Over the course of the last few years, the PC industry has witnessed a major transition away from the world of traditional CRT monitors, towards products based on LCD displays. With the inception of LCD's, there was no denying the handful of advantages LCD's had over their CRT counterparts. Less eye-strain, significantly thinner depth and lighter weight, and improved brightness and contrast are a few of the more common salient features of LCD displays. However, the one Achilles' heel of this new display technology was gaming and general video performance. Here, slow response rates for the panels resulted in "ghosting" where fast-moving characters or scenes would leave "trails" behind them as the individuals pixels could not be refreshed fast enough with new image information. As a result, the hardcore gaming enthusiast or those with digital video needs did not see LCD displays as a viable option for their platforms.

Today however, we find the LCD industry has made great progress in the realms of gaming and motion video. With the launch of the PM17TU 17" display and its 3ms pixel response rate, ASUS is giving the community a high-performance alternative to bulky CRT displays that offers all the advantages of an LCD display, potentially without any hint of ghosting.

ASUS PM17TU Specs A Speedy 17" LCD

The ASUS PM17TU is a sharp-looking 17" LCD display that offers a native resolution of 1280x1024 with a rapid 3ms response rate. Offering both digital and analog inputs, this LCD is able to connect to a PC using either a DVI-D or standard 15-pin D-Sub connector. Looking at the latest prices on Pricegrabber, we find that this new display can be purchased for as low as $282.03 from online vendors. Granted, this display is by no means the bargain of the century. However, with a long list of performance specifications and features, we'll have to consider whether ASUS has been able to justify the high cost of entry with an ideal gaming display.

The PM17TU comes packaged in a relatively plain and unassuming box that incorporates its own carrying handle. Despite any glossy finish or flashy graphics, the packaging does an exceptional job of protecting the display. Here, we find ample foam padding in the way of two inserts that fully encompass the panel. Although not the most extravagant ways of doing so, the retail box serves well as a method of transporting the panel to and from LAN parties.

ASUS has included both a DVI cable as well as a standard 15-pin D-Sub analog cable in the package. Given the fact that a 6' DVI cable is typically $15 or more, this is a welcomed surprise for those already feeling the pain of the LCD's high initial cost. Rounding out the package we have a rather bland user manual along with the expected power cable to fuel the panel. Perhaps the one surprise we have on hand is the inclusion of an audio cable. Here, the PM17TU's integrated speakers can receive audio directly from the PC to provide respectable sound quality for those without dedicated speakers.

Removing the panel from the packaging, we quickly realize that the overall weight of the panel is extremely light. Here, the vast majority of the overall weight for the product is found within the base of the display to provide ample stability.

A Closer Look Quality all around

The first thing one notices upon pulling the PM17TU out of the box is the display's lack of any sharp edges. With a clean aesthetic that combines a flat black with a glossy finish, this LCD certainly offers an appearance that reflects its high pricetag. Overall, the fit and construction of the panel receives top marks with small accents such as the chrome power button and blue LEDs pulling things together nicely.

Glancing at the feature stickers found on the display, we find multiple references to the special functionality offered by this LCD. From a high level, we find features such as application-specific modes that tailor picture quality settings to specific tasks as well as more generalized features like the panel's anti-glare screen that improves contrast ratios.

Aside from the sole power button in the middle of the display, all of the panel's adjustments can be found on the right-side of the LCD. Here, everything from brightness to volume and contrast can all be adjusted from the single push of a button. Should you need to access the various advanced settings for the panel, a quick press of the "Menu" key will get you started.

Out of the box, the PM17TU is not assembled with its base. Rather, this heavy baseplate requires being mated to the bottom of the panel's stand by aligning a few guide-posts into the appropriate holes in the stand. The base is then locked in place using a slotted screw which has a thin folding handle to aid in tightening the pieces to the proper level without the need for tools.

