Gaming Monitor

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blazin

Weaksauce
Joined
Feb 18, 2008
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Hey guys, I'm completely ignorant when it comes to monitors, was trying to look at the sticky to get some information, but I didn't learn much. I just need some information on monitors (LCD specifically). I'm very big on gaming and that is all I use it for (well I guess the casual stuff too). I'm not interested (currently) in buying a monitor (so, don't have a budget nor looking for a specific monitor nor name brand). People always discourge me from a getting a new monitor, because I don't know that the 20" monitor on sale for $160 is a piece of crap.

I was looking at the monitor terminology sticky and saw how it said TN was for gamers and what not, then I read some of the threads here and saw that there was some trashing on TN. So, what exactly should I be looking for?

I also saw some information on response times of the monitors and how 10-12ms is too much ghosting, 8ms is ideal and 2-6ms is flawless. I also read that 2 ms vs about 6ms or 8ms is all BS and that its all PR. So, to what degree does response time play?

People are always talking about whether, "they can see the monitor if its upside down hanging from a string at a 23 degree angle from 7 feet away". What is the big deal with the angle viewing? Is it for people that have like 3 monitors all hooked up to the same rig, so the monitors have to be slightly angled to get that surround view feel? I might consider doing this with two monitors.

Also, I have seen a lot of different monitors with the trubright or what ever they are using to say their monitor is the best one. Does this matter at all? I do want the clearest crisp view, I'm pretty big on graphics =)

Finally, does size matter? I mean like if I get a 17 inch monitor vs a 24inch monitor are there any differences? Like will resolution be affected (I am not too knowledgeable on resolution either, I've always assumed the bigger the number 10000x10000 the better the game would look). So does getting a bigger monitor mean poorer quality or is the other way around. I like to think of the 70inch TVs people get, but then when I look at it I'm like WTF $5000 on a TV and it looks pixelated (making up words at this point).

Is there anything else I should know or consider when buying a monitor? Please, educate a gamer on monitors =) Thank you in advance.
 
Screen size doesn't necessarily effect resolution.

20-22" are 1680x1050, 24 - 29" monitors are usually 1920x1200, 30" Computer monitors are 2560x1600, while TVs are either 720p or 1080p (1280x720, 1920x1080).

1st, rule TV's out, 2nd, decide whether you want 1680x1050 or 1920x1200. 30"ers usually cost $1000+ so I'm guessing those are out of your budget.

I'll let someone else pickup from here :rolleyes:
 
As far as resolutiion, obviously the higher the resolution the better. 22" (or 20) is usually considered the sweet spot. 1680x1050 gives you plenty of space for basic task, and you can run higher settings on most games, without having to upgrade your graphics card as often as a 24".

With some monitors with limited viewing angle, the colors change slightly when you move your head, which can be annoying, which is probably why most people bring it up.

check out this thread for more information about displays. TN pannels are the cheapest, so it may be the only option if your budget is limited.

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1039222
 
Can't go into detail with the link you posted right now, but I will this afternoon. As for a price range $1000 is way out of my budget. My budget is very limited about 200 to 400 at the most. (College student, with what you can barely call a part time job). I know I asked about a lot but did I miss a lot? Are those the only things that matter. I will take a 2nd look on the different resolutions and the appropriate monitor sizes that correspond so I get a better idea of what we're talking about. Does wide screen play a role? I'm not 100% sure how I feel about wide screen. I believe my laptop is wide screen and my desktop is regular.
 
it's much harder to find a non-widescreen display now. i think most of us who went from a 4:3 monitor to a widescreen 16:10 will never go back and the industry is going that way too. it definitely has it advantages. With a 1680x1050 rez you can easily display two windows side by side. makes it easier to do research on one window and type your paper on the other. with a 4:3 you'd have to be switching back and forth all the time. having a widescreen would be good for school and for gaming.
 
Buy a widescreen monitor. 16:10 is the standard now.

In your price range, you will be looking at a 22" (1680x1050) or 24" (1920x1200) monitor max.

