Any small LCD computer monitor can be cheap, these work

There’s very little reason to buy a small lcd computer monitor other than saving money. I firmly believe that cheap doesn’t make sense if the product you buy is inferior. For that reason, I took a nose-dive and picked two small monitors worth checking out.

In this article I point you to a couple displays that cost around $100 yet have a good reputation. When you’re strapped for cash, the last thing you want to spend hard-earned cash on is a sub-standard product.

Here are the some of the best small LCD computer monitors (that are cheap too):

Asus VW193DR

As the model number suggests, this is a 19-Inch LCD monitor with a CCFL (non-LED) backlight, 1440×900 resolution TN panel. If I had to describe it in one short sentence, I’d say it’s just like any cheap 22″ TFT, only smaller. The only drawback may be the lack of a digital input, but when you’re dealing with display that costs less than a hundred dollars, any sacrifice that doesn’t affect picture quality is a good sacrifice. Netbooks, nettops and other forms of cheap Internet access usually come with the D-SUB video output the VW193DR supports, so the analog connector shouldn’t stop you in your tracks.

At the time of writing this display costs $95.99, which makes it one of the cheapest 19″ TFT monitors.

The user feedback has been largely positive; the monitor gathered no less than 4.4 stars over 17 customer reviews on Amazon, a figure even some expensive monitors can’t match.

Acer V193W

Another 19″ display for a low $103.16 at the time of writing. If it wasn’t for the different bezel, one could say Acer rebranded Asus’ VW193DR, because the technical specifications are nearly identical.

1440×900 pixels of TN panel stretched over 19″, the input is a single D-SUB VGA analog connector. There is one aspect this display zooms past that of Asus’ and it’s its popularity. It has garnered 31 reviews amounting to an average 4.5 star rating. Again, not too shabby for a display that can be had just north of $100.

“[...]I didn’t think I could get such a nice unit for under $100 but I am very happy with it.[...]” says sjan3. Another owner wonders how long the display will last, because he’d buy another should it be a reasonably long-lasting piece. That’s a reasonable expectation and one that both the ASUS and the Acer display appears to meet, if customer feedback is to believe.

To take away

There are a number of small LCD computer monitor options, both good and bad. I would no longer place my bet on a display smaller than 19″, simply because the cost will be very similar to that of the larger units.

Samsung E1920X for instance is another small monitor to consider. Although it has slightly lower resolution than the displays mentioned above, it is manufactured by Samsung, a brand many people I know trust better than Acer or ASUS.