Difficulty: Average

Time Required: 30 minutes

Here’s How:

1. The first step is to determine what type of graphics card you need for your system. Check with your computer manufacturer, vendor or motherboard manufacturer for compatible graphics cards.

2. After you determine the compatible video cards for your system you need to gather your tools. To install most graphics cards you will need a screwdriver that is not magnetized and a anti-static wrist strap. You can get anti-static wrist straps from most computer stores. Don’t skip the anti-static wrist strap, a small shock that you would not even feel could destroy your new $500 graphics card. Be sure to follow the instructions with your anti-static strap.

3. Once you have your tools together, you will need to turn off your computer and remove the left side panel. The left side panel will be the one on your left if you are in front of your computer. Don’t touch anything inside the case that you don’t have too.

4. After removing the side panel lay your computer on its side and find the expansion slot you wish to use. Graphics and video cards are available for AGP slots, standard PCI slots, 1x PCI Express slots and 16x PCI Express slots. Be sure you have the correct card for your available expansion slot. Once opened most graphics cards are non-returnable unless damaged in manufacturing.

5. Once you locate the expansion slot you plan to use for your graphics card, you will need to remove the IO plate covering the slot on the back of your computer. The IO cover design will vary depending on your case design. Some are secured with screws or tabs, while others require you to twist them off.

6. Once you remove the cover from the expansion slot you want to use gently remove your video card from its box.

7. Once removed from its box you will be ready to plug your graphics card into the chosen expansion slot. Gently insert the card into the expansion slot and firmly press it into place. Most expansion slots have a retention mechanism to lock the card in place, however yours may not. Be sure to use a screw or other method to secure your card to the case where you removed the IO cover from the expansion slot you chose, there will be some method of securing your card to the case.

8. After installing your graphics card you need to verify if it requires power directly from your computers power supply. The instructions included with your video card will tell you if it requires its own power connector and if so what type. Newer PCI Express graphics cards often require special PCI Express power connectors. Most high end card manufacturers include adapters for use in systems without the correct plug for these cards.

9. Once you have your video card getting power, plug your system back in and turn it on before you put the side panel back on your case. You need to verify that the fan on your video card is working. You don’t want improper connections or a bad $2 fan on your card to cause it to overheat and become damaged the first time you turn it on.

10. After verifying that the fan on the graphics card is working turn your system back off and reinstall the side panel.

11. Once the side panel is back on you are ready to connect your monitor to your graphics card an power up your system.

12. Once your system is on a running, you will need to install the correct driver for your graphics card. The driver will be included with your graphics card. However, the drive included with your graphics card could be a old version. You will want to update your driver from your video card manufacturer’s web site.

13. Once you have updated your video card drivers, you are done! Congratulations, you installed your own video card!

Tips:

1. If in doubt, get someone with experience to install your graphics card.

2. Be sure to verify that your power supply inside your computer has enough power for your graphics card and has the appropriate connector for it.

3. Be sure that you buy the correct graphics card for your available expansion slot inside your computer.

What You Need:

• Screwdriver, non-magnetic

• Anti-Static wrist strap

• Graphics card

• Graphics card installation instructions

• Graphics card drivers disk

By: Shane McGlaun,

1. XFX 7950 GX2 Quad SLI

If you have a large display capable of high resolutions from 1920 x 1200 to 2560 x 1600, Quad SLI offers the best gaming performance you will get on the current market. It’s not cheap, but the best never is.

2. ATI X1900 CrossFire Edition

Right below the 7950 GX2 quad SLI in both price and performance is the ATI X1900 CrossFire dual card set up. While not as good performing as quad SLI, ATI’s X1900 CrossFire is no slouch. If you are an ATI fan, this is a great choice for PC gaming.

 3. XFX GeForce 7950 GX2 XXX Graphics Card

If you are looking for the fastest single graphics card on the block, the XFX 7950 GX2 XXX is the card you need to get. This single card has 1GB of GDDR3 RAM and two NVIDIA 7900 series GPUs grafted onto one dual slot graphics card.

