You have probably asked this question to
yourself already - Should I get an LCD
monitor to replace my CRT monitor? Is it any
good for FPS games like Counter-Strike? Are
you stuck on choosing the best gaming
monitor for your needs?
LCD (liquid crystal display) monitors are
fairly new to the desktop computer world,
although they have always been used on
notebook computers. LCD monitors have many
advantages over their CRT counterparts, and
are slowly taking over the desktop display
market.
LCD
Monitors
Each LCD monitor is designed for a certain
resolution, known as the native resolution.
If you change the resolution on an LCD
screen, the image will be scaled and the
quality won’t be as good as with the native
resolution. The native resolution of an LCD
depends on the size. Here are the typical
native resolutions for common sizes:
17 inch: 1024x768
19 inch: 1280x1024
20 inch: 1600x1200
Viewing Angle
If you look at an LCD monitor from an angle,
you will notice that the image appears
dimmer and the colors can look weird. At
extreme angles the entire image can even
disappear. The viewing angle of an LCD
monitor is the angle at which you can still
view the screen clearly.
So, the greater the viewing angle, the
better. Manufacturers are known to
exaggerate their specifications, so be sure
to evaluate the viewing angle yourself
before buying an LCD monitor. Also, keep in
mind how you will eventually use the
monitor. If you need to show presentations
with your LCD, the viewing angle will be a
critical factor.
Response Rate
The response rate of an LCD monitor refers
to how quickly each pixel on the screen can
change color. The faster the response rate,
the less ghosting you will experience.
Ghosting is when the previous image
displayed on the screen can still be seen as
a blur for moments after the image has
changed. Ghosting can be seen in fast-paced
graphical applications such as games and
videos.
When choosing an LCD monitor for gaming, the
response rate is
ONE
of the most important factor to consider. If
you’re playing a fast-paced action game such
as a first person shooter, when you look
around quickly you will experience ghosting.
This can ruin your overall gaming
experience, depending on how severe the
ghosting is. The faster the response rate,
the less ghosting you will see. Right now,
the fastest response time for an LCD monitor
is 2ms. Viewsonic has recently unveiled a 1
ms LCD monitor in Asia. It should hit the US
market in the fourth quarter of 2006.
The second
important factor for an LCD monitor is the
refresh rate
of the monitor. Many noobs think that this
is not important but they are WRONG. You can
prove this to yourself like what I have done
- just start playing Counter-Strike with an
LCD monitor and a CRT monitor side by side.
I had trouble pwning when the refresh rate
was less than 75Hz on the LCD monitor. At
like 60 hz on an LCD monitor, Counter-Strike
is unplayable even though it says that you
have 200 Fps in your net graph display. I
have to admit, that even at 75 Hz, the LCD
monitor I have (the Viewsonic VX922) does
not fully compare with a good ole CRT
monitor running at 120Hz. However, over
time, you will actually get used to an LCD
monitor with 2ms response time and with a
refresh rate of at least 75Hz. It took me
about 2 weeks to fully get used to my gaming
LCD monitor and now I just own with it - no
joke.
CRT monitors don’t suffer from ghosting and
blurring effects, and this is the reason
they have historically been recommended as
the best gaming monitors. And it still is in
terms of performance and visual quailty. The
most important factor for a CRT monitor is
its refresh rate at the resolution you play
Counter-Strike or games in. Don't get
suckered in with ones that say they can have
a resolution of 2000x1990 with max refresh
rate of 65 or something like that. If your
graphics card cant handle those resolutions,
or you normally don't play CS in those
resolutions forget those. Also they have
very low refresh rates like 65 at those
resolutions. Make sure the CRT has very high
refresh rates at the resolutions you play
games in.
CRT Monitors
Although LCDs are slowly taking over the
aging technology of CRT monitors, you can
still get a let for your money if you
purchase a CRT these days. And manufacturers
are continually evolving CRT monitors so
they aren’t dead just yet.
One area of improvement for CRT monitors is
ergonomics. Some CRT monitors come in flat
screen models which reduces glare and
eyestrain. Let’s take a look at some
important factors to think about when
purchasing a CRT monitor.
