Recently I found myself in need of a new monitor. I needed a new monitor both for my desktop, so I could play high-paced games. When I play games I like to place my monitor 1 – 2 feet away, but I also want to see the entire screen clearly so I can react to any action without turning my head. I also needed the a second monitor to place above and behind my laptop, about 3 – 4 feet away, to be able to read the contents clearly on the screen while working on research projects. As I didn’t want to buy two monitors, I was looking for portability and ease of use in one monitor. I wanted the flexibility to use the new monitor with my laptop at times and with my desktop at other times. So the monitor had to be light and easy to move without getting smudges or fingerprints on the screen.

Back

Features

The Acer X223W has moderately chamfered sides that give you the ability to grip it with your wrists instead of your fingers, giving you a good, firm grip while keeping you from hitting the LCD screen when you carry it–preventing annoying smudge marks.

Camfered edges

The monitor also features a very sturdy base design with a perfectly aligned center of gravity. This allows it to remain steady when it is bumped or pushed.

Base

The buttons on the Acer x223w are big and easy to press. The buttons on some flat panel/LCD monitors are so hard to push you may end up moving the monitor around unintentionally any time you want to change the brightness or any of the other settings.

Buttons

Functionality

The screen takes about five seconds to start up, which is a relatively short amount of time. I have tested the screen with many programs from computer games and 3D design applications which have complex visual pipelines to more simplistic programs such as Internet Explorer and Microsoft Word. I have not noticed any negative attributes to associate with the use of the Acer x223w. However, the placement of the inputs for the DVI and VGA cables make it difficult to attach the plug.

Ports

The DVI and VGA inputs are facing down in the back of the monitor, at a low point right up against the back of the screen. This makes it hard to see to align the plugs. It is also hard to get a good grip on either of the plugs when plugging the cables into the monitor.

Plug

This can be problematic if you are moving the monitor around between multiple computers and must unplug and re-plug the cord many times.

With regard to installation, it’s a snap, literally. All you do is snap the base of the monitor to the top and then plug in either the DVI or VGA cord into the monitor and your computer. You are then ready to go.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Relatively inexpensive for an LCD Monitor
Chamfered edges
Quick start time
Easy to install
High resolution and large size, but not too large

Cons

Hard to plug in cables because of poor port placement

Technical Specifications

22″ Widescreen 1680 x 1050 resolution 5ms response
2500:1 Contrast 300 cd/m2 Brightness
Viewing Angle (H/V) 170 / 160
Dimensions (WxHxD): 517 x 600 x 177.4 mm
Display Size: 22 inch Wide
Resolution: 1680X1050
Response Time: 5ms (typ)
Pixel Pitch: 0.282mm
Contrast Ratio: 2500:1(ACM) (typ)
Brightness: 300 cd/m2
Viewing Angle (H/V): 170deg /160deg
Input Signal: D-Sub & Dual Input(HDCP)
DVI-D – 24 pin digital DVI ,
VGA – 15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15)

Conclusion

The reliability and ease of use made the Acer x223w exactly what I was looking for in a new, inexpensive, monitor. It is a perfect example of an affordable, top of the line monitor. For the price of $160, this monitor is a worth every penny.