If you have an older graphics card (older than a year), you might want to stick with 22" monitor. Nothing affects frame rates more than the resolution you run your games at. You always want to run at native resolution for the best looking picture, so a 22" monitor is a lot easier to drive than a 24".

Acer, BenQ, Samsung all make good 22" monitors. I would look at Newegg ratings and reviews and go with one that is highly regarded. Acer will probably have the cheapest.

If you drop down to a 19" (1440x900) you will have a monitor that will cost around 150 bucks and is as easy to drive as a 19" 1280x1024 (non-widescreen) monitor. Will work good with mid to high range graphics cards made in the last 2 years depending on model/manufacturer.

As for response time, I wouldn't worry too much about it. I would focus more on what your graphics card (and system) is capable of driving.

You want to be able to run all your games at med-high settings in your monitor's native resolution at a frame rate that never dips below 30fps. That is what you should base your decision on.
 
In your price range, you will be looking at a 22" or 24" monitor max.

If you have an older graphics card (older than a year), you might want to stick with 22" monitor. Nothing affects frame rates more than the resolution you run your games at. You always want to run at native resolution for the best looking picture, so a 22" monitor is a lot easier to drive than a 24".

Acer, BenQ, Samsung all make decent 22" monitors. I would look at Newegg ratings and reviews and go with one that is highly regarded. Acer will probably have the cheapest.

If you drop down to a 19" widescreen (1440x900) you will have a monitor that will cost around 150 bucks and is as easy to drive as a 19" 1280x1024 monitor. Will work good with mid to high range graphics cards made in the last 2 years depending on model/manufacturer.

As for response time, I wouldn't worry too much about it. I would focus more on what your graphics card (and system) is capable of driving. You want to be able to run all your games at your monitor's native resolution at a frame rate that never dips below 30fps.
 
heavyfeul said:
As for response time, I wouldn't worry too much about it. I would focus more on what your graphics card (and system) is capable of driving.
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My specs are in my signature. I currently have an 17inch so I think I would like to go with a 24" even if I have to dish out a little bit more, if its too much I'll just stick with 22" and as for widescreen, it does sound better. The only thing left to say then is, so nothing matters now a days? Just size and price?
 
blazin said:
My specs are in my signature. I currently have an 17inch so I think I would like to go with a 24" even if I have to dish out a little bit more, if its too much I'll just stick with 22" and as for widescreen, it does sound better. The only thing left to say then is, so nothing matters now a days? Just size and price?
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Well, if you are on a budget you will be limited to the major manufacturers basic units, which are all TN panels with good response times. The picture quality will be far from reference, but it will be good relative to other monitors in the class.

19" ~$150
22" ~$200
24" ~$350

Those prices are as cheap as those sizes get. If you want a high end monitor with reference quality color reproduction, contrast, and quick response time, get ready to pay a hefty price.

With a modest budget, you have a lot of choices and they will perform far better than your current monitor. Hit Newegg, compare prices and reviews and you will be able to narrow down your choices. Then pick one that will fit your needs.

Your 8800GT should be able to drive a 22" monitor nicely. You might have to turn off some eye candy in games if you get a 24".

Suggest: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009094
 
I would recommend buying a widescreen that does 1:1 pixel mapping, this will allow you to use the widescreen and 4:3 resolutions when necessary.
 
If you don't mind turning off some eye candy for some of the more demanding games coming out, go with the awesome, highly-praised BenQ V2400W. After going 24", I don't think I could go back.

However, if you love your eye candy and can't afford to buy a harder working graphics card like the 4850, 260, 4870, or 280, then I would say a 20" would be the safest bet (not sure which is the best 20").
 
better graphics card? 4850 260 4870 or 280 .... are we talking raideon? How are those better? I thought the 8800 was like one of the best out right now. And mine came like pre-overclock with heatpipes and what not. Maybe I'm just misinformed and need to do research again.

As for monitor sizes I think upgrading to a 24" would be insane ( in a good way). I looked at the three monitors you guys recommended and they all seemed like good deals I'm not sure if the acer is lesser quality than the LG 22".

