I need help finding a monitor

[user]

So I've never owned an LCD monitor before to know what to go for, but am buying one to replace this crappy 17" CRT I have.

I'm looking for something close to or under $300USD, ideal for gaming first, then design/video.

toad recommended this but it's slightly over my budget ($300) and has a crappy 16ms response time. Plus I'd have to order it being a dell :/

CJ recommended the samsung 940BW which while it has a 4ms response time it only has 500:1 contrast ratio, or the 205BW which has a 700:1 contrast ratio, goes up to 6ms response time, and costs $100 more than the 940BW, and both are TN which I hear is bad.

Help.

[cyberjunkie]

I however would like to clarify that most 20" LCD and higher have a 8bit TN panels which give a better color representation. Also the 20" widescreens have a higher resolution. 1680x1050 as opposed to 1440x900. 19" are quite cheaper than the 20" and use the 6bit TN panels which would give you some banding.

If the price difference isnt too much, then without any hesitation get the 20" as long as its a 8bit TN panel!

[Ginger Lord]

I presume its not the case anymore but LCD's used to have real trouble getting 16.7 million colours and a decent response time. Hence why all the graphic design based panels had high ms ratings.

I think its been improved now though. I have an Acer 17" 8ms LCD that one website says its 16.2million and another 16.7. It's next to my iMac which Apple says has "millions" of colours and neither look any different to me.

[PhilipK]

Need to get myself a widescreen home as well soon.

But prio one is a new flat TV :\

Btw. I'm not too into the technical details of screens so I can't help you, sorry

[user]

If the price difference isnt too much, then without any hesitation get the 20" as long as its a 8bit TN panel!

the 20" dell or the 20" samsung?

[dissonance]

i havea samsung 204b 22" that i picked up for 350$. it ghosts a bit, but it's still better than the 17" crt i had before. goes to 1600x1200, too.

[Izuno]

check out Dell's 20" widescreen. They have a model for under $300.

[OL]

I hope you're planning a PC upgrade at the same time, or you're going to have a lot of fun trying to run games at native resolution.

oh also the dell monitors are widely loved by gamers over at SA.

[Fletch]

Go with Dell. They've got some of the best prices on the market, and almost every tech website agrees that Dell's LCDs are some of the highest quality available. The casing is solid, the colors and vibrant, and you'll get less dead pixels than other brands.

[Spellbinder]

Go with Dell. They've got some of the best prices on the market, and almost every tech website agrees that Dell's LCDs are some of the highest quality available. The casing is solid, the colors and vibrant, and you'll get less dead pixels than other brands.

This statement sounds like you have to live with dead pixels on any monitor. If this is true it sucks.

[Izuno]

Go with Dell. They've got some of the best prices on the market, and almost every tech website agrees that Dell's LCDs are some of the highest quality available. The casing is solid, the colors and vibrant, and you'll get less dead pixels than other brands.

This statement sounds like you have to live with dead pixels on any monitor. If this is true it sucks.

Most manufacturers offer a dead pixel rebate policy. If you receive a monitor with over a threshold number, they'll replace it, free. You can probably find this on Dell's website if you look hard enough.

[dissonance]

Go with Dell. They've got some of the best prices on the market, and almost every tech website agrees that Dell's LCDs are some of the highest quality available. The casing is solid, the colors and vibrant, and you'll get less dead pixels than other brands.

This statement sounds like you have to live with dead pixels on any monitor. If this is true it sucks.

Most manufacturers offer a dead pixel rebate policy. If you receive a monitor with over a threshold number, they'll replace it, free. You can probably find this on Dell's website if you look hard enough.

evan having one, though. ugh.

[ReNo]

I've got a couple of stuck pixels (blue) on my HDTV, right next to one another. I know you can unstick stuck pixels with either those crazy flashing videos or by pressing the screen in the right place as you start it up, but I've tried both with no success. To be honest though, they really aren't that big an issue for me. Sure, its fairly noticeable when the screen is all black, but thats pretty much during loading screens alone. In use, I find it pretty hard to notice.

I guess it might be worse with an LCD monitor though, given how much closer to it you are generally gonna be sitting.

[Steppenwolf]

Go with Dell. They've got some of the best prices on the market, and almost every tech website agrees that Dell's LCDs are some of the highest quality available. The casing is solid, the colors and vibrant, and you'll get less dead pixels than other brands.

Simple rule: Never buy a TFT in a real shop! Buy online and if it has one or more dead pixels just send it back. Even better: buy at a shop that offers dead pixel pixel checking and guarantees you that your new TFT has not a single dead pixel. may cost a few extra bucks tho.