Monoprice-2560-x-1440-e1358219881523-224x162There is a good chance the computer or mobile device screen you're looking at right now was not actually manufactured by the same company who made the device. This is normally the way Apple and most other computer companies make their products, buying screens from third parties rather than making their own. While Apple normally has first dibs on most of these screens, at a certain point they are also sold to anyone and everyone, and that's exactly where you, the consumer, can benefit from lower prices while still getting high quality. Click through to find out how you can get a monitor with the same exact LG panel that Apple uses in their 27" displays for only $390.

Here is The Wirecutter on the Monoprice 27" IPS LED CrystalPro Monitor WQHD 2560x1440:


For months, people who know what’s up have been buying Cheap Korean 27-inch monitors because they’re made from the same panels as high end monitors. But for a third of the cost. Monoprice is selling 2560×1440 IPS monitors for $390, in that same spirit. They use the same LG panels as the 27-inch iMac (except Apple only takes the best; these are the rest), but Monoprice is offering a 1 year warranty and they check every panel for dead pixels–most Korean monitors, which are imported or sold on ebay, don’t do that by default.

They'll have a higher priced version with video scaling and more inputs (this is DVI only) in a few months, but I've never run a monitor at non native res, so I wouldn't worry about it.

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The monitor won't be available until March, but if you've been in the market for a good display, and you're not interested in paying more than double for the same panel, the Monoprice looks like an extremely good deal. The best part is that the company actually supports the product, so even though Apple hand-picks the best monitors, you're not likely to get a dud. Here is their support policy:

As you've come to expect from Monoprice, we stand behind our products and offer a full 1 year warranty, which is at least 3-4 times what is offered by other monitor manufacturers. Additionally, we are so confident of the quality of these displays that we are guaranteeing these monitor will have less than 5 dead pixels. If you can count 5 dead pixels anywhere on the screen, we'll give you a new one. By comparison, the industry standard, even for industry leaders like Apple and LG, is 10 dead pixels or even more.

You can also take a look at the Crossover 27q monitor, which uses the same panel as the Monoprice, but it typically sells for more money and you're not really getting any support for it (unlike the Monoprice).

What do you guys think? Have you ordered any monitors with the same panels as other high-end products, like those from Apple? What has been your experience with these?

Link: Monoprice 27" IPS LED CrystalPro Monitor WQHD 2560x1440

[via The Wirecutter]