Who wants to help me figure out what a good monitor is?

[chrislay]

Alrighty then!
So I was told that CRT monitors(flat) are better than LCD monitors, for gaming, that most LCD's are really good for browsing and there not bad for gaming, but CRT is just better, I am trying to find the best posible monitor for about $250,
I am getting a
XFX PV-T71G-UCF7 GeForce 7900GT 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 VIVO PCI Express x16 Video Card
I want to make the most of it, I would like a beautiful display from my monitor but I cant go to thom damn 700 dollars ones.. so yeah, any big gamers out there have a thought on this, thanks

 

[croc]

Let the lcd vs. crt wars begin...

 

[RyanMicah]

Don't get CRT. That used to be the case, but anymore you can get a great LCD screen for $250. I personally am a fan of the Samsung SyncMaster series. I own the 204B and the 215tw. (20.4" and 21.5" respectively) The latter is a widescreen, the other standard. The smaller one features 8ms response, which is the minimum response time you want if you're a gamer. I believe they now claim to have monitors with 2ms responses. Keep in mind that a 19" screen is plenty large, as LCD monitors measure actual screen size as opposed to CRT's where it measures the tube. Hence, a 19" CRT monitor has less screen space than a 19" LCD. You're best off reading reviews, both here on Toms and elsewhere online. CRT's are big and clunky, STILL. You'll be much happier with a sleek, fast, sexy LCD monitor. Side AV jacks are great too, I have them on my more expensive monitor, the widescreen one. I have my XBox hooked into it. Amazing difference over a tv. If you're also considering buying a tv sometime soon, and don't have anyone else who will be vying for time on it...you may consider purchasing a 32" or larger LCD tv as well. TV's and computer screens may be merging alongside of computers and HTPC's and consoles. We may soon be using all-in-one system boxes with an all-in-one screen for our entertainment needs.

 

[RyanMicah]

=) Yeah. LCD=CRT...except for when it comes to space, heat, energy efficiency, radiation, eye strain. CRT just can't compete.

 

[Johanthegnarler]

Well.. to be honest i'm still on a quest to find a LCD monitor to make my games look perty since my flat crt samsung monitor is dying.

I still haven't found anything on flat screens that doesn't ghost.. look funny in their own individually weird ways.. and so on.

More places around my house need to have better monitors set up with games attached to them .. that would make things really interesting..

Or.. better yet i wish there was a really good review article comparing the top 50 sold CRTs of NOW... and then i'd like not just some numbers thrown at me.. but a panel of judges of 5 to decide on each one.. what they think about the picture. That would be usefull.. but it cannot happen.

 

[RyanMicah]

Ghosting isn't really much of a problem with a 8ms response LCD or faster. I just saw a Hanns-G 19" 8ms response monitor for $129 (after $100 rebate) in a PC Connection mag they send me. They also have Samsung 205BW 20" widescreen monitors for $279. It has a 6ms response. They're asking for $499 for the 215tw I bought, I think I got it for around $400. If you haven't seen top notch LCD's around on friend's systems I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by them. The HP monitors we have at college are very cheap and very slow. They're NOTHING compared to my home systems. I have a 6 year old Dell CRT monitor and the picture on it actually vibrates a little, and the radiant glow actually hurts my eyes more. Not to mention it kicks out an amazing amount of heat, takes up more room, and isn't nearly as sexy. Give a GOOD QUALITY LCD a try, read some reviews before you buy and I swear if you get a good one you'll never go back. I love my Samsung SyncMaster monitors, but they weren't cheap. Try pricegrabber.com and froogle (google's site) and buy from a fairly reputable resaler like ZipZoomfly or NewEgg or Tiger Direct. If you buy a $100 monitor, that's what you're going to get. I think I paid about $700 for my monitors together and I'm glad I did. They're a MAJOR system component, as important as a good CPU or PSU or graphics card. Most graphics cards are limited by the monitor so it's pointless to go out and spend $500+ on a card and only $100 on a monitor.