Help needed fast - Samsung 710N LCD analog

[pascal]

I am in a trip, right now in a cyber cafe and need fast (10 minutes) help/opinion.
Should I buy the Samsung 710N LCD monitor?
It has analog input only and the response time is 12ms.
It cost about US$400 here in Sao Paulo/Brazil.
The Sony with 8ms/dvi cost about US$800.

All in the store with no dead pixels.

Thanks

 

[hey69]

you have other brands for same price with DVI included

 

[pascal]

Here in Sao Paulo I only find Samsung (vga), LG(vga) and Sony(DVI/VGA).

The other option is wait (edited: almost 2 months) and try to import it with all associated risks (including dead pixels).

 

[jvd]

I'm running the monitor (Got it free) and its not bad , i use my crt for gaming mostly as in some games i can see ghosting but in others I can't .

 

[pascal]

Thanks jvd. I will try to buy the Samsung.
The store guy said it is sold out for today
The Samsung street price in some stores is as high as US$700, but
this store had some speciall price and they say tomorrow they probably will have more.

I am accessing the net in the Mcdonalds. Just buy something like a coke, register and have free access service 8)

 

[digitalwanderer]

I am accessing the net in the Mcdonalds. Just buy something like a coke, register and have free access service 8)

Really? That's kewl. We don't have any public access internet places like that around me 'cept the local public library, and they've got their really shitty PCs locked down pretty hard. (I avoid libraries anyway, long story. )

 

[pascal]

I am back home. I did not buy the Samsung but I am in some sort of wait list. But bought a few things like a new mobo/ram, new DVD-RW, new car sound, bedroom sound, etc.. Still waiting a few things. Hope to have a new folding machine soon because my current PC is too unstable and then I am just using it for SOHO. I will post more later.

Funny is that wife is much more enthusiastic than me to buy electronic things. She is incentiving me to buy the more expensive Sony LCD (DVI/8ms) She is also researching about a new plasma TV, new crystal clear 5.1 sound system, etc.. I think I am becoming old because I just want to buy cheap things/promotions.

Digi,
The access service was a promotion by AOL, HP and McDonalds available only in one major Mall, but was fun 8)

 

[pax]

Dvi for lcd is a must imo.

 

[Guden Oden]

Yeah, why the hell else buy a digital panel if there's no DVI plug on it?

 

[RussSchultz]

The Samsung street price in some stores is as high as US$700, but

For $700, I'll send you a 20" Dell w/DVI, S-VIDEO, etc.. Either 4:3 or 16:9.

I could almost send you two for that price.

(assuming there's no issues with customs, of course.)

Or shipping. Christ all mighty that's expensive. Both FedEx and UPS come up with ~$500 to ship a 20lb box to Brazil.

Never mind.

 

[pascal]

DVI is better than analog but the values ($) involved makes me think in a different way. I will try to buy the Samsung 710N for $400. I saw lots of very good customers review at newegg http://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion...sp?DEPA=1&Item=N82E16824001171&page=1

Tax and shipping are the problem for me when buying some electronics and other stuff.

Thanks all for the advices

 

[Johnny_Physics]

Last week I bought a Samsung 913N on impulse(it was the only decent one the store had in stock and it was on midsummer eve so I couldn't exactly take my business elsewhere) - I think it's in the same series of analog LCD monitors and the drivers keeps the 710N in the same tab as the one I bought(other models are listed separately), so they might resemble each other, except the one I bought has a 8ms response time that's probably the biggest differense.

Anyway, I was a bit worried at first when I found out it had an analog connector(and was 19'' big), but it wasn't a big deal considering that I just use it at home, it works very well as a display for casual use(games, web, media, code).
I'm happy with it and nothing has bothered me yet, it works well and I can't complain about the picture considering the price and the effort spent on selecting and buying it.
So if the 710N is similiar to the one I bought I'm pretty confident that you wouldn't feel like a fool if you bought it. People worry too much about their LCD/TFT purchases, they get some kind of feature-vertigo from all the variables or something.

Sidenote:
I work in graphics/print so I would like to belive that I can give some decent input on the image quality

 

[pascal]

Thanks for the info Johnny

 

[pascal]

I finally received the Samsung 710N The price was cheap, only US$440.00
No dead pixels and installation was easy. I am using 1280x1024x60x32 and it is GREAT. Lots of space saving. The default configuration is too bright. I have to test and tweak it.
I will post more after the tests/tweaks. Any sugestion is wellcome.
My previous monitor was a Sony Trinitron that I used at 1024x768x75x32.

The problem I have now is that my old videocard´s fan (GFFX5600) is making some strange noise. This is making me turn of the computer at night. I cleaned the fan with cotton and it is better but still making noise. Can I clean it with alcohol or some machine oil? Thanks.

edited: maybe this thread should be moved to the hardware forum.

 

[stevem]

It sounds like the bearing. If it's a fluid bearing, then you're outta luck. You'll have to replace the fan. If it's ball or sleeve, you can usually remove the sticker on the motor side & apply a drop of oil. If you're really keen, you can disassemble the whole unit, cleaning the spindle/bearings, relubricating (preferabley with a silicon based lube) & re-assembling. I tend to just replace the fan, but going by prices in your neck of the woods, it may be worth a shot.

p.s. I once had great success with a seized dual BB fan in a power supply & car engine oil. The PC hadn't been used in a while & the fan's grease had solidified. Once powered, the spindle & bearing started to grind. Light lubricating oil fixed the problem temporarily, but also dissolved the lubricating grease which ended up at the top of the rotor shaft due to centrifugal force. Being a weekend, I pulled the unit apart (tedious to remove the flat, split, retention washer), cleaned & relubed with motor oil. I expected the detergents/additives would cause the plastic components to fail, but the fan is still running albeit with a bit of chatter...

 

[pascal]

Thanks for the advices Stevem

It looks like a ball bearing fan. The fan is making less noise now. I think the problem is some very thin light gray (almost white) dust maybe from a new construction close to my apartment. Most of the dust I removed with cotton. I am looking for my wife´s Singer machine oil to apply the drop of oil.

This LCD monitor is great. Reading ebooks is much better, I can read a full page. Internet and office applications are great. DVD playing is great. No perceptible ghost (for me casual gamer) while testing Unreal II.

The image frame automatic adjustment at 1280x1024x60 is Perfect compared to normal CRTs.
The thing I miss from my trinitron is the deeper dark, but I ajusted the system´s gamma (increased from .94 to 1.42) and the monitor´s contrast control (from 80% to 90%) and now the image looks like much better than the manufacturer´s default configuration. The colors´relation is the manufacturers´s default.