Monitor for new build (i7 920)

g_patsil

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Dec 13, 2009
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My budget for a monitor is $150-240... and I think I will purchase it from newegg.

I am not sure which monitor to buy. I was thinking that keeping it at a 2ms response rate is an important factor but then again I think the contrast ratio is important. Is this a good way in picking the monitor or not? I also stopped by best buy but their selection of monitors wasnt the same as the ones I was considering from newegg so I m not sure how to make the decision :/

Are LED monitors worth the extra money?

My graphics card for the system I m trying to build is either: 9800, 250, 5750 or 5770 (I know I am undecided and trying to manage the budget between all components still).

I play some games but I m mostly interested in editing pictures.... will probably be watching some TV on it as well.

Does the graphics card decision influence the monitor or can they be treated independently?

 
Solution
A few criteria: The top resolution for video (Blu-Ray, HD, etc.) is 1900X1080. Any lower native resolution will force on-the-fly resize, which will bog things down. They say contrast is the most important spec (I don't see how that can be), but the manufactureres are trying their best to muddy those waters. Any reputable manufacturer's contrast is going to be OK. If you're very sensitive to slight differences in the quality of a monitor's picture, you will have no choice but to actually go look at them. I have an Acer 26" X263W that I'm happy with for gaming and off-air HDTV, and video. Bigger is better up to a point. If you think you might want to go 3D someday, you'll want a high refresh rate, 120 I've heard is needed.

Petrofsky

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Aug 22, 2008
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A few criteria: The top resolution for video (Blu-Ray, HD, etc.) is 1900X1080. Any lower native resolution will force on-the-fly resize, which will bog things down. They say contrast is the most important spec (I don't see how that can be), but the manufactureres are trying their best to muddy those waters. Any reputable manufacturer's contrast is going to be OK. If you're very sensitive to slight differences in the quality of a monitor's picture, you will have no choice but to actually go look at them. I have an Acer 26" X263W that I'm happy with for gaming and off-air HDTV, and video. Bigger is better up to a point. If you think you might want to go 3D someday, you'll want a high refresh rate, 120 I've heard is needed.
 
Solution

g_patsil

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Comparing the:

LG W2286L Black 22" 2ms HDMI Widescreen LED backlight LCD Monitor 250 cd/m2 DC 2000000:1 - Retail

and the:

Dell SP2309PW, 23'' Full HD Widescreen Flat Panel Monitor with Webcam

Which one would be a better buy? They cost 219. The LG is LED powered which means slim and higher contrast... and I am leaning towards this one... the LGs resolution is not full 1080p while the dell is Full HD with 2048 x 1152 resolution... based on Petrofsky I should get the Dell one but I wasnt sure if the LED being suspensively more power efficient, while also at the same time high contrast ratio would be better. They both have the same refresh rate 2ms.

If I really want to get an LED powered one with a full HD 1080p resolution another option would be:

ASUS MS238H Glossy Black 23" 2ms Ring stand & Ergo-fit LED backlight HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor 250 cd/m2 10,000,000 :1 (ASCR) - Retail

Any opinions?
 

Petrofsky

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The less-than-full resolution of the LG rules it out for me. It's smaller, too. But, the LG uses 27 watts and the Dell uses 65+, so there is that (not that I care). I like how the Dell has a camera and microphones built in. That 2ms is not the refresh rate, it's the latency--how long it takes a pixel to change state full cycle. It represents a basic limitation of the hardware. Two milliseconds is very good. Refresh rate is how often the computer repaints the monitor screen. High values are in the 100+ Hz (times a second) range. Neither monitor shows a refresh rate in the specs, so we can guess that neither is anything to write home about. But I only mentioned that because it needs to be very high to do 3D. If you're not into 3D, the normal 60Hz inherited from TV is fine.

The Asus looks good. It's 23", 85Hz refresh, 2ms, 33W. And, it's $209--ten bucks less. The reviews mention some problem with the stand, so you might want to get a wall mount.