A few questions about lcds and gaming

Hey there, first time poster, long time lurker here

I'm about to make the switch from crt to lcd (about time, right?) and I have researched a bit but haven't found a definitive answer anywhere.

I have in mind the samsung models 2233SW 21.5", T220 22". Now the 2233SW supports full HD, but has a 5ms response time. The T220 is only 2 ms but no full HD supported, which I imagine would make for worse image quality.

Now there's a few problems:
1) I use my monitor mostly for gaming. Is 5 ms response time sufficient? I have no idea if the value mentioned is GTG or another.

2) I have an 8800GTS fatal1ty which is a little aged at this point. So in most high-end games I tend to play at 1280x960 on my crt. I hear there are native resolutions which offer best quality, but if I decide to play a game in a lower resolution (like I would do in this case), what would happen? Image distortion, or something bizarre?

I'm just looking to NOT gimp my gameplay by choosing an awesome monitor, but running it on crappy settings. I just want one that fits my needs. So should I go with those or buy something smaller like the T190 or T200 and go with 1440x900 native resolution and lower response time?

Thanks!

I don't know where people are getting this standard word from, no such thing for an lcd, get what suits your setup best.

I would also ignore most specifications given by the companies and if possible go to a shop and look at monitors.

TN panels like that in the monitors you have selcted are the worst kind of panel, good enough for most people but coming from a CRT may not appeal.

TBH, either of those monitors look to be too high a res considering the one you currently use. A smaller monitor may be better for your needs at the moment so if you are not going to be upgrading your graphics card soon I would go with a lower resolution, if you may upgrade in the near future get maybe the 16 x 10 res one.