Dot Pitch
The dot pitch indicates how sharp the images
will be displayed on a CRT monitor. It’s
measured in millimeters (mm), and the
smaller the dot pitch, the better the image
quality.
Refresh Rate
The refresh rate, also called the vertical
refresh rate or frequency, is the speed at
which the monitor can draw the screen.
Measured in hertz (Hz), the refresh rate is
an important specification of a CRT monitor.
The higher the refresh rate of your monitor,
the faster your screen is updated.
If you’re on a low refresh rate you will
notice your screen flickering, which can
cause headaches and eye strain. To prevent
such symptoms, make sure to set your refresh
rate to 85 Hz or above. Any less and the
flickering will become a health hazard.
The refresh rate depends on the resolution
that you’re running, and higher resolutions
will support lower refresh rates. So choose
a monitor that can display the resolution
you want at an acceptable refresh rate (85
Hz and above, remember).
Maximum Resolution
Pretty self-explanatory, this is the highest
resolution that a CRT monitor supports. As I
said before, CRTs can display multiple
resolutions without problems, unlike LCDs.
So for example, if the maximum resolution of
your CRT monitor is 1280x1024, then it will
support all smaller resolutions: 1024x768,
800x600, and 640x480 etc.
What Size Should You Buy?
Choosing the size of your gaming monitor
depends on your needs, and your budget.
Sizes for both CRT and LCD monitors range
from 15 inches up to 23 inches. Prices vary
greatly between sizes, so choose a size that
you can afford and that is big enough for
you.
17 inches is big enough for most people, but
if you’re a hardcore gamer or you plan to
watch lots of videos or TV on your monitor,
you should go for something bigger as it
will increase your viewing experience.
Also, be aware that CRT and LCD screen sizes
are measured differently. For some reason,
the plastic edging around a CRT screen is
included in its screen measurements, so a
CRT screen size doesn’t actually tell you
the size of the screen. For example, if a
CRT monitor is said to be 17 inches, the
actual screen size would probably be closer
to 15 inches. This is not true for LCD
monitors, as the stated size is the actual
size of the screen.
LCDs vs CRTs
Here is a list of the main advantages of
both LCDs and CRTs. When deciding between
the two, choose the type that best suits
your specific needs, the applications you
use, and your budget.
Advantages of LCD Monitors
Less power usage – An LCD monitor require
less power than a CRT model, although CRT
power usage is steadily coming down after
lots of improvement from manufacturers.
Smaller and lighter – LCD monitors are much
thinner and lighter than CRTs, and they
weigh less. This makes LCDs easier to move
around, and they take up less room on your
desk.
Easier on the eyes – Because of the way LCD
displays work, they don’t flicker like CRT
monitors and so they reduce eyestrain and
headaches. Also, LCDs tend to display text
better since they can produce sharper images
than CRTs. So if you’re going to read a lot
of text with your monitor, consider an LCD.
Advantages of CRT Monitors
Cheaper – CRT monitors are generally less
expensive, although prices for LCDs continue
to fall.
Better color range – CRTs are known to more
accurately represent different colors than
LCDs. However, LCDs continue to evolve and
soon this won’t be a concern.
Faster response – CRT displays also
currently have the upper hand in displaying
fast-paced graphics and video. They don’t
suffer from LCD-specific problems like
ghosting and blurring, and so have been
recommended as the best gaming monitors.
Although, keep in mind that newer LCDs with
fast response rates are good enough for
gaming.
Multiple Resolutions – As said before, CRT
monitors handle multiple resolutions without
problems. An LCD is only meant for a single
resolution, so don’t get an LCD if you need
to change resolutions often.
Less Fragile – CRT monitors are rugged and
are harder to damage.
What is Best for Gaming?
As stated before, CRT monitors have
traditionally been recommended as the best
gaming monitors due to their higher response
times.
I would say that an LCD with a response rate
of 2ms (milliseconds) is the minimum with a
refreshrate of 75hz at the resolution you
play CS in for
good gaming. LCD monitors with the specs
stated above can be a good alternative if
you want an LCD monitor right now. Also look
out for the 1ms LCD monitors.
