LCD Monitor Choices

[eznorb`]

So I have finally decided to try an LCD monitor. I hope that they have caught up to CRT and it seems like most have. I will be using this monitor mainly for gaming, movies and just surfing the web.

Here are my choices so far. I would just like some input/advice on these choices.

Thank you.

No specific order-

rosewill r913e http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16824021046

benq fp93gx http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16824014111

viewsonic vx922 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16824116375

viewsonic vx924 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16824116355

[Cent]

your 3rd choice, thank me later bronze :D

[thrash_head]

Please name them, for some reason newegg does not come up for me today.. its been like that all day.

[thrash_head]

ok, got with one of the viewsonics. Some people here say that one is better then the other. I have never had either one, so i would suggest doing research and see which has the most problems.

[Janus]

I would choose one of the viewsonics over the other two.

[design]

922 for the 2ms response time

[Mobile]

as for viewsonics, i have read many reviews about the 922 vs 924. the 924 wins in almost every situation. it does have a 2 ms response time, but the color quality is worse and the 924 is still one of the best gaming monitors out. i would pick the 924 and you won't be disapointed.

[Jomma]

the viewsonic 1 i got that we discussed before....couldn't be happier w/ it
widescreen ftw

heres another 1 I found Acer that got good reviews from newegg peeps: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16824009073

negative though its not DVI imput, only RGB

the viewsonic one has RGB and DVI connectors.....

[Psychojo]

The vx922 has its pros and cons.

+practically no ghosting
+brighter than any crt I've used
+size
+blacks/whites look a lot better than on my 19" crt

-not as many colors as a crt, it uses dithering so its not the best for movies.
-75hz max refresh rate
-viewing angles aren't that great, top of the screen tends to look darker than the bottom

When compared to a crt it basically feels like a crt running at 75hz. So if you could get used to that refresh rate it'll look great for games. However if you're used to 100+ hz like me you'll be pretty disappointed.

[Janus]

seeing how refresh rate is not the same on an lcd as it is on a crt, the refresh rate does not matter on an LCD (especially if you are running DVI). Refrest rate only matters on a CRT because it is defining how often the electron gun shoots to display the picture, while with an LCD everything refreshes when it needs to, completely different technology.

[Psychojo]

It does matter because its basically like playing with 75 fps. You can tell its not smooth because of that.

I tried 60hz with the lcd to see if it felt different and it felt even worse than 75hz. People say its different but its not going to refresh more than 75 times per second just because its an lcd.

[thrash_head]

I have that monitor that Jomma talked about (acer wide) and its great. It isn't DVI, but it plays all my games great and works well for work.

[Janus]

Wikipedia: Refresh Rate

LCD displays

Much of the discussion of refresh rate does not apply to LCD monitors. This is because while a phosphor on a CRT will begin to dim as soon as the electron beam passes it, LCD cells open to pass a continuous stream of light, and do not dim until instructed to produce a darker color. Pertaining to LCDs, see also response time.

From" http://www.necdisplay.com/support/css/monitortechguide/index04.htm

Refresh Rate


Refresh rate refers to the rate of speed at which a CRT monitor screen image refreshes or "redraws" itself. If the refresh rate is 60Hz, the screen will refresh itself 60 times per second. The refresh rate impacts a monitor's perceived image quality. If a CRT monitor is refreshing at a slow rate, the picture will appear to pulsate or flicker--a situation that is uncomfortable for the user and can lead to eye fatigue. Flicker is a result of phosphor decay; that is, after the energy from the electron gun is transferred to the phosphor material, the energy and the resulting light begin to decay very slowly until the electron beam hits the phosphor again. Setting the refresh rate higher (or faster) will result in a picture that may appear more solid and without flicker. The refresh rate on most CRT monitors can easily be adjusted through the PC and graphics board to a level that delivers a comfortable viewing experience at the given resolution desired.

An optimum refresh rate is a highly-individualized setting. The best refresh rate for a particular user depends on the individual user's perceptions. Some users don't notice flicker above 75Hz, while some people claim they can actually see flicker at this level. However, according to user studies, 70Hz has been indicated as the point at which most people do not perceive flicker.

A maximum refresh rate specification, based on the resolution desired and the horizontal frequency range of the monitor, is often listed in product literature. While this number is used to indicate the maximum capabilities of the monitor, most users do not need to use the maximum refresh rate. In fact, without the use of a special graphics card, most systems do not have the capability of reaching the maximum refresh rate level. However, some niche applications, such as 3-D imagery, require ultra-high refresh rates where vertical frequency is often increased to 160Hz.

Since LCD monitors do not employ phosphors, refresh rate is not a concern. Basically, the transistors in the LCD remain open or closed as needed until the image changes. This can be a point of confusion for some consumers, however, since most graphics cards still "ask for" a refresh rate setting. This is due to the analog nature of existing graphic cards (see "Inputs" section) and their support for CRT displays. While refresh rates do not apply to LCD monitors, most LCDs are set up to accept any settings from 60Hz and above.



http://computer.howstuffworks.com/monitor5.htm

from: http://www.techmind.org/lcd/
Refresh rate is the rate at which the electronics in the monitor addresses (updates) the brightness of the pixels on the screen (typically 60 to 75Hz). For each pixel, an LCD monitor maintains a constant light output from one addressing cycle to the next (sometimes referred to as 'sample-and-hold'), so the display has no refresh-dependent flicker.
There should be no need to set a high refresh rate to avoid flicker on an LCD.

[adamantium]

Okay, we have now established that no one is to argue with Janus' tech knowledge :P

Anywho, I have a 20.1" widescreen LCD monitor from BenQ. It owns. Only two monitor brands I have ever used are NEC and BenQ, and I don't think I will ever be changing. Quality products.

[Psychojo]

There is no flicker on the monitor, its like playing with a max of 75 fps or whatever the refresh rate is set to. I can easily see the chopping because of this, NOT flickering. I don't really see whats so hard to understand. I have an lcd and a crt sitting right next to eachother in clone mode and Its very easy to tell the difference. Playing a fast game like quake3 with a max fps of 120 just looks incredibly choppy on the lcd, NOT flickery or blurry.

[Nine]

Are you talking about tearing?

[Janus]

that's why you use v-sync

[Psychojo]

Alright forget it, I tried explaining that its playing like a max fps of 75 since it doesn't update more often than that but its too difficult to understand apparently. Just don't expect a monitor as smooth and clear as a crt while gaming.