NEC Accusync LCD72VM

Neat and compact, this monitor is cheap for a 17in. The screen itself is sharp and clear, with a native resolution of 1280 x 1024 pixels, and it copes well with a full range of colours.

Although it only comes with a VGA connector, picture quality is still very good. You can adjust the settings using the buttons below the screen or by installing the supplied software and controlling it from the PC, although the auto-adjustment takes care of most of the settings the first time you plug the screen in.

The built-in speakers are weak and the stand is also fairly small and only allows for back-and-forth tilting.

Despite the lack of a DVI port, the picture quality from this screen is enough to make it a worthwhile purchase at this price.