LCD Buyer's Guide

[darXoul]

farp96, my new rig will feature an Athlon 64 X2 3800+ or 4400+, 2 gigs of RAM and either 7800 GT SLI or G71. I'm going to play with vsync on and in the native res of 1600*1200 (probably VP2030b). As for flat LCDs vs. CRTs, I'd choose a CRT of course and I'm also interested in SED but I hope I'll be able to cope with the slight blur a fast LCD causes in games.

 

[farp96]

Good luck I tried 4 lcd's and I just couldn't get used to it. I mean their's no doubt Lcd's look cooler. But if your system is built for gaming, and you want the best possible gaming expenience, than a crt is the way to go. If I didn't game, then I would have an lcd by now as well. Hope it works out for you...

 

[techronin]

I am looking to get my first LCD and was wondering how the

Samsung SyncMaster 940BF
http://peripherals.consumerelectronicsnet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=36134

and

ViewSonic VX922
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16824116375

compare to the Dell 2005FPW and other older models. (I'd like to hook up my pc DVI and 360 via vga cable.)

 

[farp96]

I had both of those LCD's. And to me the blurring was quite noticeable.

 

[techronin]

Really, where did you get the new Samsung 940BF? I can't find it anywhere.

 

[xtknight]

VX922 is your best bet for the fastest speed (TN+ODC) of 19" monitors for now. Not sure about Overdrive artifacts though. The VX922 is still faster than any VA+ODC like VP930b/970P. Remember, people have different sensitivity of blurring so you can't necessarily go off of just one person's opinion. Some people are best suited to stay with CRTs for gaming while some people can't even *see* the blurring. I think the vast majority of people can see it, they just don't find it as bothersome as others. I only do casual gaming right now, and none at all lately. I can't say it bothers me at all. My "12ms" TN was pretty good when I did hardcore gaming, and this "8ms" VA+ODC is even better...

Edit: sorry, edited this post 5 billion times.

 

[techronin]

Thanks for the info . The VX922 is 6 bit right, not 8bit like the VP930b and Dell2005FPW - would it be worth the extra $$$ to get one of those?

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: techronin
Thanks for the info . The VX922 is 6 bit right, not 8bit like the VP930b and Dell2005FPW - would it be worth the extra $$$ to get one of those?

The Dell 2005FPW is a tad slower than the VP930b. The VP930b is perfectly fine to me, then again I don't game much. In one particular rare transition it is VERY slow, and the VX922 doesn't have that problem. I'm not sure if 8-bit is worth it for you if you game a lot. 6-bit can still deliver vibrant (if not always accurate) colors too. I'd recommend the VX922 for you. It better suits your purpose at a cheaper price tag. The VX922 should be AMAZING for gaming.

Edit: Oh, did you say you were going to be gaming? I assumed it because you were mentioning TN+ODC LCDs (mouthful). For which purpose will you be using your LCD? For general usage and casual noncompetitive gaming I'd highly recommend the 8-bit+ODC LCDs instead.

 

[Compellor]

Originally posted by: xtknight
VX922 is your best bet for the fastest speed (TN+ODC) of 19" monitors for now. Not sure about Overdrive artifacts though. The VX922 is still faster than any VA+ODC like VP930b/970P. Remember, people have different sensitivity of blurring so you can't necessarily go off of just one person's opinion. Some people are best suited to stay with CRTs for gaming while some people can't even *see* the blurring. I think the vast majority of people can see it, they just don't find it as bothersome as others. I only do casual gaming right now, and none at all lately. I can't say it bothers me at all. My "12ms" TN was pretty good when I did hardcore gaming, and this "8ms" VA+ODC is even better...

Edit: sorry, edited this post 5 billion times.

With my VP930b I can see some blurring, bit it's very minimal and doesn't affect my game play at all. This "blur" effect is similar to the phosphor decay on CRTs.

 

[dman918]

So I just got a verification from newegg that they are refunding my money on the Hyundai L90D+ that I had (vertical line issue- actually, the link posted on the first page is me... cool), so I need to get a new one to take it's place. Primarily, it is used for web-browsing and some gaming. I have a budget of up to about $350. Would the 19" Samsung 940b be my best bet, or is there a better option for me.
Thanks!

 

[techronin]

Sorry I wasn't clearer - yes i'm going to game alot on pc (dvi) and xbox360 (rgb). I guess the VX922 is the better choice for me (and it's cheaper ).

Edit:Thanks for the help.

 

[darXoul]

I'm a very demanding gamer myself, and I initially wanted to get the VX922 or VX924 as well, just for the responsiveness. However, since most people don't complain about ghosting on VA 8 ms panels (and if they do, they usually complain about ghosting and blurry images on LCDs in general, including the 6-bit TN rockets), I'm now leaning towards the ViewSonic VP2030b, a 20.1" 1600*1200 8-bit 8 ms monitor, mainly for the color (color banding and dithering might be as visible to me as ghosting) as well as viewing angles and way better contrast (better blacks, I assume). No height adjustment on the VX is also a pain in the @ss IMO

Yes, the VX924 in Poland is sold @ roughly 1/2 of VP2030b's price, but I guess you get what you pay for.

