Sony SDM-S75DB
I've been spending money on The Beast to upgrade for use over the next couple of years before it's eventually replaced with a dual-quad core 16GB workstation of the future.
First up is the addition of a second screen. I've finally decided to replace all the CRTs I have lying about now that I've had experience of my dual screen set-up at work. I went for a Sony 17" LCD SDM-S75DB from ebuyer as it was the best deal I could find for a screen with VGA and DVI-D connections at a cost of £138, not bad at all. Perfect for viewing the TV from my Freecom USB DVB-T stick, Firefox, iTunes and Outlook while keeping the (soon to be replaced) Sony FW900 24" CRT free for the main applications.
Took about 30 seconds to install and get up and running using the second DVI-D connection on my Quadro FX1000 graphics card. Picture quality? Stunning. I knocked the brightness down to "mid" settings but it still looks amazing. One word of advice when buying a LCD monitor; don't get hung up on the panel specifications like response time, brightness, contrast ratios etc. The technology is mature now and the law of diminishing returns is in force.
The screen came with VGA-VGA cable along with a DVI-D to DVI-D cable so I can connect up a second computer as well using the VGA interface. At this price the addition of the DVI-D interface is a rarity.
A slim bezel and almost invisible set of control buttons make for a very sleek look (even better when I replace the CRT as well.) No gimmicks like 90 degree pivot and useless 1W speakers. At this price I can't fault it and intend to order another one in a couple of weeks.
Next up I'm thinking of taking advantage of a good deal from Dell for a 20" 4:3 LCD running at 1600x1200 as a replacement for the main screen. With the Employee Purchase Programme discount from my employer I can pick one up for £325 delivered. Nice.
Then, with the addition of a second Sony SDM-S75DB and a Quadro NVS-280 PCI graphics card from ebay I can run all 3 monitors on DVI-D from The Beast and still have 3 VGA interfaces free for other computers along with the ability to add a 4th LCD screen if I wanted even more screen real estate :)
posted by Ricky Dee at
7:41 PM
3 Comments:
You geek :-)
Sounds good though. Was tempted to go dual screen but I decided to get laptop instead and use screen with it.
By
Ian, at 4 July 2006 21:02
My previous laptop had a Dell 1600 x 1200 screen, though clearly not 20” it was still an absolute gem. My latest laptop has 1920 x 1200, which is kind of a strange resolution in that it is not 16:9 or 4:3. But it does give you lots of pixels to work with, and is pin sharp so you can read tiny fonts.
If you can get a screen offering that resolution for a “reasonable” price I would recommend it, the extra space from the different resolution means you can arrange windows to really make the most of the space without things looking “squashed”.
I agree with you on the LCD technology maturing, anyone who says “you cannot beat a CRT” clearly hasn’t looked seriously at an alternative. They keep getting cheaper too, I have my eye on a 45” 1920 x 1080 for the living room…….
-----
Lewis
By
Anonymous, at 4 July 2006 22:24
All my main monitors (Sony FW900) run at 1920x1200 but a 24" widescreen LCD (required for that resolution on a desktop screen) comes in at >£850, for that money I can have 1x20" and 3x17" LCDs + an additional Quadro PCI card for 4 monitors running on the same workstation (all through DVI-D) with a combined horizontal resolution of 5440 and change left over in my pocket towards the electricity bill :) It'll look cool too, just need to get a business up and running to make full use of it all.
By
Ricky Dee, at 5 July 2006 10:38
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