Turning our attention towards the back of the system, we find a relatively bare rear casing which lacks any major detail aside from the embossed ASUS logo and the appropriate sticker revealing model information. Here, information such as the product's serial number will be useful should anyone need to take advantage of the display's 1 year Zero Bright Dot warranty or overall 3 year system warranty. Given how annoying a single dead pixel can prove to be, it is reassuring to hear that ASUS will replace the unit entirely should you be unfortunate to discover one within a year of owning the display.

In terms of ports or connectivity options, the PM17TU is rather plain and simple. Moving from the left to right we have the standard power input jack with the analog D-Sub and digital DVI-D ports. One small issue we had with the panel's design is the lack of any ability to pivot the display away from the base any significant amount to gain better access to these ports. Those with larger hands will likely encounter some difficulties when trying to screw down display cables as space is at a premium in these areas.

At the rightmost section of the rear of the display, we find an Audio-In port.  An audio cable can be run directly form the system to this port to take advantage of the display's integrated speakers. Granted, you won't be amazing your friends with rich or immersive surround sound or devastating bass. However, the speakers do a somewhat surprisingly good job of handling most audio while remaining crisp and clear.

Continuing a trend set by most major display manufacturers, ASUS includes their own method of cable-management on the back of the PM17TU LCD. This simple slotted plastic ring cleanly routes cables down the back of the system to avoid any unsightly cable clutter. Although effective, we would have rather this ring be made of a stiff rubber like those found on Dell's latest family of LCD's as the profile of the ring would be smaller and easier to work with.

One of the more interesting features of the ASUS display is the ability to choose between five basic application modes. Each of these modes comes with its own display setting presets that lend themselves best towards specific applications. Here, the user can choose between "Scenery", "Theater", "Night", "Standard", and "Game" modes.

Menus and Settings Control and ease of use

Pressing the "Menu" key brings up the "Scenario" screen illustrated in the image above. From top left to bottom right, we have the following options. "Scenario" gives the user the ability to choose which of the five application modes he/she would like to use. The next option is color select which allows adjustment for skin tone, color temp and color gum intensity. Luminance is the next setting which is offered and provides the ability to modify contrast and brightness settings. Adjustments for the OSD then follow with basic positioning being the main focus. Image setup is the last critical adjustment setting with basic panel information and factory resets rounding out the last of the available options.

Those users who end-up taking advantage of the integrated speakers can adjust the volume of the audio directly from the LCD. Here, discrete volume controls can be found on the right-side of the display. Once these buttons are pressed, the user is prompted with an On-Screen Display which illustrates how the volume is being changed.

In an attempt to identify all of the ASUS LCD's strengths and weaknesses, we compared the panel with an LCD which is considered one of the best displays money can buy. Here, we chose to use the Dell 2405FPW which is 24 inches big and $853.60 worth of visual bliss. Armed with some impressive specifications, including a 12ms response rate and a native resolution of 1920x1200, we would soon see how strong of a product the ASUS PM17TU LCD truly was.

Relative Performance Stiff competition

Placing the ASUS panel directly in front of the Dell 2405FPW, we quickly see that we are dealing with significantly less screen real estate. Obviously, the core difference between each panel is the fact that the Dell is a 16:10 widescreen LCD whereas the ASUS panel is a 4:3 aspect ratio. Although this standard aspect ratio is a limiting factor when watching widescreen DVD's and attempting to have multiple windows open side-by-side, the 4:3 aspect ratio is ideal for gaming as there are still only a handful of games that support widescreen resolutions.

To clearly depict the difference in effective visual area on each panel, we used the same Microsoft Project file and displayed the same information on each screen at the appropriate native resolution for each panel. As you can see in the images above, the 24" screen of the Dell 2405FPW on the left is easily able to display the entire project. As we would expect, the 17" screen of the ASUS PM17TU is only able to show a fraction of that information with some fields having to be hidden from view. As time goes on, more and more games will begin to support widescreen aspect ratios. Given the enormous advantage in terms of useable screen space a widescreen LCD provides, it is questionable how wise an investment in a 4:3 aspect ratio LCD today truly is. Regardless, you can see in the table below the ASUS LCD fares extremely well against the premium Dell 2405FPW despite being significantly cheaper.