 

[techronin]

That's a beauty but 1600x1200 is too much for me. I'm going to have to get used to 1280x1024 - i still use 1024x768 on my 19" CRT .

 

[darXoul]

1600*1200 is heavy indeed. I wonder if 7800 GT SLI will handle it with max gfx settings and 4*AA/16*AF in games like F.E.A.R., X3: Reunion or Call of Duty 2. I've read countless benchmarks and it's on the verge of being smoothly playable. Well, maybe I should just grab a G71 SLI soon

As for Windows, I'm also using 1024*768 on my 19" CRT. 1280*1024 in games. I'll definitely have to get used to a higher desktop resolution as well

 

[i4edge]

Hey Just thought I'd throw this out for those looking for cheap screen area.
I got two 20.1" Proview (PL2027B) monitors from Best Buy for $350 after rebates (they still have the Sylvnia CL2027b which is the same it appears).

I don't have a card to drive them at 1600x1200 yet, but have one hooked to a dell 9300 and drive that one with the DVI at 1600x1200. Can't speak for gaming, but they look nice (except for the stupid logo). The screens are not as bright as my old Dell 17"LCD. They are however very crisp with the DVI.

Sorry don't have any games to test on them.

 

[dman918]

Even though there have been some bleeding issues, I am considering the Viewsonic VX924 since it is $299 after rebate. Otherwise, I am not really sure what else to consider. I don't want the Hyundai again as I am concerned about actually getting vertical lines again on the screen.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: dman918
So I just got a verification from newegg that they are refunding my money on the Hyundai L90D+ that I had (vertical line issue- actually, the link posted on the first page is me... cool), so I need to get a new one to take it's place. Primarily, it is used for web-browsing and some gaming. I have a budget of up to about $350. Would the 19" Samsung 940b be my best bet, or is there a better option for me.
Thanks!

The 940b is what I would choose for that price, yeah.

 

[harobikes333]

I'm just wondering why you suggested the VX924 instead of the 940b ? ALso why is the VX922 400 bucks..?

 

[darXoul]

http://www.techbuilder.org/views/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=175004384&pgno=6

Check it out, guys. This is a brief review comparing five 21" LCDs, and of them is the ViewSonic VP2130b. It's not a quality review by my standards, and it doesn't really tell much about the monitor's performance (e.g. in games) but it does say a few useful words about it. Since the display is almost the same as VP2030b (just one inch larger with consequently larger pixels), it's quite relevant in terms of the smaller brother's gaming performance.

harobikes333, it's just marketing. The differences between VX924 and VX922 are contrast (550:1 and 650:1 respectively) and response time (gtg 3 vs 2 ms). As for the responsiveness, the guys from hardware.fr claim there is ABSOLUTELY no visible difference in practice. No one will be able to distinguish between the two monitors. If you look at the screenshots, this statement seems confirmed for sure.

 

[dman918]

I think the recommendation is to go with the 940b over the vx924. The question I have is if it is really worth the ~$75 price difference.
vx924=$299 after rebate
940b=$349 + $25 for DVI cable

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: harobikes333
I'm just wondering why you suggested the VX924 instead of the 940b ? ALso why is the VX922 400 bucks..?

The VX924 is a tad faster than the 940b for gaming. The VX922 is more because it has still a lower response.

 

[dman918]

Here's a question:
What are the thoughts on the ViewSonic VA1912wb? It's only $310 and is a widescreen 19".

 

[darXoul]

To be honest, it's crap IMO. Low resolution, and it's way too small. Vertically, it's much much smaller than a 19" CRT with a visible diagonal of 18".

In my book, even a 20" widescreen is too small, including the Dell 2005FPW. 23-24", that's what I really call widescreen.

 

[ricster2000]

I'm looking to buy my first LCD display to replace my 5 year old 17" CRT and need some help.

I'm currently looking at a couple of Samsung Models: 940B, 940T, 970P
I basically want the monitor for general use, with the occasional game and dvd. Is it worth it to pay extra for the 940T over the 940B? Or would you recommend i save up for the 970P instead? Another dilemma i have is whether to opt for 17" or 19". If the screen quality is just the same, i think I'll just opt for the 17" as i dont really need the extra space, but if the quality detoriates, think I'll have to pay extra for the 19".

Sorry for all the questions, i'm a total noob when it comes to monitors. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: ricster2000
I'm looking to buy my first LCD display to replace my 5 year old 17" CRT and need some help.

I'm currently looking at a couple of Samsung Models: 940B, 940T, 970P
I basically want the monitor for general use, with the occasional game and dvd. Is it worth it to pay extra for the 940T over the 940B? Or would you recommend i save up for the 970P instead? Another dilemma i have is whether to opt for 17" or 19". If the screen quality is just the same, i think I'll just opt for the 17" as i dont really need the extra space, but if the quality detoriates, think I'll have to pay extra for the 19".

Sorry for all the questions, i'm a total noob when it comes to monitors. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

The 940T's probably a no-no for gaming. The 970P is quite a bit better than the 940B in color reproduction and viewing angles. Is it worth it? Well...that's up to you I suppose. The 940B still has OK colors and viewing angle.