Display

Are 17" LCDs Dead?

Introduction

In just a few months, 19" LCDs have become the panacea for PC gamers. Top-level reactivity and sensational game-play immersion for a price not at all excessive, the case for this diagonal is strong. But are 17" LCDs really dead? After all, 17" screens offer the same resolution as their big brothers. Contrast and brightness are comparable. And starting with a "claimed" latency of around 8 ms why not profit from a drop in prices and get yourself a bargain? For less then $300, you can now find fully-loaded 17" panels. These are the same panels that would have cost more than $500 about six months ago.

However, one thing is for sure: it's no longer just dream performance that's going to tip the balance. Design clearly plays an important role. That is the approach taken by LG for example; other vendors have concentrated, instead, on additional connectivity options or increased portability to attract the more demanding customer.

Through this comparison of six 17" panels, we'll see if this diagonal still has something to offer or if it's destined to the same fate as that which befell 15" LCDs about a year and a half ago: extinction.

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ASUS is a company full of surprising capabilities. They have clearly successfully diversified from its origins in the field of PC motherboards. Today, ASUS sells video cards, portable PCs , office PCs, but also components such as PC cases, LCD screens and even...portable phones . What got the company off the starting block was simple: offering fast and well-finished screens for gamers. And when you can see what the brand is capable of in the portable PC marketplace, we can only expect more.

The PM17T-S comes in two versions; the standard version based on a 16-ms panel or a PM17T-S, which uses an AU-Optronics 8 ms panel. Our decision was to lean toward the PM17T-S for this test. Note, however, that this monitor is not available in North America.

ASUS PM17T-S
Diagonal	17"
Native Resolution	1280 x 1024
Contrast	600 : 1
Brightness	400 cd/m2
Latency	8 ms
Colors	16,3
Viewing Angles H/V	140/130 (H/V)
Loudspeakers	2x 2,5 W
Connectivity	VGA, DVI, audio-in
Average Price	$ N/A (305 euros)

Design And Finish

The PM17T-S is a very stylish device, with a breathtaking finish, which has nothing to fear from the big players in the PC display arena. In the tradition of a portable PC manufacturer, the materials used are of excellent quality, the stand (in solid metal) is incredibly stable. The entire product radiates quality.

Ergonomics

Ergonomically, the PM17T-S is adequate, nothing more. The OSD is easy to use but we were disappointed with the limited range of inclination adjustment: we've seen better.

Equipment

With double VGA/DVI connections, an audio socket and two loudspeakers, the PM17T-S is fairly average. Despite all that, there's the usual external power supply and the loudspeakers are useless. Note that the audio input is cinch type and not mini-jack. The cables provided are all armored.