ViewSonic 17IN LCD 1280X1024 VG700B 450:1 BLACK BEZEL 2X3-WATT BEZEL SPKRS (ViewSonic-VG700B)

WHAT'S HOT: A few of the displays we retested for the May Top 10 17-Inch LCD Monitors chart were substantially cheaper than the first time we looked at them. The VG700's price dipped $191--putting it in line with other highly affordable flat-panels.

This ViewSonic's controls are so easy to navigate you'll probably never have to refer to the documentation. In addition to common brightness, contrast, and screen-positioning controls, it has three for adjusting audio levels. Small, square buttons span the bezel's middle section; the on-screen display menu tells you when to press a button or make a selection.

WHAT'S NOT: A piece of plastic on the back of the display covers cables and ports that you'll have to access when setting up the monitor. Unfortunately, we found it difficult to pry off.

The two integrated speakers don't provide much acoustical oomph--but at 1.5 watts each, we didn't expect a cinematic experience. They managed only weak bass notes and somewhat thin trebles on vocal tracks and DVD movies. Even so, if you don't want to squander desktop space on a separate set of speakers, you may find the sound quality tolerable.