Motherboard and Graphics Card Recommendation for Fast Computer with Low Res Display Capability

nicoma11

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Sep 11, 2011
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Hello! I have a strange request - I want to build a high functioning computer but with display settings from like 2000 (yes the year!). I get horrible eyestrain from monitors (everything from 2006 on kills my eyes). I know one can play with the resolution, brightness, room lighting, etc -- I've done this all plus used applications for more sophisticated display adjustments, tried dozens of monitors, tried a plasma tv as a monitor, and tried all sorts of anti glare films and attachments. My eyes cope best with a good CRT on an old graphics card (but the rest of the computer that tends to go with this is dreadful). I think the graphics card (and or other components) matters here -- when I tried a CRT from my old computer at work (that was easy on my eyes) on my new computer at home, it was hard on the eyes. I am wondering if I can get a new graphics card that does a good job of displaying low res settings (like has a native low res setting?). Can anyone recommend such a configuration (motherboard, processor, graphics card)? I spend most of my time browsing the net, reading, and working on spreadsheets.

Thank you!

 
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meat_loaf

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Oct 20, 2011
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This question is seems retarded (no offense). All the graphics card today are tailored to digital high definition with VGA ports for use on LCDs. No one uses CRT monitors anymore. Not even shabby business offices uses CRT.

Even the most cheapest pre-built system all use standard DVI. Buying a new graphics card and setting at low res is completely pointless. Curent gen of gpus do not scale well below 1080p or 1920x1080 because that is today's standard definition of display. Lower res just means more blocky words and terrible anti-aliasing. You might as well just buy pixels at that point.

You should get your eyes fixed and buy some glasses.
 

nicoma11

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Hmmm. No offense taken other than you assuming I haven't tried an eye doctor or glasses. I've been to dozens of eye doctors over the past 5 years and have tried all sorts of coatings and tints. I just have a -.25 correction in one eye and a -.50 in the other. The eyestrain is no better or worse with the glasses and they can't recommend anything other than to stop using computers. I've tried gunner optics as well. I am not a candidate for laser surgery. As a PhD student who has invested so much time in becoming a knowledge worker, giving up computers would essentially necessitate a career switch. I wish the large number of people complaining about eyestrain would give rise to a market for something easier on the eyes -- there has been a rush to increase contrast, resolution, and brightness, which may be good for some uses, but not for reading and word processing. Because my LCDs look so much better on the ancient computer at my office, I thought there might be something I could investigate graphics card or motherboard wise. An older string on this site mentioned the GTX650, HD7750 or R7 250 as suggestions for low resolution gaming, so I may try to get my hands on one of those.
 

meat_loaf

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Those are low res gaming because they are the lowest end of graphics card, but you can also buy high end graphics card and set it to low res. Either won't change the facts since they all produce the same results. Trust me your eyes are not worse than mine. My glasses are as thick as a 100 pg book nearsightedness (that comes from my teen and childhood days playing too much playstation and stting too close to the tv). I have no problems with eyestrain on any LCD or high resolution. LCD's arent really meant to create eyestrain because they are improvement over CRT that really creates the eye problems.

You are getting eyestrain mostly from the frequency of the monitor. Some people get annoyed because of their sensitive eyes and some don't. For you, you just have to go to retail shops and look at which monitor suits you. Everyone is different and most people don't have problems. There are no recommended frequencies, it all depends on how you react to it but the minimum specs are 60hz @ 1080p, which you can always change in the graphics driver of the graphics card. The lowest frequency ive seen in AMD drivers is 25 hz.

Maybe on your existing computer try changing it through your graphics card driver.

Yes, having eye problems suck because i know when i do accounting work sometimes i have to increase the zoom level to 110% on excel instead of that crappy tiny cell. But you just gotta deal with it.
 
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