1680x1050 Vs. 1600x1200

For what?

Overall, no not a 'big' difference, and the impact of that difference also depends on what you're displaying it on, and what you're trying to display.

Not a huge difference - the widescreen has a smaller resolution and is likely to be:

a) far less well supported in gaming

and

b) far cheaper

than the 1600 x 1200

i've actually been finding that even the games that dont officially support 1680x1050 can be easily made to do so. normally you just have to edit a preferences file somewhere and booyah: you're good to go.

I would say in terms of image quality, these resolutions are very comparable. The benefit of 1680x1050 is that it is widescreen and fills more of your peripheral vision. I think widescreen is the way to go. There are games that don't officially support it, but unless I am mistaken, under Microsoft's "Games for Windows" initiative, future games cannot use the Games for Windows mark unless they meet certain quality standards. Widescreen support is one of those standards.

1680 =
Widescreen resolution.
1.76m pixels
Better for movies
Cheaper

1600 =
Standard resolution
1.92m pixels
More usable screen space

There isn't really a "better" resolution, just choose what suits you. I personally went 1680x1050, but I spend more time watching movies than playing games.

Synergy6

As far as quality goes, higher resolution is always better, especially when you are sitting right in front of a computer monitor. 1680 x 1050 is a big step up from, say, 1024 x 768, which is probably the most common resolution for standard aspect ratio games. At 1680 x 1050, you can get really close to the monitor and the image will still look nice and solid. You could call 1680 x 1050 "HD" if you want. Same goes for 1600 x 1200, except 1600 x 1200, in my opinion, is overkill because on a 19 inch screen it makes everything to small. That isn't the case with 1680 x 1050 on say a 20.1 inch widescreen LCD. If you are going much larger than 20.1 inches you might want to find a screen with a native resolution even higher than 1680 x 1050. It is a good fit for 20 inch screens but might not be sharp enough for bigger screens.

I have this one. It is expensive but jaw droppingly gorgeous. Probably the best monitor in that size range on the market. It has the opposite of an anti glare coating that makes everything look totally solid and vivid.

NEC Display Solutions 20WMGX2 Silver 20.1" 6ms DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail

Brightness: 470 cd/m2
Contrast Ratio: 1600:1
Display Colors: More than 16 Million
Display Type: WSXGA+
Horizontal Refresh Rate: 31.5-81.1 KHz
Maximum Resolution: 1680 x 1050
Panel: Active Matrix, TFT LCD
Pixel Pitch: 0.258mm
Recommended Resolution: 1680 x 1050
Viewing Angle: 178°(H) / 178°(V)

Model #: 20WMGX2
Item #: N82E16824002319
Return Policy: [LCD] Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy
In Stock
3 Business Day Shipping $15.86