ASUS PM17TU LCD

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.