World of Pwnage

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.

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: 1024x76819 inch: 1280x102420 inch: 1600x1200Viewing AngleIf 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 RateThe 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 market in the fourth quarter of 2007.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 MonitorsAlthough 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 PitchThe 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 RateThe 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 ResolutionPretty 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 CRTsHere 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 MonitorsLess 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 MonitorsCheaper – 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.