Sony DELUXEPRO CPD-G520 21 inch CRT Monitor
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- Screen Size: 21 inch
- Display Max. Resolution: 2048 x 1536
- Monitor Type: CRT
- Family Line: Sony DELUXEPRO
- Native (Recommended) Resolution: 1880 x 1440
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Dell P1130 (Sony G520 in disguise)
Pros
Big, clear, crisp image
Cons
None really
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
A great deal, check out the other brands that use the Trinitron stuff for good deals on this product!
I shopped for a while for a new monitor and finally bought one as an upgrade from my failing 10-year-old ADI 15"er, so my review isn't necessarily going to help anyone split hairs over the different 21" monitors out there.
I read reviews like crazy, over and over, and I found that the quality monitors in terms of a flat 21" with good specs and reviews came down to the NEC/Mitsubishi Diamondtron-based and the Trinitron-based monitors. Several companies offered products based on the Trinitron and some of the specs matched and some varied. The Dell P1130 matched the G520 in all the specs I could find, I'm convinced they're basically the same with 2 differences--the Dell comes with a black case, and I got it about $200 cheaper than you'll find the G520.
There are a bunch of reviews on the G520 already, so I don't think I need to regurgitate the info in them. I'll hit the points that I think are unique. The .24 dot pitch tells me I should be able to clearly display a 1600x1200 screen on this monitor--and I can. I like to have a ton of stuff open at a time, and I like to have a lot of readable material on the screen when I'm editing documents and such--works like a charm. I think the advertised max of 2048 x whatever is unrealistic, the much more expensive Sony F520 will let you go to maybe 1800+ by something--if you're sure you need more space, take a look at the (expensive) 24" wide screen model they make as well, but those 2 are way out of this price range...
The horizontal refresh rating of 130kHz means that (when I get a video card that can handle this, I think a GF4 next month or so) that I can refresh it at about 104 Hz at 1600x1200--the G520-P model, kind of an obscure slightly higher performance version of the Sony is rated a little higher and allows 110 Hz at that res, if I had to have a Sony I'd spend the extra $50 on that because that tells me the electronics are a little beefier and it might help me keep my long-term purchase working longer... (Note you'll see higher refresh rates for lower resolutions, not all of the manufacturers advertise the same stuff)
There is mention of two really tiny lines across the screen and I had concern over this before I bought--I'm really picky about stuff like that, and in use I hardly notice them. Read the tech info on what they're for and it makes sense. In fact a computer that I used at work for over 6 months had them on its 19" monitor, and I never noticed them until I read about them and looked specifically for them. They are really, really tiny, and when you're occupied with working on something, or playing a game or whatever, they are not noticeable...I had fears of a window-pane sort of thing and there is no issue here. There are inferior monitors that don't have such a thing, but they have other bigger issues like inconsistent focus, bad coloring, etc--save yourself the concern on this and ignore it.
Anyway, this is a great product. If you're in the market take a look around at the different brands for price and such. The Sony G520 specs are the goal, and if you find another brand with them for cheaper, you might have a good deal. Dell happened to offer 20% off their Dell-brand upgrades and free shipping at the time I bought two weeks ago. This saved me $240 off Dell's price, which was more like $200 off the "cheapest price anywhere else" on a G520 that I could find.
I read reviews like crazy, over and over, and I found that the quality monitors in terms of a flat 21" with good specs and reviews came down to the NEC/Mitsubishi Diamondtron-based and the Trinitron-based monitors. Several companies offered products based on the Trinitron and some of the specs matched and some varied. The Dell P1130 matched the G520 in all the specs I could find, I'm convinced they're basically the same with 2 differences--the Dell comes with a black case, and I got it about $200 cheaper than you'll find the G520.
There are a bunch of reviews on the G520 already, so I don't think I need to regurgitate the info in them. I'll hit the points that I think are unique. The .24 dot pitch tells me I should be able to clearly display a 1600x1200 screen on this monitor--and I can. I like to have a ton of stuff open at a time, and I like to have a lot of readable material on the screen when I'm editing documents and such--works like a charm. I think the advertised max of 2048 x whatever is unrealistic, the much more expensive Sony F520 will let you go to maybe 1800+ by something--if you're sure you need more space, take a look at the (expensive) 24" wide screen model they make as well, but those 2 are way out of this price range...
The horizontal refresh rating of 130kHz means that (when I get a video card that can handle this, I think a GF4 next month or so) that I can refresh it at about 104 Hz at 1600x1200--the G520-P model, kind of an obscure slightly higher performance version of the Sony is rated a little higher and allows 110 Hz at that res, if I had to have a Sony I'd spend the extra $50 on that because that tells me the electronics are a little beefier and it might help me keep my long-term purchase working longer... (Note you'll see higher refresh rates for lower resolutions, not all of the manufacturers advertise the same stuff)
There is mention of two really tiny lines across the screen and I had concern over this before I bought--I'm really picky about stuff like that, and in use I hardly notice them. Read the tech info on what they're for and it makes sense. In fact a computer that I used at work for over 6 months had them on its 19" monitor, and I never noticed them until I read about them and looked specifically for them. They are really, really tiny, and when you're occupied with working on something, or playing a game or whatever, they are not noticeable...I had fears of a window-pane sort of thing and there is no issue here. There are inferior monitors that don't have such a thing, but they have other bigger issues like inconsistent focus, bad coloring, etc--save yourself the concern on this and ignore it.
Anyway, this is a great product. If you're in the market take a look around at the different brands for price and such. The Sony G520 specs are the goal, and if you find another brand with them for cheaper, you might have a good deal. Dell happened to offer 20% off their Dell-brand upgrades and free shipping at the time I bought two weeks ago. This saved me $240 off Dell's price, which was more like $200 off the "cheapest price anywhere else" on a G520 that I could find.
