Home > Consumer Reviews > ViewSonic P225FB-5 Flat 22" CRT Monitor

Note that these monitors come in different versions. I am a happy user of P225FB-4 monitor that is made in Taiwan. Recently I needed another monitor and didn't think twice about buying P225FB, but I bought version -5 this time. It is different. Not only it has different layout of both front and back panels, which I have no objection to, but the image is also of considerably lower quality. Graphics is not bad, but text in high-res modes (1600x1200) is not readable. I also noticed that on version -5 it now says that it is made in China. After I tried two units of P225FB-5, I decided to try Cornerstone P1750. That monitor works flawlessly with both text and graphics. On top of that it can do over 100Hz refresh rates at 1600x1200 resolution, unlike ViewSonic.

The bottom line is if you can get P225FB-4 -- it is excellent.
Don't buy P225FB-5 -- poor quality assembly and plenty of engineering defects.

I have had great success with Viewsonic in the past. However, last September I purchased a G810 that came DOA. Its replacement is currently having problems too. My Mitsubishi 91TXM finally died after 6 good years of service. I replaced it with a Viewsonic P225F-5 that came with 1/2 of the screen very blurry. I had the factory replace it and the 2nd one came with 2 very dark bands running vertical through the screen -- about 3-inches wide each. It is going back too. I'm going to try a Cornerstone P1750 next.

I bought this monitor from an online retailer about 3 months ago. First month went well and I loved the richness of color and the controls and features it offered.

Second month started to notice every once in a while the monitor would flicker in certain parts of screen.

Third and final month I wake up and turn on the monitor to see a bright red patch of color in one corner. The lower corner had a bright green patch of color. I turned it off.... and waited 30 mins. Nope still there. Checked my video card with a different monitor and it was fine. Then I tried the p220 again and now it got worst. I had a bright blue screen plus a red patch in one corner and a green patch in another.

I will never buy viewsonic again useless they show that they have corrected there flaws in this monitor and higher grade monitors. As they seem to have quality issues.
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I highly recommend this monitor! I use it mainly for gaming. I had to upgrade my video card to 256K to match the monitor's high-resolution capabilities.

I accidently "crash tested" it when it fell off the back of my truck at 65 m.p.h., and it suffered no ill effects!

The only drawback is its incredible weight, and lack of handles, making it extremely un-portable. It is much bulkier than a standard 17 in. CRT. Not something to bring to LAN parties...