aspect ratios and resolutions

[Riddleofsteel]

Why do some say you 'should' get a monitor with 1920x1200 resolution for PC gaming instead of 1920x1080? They also say that the x1080 is better for movies. Anyone have an explanation, and am I hamstringing myself by pc gaming on a 1080p lcd monitor? Thank you.

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

I find 1920x1200 is a better resolution for everyday use, I really would like the extra 120 rows over 1920x1080. However, I find that more games support 1920x1080 than 1920x1200, and there are some people who complain about stretching in the vertical axis when watching movies fullscreen with 1920x1200.

 

[Diablo2K]

1920x1200 is higher resolution (more overall pixels). It is also 16x10 which is the ratio that most widescreen computer monitors have used over the last few years.
1920x1080 is 16x9 which is the ratio of most Widescreen TVs, Computer monitors are going to 1920x1080 for a few reasons. All of them come down to money. For one they can advertise the monitor as a "True HD 1080P" which is a marketing term that most people are familiar with. Also when they make the LCD screen they can cut four 1080 screens from a single sheet of glass where as they can only make three 1200 resolution screens.

As for which is better for computer gaming it really comes down to personal tastes and game choices. Theres nothing wrong with using a 1080 monitor. It is also more compatible with gaming consoles and most newer monitors have multiple hookups so you can easily switch between sources.

Me personally would prefer a 1920x1200 as I will only use it w/ my computer and I like the 16x10 ratio better for games like World of Warcraft so I can better use my custom UI layout and I like the higher resolution for day to day uses.

Currently there is very few 1920x1200 and there getting harder and harder to find, before long there will probably be none as 1920x1080 become more common. And I am talking by maybe years end, they have dropped that fast.