.
This screen is more of a TV than a monitor purely based on the number of outputs on the back which can be plugged into a range of consoles from xbox to ps3 to wii as well as having 2 HDMI connections to VCR’s and other media devices.
Their are many input and output plugs on this monitor, including 2 HDMI’s, 1 sound input, a VGA and a S/PDIF. Currently i’m using a HDMI output and the sound output so I can get sound through it’s speakers just to test the quality of it. There’s also a switch on the back of the monitor which is useful if your going on holiday and you want to make sure it’s not using any power.
My final remarks:
This monitor is fairly heavy and I don’t recommend moving it often, so it wouldn’t suit becoming your new LAN monitor mainly due to it’s size but also because of the screen’s surface area which could be scratched by any sharp object in your car. The border is too large for eyefinity or extended desktops but is great as a large stand-alone monitor or replacement monitor.
Update 29 December 2012: The monitors still going strong but I completely forgot it came with a remote however i’m now in the market for a higher resolution one at 2560X1440 and preferably a higher hertz as well, therefore i’m looking into a “catleap” and “overlord”.
Conclusion
Here’s the final product score out of 100%:
The higher the score the better.
Price: 45%
Durability: 70%
Size/Weight: 40% (Higher is more compact and lighter)
Features: 65%
Aesthetics: 50%
Usefulness: 75%
Total: 57.5%
Legend
0% – 25% = Terrible Item, The item will break shortly after purchase and will leave you with a paperweight only left for discarding.
26% – 50% = Meh Item, A very poor item that you would use and forget about after a few months of use, or may break quickly and degrade over that time.
51% – 75% = Good Item, This item would satisfy your needs for a long time but isn’t the best quality around and may need replacing or become outdated after a year or so.
76% – 90% = Fantastic Item, An item that you need but may either cost lots or wear out over time and may eventually need replacing after 2 or so years.
91% – 100% = Amazing Item, An extremely durable item that will suit all your needs for the device and more, as well as lasting many many years.
