Matching Video card to LCD Monitor

[rharbin]

I'm considering buying a top of the line Dell 1504 Flat Panel Ultra Sharp monitor with a bottom of the line Dell 2300 PC. The PC comes with an intel 32mb integrated video processor. The monitor is a digital monitor. Is this a wise choice? Will the monitor be as sharp as if I had a better video card? I have see some high end video cards with DVI output. Do I need DVI output from a card to take advantage of the monitor's features? Thanks in advance for your recommendations.

 

[AnAndAustin]

Well I believe Intel's o/b gfx solutions are actually pretty decent for image quality, but it would be a good idea to get a decent add-in card with DVI, you could try it with the Intel solution and if it's unsatisfactory then consider your DVI options.

Rad9000 is an excellent budget choice with very decent gaming ability and full DX8 hw (if that's important to you). It also sports great IQ (not much diff when using DVI though), dual display, great TVout and hw MPEG playback and enhancement. If you want a bit more for your money then a Rad8500LE-128MB shoud be under $100 and offers much the same features as the Rad9000 but is a lot faster for gaming. If you want a little more you could consider GF4TI cards, the 4200 is esp good value for money. If you aren't so interested in 3D then Rad7500, GF4MX420 or even an old Matrox card (G200-450) with DVI are good options, saying that these are all still much faster than Intel o/b gfx!

If your CPU is pretty slow (< 1ghz) there isn't huge point getting anything better than Rad9000 although Rad8500LE would still be better. Anyway, if your screen is expensive it makes sense not to skimp on the device feeding it the signal!

 

[rharbin]

Thanks. This helps and I'll check out the cards you mention. The PC has a 1.8G P4 processor. I don't plan on doing any gaming. The PC is for my daughter in college and her primary use is internet, IM, and Word. I got the best flat monitor I could afford and just wanted to make sure the PC was sufficient. Thanks again.

 

[AnAndAustin]

Well se what the prices are like. Rad9000 is prob the best buy if some gaming and DX8 supprt may be wated at a future date, otherwise I'd suggest a GF4MX420, Rad7500 or if you can get a good deal (and put up with awful 3D) a Matrox G200-450. Simply double check the particular card does have DVI, the most common solution is CRT+DVI+TVout but some manus do vary. All these cards should be $50-60 and will suit the needs perfectly.