Background
Recently, I had access to a dell 2405fpw, a samsung 244t a sony G520P CRT and a hitachi CRT. I purchased the 244t because I didn't like the white ghosting I was getting while playing games on the Dell 2405fpw. I thought the samsung would be about the same screen but with a faster rating so it would fix my problem. At this point the input lag on the Dell 2405fpw, once I set the screen to 100hz, was barely noticible if at all.
When I recieved the Samsung I was immediatly unhappy. I did not know why but I found myself not wanting to use my computer at all. Then I realized the input lag was driving me crazy. What bothered me most was normal use like surfing the web, writing code or doing everyday tasks. Gaming was just as bad but since my mind was more on the game I noticed it much less. Finally I decided to find out why I had all of a sudden become so sensitive to this input lag. I decided to do some experiments.
Testing Methodology
I used a program called stopwatch pro 3.1 to produce a large digital clock display, and I cloned my screens using nvidia control panel. I photographed using the sport mode of my Canon Digital Rebel XT (Digital SLR) 8 megapixel camera. This sportmode is one of the fastest on the consumer market taking ~3 pictures per second. The sport mode is engaged by just holding down the shutter button and letting the camera go at it. For each test I took about ~30 pictures, released the button and took ~30 more in order to get two different intervals for a total of ~60 photographs in each test. The reason for so many photographs is that many of the photos result in unreadable numbers because the photo is seeing a number change over, for instance 8->9 looks VERY close to 3->4.
Test Results
I tested with a variety of configurations, I switched inputs, and I switched primary and secondary designations in the nvida control panel. I tested around 10 times producing around 600 photographs. Here are my conclusions: (which by no means should be taken as fact since my methodology was not near scientific enough and the test was done mostly for my own purposes in discovering why I was experiencing these quirks, I share this with you all because I think you should know)
When comparing both LCD displays (Samsung and Dell) the differences seemed to follow a wave pattern. The Samsung and Dell would start off very close but then the Samsung would fall behind by about 15ms, then it would fall behind the Dell by 25ms and finally would max at about 35ms behind the Dell. Then the Samsung would fall back to 25 then 15 then back to 0 again. I cannot tell you which monitor's input lag is fluctuating or if they both are fluctuating because I could not figure out how to clone 3 or 4 displays. Without a baseline reading from a CRT we cannot gage which monitor is fluctuating.
Subjective Conclusions
Subjectively speaking I will tell you that after being unhappy with the Samsung LCD for a week and a half and then switching back to the Dell it was clear that I did not notice the input lag on the Dell as much or at all. There are several factors that might explain this. My theory is that the Dell is 10-20ms faster than the Samsung, but also the Dell showed significantly more range being behind the CRT. This leads me to beleive that that the Samsung's lag, although greater, is also more constant and therefore more noticable. Whereas the Dell may frequently fall below a noticible Lag level for periods of time. It seems my tolerance for noticing Lag while moving the mouse sits around 30ms, I am sure this varies from person to person though.
Again, this is my own subjective testing. Take from it what you want. But I can give you my opinions on the two panels in question summed up like this:
Samsung:
Dell:
Now, after I send back my Samsung do I buy another Dell, do I wait for 2407 or do I say forget LCD and get the sony fw900 CRT from ebay. Hmmmm maybe I should get both.
Pictures
Samsung 244t vs Dell 2405fpw Pic 1 - 0ms diff
Samsung 244t vs Dell 2405fpw Pic 2 - 10ms diff
Samsung 244t vs Dell 2405fpw Pic 3 - 15ms diff
Samsung 244t vs Dell 2405fpw Pic 4 - 15ms diff
Samsung 244t vs Dell 2405fpw Pic 5 - 25ms diff
Samsung 244t vs Dell 2405fpw Pic 6 - 15ms diff
Samsung 244t vs Dell 2405fpw Pic 7 - 16ms diff
Samsung 244t vs Dell 2405fpw Pic 8 - 0ms diff
Samsung 244t vs Dell 2405fpw Pic 9 - 15ms diff
Samsung 244t vs Dell 2405fpw Pic 10 - 25ms diff
Samsung 244t vs Dell 2405fpw Pic 11 - 20ms diff
Dell 2405fpw vs Sony g520p CRT Pic 1 - ~40ms diff
Dell 2405fpw vs Sony g520p CRT Pic 2 - ~50ms diff
Dell 2405fpw vs Sony g520p CRT Pic 3 - 46ms diff
Dell 2405fpw vs Sony g520p CRT Pic 4 - 45ms diff
Samsung 244t vs Sony g520p CRT Pic 1 - 55ms diff <-- neat cause I cought the timer at 1 minute exactly on the CRT
Samsung 244t vs Sony g520p CRT Pic 2 - 64ms diff
Samsung 244t vs Sony g520p CRT Pic 3 - ~50ms diff
[Edit: for fancy formating so it is easier to read]
[Edit: pictures added]
Recently, I had access to a dell 2405fpw, a samsung 244t a sony G520P CRT and a hitachi CRT. I purchased the 244t because I didn't like the white ghosting I was getting while playing games on the Dell 2405fpw. I thought the samsung would be about the same screen but with a faster rating so it would fix my problem. At this point the input lag on the Dell 2405fpw, once I set the screen to 100hz, was barely noticible if at all.
