Dell 1703FP 17

In our suite of graphics tests, the 1703FP placed in the upper half of all monitors overall, and it earned the second highest score in its class (after the Eizo Nanao FlexScan L557) for accurately rendering skin tones and other colors in our group photo test screen. As with most LCDs, text looked great.

The 1703FP is a downsized sibling of Dell's top-ranked 19-inch UltraSharp 1901FP, and it features the same excellent design. It easily tilts, swivels, and rotates for changing the screen orientation from landscape to portrait. It also offers more height extension (about 6.5 inches) than most 17-inch LCDs; a vertical extension lock prevents the stand from stretching when you lift the screen.

The svelte design features a thin bezel (measuring about three-quarters of an inch on each edge of the panel) with only three small buttons for making adjustments (but they are easy to use). It also includes a USB 2.0 hub with four downstream ports: two tucked below and behind the screen and two within easy reach on the side bezel for peripherals you frequently remove, such as USB thumb drives. At the time of our review, the 1703FP sold for $529 without speakers. An optional set of 7-watt stereo speakers ($39) that attach to the bottom bezel provides more powerful sound than we hear on most speaker-equipped LCDs.

Upshot: When it comes to bang for the buck, it's tough to beat the UltraSharp 1703FP's winning combination of features and performance.

Richard Jantz