Best computer monitor under $200 - 2010

I choose best computer monitor under $200 because, around this price one can find a wide range of monitors with diagonals between 19" and 24". Those 24" models are one of the best to watch movies on, because they have the perfect resolution to use together with bluray movies, 1920x1080. Of course there are higher priced monitors, but the best computer monitor under $200 is the ideal general purpose monitor, that will give you a great quality/performance/price ratio. You generally don't sacrifice anything with computer monitors in this range. As a rule of thumb, monitors that cost more than $400 are usually specialized for different computer tasks like design, office, gaming, home cinema or video editing. My last tree computer monitor purchases have been around this $200 range. I prefer BenQ, but that is more of a nostalgic thing because my first computer ever had a BenQ monitor. For example, my brother-in-law swears on Acer, and Dell monitors and one of my best friends uses exclusively Asus and Samsung. It's more a matter of preference than anything else. I do have to say that I use my computer and consequently, my monitors only for watching movies, surf the internet and basic office tasks. I admit that I might be spending too much time watching movies, it's one of those bad addictions.

However, before I digress too much from the subject of this hub, let's see which are my, actually not only mine, because after much tinkering, I decided to include my brother-in-laws recommendation as well as the best recommendation of my friend.

I admit that I cheated, but don't be too mad at me, I'm actually writing this hub on this very monitor, and it's marvelous. I actually feel a little smug owning it. A couple of months ago I decide to buy myself a new computer monitor under $200, that was my limit that I didn't want to break at any cost. I didn't want to spend more, thought the internet and the guys at BenQ had a different opinion concerning this matter. A few hours after going through many reviews, I found this model, at price a bit higher than the one I was considering it offered VGA, HDMI and an audio jack for headphones. It had 24" giving me a full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080. And like a little bonus it uses LED technology, meaning it's much slimmer and easier than other computer monitors(10.8 pounds), and it uses less power, 24W. I bought it instantly and didn't regret it for a second, the moment it arrived, I felt like a little child that got his Christmas gift from Santa, my girlfriend still thinks that I overreacted.

• Display - 24.0"W LED
• Aspect Ratio - 16:9
• Product Color - White
• Resolution(max.) - 1920x1080
• Pixel Pitch (mm) - 0.276
• Brightness (typ) - 250 cd/㎡
• Contrast Ratio - 1000:1 (DCR:5,000,000:1 )
• Response Time - 5ms
• Input Connector- D-sub / HDMI 1.3/ Headphone Jack
• Horizontal Frequency- 24~83 (Hz)
• Vertical Frequency -50~76 (KHz)
• Dimensions - 435.5x579.4x181.2
• Weight (kg)- 4.9 (kg) or 10.8 pounds
  

This one comes recommended to me as the best computer monitor unde $200, with warm regards from my geeky computer friend. He bought it in January and is pondering a buying a second one to mount them together. This monitor from Asus is a full HD widescreen LCD monitor perfect for high definition movies, office work and general computer usage. Unlike my BenQ, this monitor does not have a headphone jack, but comes with built in quality speakers. It does have a few things my BenQ lacks, like a DVI port. This monitor offers HDMI/DVI/VGA ports making it compatible with absolutely every computer out there. If I wouldn't be such a BenQ nut, I probably would have bought this monitor, though it consumes twice the amount of electricity.

Quick technical spec sheet:

• Display Type: Wide Screen TFT LCD
• Display Area: 23.6"
• Display Colors: 16.7 Millions
• Pixel Pitch: 0.272 mm
• Brightness: 300 cd/m2
• Contrast Ratio: 20000:1
• Viewing Angle (H/V): 170° / 160°
• Response Time: 5 ms
• Max/Native Resolution: 1920 x 1080; Full HD 1080p Supported
• Interface: Analog/ Digital/ HDMI
• Horizontal Frequency: 30 - 83 KHz
• Vertical Frequency: 50 - 75 Hz
• Power Consumption: On <55W; Power Saving Mode <2W
• Speakers: 2x 2W Stereo Speakers
• Color: Black
• Dimension (WxDxH): 562 x 220 x 416 mm
• Net Weight: 5.8 kg

My brother-in-law bought this one in March. He uses it daily, being the maniac he is, this monitor, actually his computer only gets turned off during a power outage. The specs of this monitor are on par with the one from Asus, so I can easily recommend both, knowing that both offer good quality and performance at an even better price. Both Asus and Acer monitors have a glossy black finish unlike the BenQ that boasts a matte white finish.

• Maximum Resolution: 1920 X 1080
• Viewing Angle: 160(H) / 160(V)
• Contrast Ratio: 40000:1 (ACM)
• Vert.Refresh Rate: 49-75Hz
• Horiz. Refresh Rate: 54.2-83.8KHz
• Brightness - 300 cd/m2
• Interface type: VGA, DVI, HDMI
• Response time: 5 ms
• Speakers: integrated, 2 X 1.5 Watts
  
• Size: 21.7 x 16.1 x 6.8 inches (WxHxD)
• Weight: 10.8 pounds