4. ATI X1900 XTX Graphics Card

In the red camp one of the fastest single graphics cards you will find is the ATI X1900 XTX. This card is a dual slot design and has great performance for gaming applications. If your gaming weapon of choice is ATI branded and a single card is what you want, check out the X1900 XTX.

5. XFX GeForce 7950 GT Extreme

A fantastic performer in the upper middle market for graphics cards is the new NVIDIA 7950 GT. XFX makes a version that is overclocked and passive cooled called the XFX 7950 GT Extreme edition that is simply awesome. High performance, lower priced and dead silent is hard to beat.

6. ATI X1900XT Graphics Card

ATI’s X1900 XT is still a solid performer in the gaming scene. With the newer and more powerful cards on the market, the price is dropping on this card. Many would still consider this card high-end, but it is starting to show its age compared to the new blood.

7. XFX Nvidia 7900 GT XXX

The XFX 7900 GT XXX is still one of my favorite graphics cards around. With the new 7950 GT out, the price on this card just keeps dropping. You can find it for under $300 easily and the XXX version has top notch performance.

8. Sapphire ATI X1800GTO

The price of this card hovers near $200 online. While it is a nice card, it is well down on performance to many NVIDIA cards that sell in the same price range, namely the 7600 GT XXX from XFX. However, if ATI is your poison and this is your price range, it is a nice graphics card.

9. XFX Nvidia 7600 GT XXX

Selling for around $150, the 7600 GT is one heck of a low cost graphics card for gaming. It out performs the X1800 GTO from ATI when in the XFX 7600 GT XXX flavor. You won’t run FEAR maxed out and get playable frame rates, but you can get fantastic frame rate with decent settings in FEAR.

10. ATI X1900 All-in-Wonder

If you are needing a graphics card that can play games and perform multimedia duties and act as a PVR, the X1900 AIW is for you. This card can play PC games very well and allow you to record your favorite TV shows to watch after you game is over. Alas it has been discontinued, but they are still available online.

By: Shane McGlaun

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To change your default Internet Explorer security setting to high and disable active scripting, change the security level for the Internet zone to high.

If you don’t see the sliding bar shown, you can click on the Default Level button to reset Internet Explorer to use the default security settings, instead of your custom settings. After you click on the default level button, move the slider to the high setting.

Difficulty: Average

Time Required: 10 Minutes

Here’s How:

1. Click on Tools on the menu bar at the top of Internet Explorer
2. Click on Internet Options from the Tools drop-down menu
3. When Internet Options opens up, click on the Security tab
4. Internet Explorer begins by categorizing sites into either Internet, Local Intranet, Trusted Site or Restricted Site zones. You can specify the security settings for each zone. Select the zone you wish to configure.
5. You can use the Default Level button to select from the pre-defined security settings Microsoft set up in Internet Explorer. See Tips for details of each setting.
6. MEDIUM is most appropriate for the majority of Internet surfing. It has safeguards against malicious code, but is not so restrictive as to prohibit you from viewing most web sites.
7. You can also click on the Custom Level button and alter individual settings, starting with one of the Default levels as a baseline and then changing specific settings.

Tips:

1. LOW -Minimal safeguards and warning prompts are provided -Most content is downloadable and run without prompts -All active content can run -Appropriate for sites that you absolutely trust
2. MEDIUM-LOW -Same as Medium without prompts -Most content will be run without prompts -Unsigned ActiveX controls will not be downloaded -Appropriate for sites on your local network (Intranet)
3. MEDIUM -Safe browsing and still functional -Prompts before downloading potentially unsafe content -Unsigned ActiveX controls will not be downloaded -Appropriate for most Internet sites
4. HIGH -The safest way to browse, but also the least functional -Less secure features are disabled -Appropriate for sites that might have harmful content

