Some gaming LCD questions...

[InorganicMatter]

I'll make it easy:

• What am I looking for in a gaming LCD? What contrast ratio, response time, etc?
• Would a widescreen or fullscreen be better for gaming?
• Is there a "sweet spot" on resolution for games? Or is it just a matter of personal preferrence?
• How much should I be prepared to pay?

Thanks

 

[ScretHate]

I'll make it easy:

• What am I looking for in a gaming LCD? What contrast ratio, response time, etc?
• Would a widescreen or fullscreen be better for gaming?
• Is there a "sweet spot" on resolution for games? Or is it just a matter of personal preferrence?
• How much should I be prepared to pay?

Thanks

For gaming, you're looking for a low response time to avoid ghosting, a problem where the monitor cannot keep up with the action on the screen. Most monitors with a response time under 12ms have totally eliminated this problem. As for contrast ratio, the higher the better.

A widescreen has its perks and its flaws. For instance, there are some games that do no utilize widescreen resolutions, and would therefore make your investment quite futile, whereas you'll never have this problem with a fullscreen. But if you find that the games you enjoy playing do support widescreen resolutions, a widescreen monitor would add a new dimension to these games.

There is a sweet spot when it comes to resolution. Most 17-19" LCD monitors use 1280x1024 and look absolutely terrible at any other resolution. You must make sure that your graphics card is able to handle this moderately high resolution.

If you want a widescreen, it's going to cost you, but you can find a decent 19" fullscreen for around $350.

The HYUNDAI L90D+ is the best bang for the buck right now.