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Please help me choose an external monitor. I am at my wits end.

J

jmFightSpam

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 24, 2007
115
0
Hello,

OK. I am at my wits end. I just received my 3rd replacement monitor for an LG Flatron 22" LCD (model #: W2252TQ) because of it buzzing. The only time the buzzing completely stops is if the brightness is set to 100%, and that is completely unacceptable to me. Maybe I am just being over-reactive, but I don't think a monitor should be making any noises, even just a little bit. It is not horrible, but it is like a splinter that is just annoying. When I turn the monitor completely off, I notice that it just gets quieter in the room.

I have my external monitor connected to my MacBook Pro via a DVI-D cable (I am not using the DVI/VGA adapter).

Do all external monitors make a little bit of noise? Am I being paranoid? If you put your ear to your monitor, do you hear anything or is it quiet?

Could the video card in the MacBook Pro be causing the problems with my external monitor? Is that even possible? Could it be that my MacBook Pro cannot handle external monitors very well?

Anyway, I was hoping the people on this forum could recommend a quality LCD monitor, at least 22", maybe up to 24"-25", that you have used to connect directly to a MacBook Pro. One that is quiet and doesn't make any noise?

Thanks.

P.S. There isn't anyway LG is going to give me any of my money back, is there? They would just keep sending me replacement monitors until my warranty expires, right?

P.P.S. I have Apple Care for my MacBook Pro for another 2 years. If I bought an Apple Display (if that was recommended by any of you), would my current Apple Care cover it?
 
Could be the power supply in the monitor? or the outlets in your house?

try a different outlet next time and see if the problem goes away.

I've got an Acer P241W 24" that I picked up for around $300 a few months ago. TN panel, but it's got HDMI/HDCP, and at the time was a steal for $300. I've used DVI and also DVI --> VGA on the monitor, and I don't hear any buzzing. Could be that the fans on my MBP drown it out though :)
 
eyespii said:
Could be the power supply in the monitor? or the outlets in your house?

try a different outlet next time and see if the problem goes away.

I've got an Acer P241W 24" that I picked up for around $300 a few months ago. TN panel, but it's got HDMI/HDCP, and at the time was a steal for $300. I've used DVI and also DVI --> VGA on the monitor, and I don't hear any buzzing. Could be that the fans on my MBP drown it out though :)
Click to expand...

I thought about the outlets or interference (since my laptop and monitor are plugged into the same strip), but then you would think that would be a problem no matter the brightness.

I saw below online at the following link: http://www.xbitlabs.com/discussion/4408.html

11. One other thing that would be worth covering since it affects so many monitors is the problem of buzzing inverters for the backlights. If you turn the brightness below about 95 (corresponding to a 95% duty cycle in the inverter), many inverters start to buzz, with the pitch varying with the duty cycle. Try it now with your monitor, put your ear close to the monitor and vary the brightness from the default 95+ that the monitor is shipped with to lower values. The level of noticeability depends on the amount of ambient noise, in a quiet room it's *very* noticeable and very annoying. If you're lucky, your monitor will be OK, if not...

A google search will get thousands of hits for this, it occurs across all monitor brands and price classes so there's no sure way to avoid it except to keep RMA'ing the monitor until you get one that doesn't have the problem. Half-a-dozen RMAs to get a monitor that doesn't buzz with the brightness turned down aren't unheard of.

Unfortunately this problem gets very little coverage (the monitors ship factory pre-set to > 95% duty cycle where it's not noticeable and most users never change this setting), although it's quite a widespread problem."
Click to expand...

I think that is probably the problem. It could be I am having a string of bad luck.
 
jmFightSpam said:
P.S. There isn't anyway LG is going to give me any of my money back, is there? They would just keep sending me replacement monitors until my warranty expires, right?
Click to expand...

You will have to sue them in court for selling you a lemon, but it's not a guaranteed win, so it's not worth it.

jmFightSpam said:
P.P.S. I have Apple Care for my MacBook Pro for another 2 years. If I bought an Apple Display (if that was recommended by any of you), would my current Apple Care cover it?
Click to expand...

No the AppleCare only covers a display you bought with the computer; not even a second afterwards; only on the same receipt as the computer.

------

As with a monitor, what's your budget? What resolutions do you want? I have 20-inch Dell 2007FPW which is a great monitor; it's a lottery though to get the S-IPS panel. Their 24-inch is good too, but you won't be able to get S-IPS. If you go for the 30-inch it's all S-IPS. Of course if you don't care about true color reproduction, then I guess it's all the same, but if you want the best, the Dell monitor is the way to go. Plus the warranty is like $50 for a 3 year advanced exchange; they send you a new monitor, you send back your old one; all very fast shipping (never used it on the monitor, but on computers and PDAs I have)
 
Thanks for the replies everybody.

I am considering a Dell, and also the HP W2207H 22" as well. Have you heard good/bad things about that one?
 
jmFightSpam said:
Thanks for the replies everybody.

I am considering a Dell, and also the HP W2207H 22" as well. Have you heard good/bad things about that one?
Click to expand...

I have not seen the HP W2207H, but from what I can tell it doesn't have S-IPS panel which immediately takes it out of my book. I'm a sucker for IPS. Once you have it, you can't let go.
 
alphaod said:
I have not seen the HP W2207H, but from what I can tell it doesn't have S-IPS panel which immediately takes it out of my book. I'm a sucker for IPS. Once you have it, you can't let go.
Click to expand...

Maybe I will be the same way ;)

If I may ask one more favor (or maybe 2):

1. Can you point me to a list somewhere on the web that lists out what LCDs are IPS?
2. Can you point me to a good primer on the differences between IPS, TN, etc.

I am very green in this area.

Thanks a lot.
 
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