What You Need:

• Computer
• Internet Explorer

As a home computer user accessing the Internet, whether through a broadband connection or traditional dial-up, you should do the following three things at a minimum to protect your compute:

1. Install and maintain anti-virus software. There are plenty of great anti-virus software packages available. This software checks for known viruses by scanning your computer periodically. Most will also check for viruses on incoming email. It is important to update the software as well though. New viruses are discovered almost daily. At least once a week you should check the web site of the vendor that makes your anti-virus software to see if there is an update available.
2. Do not open unknown or suspicious email. Many viruses and worms use what is called “social engineering”.
3. That is, they attempt to trick you into becoming a participant in the process. The latest viruses can “spoof” the sending email address so that it looks like it is coming from someone other than the computer that infected it. If an email is not from someone you know, it is usually best to simply delete it without looking at it. If the email appears to be from someone you know, you should read the message carefully before opening any attached files. Viruses and worms often have bad English and poor grammar. Consider whether the person you know would really have written that message or forwarded you the attached file. If in doubt, contact that person you know to confirm they truly sent it before opening the attachment.
4. Keep your computer patched against known vulnerabilities. Almost as often as new viruses are discovered, new vulnerabilities are discovered as well. Many times they are in the operating system (like Windows), but vulnerabilities are also found in tools like your web browser, email software and other 3rd party tools. Left unpatched, these vulnerabilities can be exploited by hackers to obtain access and control of your computer. Staying up to date can be difficult. Some vendors, such as Microsoft, have automated utilities that check for updates and notify you. Other vendors may have an email mailing list you can join so they can notify you of any new updates. If your vendor doesn’t offer one of these solutions, you may just need to periodically visit their support web site to check for any new patches or updates.

1. Insert a WinXP CD into your CD or DVD drive
2. Restart the system, when the Dell logo screen appears, press the CTRL+ALT+F8 key several times to enter the Boot Menu. * If you wait too long and the operating system begins to load into memory, let the system complete the load operation. Then restart the computer and try again.
3. Select Option for “ATAPI” CD-ROM or “IDE”CD-ROM and press Enter
4. The system will restart in 2 seconds time.

Begin the Windows XP Setup Process

1. The following message appears for 5 seconds on left top corner: Press any key to boot from the CD.
2. Press the <Spacebar> to boot to the Windows XP CD.
   The Windows XP Setup screen appears.
3. Press the <Enter> key to setup Windows.

The Windows XP Licensing Agreement screen appears.

1. Press the <F8> key to accept the license agreement.

If you have a copy of windows XP preinstalled earlier, setup will try to search for that copy and intend to prompt to Repair.

To Repair, press R

To continue install a fresh copy of windows XP without repairing, press Esc

C:\Windows ” Microsoft Windows XP Professional “

In order to install a fresh copy of XP, press Esc

The partitioning screen appears.

9. If the hard drive is already partitioned (this is most common), press the <Enter> key to continue.

If the hard drive partitions are not listed or detected, you will need to create a partition on the hard drive. Press the <C> key and then follow the on-screen prompts to create a partition. If you are unsure which settings to select, you may want to use the default selections that are displayed.

1. If your hard drive already contains a copy of a Windows operating system, a Caution screen appears. Press the <C> key to continue.
   The format options screen appears.

11. You have several options to select from to format your hard drive:

Recommends that you select the first option, Format the partition using the NTFS file system.

1. Press the <Down Arrow> key to select the option that you want and then press the <Enter> key.
   The Caution screen appears if you select to format the hard drive.
2. Press the <F> key to format the hard drive.
   The setup program will now copy files to your system. This will take several minutes, please wait. After the files have been copied, a message appears and notifies you that the computer will be restarted.
3. Press the <Enter> key to restart the computer or a timer will count down and restart the computer automatically.
   When the computer restarts, the following message appears: Press any key to boot from the CD.

