Best 17"+ gaming LCD

[Guest]

What is the best 17"+ game LCD for under $1300

I have been looking for a LCD for about two weeks now and this is the list of LCDs that I have come up with and their main specs and prices that I have found. I am looking for a gaming LCD to play games such as Quake3, Tribes2, Counter-Strike and other fast moving ones like that so I need one with really low response time. The most I want to spend is about $1300 but it has to be really good and worth it. I found all the prices from pricewatch and a few from ebay. I would like to know if anyone has had the chance to see these LCDs and if they are really worth the money. I have already thought about getting a really good CRT but I don't want one. I want to get the best 17"+ LCD under $1300 for gaming and if possible I would like to get one with s-video. If anyone has had any experence with any of these monitors please post, I would like to much as possible about them before I put my money into getting one. The Planar CT1904 seems to be the most appealing to me because of the low response time, s-video and it is 19 inches but I have been told by numerous people that it really isn't that good and that there is ghosting that is not acceptable but from the specs it looks perfect so I don't know what to do so I am hoping someone can clear things up for me.


Here is the list of LCDs I have come up with:

$999 Planar CT1904 (black) 19" Response Time (typical)
15 ms rise, 10 ms fall 16.7 million colors
Inputs: Analog RGB, Digital (DVI) and S-Video
http://www.planar.com/monitors/CT1904N.asp

$1125-1219 VG191 white or black 19" Response Time
Total = 25ms (typ) 16.7 million colors
Inputs: digital (DVI) and analog (VGA)
http://www.viewsonic.com/products/lcd_vg191.cfm

$999 Solarism 17" LCD LM1711 Responce Time: 20 ms rise, 20 ms fall 16.7 million colors
Inputs: Analog RGB 0.7p-p 15-pin D-sub, Digital DVI-D
24-pin, Video-in S-Videox1 & RCA Terminal (x1) Audio-in RCA Terminal (x1)
http://www.solarism.com/html/lm1711spec.html

$979-$1095 Samsung SyncMaster 181T/191T 18.1 or 19
inch Responce Time Total: 25ms
Inputs: VGA and DVI 16.7 million colors
http://www.samsungelectronics.com/monitor/181t.html

$1280 Compaq TFT 8030 18.1 Responce Time Total: 20ms
16.7 million colors
Inputs: two VGA two DVI two video inputs
http://www.compaq.com/products/monitors/flatpanel/tft8030.html

$800-$1300 16x10 1600X1024 SGI 1600SW and multi-link 16 million colors
also the adapter needed which is around $400-$500
http://www.sgi.com/products/legacy/displays.html

 

[flamethrower205]

The solarism, compaq, and SGI fall out of the picture b/c they just aren't that good. The samsung ones are very nice, as is the VG191, and some members here can vouch for it. The planar I haven't looked into, but I get the odd feeling its a VG191 like panel b/c the specs.

Sig of the week.

 

[Guest]

I can comment for two of them on your list. I have the 8030 and i have work few times with samsung 181T on a different machine, in a coop's machine.
The 8030 is definitelly fast enough for games like GR or MOHAA( i dont know if these games considered fast), but keep in mind it's a TFT so don't wait 0 ms rt, if you try to find if it's ghosting : NOT-at a noticable level-. Can i watch fast moving graphics ? YES with pleasure. Can i watch movies ? positevely 110% YES. If i move my white mouse pointer arround my black backrounded desktop like mad is my pointer fades noticably(but you don't loose it) ? YES, but is this real life tests ? )) , hell NOOO. Can i work many hours in front of this panel ? YES, it's paradise for my eyes (very sharp text). Is it possible to get blind from that monitor ? YES, if and only if you set the brightness too high unless you working in direct sunlight. So is bright enough ? Hell YES, in a scale of 100 points, i've set it to 35 and i've also reduce the gamma few points. About contrast? in a greyscale of 100% you can watch 96-97%, for a TFT very accurate. Color reproduction ? I don't have the experience to comment in this area, but in my eyes and comparing other monitors on different machines or my older one(Hitachi 753) is near the top of any kind (LCD or CRT), but to the lighter and colder. Viewing angles ? NO problem, veery good. Uniformity ? not a problem. Dead pixels ? nop. Image scaling ? very good and flexible, lower resolutions can be scaled to full, aspect ratio or not. Available connections ? Chanel 1 analog or DVI,chanel 2 analog or DVI or svideo or composite, PiP also.
So do you recomend it as bye it with closed eyes? hell NO, UNLESS YOU'RE BLIND, don't even think to bye any monitor without proper testing, my eyes is my eyes is not your eyes, all that, me or others wrote here and there have it as a general guide, after all is your money. Also that monitor is drived from R8500 through DVI.
As for 181T from the little time i was worked with that is more or less very near to 8030, but colors seems to me like
hotter(more to red a little ? maybe the different adapter?), is also very relaxed for my eyes, also sharply, and seems to be the same as 8030 fast (read the pointer think above), but i haven't play with that only worked )) and also if you're overdoing with the brightness after ten minutes you walk wall by wall.

Also i think both 8030 and 181T are last generation LCD's(anyone who knows? ) and that means in general better brightness, contrast, colors and responce times from other older generations panels.

 

[profjo00]

did you like hesamsng 181t. im getting an 170t on tuesday, i have not tested that one but i know many people who have and they say its a good monitor. otehrwise i will return it, but not to get carried away to much, did you like the 181t.

 

[Guest]

Yes, as i wrote both of them are very near, more or less the same.

 

[flamethrower205]

Honestly, I would opt towards a 181T, because Compaq has already pulled shenanigans with the TFT7020's response time, and there is no proof their statement of 20ms isn't only the fall or rise time.

Sig of the week.

 

[Guest]

The guy who started the thread ask specifically if anyone has use some monitors. Did you ever use any of them in his list? if so help him don't confused him. I think he needs your personal experience, not your personal -virtual- experience. ))
The 7020 is not belong to this thread, is not in his list, but if you want to walk few more miles... i have the curiosity...do you know who's builds the compaq's flat panels?...anyone?...

 

[flamethrower205]

I'd rather run a few miles....wait, I did this morning I know that the TFT7020 is the same as the VG171, so whoever builds that. Sharp makes the TFt5030.

Sig of the week.

 

[Guest]

hey, i didn't tell you to run just to walk... ))
So, maybe also sharp make the 8030?...

 

[Guest]

I have a Compaq TFT7020 and I play all sorts of FPS games including Couterstrike, Everquest, Dark Ages of Camelot, Quake, etc. I also play sims like Nascar 2002, Flight Simulator, etc.

The TFT7020 does not ghost whatsoever from what I've found. Some people here have mentioned that you can get it to ghost in 2D if you move the cursor around real fast (also mentioned in this thread). However, I've found it to be amazingly good at FPS games and highly graphic programs. I have it paired up with a Gainward GeForce 3 using the DVI connector.

All in all I'm very pleased with it. I was concerned as hell about a purchase of an LCD for this use, but this one works for me. Some here have disagreements with how Compaq represented it's refresh times and I suppose that's valid. However, my experience has been very good speaking both with their technical support and with their customer service. I ordered directly from Compaq because they had a 14 day no-questions-asked return policy. I got mine for $799.

Ron

 

[flamethrower205]

Ay, there may be no ghosting (or much ghosting) but how sharp do your textures stay? Compare it to a CRT. I think that'd be the real difference between TFT7020 and 25 ms response time LCD.

Sig of the week.