Introduction

LCD Monitors have come a long way in the last three years, with the technology behind both the vibrancy of the picture and the response time to less than 10ms enticing consumers to purchase these products. With a ton of companies entering and saturating the market, finding the right LCD can be very difficult.

Samsung, one of the leaders in LCD technology by reputation, has released a new LCD monitor that boasts what is reported to be a 8ms response time, along with the regular vibrance and clarity that their 19" LCD monitors are well known for. The monitor is offered in a stylish black color, and features a super-narrow bezel that is just 0.5 inches thick, with a removable base. This makes the display perfect for tiling or wall mounting.

Specs & Info

Here’s a nice long list of specs to check out ...

• Viewable Image Size: 19"
  
• Brightness (Typical): 300 cd/m²
  
• Contrast Ratio: 700:1
  
• Viewing Angle (H/V): 160 °/ 160°
  
• Interface: Analog
  
• Horiz. Frequency: 30-81
  
• Max/Native Resolution: 1280 x 1024
  
• Emissions Standard: TCO ’99
  
• Available Color(s): Black
  
• Special Features: Built-in power supply, MagicTune, MagicBright, MagicSpeed.

Tremendous emphasis must be placed on the very high contrast ration of 700:1, so much so that NextGen Electronics refuses to endorse any LCD Monitor below 500:1 because the quality does not meet our standards of product performance. With a 700:1 ratio, Samsung’s SyncMaster 915N brings a nice level of clarity and brightness (300 cd/m2) that makes looking at the monitor very easy on the eyes.

Installation

Installing this monitor is as easy a thing as anyone could possibly do in their PC lives. Simply plug the monitor power cord into a quality power strip, and plug the monitor cable into your video card. Bam - you’re done!

One small note, in our review unit the CD that shipped failed to have the proper Samsung 915N driver on it! This oversight isn’t a huge obstacle, as the correct XP driver for the monitor can be found right here. Overall, the installation process was very painless.

Performance

Although I was pretty curious to see how an analog monitor was going to be able to pull off a 8ms response time, I have to say the first impression of the monitor was definitely "WOW!". The vibrance, clarity, and sharpness of the LCD were easily better than most LCDs we’ve seen in our days here reviewing products and seeing them at trade shows. The 19" screen is a quality design and the mere sharpness and brightness of the monitor shows the tech dollar is spent in the right place.

For everyday programs like Adobe Photoshop, Web Browsing, and other such things, the monitor is extremely useful and performs well. Getting the color schema to work correctly in photoshop definitely takes some time and never *exactly* came up correctly. I think that was more of an issue of Adobe color gamma settings coming up correctly in conjunction with the monitor rather than a reflection of the monitor itself. For everyday programs, the monitor was sharp, clear, and bright - and personally speaking, my eyes were MUCH less strained at the end of a long working day after using this monitor over the old Sony Trinitron CRT monitor I’ve been using for years.

Now - the big deal with an 8ms seek time monitor is that gamers will be delighted with the fantastic motion and lack of ghosting. While playing the following titles : World of WarCraft, EverQuest II, Battle for Middle Earth, and NHL 2005, little (if any) ghosting was noticed. We were all duly impressed with the performance of the monitor with gaming. Keeping in mind the maximum resolution of the monitor is 1280x1024, the monitor performed extremely well for gaming.

Overall Impressions

Getting the right monitor for your PC can be a harrowing experience. Although DVI (digital) input is highly recommended by NextGen Electronics, it’s not a life or death matter for most PC users. In the case of the SyncMaster 915N, the response time and quality were so high that barely any, and in most cases no ghosting was ever present in the intensive gaming environment. For everyday use, like web development, graphic design, or basic web surfing, the quality of the monitor is absolutely astounding with a tremendous ratings for both the contrast ratio and the brightness levels.

The performance of the Samsung SyncMaster 915N was top notch, and does come highly recommended for purchase. For the current price point it comes highly recommended, and the coolness factor of having such a nice monitor is pretty high and will most likely cause all of your friends to comment on how nice it performs. The best things about the SyncMaster 915N are easily the amazing clarity and brightness levels, the very nice price point, and the design. If there are any negatives about it, it’s that it is indeed the analog version (not DVI).

The usefulness of the monitor is very high, since it’s a great performing unit that works well in an all purpose environment - work or gaming more specifically. The longevity factor gets a strong score based on the reputation of Samsung products, and the fact that we really tested this unit non-stop for a month without any problems. All in all, a very nice monitor.