Monitor suggestion

[Panella]

Okay so, my current monitor seems to be dying a rather painful death and my warranty expired a long time ago. So I'm looking to buy a new monitor and was wondering if anyone has any suggestions on anything in particular I should look for in a monitor as well as any brands to look for/look out for. I've always just used the monitor that came with my pc so I've never actually gone out and bought one before.

I'm a complete idiot when it comes to computers if that makes a difference.

[Vertabreaker]

You should get one of these setups

http://img154.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... ossjg6.jpg



On a serious note, I personally like Viewsonic and Samsung. Samsung makes a lot of really nice monitors for a lot cheaper then other companys. Viewsonics aren't too pricey either. What size are you looking to get and how much are you willing to spend?

[killerx]

that would be fucking sweet

[Panella]

15"-17" and under $300 preferrably. Not really looking for one that streams HDTV through it or something crazy. Trying to buy a monitor based on what the picture looks like in the store is absolutely awful. The quality looks so terrible :\

[Slott]

I just got a 19" widescreen samsung with 2000:1 contrast ratio and 2 ms delay for about 230 bucks.

Oh got it at circuit city...

Looks great, and with that low of a delay you its not blurry at all (which was always a huge peeve of mine on mmo games, like when turning and shit most lcds get blurry)

delay = response time my bad... here's a link.

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Samsung- ... tDetail.do

I have a 2nd lcd i got free, 8ms response time and it makes me get dizzy in ff11 since it gets way more blurry when you turn and do stuff like that -,-...looks phenominal in wc3 though heh...

When looking for a monitor, if its lcd the faster the response time the better (and iirc 2 is the fastest you can get, most will carry 5 or 8+)

[Slott]

Non widescreen one...not as good contrast ratio but still good.
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/ViewSoni ... tDetail.do

hell just check circuit city, when I went lcd shopping they had the best ones out of staples/compusa/bestbuy etc etc in that mall -,-

[Vertabreaker]

http://www.newegg.com has a lot of good monitors as well and some really nice prices.

[Misterjingles]

Yeah newegg is excellent, prices are good but it's their shipping that makes them excellent. Anyways, here some examples of monitors that you can purchase for under 300 that have been highly rated.

Widescreen 19" LCD

19" LCD

Oh yeah, I'd only purchase a widescreen monitor if your graphics card can handle the resolutions of 1280x1024+

[Isiolia]

Dell Utrasharp LCDs are quite nice. Their lower end ones are are okay, but not as good.

19" for $246 http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/prod ... u=320-4568

They have widescreens as well, albiet not in the ultrasharp line until you go to 24" (and over $600). 20 and 22" panels in your budget though, at around $230 and $300.

The thing to keep in mind with LCDs is that there are only a handful of manufacturers out there actually making panels. Samsung tends to make some nice monitors, but their panels are wrapped in a lot of other brand's plastics/control boards too. I know they were what Dell used for a while at least, if not still.

If your computer supports DVI output, I'd suggest buying a monitor that has that input option. Also, second input options (many times a VGA port as well) that allows you to swap between multiple sources can be handy.

[Panella]

If your computer supports DVI output, I'd suggest buying a monitor that has that input option. Also, second input options (many times a VGA port as well) that allows you to swap between multiple sources can be handy.

I have no idea what you just said What's DVI? My current monitor is a 3 year old Dell I got for free with my computer. I looked on their site at monitors but had no idea how good they were in the scheme if things.

I looked at newegg earlier and saw all kinds of monitors but little warry on buying stuff purely off of reviews when I've never heard of the brand before. So I came here -.^ Thanks for the replies ;o

Also, I've ordered off of newegg before with no problem but it was a small item. Any idea if they will or will not send something like a monitor to a PO Box? I know Dell won't. I'm at school at the moment so don't really have an option.

Can any of you explain to me what the importance of the contrast ratio is? The samsung one linked has 2000:1 while the others are 600-700. No idea what that really means <_<;; I have a Radeon x300 graphics card btw.

[Fallso]

that would be fucking sweet

T-t-t-tables!

[Boyiee]

Dell Utrasharp LCDs are quite nice. Their lower end ones are are okay, but not as good.

