The Samsungs, Sharps and Sonys of CES love to show off the best cutting-edge technology they have to offer. And cutting-edge technology is invariably expensive. 4K TVs ruled the show this year, but you won't see one in a store in 2013 for less than $12,000. Then there are vendors like Monoprice, who show up to CES with products that are A) Affordable and B) Worth using now, not five years in the future. The Internet's favorite source for cheap audio/video cables announced a new 27-inch monitor at CES that will compete with those increasingly popular Korean imports like the Yamakasi Catleap.

We've covered budget Korean monitors in-depth before--basically, some smart eBay shopping can net you a 27-inch 2560x1440 IPS monitor (with the same LG panels that Apple puts into its monitors) for $300 or $400. They're barebones, but the screens are beautiful. A few US retailers like Micro Center have started offering their own alternatives at similar bargain prices. Monoprice's new Crystal Pro comes in at $390.

Why buy from Monoprice instead of importing from Korea? It's all about the warranty. Monoprice offers a five dead pixel return policy, which isn't bad, and the monitor comes with a general three year warranty. If one of the Korean monitors breaks down, you're basically out of luck. Monoprice is a bit easier to reach.

The $390 monitor is back-ordered at Monoprice but should ship on March 2nd.