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[Urza-DSF]

If anyone has viewed the "Computer Advice Needed" thread they would know that I recently upgraded every component in my system (all that remains is the old 80gig Western Digital Harddrive)

All of this new speed and whatnot is really nice, but I'm still using this crappy MAG Innovision 13" VGA monitor when I've got a GeForce 6600 OC 512MB DDR2 PCI Express card on a GeForce4 Ultra Motherboard with a AMD 64 3800+ Processor and 2 Gigs of ram.

Now that the system specs are out of the way, what should I be looking for in a flat-panel LCD monitor? The card states it runs DVI-I, VGA and HDTV, and I'm guessing DVI-I is what I'm looking for, but whats good out there that wont continue to put me in the poor house?

[roguebanshee]

what should I be looking for in a flat-panel LCD monitor?

Low response time (8ms max for gaming IMO), high contrast & brightness and a "low amount/no dead pixels" guarantee.

[Dixen Andomiel]

Unless space is a real premium for you save your dough and get a CRT that is twice as big as the LCD your looking at... it'll likely be far less expensive and you'll get a much larger monitor for your troubles.

I spent less half what I was looking at for a 15" LCD and got a 21"... I could have gotten a 27" beast for a bit more than half what I was going to spend on a 17" LCD, but alas my desk isn't *that* big. :)

[Munkay]

Unless space is a real premium for you save your dough and get a CRT that is twice as big as the LCD your looking at... it'll likely be far less expensive and you'll get a much larger monitor for your troubles.

I spent less half what I was looking at for a 15" LCD and got a 21"... I could have gotten a 27" beast for a bit more than half what I was going to spend on a 17" LCD, but alas my desk isn't *that* big. :)

I agree with Dixen Andomiel. I invested in a 21' CRT a few years back, when CRT wasn't a dirty word. It's hands down the best monitor I've ever used, and I prefer it over any LCD I've sat down to use.

With that said, one very large WARNING about my post: I no longer follow the technical data that comes along with new LCD displays. In the past, CRT was still superior in many ways. BUT it may be entirely possible LCD's have caught up, or surpassed CRT's in many ways. If anyone could be kind enough to drop a few links and a quick answer to this question, it'd be much appreciated.

Cheers,

Munk

[ima_nerd]

In my personal experience, I've never had any problems with my Samsung 710N (which I couldn't find on NewEgg). I would recommend any Samsung LCD; I've seen several different models in action and was always pleased. As to what not to get, I wouldn't get a Rosewill. They seem to get good reviews but the one I've seen was extremely washed out. Perhaps it was a bad egg.

As to CRT vs LCD, I see no reason to get anything but LCD. A 17" or 19" will run you $200-$250 for a decent one (5ms response) and the picture is so much better than a CRT. Here's one that looks pretty good to me. 17", 5ms repsonse, $219.

[roguebanshee]

Unless space is a real premium

My opinion on this, a LCD will help you keep a good reading distance between you and the monitor, even if you have plenty of space. Most CRTs will end up far too close to the keyboard and over time cause eye and/or neck strain. The bigger the monitor the further back it should be.

And Samsung does make some very nice LCDs. The one ima linked seems like a good choice.

[Urza-DSF]

Ok guys, I've taken some time and gotten some cash, and surfing on NewEgg I've found two fairly close options:

SCEPTRE X20WC-Gamer 20.1"

or

SAMSUNG 225BW 22"

Kinda difficult to choose between the two, but leaning toward the samsung. Thoughts?

[roguebanshee]

Kinda difficult to choose between the two, but leaning toward the samsung. Thoughts?

The Samsung does seem like it's the overall best of the two, but neither is a bad buy.

[kandrathe]

Unless space is a real premium for you save your dough and get a CRT that is twice as big as the LCD your looking at... it'll likely be far less expensive and you'll get a much larger monitor for your troubles.

I spent less half what I was looking at for a 15" LCD and got a 21"... I could have gotten a 27" beast for a bit more than half what I was going to spend on a 17" LCD, but alas my desk isn't *that* big. :)

... and LCD will consume a fraction of the power over the life of the device. A CRT is very useful for keeping your snacks toasty, however.

[Doc]

I can't stand all the square pixels and funny looking text on LCDs. People say they don't see it. I do.

Still have yet to see an LCD that meets my standards. CRTs are still teh besto.

That said, I have a somewhat older iBook G3 I have been using lately and I got to say, it has one of the best LCD screens I have ever seen. Wide viewing angles, no shimmery washout, and even text looks pretty decent. Could be the largish resolution crammed in to the tiny 12 inch screen.

Nice as it is, it doesn't stop me from plugging it in to the first CRT I find when I get the chance. Gogo dual monitor spanning.

Oh, and on a completely off topic note, using a new high capacity battery, my own rather draconian power conservation measures, and still using the air port card for much of the time, I was able to squeeze out a touch over SEVEN hours of actual real world use from this iBook. Colour me impressed. I've been trying so hard to hate this little white laptop but it has yet to let me down.