Monitor Question

If it's a color issue try adjusting your colors in windows first to see if you can't get a decent result. Many monitors need to be calibrated before giving the best picture. You can even use tools like the spyder pro to help you do it, if you can't do it by eye.

is that a free program?

http://spyder.datacolor.com/product-mc.php

Grab a 24" TN panel, good choice would be one of the buyer's choice award winners on new egg site.....I prefer 1920 x 1200 over 1920 x 1080

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

If you are going to do anything besides gaming and business apps, web etc ....such as photo work or even movies, you will appreciate a non TN panel. My son just got a Dell U2410 (IPS panel) and it's simply amazing .....watch for deals ... regularly $599 but often see $70 coupons and double coupons on sites like fatwallet.com

right now there are a few companies that are almost dead even in the running, samsung, LG and (everyone else) samsung sells 2 sets of monitors for the pricepoint and performance you want from their monitors.

Response time:
2ms - fastest available currently - only for hardcore FPS and drive-sims
5ms - average monitors response time - for general users, RPG, ultra fast movements not a huge concern
8+ms - very slow relative to other monitors - only for word processing, internet, no movies, no gaming

Dynamic Contract Ratio (pixel colour depth during motion)
50k : 1 - highest before going into TV as a monitor - contrast critical applications
30k : 1 - high - mid range of monitors - movies, non-pro picture editing
10k : 1 - mid - low range of monitors - word processing, general tasks, usually lowered to compensate for fast response time

static contrast ratio (pixel colour depth still images)
typically 1/25th of the dynamic contrast ratio (eg. 50k : 1 = 2000 : 1 static)
**these numbers get played with by each company as a selling feature, best option is go to a store and look at them, change settings around and find what looks best to your eyes**

Stand mount
VESA - able to utilize wall hanging, boom arm, and multi monitor stands - typically able to rotate to portrait, height increase/decrease, tilt up/down

non VESA - typically only able to tilt up and down, no rotation for portrait orientation - only able to use stand that comes with the monitor

So the types include the TN... what are the others?