Note: Do not press any keys when this message appears and allow the operating system to load.

15. The Windows XP Setup window appears. Many devices will be detected during this process. This will take several minutes, please wait. Once this process is completed, the Regional and Language Options window appears. (Choose English (United Stated)

1. Click Next.
   The Personalize Your Software window appears.
2. In the Name: field, type your name. Optionally, you may type your organization’s name into the Organization: field.
3. Click Next.
   If you are installing Windows XP Home Edition: The What’s your computer’s name window appears.If you are installing Windows XP Professional: The Computer Name and Administrator Password window appears.

4. If you are installing Windows XP Home Edition, click Next to accept the default selection.If you are installing Windows XP Professional, type a name for this computer in the Computer Name: field (or you may accept the default). Type a password in the Administrator Password: field and then type the same password in the Confirm Password: field. Click Next to continue.

If you have a modem installed in your computer, you may be prompted to type the area code for your location.

1. The Date and Time Settings window appears.
2. Click to select the appropriate time zone for your location from the Time Zone field and then click Next.
3. Networking Setting screen will appear. Choose default which is Typical settings and then click Next.
4. Depending upon your network configuration, you may be prompted for additional information regarding your network card (such as the domain name and workgroup name). If you are unsure of these settings, contact your Network Administrator or accept the default selections.
   After all hardware has been detected and the files have been copied to the hard drive, the system will restart. When the computer restarts, the following message appears: Press any key to boot from the CD.

Do not press any keys when this message appears and allow the operating system to load.

1. Once the Desktop appears, eject the Windows XP from the CD or DVD drive.
   You may be prompted for user information.
2. Type the name of any additional users that will be using the computer and then click Next to continue.
3. WinXP is finish installing on your system

Windows XP provides native driver support for many hardware devices that may be installed on your computer. These devices may not require updates or driver installations; however, for optimal performance we recommend you install the most current drivers available for your system.

Install the Drivers and Utilities CD

1. Insert the Drivers and Utilities CD.
The ResourceCD Installation window appears.

2. Click the OK button.
The Welcome to the InstallShield Wizard window appears.

3. Click the Next button.
The InstallShield Wizard Complete window appears.

4. Click the Finish button.

Return to Overview

Install the 800 Series Integrated Chipset Drivers

1. Insert the Drivers and Utilities CD into the CD drive.
The message Welcome Dell System Owner appears.

2. Click the Next button.
The Search Criteria menu appears.

3. Click to select Dimension 4500 from the System Model menu.

4. Click to select Windows XP from the Operating System menu.

5. Click to select Drivers from the Topic menu.
A list of available Intel drivers under System Drivers appears.

6. Click Intel 800 Series Integrated Chipset.

7. Click the Extract button.
The Chip Set:Intel 800 Series Integrated Chipset window appears.

8. Click the Continue button.
The message Select the folder where you want to unzip the files to appears.

9. Click the OK button.
The message Folder ‘C:\dell\Drivers\R41334′ does not exist. Do you want to create it? appears.

10. Click the Yes button.
The message All files were successfully unzipped appears.

11. Click the OK button.
The Intel Chipset INF window appears.

12. Click the Install Now button.
The message Would you like to open the file or save it to your computer? appears.

13. Click the Open button.
The Setup window appears.

14. Click the Next button.
The License Agreement message appears.

15. Click the Yes button.
The Readme Information message appears.

16. Click the Next button.
The InstallShield Wizard Complete message appears.

17. Click the Finish button.
The system will now restart.

Extract the Driver

1. Insert your Drivers and Utilities CD into the CD drive.
The message Welcome Dell System Owner appears.

2. Click the Next button.
The Search Criteria menu appears.

3. Click to select Dimension 4500 from the System Model menu.

4. Click to select Windows XP from the Operating System menu.

5. Click to select Drivers from the Topic menu.
A list of available Controller Drivers appears.

6. Click Intel® ICH4 USB 2.0.

7. Scroll down and click the Extract button.
The Chip Set:Intel ICH4 USB 2.0 window appears.

8. Click the Continue button.
The message Select the folder where you want to unzip the files to appears.

9. Click the OK button to accept the default directory C:\dell\Drivers\R41331\.
The message Folder ‘C:\dell\Drivers\R41331′ does not exist. Do you want to create it? appears.

