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Time to Upgrade -- Need some help.

M

MrJamela

n00b
Joined
Sep 1, 2004
Messages
35
I can't believe that I'm just discovering these forums. What an amazing resource for hardware questions.

I'm a designer/gamer with a fairly unusual set up and I'm hoping I can get some advice on upgrading my system.

For starters, I work on a Mac and a PC, both of which are hooked up to a single 21" Viewsonic CRT through a KVM switcher. The Mac is primarily used for design while the PC is used for day-to-day stuff and lots and lots of FPS gaming.

It's a great set-up and works pretty well for me.

But my beloved CRT is showing signs that the end is near....at least that is how I am interpreting its random blurring and resizing.

So I'm thinking about making the move to LCD. I love CRTs, but I'm tired of the giant box on my desk.

I cannot decide between one LCD monitor or two, but whatever I get, it has to be high-speed enough to accomodate fast games and clear enough for graphic design. I also do not know how I'm going to connect these monitors to both of my machines so that I can switch between them. DVI, VGA, ??

I was about to upgrade my video card on my PC, so that's in the equation as well. First I have to find a new monitor and then I need a new video card to power it. It doesn't make sense to get a card that is more powerful than the monitor is capable of displaying either....

I'm willing to spend up to $1500 if the solution is right.

I could use some help figuring out what that solution is....

Thanks,

Jaime
 
A few of my designer friends told me that they really don't like LCDs for one reason or another. Every time we ordered new computers (I was the IT Guy) the designers always begged for a good trinitron monitor (I eventually opened them up to DiamondTron monitors) and they would ask for those on occassion.

Brandon
 
i just got a dell 2001fp, and its a great monitor. If you sit too close to the monitor then the screen door effect can be annoying, but i sit far enough away where i cant notice it at all. The picture clarity is stunning (coming from an NEC 1765, which was also a great monitor btw), and there is absolutely no ghosting w/ its 16ms responce time.
 
MrJamela said:
CRT is showing signs that the end is near....at least that is how I am interpreting its random blurring and resizing.
Click to expand...

You and me both, same exact symptoms. At least we're getting fair warning, eh? My 21PS is 11yrs old and while it cost a fortune back then, after many years of 10hr+ days, I can complain.

Considering what your requirements are, you may want to look at the HP L2335. It has it's own 40 page thread here, so you can learn about as much as you want. Any questions should be easily answered by those owning one.

Here's my summary. It uses the same panel as the new Apple 23" but costs considerably less and is easier to adjust when using a PC. IMO, it has great image quality, tremendous viewing angles as well as fast pixel response for gaming. The L2335 is not in stores, however it's sibling the f2304 which uses the same LCD panel on a different base is in every CompUSA, Fry's and Costo store, so seeing one is easy enough. The f2304 has a non-adjustable base along with onboard speakers. It's the consumer version. The L2335 has a narrow bezel, ajustable base and rotates to portrait position.

oc
 
Regarding the L2335.... I went through all 40 pages earlier today and I'm thinking that it may indeed be the best option for what I need out of a monitor to replace this one.

I even went so far as to go to Comp USA at lunch to check out the F2304.... It's very, very nice. At least the screen is nice. I could do without the built in speakers.

The other monitor that keeps drawing my eye is the pretty Sony 19" with the impressive XBrite and 12ms refresh. It really is beautiful, but I'm loathe to have to go back to 1280x1024 after getting used to working at 1600x1200. 1920x1200 (the 23" HP) is pretty tempting.....

Other than that, the big issue for me is connecting the monitor to both of my machines. I suppose I could hook one up with DVI and the other VGA, but ideally I'd like to have both running on DVI for best quality. So that means I need a DVI switcher of some sort. Does anyone know of a cheap solution to this problem?

Also, is the HP really fast enough for games?

Thanks for all of your suggestions....I'm certainly moving towards making a decision in the next few days.

Jaime
 
With LCD's, they are fast enough for your games if you believe they are. That's what I hear over and over; depending on your eyesight, and whether you're looking for ghosting, you may or may not see it, and it may or may not bother you if you do. I'm personally holding out for a while; but if I had to get a bigass LCD now, the HP'd be it. You could also try Apple. lol.
 
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