Standard Applications:
As far as any 4:3 aspect ratio LCD is concerned, the ASUS performed flawlessly. The display exhibited exceptional brightness and contrast thanks to the quality panel used by ASUS. The thin bezel on the PM17TU helps maximize the rather small 17" viewable area and could very well fool many into believing it could be a 19" screen. In addition, the integrated speakers were more than capable of handling the audio from any standard everyday application. Ultimately though, anyone who has used a widescreen LCD in the past will soon feel the limitations of working with a 4:3 aspect display. Here, the lack of available screen real estate definitely constrains what you're working on as having multiple windows open at one time is anything but trivial to keep in order. Given the ASUS LCD's rather pricey cost, there are several quality widescreen panels that offer more screen space for the money. Again, the panel performed extremely well in these applications although heavy office applications users would do better spending their money on a widescreen LCD.

DVD Viewing:
Again, in terms of performance for a 4:3 aspect ratio LCD the ASUS display did an admirable job in every respect. For older DVD's which were not widescreen, it was nearly impossible to find fault in this display. However, watching most DVD's which are typically widescreen the overall viewing area of the panel is decreased to painfully small sizes. Having screen real estate cropped off due to black bars on an already size-constrained 17" panel is tough to cope with. Regardless, the LCD handled itself extremely well in a variety of different films. The extremely dark scenes of Fight Club were well represented with accurate detail being preserved thanks to the accurate greyscale and contrast of the panel. Fast action sequences such as those in Jet Li's "The One" were also reproduced successfully with no hint of ghosting or streaking in any situation. We are confident that ASUS would receive top marks were this a 16:10 or 16:9 panel as the only complaint we have is in regards to its 4:3 aspect ratio.

Gaming:
With all our complaints regarding the panel's 4:3 aspect ratio, many might begin to wonder why ASUS chose to keep this a standard display and not opt for a widescreen model. Let us just say that after spending some time gaming on the PM17TU, one quickly realizes that this is an ideal gaming display. Ghosting is a term of the past when using this LCD and the company's claimed 3ms response rate seems to be more than accurate. Colors were sharp and vibrant with hours of gameplay easily possible with no worry of eye-strain or performance implications. As the vast majority of titles today are strictly standard resolutions, we were able to play every game we wished at the panel's native resolution of 1280x1024 with no black boxes or weird scaling issues. Multiplayer gamers can rejoice as this display's small footprint and light weight make it an ideal choice for a LAN display. Overall, we give the ASUS PM17TU top mark as an excellent gaming LCD.

Overall:
In the end, we have mixed emotions regarding the ASUS PM17TU. Make no mistake, if you are a hardcore gamer that is looking for a reasonably sized and priced LCD you would be hard-pressed to do better than this display. Add to the performance the stellar 3yr warranty and 1yr coverage of dead pixels and you have a very compelling product. This is a very application-specific piece of hardware that is targeting a very precise market. Granted, the panel does a solid job on all fronts and is certainly a high quality product. However, for the casual gamer who is more focused on office applications or is wishing to also use their display to view DVD's and multimedia, we would have to recommend looking elsewhere and opting for a widescreen LCD. Taking this all into consideration, we'll give the ASUS PM17TU a rating of "8" as it is an exceptional piece of hardware that is only limited to some users by its 4:3 aspect ratio.

	•_Rapid 3ms Response Rate - No ghosting •_Surprisingly-good integrated speakers •_Excellent 3yr Warranty and 1yr Zero Dead Pixel Coverage •_Clean lines and polished Looks	•_Expensive for a 17" LCD •_4:3 Aspect Ration limits workspace and affects DVD viewing

Get into HotHardware's PC Hardware Forum Right Now!