10. Click the Yes button.
The message All files were successfully unzipped appears.

11. Click the OK button.
The README window with the message Microsoft USB 2.0 Driver for Windows XP appears.

12. Click the Red X on the top right corner to close this window.

Return to Overview

Update the USB Controller

1. Click on the Start button and right click on My Computer.
A drop down menu will appear.

2. Click to select Properties.
The System Properties window appears.

3. Click the Hardware tab.

4. Click the Device Manager button.
The Device Manager window appears.

5. Locate and Right Click on Universal Serial Bus (USB) Controller with the yellow question mark next to it.
A drop down menu will appear.

6. Click to select Update Driver.
The Hardware Update Wizard window appears.

7. Click to select Install from a list of specific location (Advanced) and click the Next button.
The message Please choose your search and installation options appears.

8. Click to uncheck Search removable media and click to check Include this location in the search.

9. Type in the directory C:\dell\Drivers\R41331\EHCI Package.

10. Click the Next button.
The message Completing the Hardware Update Wizard appears.

11. Click the Finish button.
Click the Red X on the top right of the Device Manager window to close it.

Install the NVIDIA 64MB DDR nVidia GeForce4 MX Graphics Card w/TV-Out Drivers

1. Insert the Driver and Utilities CD into the CD drive.
The message Welcome Dell System Owner appears.

2. Click the Next button.
The Search Criteria menu appears.

3. Click to select Dimension 4500 from the System Model menu.

4. Click to select Windows XP from the Operating System menu.

5. Click to select Drivers from the Topic menu.
A list of available video drivers under Video appears.

6. Click to select NVIDIA 64MB DDR GeForce4 MX w/TV Out.

7. Click the Extract button.
The message Video:64MB DDR GeForce4 MX w/TV Out Driver appears.

8. Click the Continue button.
The message Select the folder where you want to unzip the files to appears.

9. Click the OK button, to select the directory C:\dell\Drivers\R41939\.
The message Folder ‘C:\dell\Drivers\R41939′ does not exist. Do you want to create it? appears.

10. Click the Yes button.
The message All files were successfully unzipped appears.

11. Click the OK button.
The InstallShield Wizard Complete window appears.

12. Click to select Yes, I want to restart my computer now.

13. Remove the Drivers and Utilities CD from the CD drive.

14. Click the Next button.
The system will now restart.

Install the Creative SoundBlaster Live! Drivers

1. Insert the SoundBlaster Live! CD into the CD drive.
   The Software License Agreement window appears.

2. Click the Yes button.
The Destination Directory window appears.

3. Click the Next button.
The Setup Options window appears.

4. Click the Full Installation button.
The Installation Information window appears.

5. Click the Next button.
The Speakers Preset Setup window appears.

6. Select the number of speakers you have (the default selection is 2) and click the Next button.
The Setup Completed window appears.

7. Click the Finish button.

NOTE:

If you’re prompted to restart the computer, do so.

Install the Modem Drivers

1. Locate the Drivers and Utilities CD for the modem that shipped with your system. The CD will have the modem part number (1K636) printed on the left side of the disk.

2. Verify that the modem is attached directly to a functioning phone jack.

3. Insert the CD into the CD drive. The CD should auto-run.
The Select a Language window appears.

4. Click to select English.

5. Click to select Utilities.

6. Click to select Modem Drivers.

7. Click to select Windows XP.

NOTE:

Windows XP indicates that new hardware is found and that the device is ready for use.