When I recieved the Samsung I was immediatly unhappy. I did not know why but I found myself not wanting to use my computer at all. Then I realized the input lag was driving me crazy. What bothered me most was normal use like surfing the web, writing code or doing everyday tasks. Gaming was just as bad but since my mind was more on the game I noticed it much less. Finally I decided to find out why I had all of a sudden become so sensitive to this input lag. I decided to do some experiments.
Testing Methodology
I used a program called stopwatch pro 3.1 to produce a large digital clock display, and I cloned my screens using nvidia control panel. I photographed using the sport mode of my Canon Digital Rebel XT (Digital SLR) 8 megapixel camera. This sportmode is one of the fastest on the consumer market taking ~3 pictures per second. The sport mode is engaged by just holding down the shutter button and letting the camera go at it. For each test I took about ~30 pictures, released the button and took ~30 more in order to get two different intervals for a total of ~60 photographs in each test. The reason for so many photographs is that many of the photos result in unreadable numbers because the photo is seeing a number change over, for instance 8->9 looks VERY close to 3->4.
Test Results
I tested with a variety of configurations, I switched inputs, and I switched primary and secondary designations in the nvida control panel. I tested around 10 times producing around 600 photographs. Here are my conclusions: (which by no means should be taken as fact since my methodology was not near scientific enough and the test was done mostly for my own purposes in discovering why I was experiencing these quirks, I share this with you all because I think you should know)
- CRTs are the fastest and the two I tested produced nearly identical times.
- The port used on the videocard (7800gt) does not matter much if at all.
- The primary/secondary designation in the nvida control panel does not matter much if at all.
- The Dell 2405fpw @ 100hz refresh has an input lag of 25-45ms
- The Dell 2405fpw @ 60hz refresh has an input lag of 45-50ms
- The Samsung 244t @ 100hz has an input lag of 45-65ms
- The Samsung 244t @ 60hz has an input lag of 55-65ms
- In 6 tests comparing the Samsung to the Dell there are no photographs of the Samsung being faster than the Dell.
When comparing both LCD displays (Samsung and Dell) the differences seemed to follow a wave pattern. The Samsung and Dell would start off very close but then the Samsung would fall behind by about 15ms, then it would fall behind the Dell by 25ms and finally would max at about 35ms behind the Dell. Then the Samsung would fall back to 25 then 15 then back to 0 again. I cannot tell you which monitor's input lag is fluctuating or if they both are fluctuating because I could not figure out how to clone 3 or 4 displays. Without a baseline reading from a CRT we cannot gage which monitor is fluctuating.
Subjective Conclusions
Subjectively speaking I will tell you that after being unhappy with the Samsung LCD for a week and a half and then switching back to the Dell it was clear that I did not notice the input lag on the Dell as much or at all. There are several factors that might explain this. My theory is that the Dell is 10-20ms faster than the Samsung, but also the Dell showed significantly more range being behind the CRT. This leads me to beleive that that the Samsung's lag, although greater, is also more constant and therefore more noticable. Whereas the Dell may frequently fall below a noticible Lag level for periods of time. It seems my tolerance for noticing Lag while moving the mouse sits around 30ms, I am sure this varies from person to person though.
Again, this is my own subjective testing. Take from it what you want. But I can give you my opinions on the two panels in question summed up like this:
Samsung:
- better picture and color representation
- blacker blacks
- more motion blur in video and games (motion blur is the bluring or same color ghost trails that appear on the lcd during fast movement)
- less white ghosting in games (white ghosting is the light colored ghost that trails objects in a video game)
- less flicker and tearing
- Much more noticable input lag
Dell:
- good picture, color and blacks but samsung is a little better
- less motion blur in video and games (not much less though)
- Much more noticable white ghosting
- More flicker in games
- Much less noticable input lag
Now, after I send back my Samsung do I buy another Dell, do I wait for 2407 or do I say forget LCD and get the sony fw900 CRT from ebay. Hmmmm maybe I should get both.
Pictures
Samsung 244t vs Dell 2405fpw Pic 1 - 0ms diff
Samsung 244t vs Dell 2405fpw Pic 2 - 10ms diff
Samsung 244t vs Dell 2405fpw Pic 3 - 15ms diff
Samsung 244t vs Dell 2405fpw Pic 4 - 15ms diff
Samsung 244t vs Dell 2405fpw Pic 5 - 25ms diff
Samsung 244t vs Dell 2405fpw Pic 6 - 15ms diff
Samsung 244t vs Dell 2405fpw Pic 7 - 16ms diff
Samsung 244t vs Dell 2405fpw Pic 8 - 0ms diff
Samsung 244t vs Dell 2405fpw Pic 9 - 15ms diff
Samsung 244t vs Dell 2405fpw Pic 10 - 25ms diff
Samsung 244t vs Dell 2405fpw Pic 11 - 20ms diff
Dell 2405fpw vs Sony g520p CRT Pic 1 - ~40ms diff
Dell 2405fpw vs Sony g520p CRT Pic 2 - ~50ms diff
Dell 2405fpw vs Sony g520p CRT Pic 3 - 46ms diff
Dell 2405fpw vs Sony g520p CRT Pic 4 - 45ms diff
Samsung 244t vs Sony g520p CRT Pic 1 - 55ms diff <-- neat cause I cought the timer at 1 minute exactly on the CRT
Samsung 244t vs Sony g520p CRT Pic 2 - 64ms diff
Samsung 244t vs Sony g520p CRT Pic 3 - ~50ms diff
[Edit: for fancy formating so it is easier to read]
[Edit: pictures added]