- No Visible Ghosting or Blur At All
- Excellent Brightness and Contrast
- Sturdy Slim Design
- Stand Has Limited Vertical Adjustment
- Monitor Controls Small and Hard to Use
- 6-Bit Color
- 17" Diagonal LCD Panel with 1280x1024 Native Resolution
- 270 cd/m^2 Brightness
- 500:1 Contrast Ratio
- 160 Degree Horizontal and 140 Degree Vertical Viewing Angles
- Analog and Digital Connections
- 12ms Response Time
- 16.2 Million (6-Bit) Color
- Ultra Slim Bezel
- Includes DVI Cable, DB15 Cable and Wall Mount Bracket
While the SyncMaster 172X only uses a 6-bit per color LCD panel for improved response times, the lower range of colors is not that visible to the user. This lower range was only noticed when side by side with a calibrated CRT monitor. Contrast was quite good although details did tend to get lost in the darker colors typical of most LCD monitors. Blacks were very deep.
The fast response times of the 172X's panel made watching movies and playing video games very pleasant. There was no noticeable motion blur due to slow pixel response during high frame rate video gaming or fast pace movie action sequences. This makes the SyncMaster 172X a great choice for gamers.
If there is one area of contention that needs mention with the 172X, it is in the controls. There are seven small control buttons located on the bottom of the LCD panel that have indistinguishable text to help determine the buttons. The location alone makes it very difficult to use. Thankfully, many of these adjustments can be handled by the includes software bundle.
Overall, the Samsung SyncMaster 172X is an excellent choice for those looking for a great overall 17" LCD monitor. For a detailed look at the monitor, be sure to check out the product tour.