8. Click the X button in the lower right-hand corner to close the window.

I.  Configuring Network connection:

1. 1. select “Use the following IP address”
   2. enter the designated address for that computer in the IP address box that becomes available.  After you enter the last set of numbers in the box and hit tab, the next box will be automatically filled in.

2. Right click “My Network Places” and select ‘properties’.  Select your “Local Area network icon” by right clicking on it and choose ‘Properties’.



3. Select (highlight) “Internet Protocol” and select “Properties”
4. Each computer must have a unique IP (Internet Protocol) address to be identified properly.  There are many different number conventions to use.  The one I use, as it’s easy to remember is give one computer the IP address of 192.168.0.1;  the 2nd computer would be numbered 192.168.0.2;  the 3rd – 192.168.0.3…etc.  You enter the correct IP address in the dialog box open.  It’s important to use this range of IP addresses or another “non-pingable” address.  Non-Ping-able addresses are used for direct connections and are not available to be used on the internet.




5. Hit Ok  on that box.
6. Now, click on the “advanced” tab. The box by “Protect My Computer..” should be unchecked. If it is checked, uncheck it.
7. Click on OK. You should be back at your desktop.

II.  The computers must be configured to the same workgroup.  The location of where the settings are changed vary slightly by operating system, but Windows XP and Windows 2000 are very similar.

1. Right Click “My Computer” – Select “Properties”.
2. Click the tab marked “Computer Name”



3. Click box marked “Change”



4. In the lower area of this dialog where it says “Member of..”  select Workgroup and make sure all computers are in the same workgroup.  It doesn’t matter what you name your workgroup, as long as they are all identical.
5. Press Ok and then Ok on the system properties box.  You’ll more than likely have to reboot your computer after these settings are changed.

After these settings are finished on both computers, connect your crossover cables to the Ethernet ports on both computers. After a moment or two, Windows should report the connection near the task bar. When you start C-Print, the rest should be automatic. If you’re connecting 2 c-Print server computers, click the server 1 (“big computer”) icon on one computer and server 2 (“little computer”) icon on the 2nd. They should see each other at that point. If it happens they don’t, you may have to select that network adapter under C-Print. If you do…

1. Click on “Tools” and “Options.”
2. Click on “Server” tab.
3. Make sure your network card is selected in the drop down box towards the top of the page. If it says “MS Loopback,” then use the dropdown box to change it to your networking card. Ok out of that and you should be fine.

By: Bruce Derouen

Your new to personal Web pages and need to know where to get started. This is where you can go to get started creating your personal Web site without knowing or using any coding.

Putting Your Site Online

• Easy Web Site Hosting – These are some free Web hosting services that offer an easy way for you to write a personal Web site using an online easy design editor or east to use templates. All you have to do is write your Web page, no coding required.
• Blog Hosting – If you want to create a blog then these are some hosting sites you should consider. They are easy to use and don’t require any technical knowledge.

Besides Web Pages and Blogs

• Profile Sites – These are sites like MySpace and Xanga that let you create a personal space online that you can use to communicate with other people on the Web.

You can add a few photos and tell about yourself.

Building Offline Web Pages

• Web Site Builder Programs – When you want to build your Web site you can use an online editor that comes with your hosting service or you can buy your own program and create your Web pages on your computer. Here are many programs you can consider to help you create your own Web site.
• Upload Web Pages – If you decide to build your Web pages on your computer instead of online then you will need a way to get your Web pages onto your hosting service after you create them. Many hosting services offer a program for you to use to do this for you, but some don’t. If yours doesn’t then you will need one of these programs.

Graphics

• All About Adding Graphics – All you need to know to get started adding graphics to your Web pages. Find out how to link to your graphics, how to download them from the Net, how to upload them to your Web site and more.
• Free Online Clip Art – Graphics you can use on your personal Web site for free. Download these graphics and add them to your Web pages to create a more personalized look.