19" for $246 http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/prod ... u=320-4568

They have widescreens as well, albiet not in the ultrasharp line until you go to 24" (and over $600). 20 and 22" panels in your budget though, at around $230 and $300.

The thing to keep in mind with LCDs is that there are only a handful of manufacturers out there actually making panels. Samsung tends to make some nice monitors, but their panels are wrapped in a lot of other brand's plastics/control boards too. I know they were what Dell used for a while at least, if not still.

If your computer supports DVI output, I'd suggest buying a monitor that has that input option. Also, second input options (many times a VGA port as well) that allows you to swap between multiple sources can be handy.

I suggest against dell actually. I just bought a 24inch dell and it bleeds a little on top bottom and sides, not really noticable unless looking for it, but still. The colors also, no matter how much adjusted, dont how I want them too. I dual screen with a samsung, and the samsung is a smaller lcd but the colors just seem more correct on it. It's really hard to explain what I mean, but if you can, get a samsung, not a dell.

[Isiolia]

If your computer supports DVI output, I'd suggest buying a monitor that has that input option. Also, second input options (many times a VGA port as well) that allows you to swap between multiple sources can be handy.

I have no idea what you just said What's DVI? My current monitor is a 3 year old Dell I got for free with my computer. I looked on their site at monitors but had no idea how good they were in the scheme if things.

I looked at newegg earlier and saw all kinds of monitors but little warry on buying stuff purely off of reviews when I've never heard of the brand before. So I came here -.^ Thanks for the replies ;o

Also, I've ordered off of newegg before with no problem but it was a small item. Any idea if they will or will not send something like a monitor to a PO Box? I know Dell won't. I'm at school at the moment so don't really have an option.

Can any of you explain to me what the importance of the contrast ratio is? The samsung one linked has 2000:1 while the others are 600-700. No idea what that really means <_<;; I have a Radeon x300 graphics card btw.

DVI is a digital interface, as opposed to the typical VGA, which is analog. Normally, if you are looking at the ports on your graphics card, VGA is the 15-pin plug usually colored blue. DVI is a little wider and colored white.
The advantage basically is that LCDs are purely digital devices, so DVI can more correctly control them. Modern LCDs adapt an analog signal from VGA pretty well, but most will need to auto-adjust every time you swap resolutions.
The majority of LCDs out there now support DVI, your computer may or may not. It's just something to watch for though, if you see a really cheap LCD.


Contrast ratio is the difference between the darkest black and the lightest white. IE, it's the range the LCD can do. There's normally a rating for brightness as well.

I suggest against dell actually. I just bought a 24inch dell and it bleeds a little on top bottom and sides, not really noticable unless looking for it, but still. The colors also, no matter how much adjusted, dont how I want them too. I dual screen with a samsung, and the samsung is a smaller lcd but the colors just seem more correct on it. It's really hard to explain what I mean, but if you can, get a samsung, not a dell.

How would you have bleeding on an LCD? Like I said, Dells I've seen *are* Samsungs...as are Apple monitors I've seen.

[Boyiee]

Read the dell reviews, buy a dell, even some of the people on their site comment on it. There is light on the top, bottom, and sides, i doubt i'd get another dell after this one.

[Epical]

Currently using a LG 204WT (20.1" WS, 2000:1 CR, 5MS RT), and I love it. When I got it, the 22" and 24" models with 3000:1 CR weren't out yet, and now I am contemplating running a dual screen setup. However, it'll be kinda weird with a 20" and a 22" side by side. =(((

[Isiolia]

Read the dell reviews, buy a dell, even some of the people on their site comment on it. There is light on the top, bottom, and sides, i doubt i'd get another dell after this one.

I've owned a Dell LCD for the past 4 years and the majority of machines where I work all have Dell LCDs on them (as they are, well, Dell machines). Most of them are not widescreen though, and I do understand that those have their own sets of problems in general, not so much restricted to Dell.

I could see it being a problem perhaps with the 24" screen, however, I've dealt with a large number of Dell LCDs and have yet to have a problem with a single one of them. Not that it couldn't happen, but that's just been my experience.