LSP972

My Feedback: (13)

Got the okay from management to buy a new monitor; a BIG new monitor. At least 19"...

I want something that will give a good screen picture on video games and an AFPD sim. I have a good video card.

I'm told that LCD monitors don't do well on sims and video games. And I'm told that big CRT monitors make you sit too far back from the key board... so I'm a tad confused here.

I'd like to hear from you guys that run sims and video games. Any and all advice appreciated....

twinturbostang

These days, I don't consider a BIG monitor to be anything less than 20". And some of the newer flat panels have really come a long way. I'm typing away right now looking at my Dell 2001FP 20" flat panel. It's one of the best ones out there IMO. I would recommend this one. Or the 2005FPW 20" widescreen, which is what I have at home.

bluesky123

My Feedback: (2)

There was a quick deal on 2005FPW at the end of November, when Dell was selling them for $330. Too bad I missed it...
Right now 2005FPW is about $500. Great LCD, I hope the price will go down after the New Year holidays.

Please be aware that, in order to drive a high resolution LCD panel in its native resolution, you'll also need a powerful video card. CRT displays are simplier in this respect--you can just reduce the resolution and enjoy the same large picture, albeit a little granier. With LCD, you'll pretty much have to run any game at LCD's native resilution...

Boris

Mark4041

Steve,

You can’t go wrong with purchasing a CRT monitor to use for gaming, video, or playing AFPD. A decent 19” CRT is about $250 delivered and are great for this purpose… if you have the room.

With the price of LCD’s going down and the technology getting better, you can consider getting one for gaming. Two of the most important things to consider are “response time”, and “contrast ratio”. You want a monitor with a response time of 12 milliseconds or less, and contrast ratio greater than 450 to be visually happy playing games or using a graphic intensive sim like AFPD.

One major drawback of the LCD monitor is they can only properly display one screen resolution. They have a “native” resolution and can only display the number of pixels in its matrix and no more. It can display a lower resolution only by using a fraction of the total pixels on the display (centering the picture and blackening the rest of the screen) or through interpolation where the monitor blends multiple pixels together to simulate a single smaller pixel. The result is an image that may seem blurry or fuzzy, particularly with text. CRT’s don’t have this problem and can clearly display any resolution from 640x480 to its maximum. I only mention this because I have had people complain to me (I’m an IT administrator) that the text on the screen is too small to read on their new 17” LCD monitor. When I change the resolution from the native 1280x1024, down to 1024x768, they can read the text better, but complain that it’s not as crisp as it was before. My advice before purchasing an LCD display is go to a store and look them over. Have a clerk change the resolution settings so you can determine if it visually looks OK.

To the LCD’s defense, they are MUCH smaller and lighter, easier on the eyes because there is no screen flicker, they are much brighter, not effected by magnetic interference, don’t emit any radiation, and consume A LOT less power.

LSP972

My Feedback: (13)

Thanks, Mark. My brother is an IT supe for Albermarle Chemical; he told me I needed 6ms and 600:1 as a minimum.

I've found a ViewSonic (VX922) at NewEgg that fits the bill; 2ms at 650:1. But the 2ms is "gray to gray"... what does that mean?

Mark4041

Your brother is isn’t wrong. The lower the response time (prevents ghosting and trails) and the higher the Contrast Ratio (keeps colors from washing out, especially at high frame rates that go from dark to light) the better your game play or video will be. It still won’t be as good as a CRT with no response time and contrast ratios in the thousands.

There are a few different ways to measure response time. “Gray to gray” is one of them, but its not as fast as “black to white”. Still that monitor should fit your criteria. If you plan to purchase online, and aren’t planning on seeing it for yourself in person, I would recommend reading as many professional AND user reviews as you can find on the product. If you Google Viewsonic VX922 review you will find a ton of them.

Good luck with your purchase!

Raylon

I was looking at CRT screens from Dell.com and they have two different options for them. Either Flat Screen or normal, which is the curved which is what I have. I have plenty of deskspace, and I have no problems with my current CRT, is there any reason that I should upgrade to an LCD?

LSP972

My Feedback: (13)

Good question. I have no issues with CRT. I just assumed that LCD was "better". I dunno; my fancy, expensive Sony LCD 50" TV puked after 18 months; needs a $200 lamp assembly.

So, aside from the size issue, any other "problems" with a 19" CRT monitor?

Raylon

I wonder if there is an advantage to getting a flat screen CRT, compared to the curved screens. CRT's are still kinda pricey, but not as bad as LCD's.