Templates and Fun

• Copy/Paste Templates – If you want to make your Web pages look a certain way you can do it by using templates. Just copy the code and paste it into your HTML editor. Then fill in the blanks and you will have your own personal Web page.
• Add Ons/Accessories – If you want to add some fun things to your Web site try these. There are weather reports, games, horoscopes, maps and much more for you to try out.

Facebook.com is a great way to meet friends and keep up on what they are doing. Once you add a friend to your Facebook.com friends list you will always know when they are adding to their notes (blog) or updating their profile. Join Facebook.com groups to meet people like you or browse the profiles to find other new friends. Facebook.com’s classmates and co-worker search is good for finding friends too.

Pros

• Keep Track Of Friends: Facebook.com tells you when your friends are updating their profile’s, adding to their blogs or have some other news on their Web site.
• Photo Album: Add photos and photo albums to your Facebook.com profile.
• Blog Merge: Use the notes feature to create your own simple blog or you can merge your existing blog right into Facebook.com notes.
• Excellent Search and Browse: Search and browse for people on Facebook.com using just about anything.

Cons

• No Music: You can not add music to your Facebook.com profile.
• No Video: You also can not add video to your Facebook.com profile.
• No Chatroom: I really would have thought that a site like Facebook.com would have a chatroom or general forum so people can get together online and just chat and say “hi”.

They don’t. There was no chatroom or IM to be found on Facebook.com.

By: Linda Roeder,

Gateway FPD2275W 22″

22-inch screens are now coming down in the price close to the 20-inch screens and the Gateway offers and excellent value and is packed with features. The display features the traditional 1680×1050 with a good level of brightness and contrast. It also comes with a wide variety of connectors including DVI, VGA, Component, Composite and S-Video with picture-in-picture possible. The screen also comes with a 4-port USB 2.0 hub for connecting extra peripherals to your PC. The EZ-Tune software is its only real problem and can be problematic for Vista users. Of course, most video card drivers allow the same adjustments as the Gateway software.

2. Dell UltraSharp 2007WFP 20.1″ LCD

Dell’s UltraSharp 2005WFP monitor was extremely popular and successful. Dell has updated this monitor with the new 2007WFP model. It has an updated case that is styled much like their 30″ LCD monitor. This is particularly a strong choice for those looking for a small widescreen display with great color and brightness. Response times are quick and able to handle fast motion or graphics. Ports include a DVI with HDCP support, VGA, composite and S-Video. Also included is a 4-port USB 2.0 hub. Dell also offers an option 10W speaker bar that can be attached to it.

3. NEC MultiSync LCD225WXM 22″

NEC’s 22-inch widescreen LCD screen doesn’t offer as many connectors as some of the other screens on this list, but then again most people only use their monitor with a single PC. What the MultiSync LCD225WXM does offer up instead is a higher 1000:1 contrast ratio that is higher than many in this segment and it does this without sacrificing the refresh rate. It also offers in some integrated speakers for those who want to clean up their desktop of clutter. A solid monitor without all the frills.

4. Samsung SyncMaster 226BW 22″

Many people are amazed by the Samsung SyncMaster 226BW screen. In particular, it does an exceptional job at display quick motion without the tearing or ghosting. This is due to its 2ms grey-to-grey response time rating. Brightness and contrast is on par with other 22-inch LCD screens. The drawback is that the screen does lose some color depth as it uses a 6-bit panel and dithers colors. It features both a DVI and VGA connector for hooking it up to a PC. Overall a great screen for those looking at heavy PC gaming or video work.

5. HP L2045w 20″

Some might be surprised to see HP on this list, but they have actually begun producing some very good quality monitors for the price. Take the L2045w 20-inch screen for example. While it doesn’t offer a wide range of connectors or features, it works very well for the price. The has a lower 600:1 contrast ratio, but it does provide the same brightness levels and good response times. It features a DVI and VGA connector as well as a two port USB 2.0 hub. One thing that users need to be aware of is that it does not come with a DVI cable.