I don't get the ratios you guys keep throwing at me. Is that like this size of the monitor as in width to length? So, its comparing how widescreen it is? And what did that one guy mean by 1 to 1 pixel mapping.

So, apparently TN is bad? So, how do I tell if the monitors you guys recommended are TN? I really don't care I just want to learn. If I do pick a monitor I think I'm going with the spectre I think its the best bang for the buck from all of them. Plus another 7 inches of monitor sounds pretty hard core.
 
The 8800GT you have is still a good card. The 9800s weren't much of an upgrade. As mentioned earlier, your 8800GT should do fine with a 22". With the Radeon 4870, Nvidia GTX260/280, you can go up to a 24" and turn up the eye candy if you like.
As for the TN panel debate, it can drive any sane person insane. If you're not doing any photo work that requires color accuracy, a TN panel will be fine. TN panels are popular because they are cheaper and have faster response times. I'd recommend if you can, check the monitors with your own eyes.
Widescreens have become very popular and is pretty much the norm. The numbers people are referring to is ratio of the horizontal pixels to the vertical. Computer widescreen monitors are a 16 x 10 format as opposed to TV widescreens which are 16 x 9. Some older games weren't designed for widescreen. They were written for the then normal 4:3 format, so they don't look quite right on a widescreen. Some widescreen will allow you to play the games as they were meant to look.
 
blazin said:
better graphics card? 4850 260 4870 or 280 .... are we talking raideon? How are those better? I thought the 8800 was like one of the best out right now. And mine came like pre-overclock with heatpipes and what not. Maybe I'm just misinformed and need to do research again.

As for monitor sizes I think upgrading to a 24" would be insane ( in a good way). I looked at the three monitors you guys recommended and they all seemed like good deals I'm not sure if the acer is lesser quality than the LG 22".

I don't get the ratios you guys keep throwing at me. Is that like this size of the monitor as in width to length? So, its comparing how widescreen it is? And what did that one guy mean by 1 to 1 pixel mapping.

So, apparently TN is bad? So, how do I tell if the monitors you guys recommended are TN? I really don't care I just want to learn. If I do pick a monitor I think I'm going with the spectre I think its the best bang for the buck from all of them. Plus another 7 inches of monitor sounds pretty hard core.
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The 8800GT rocks. Great card and when overclocked, performs as well as many 8800GTX and 9800GT.

The size of a monitor (e.g. 24") refers to the diagonal length - corner to corner.

Your 8800GT can run a 24" monitor, but some newer games will have to have their settings turn down to get a good framerate.

1:1 refers to the ability of a monitor to just show the native resolution of the source, without scaling to the monitors native resolution. So if you send a 1280x720 signal to a 1920x1200 resolution monitor set to display 1:1 (sometimes called "just scan"), you will see a picture/video that only fills the center of that screen.

A common 1:1 example: If you hook an Xbox 360 to a 19020x1200 monitor via VGA, you can set the 360 to display at 1920x1080 (1800p). On a monitor that is set to 1:1 you will have black bars on the top and bottom of the screens (letterboxed), because the feed has 1080 vertical lines of resolution, but the display has 1200, so at 1:1 120 pixels of the panel are not being used. If your monitor does not do 1:1 or it is set to not do 1:1, then the 360 display will be stretched to fill the whole monitor. Hope that explains it.

There is nothing wrong with TN panels. They have fast response times and when manufactured well, have very good picture quality. It is not the best available technology, but it is the panel that has allowed manufacturers to make very good and relatively cheap monitors. I personally do not get to wrapped up in the underlying tech, I just look for a well received and relatively inexpensive monitor. This often leads me to by Acer's monitors.
 
Another vote for the V2400 W, my specs are close to that of the OP and I just got the monitor last week and all my games are running at 1920*1200 with full details without dropping any setting. UT3 runs smoothly at that resolution.
You might need to drop the settings a bit when gaming at 1920*1200 in recent games like Crysis but your 8800GT will handle that monitor as well.
 
A 20 inch monitor (1440*990) or a 22 inch monitor (1680*1050) is all you're going to get for your price range.

The BenQ V2400W is a gorgeous monitor, but it might be out of your price range.
 
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