1680x1050 vs 1900x1200

MacAttack

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Nov 12, 2003
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I am just trying to get an idea. I just upgraded from a 17" flat panel to a 22" (1680x1050) wide screen monitor (Samsung 224BW). Before my return policy ends, I want to know if there is a significant difference in video quality on high end games? The reason is I may not be able to get the right video card to support a 1900x1200 monitor and I would be giving up brand quality on the monitor as well.

Any ideas or recommendations?
 

chrismr

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Feb 8, 2007
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I am currently using 1 22" and think it's brilliant - like you upgraded from 17".

I don't think you will notice much difference in visual quality as such, but you will have a larger viewing area - as I assume you need to make the jump to a 24".

It's just that it will require a lot more horse-power to drive it.

I am using an 8800gtx with my 22", and think it's a perfect combination.

For games coming up, I think if you wnatd to run that res, you might get away with a 8800gtx, but I imagine you would be better with either 2 x 8800gtx or 2 x 8800gts.

It all depends how much you use things like AA and if you want all settings on highish levels.
 

dug777

Lifer
Oct 13, 2004
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I think the main difference is [aying for the card/s to drive the higher res ;)
 

KutterMax

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Sep 26, 2004
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I find that a 24" WS LCD at 1900x1200 is really a sweet spot when it comes to both gaming and everyday computer use. I really like how Firefox, various Adobe applications, and other apps look and feel. Gaming at 1900x1200 does require some serious videocard power, but there are quite a few capable cards these days as developers seem to have adopted these higher resolutions.

 

Matt2

Diamond Member
Jul 28, 2001
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I went from a Dell 2007wfp S-IPS to the Gateway 24" and I am so happy I did it.

1920x1200 looks amazing compared to even 1680x1050. My XBox 360 looks so much better on the 24" than it did on the 20.1" and PC games look awesome as well.

Considering my Dell 2007wfp has considerably better image quality than any 22", I dont think you'd be disappointed if you decided to go 24".
 

chizow

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Jun 26, 2001
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There is a pretty big difference in IQ due to the increase in resolution (19x12 is like wide 16x12, 16x10 is like wide 12x10), so its a very similar situation to going from a 19" 1280x1024 to a 21" 1600x1200 display. There's also the resulting difference in pixel pitch and density. There's quite a few more pixels in a proportionately smaller increase in area, so you get lower dot pitch and higher pixel density.

Finally, there's the difference in panel technology, as most 22" are TN panels and most 24" are S-PVA or P-MVA. The latest 22" TNs are pretty close to the 24" panels imo, but generally the 24" will have better viewing angles, panel uniformity, and color accuracy. I had a E228WFP for a few days and found it lacking in a lot of respects, so I sprung for a 24". After seeing the difference, I wouldn't consider going back to a 22" for the reasons above, among others (1:1 1080 is incredible).
 

MacAttack

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Nov 12, 2003
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My dilemma is that I have the Samsung 224BW. It is 1680x1050. I have a crappy video card and I have to update soon. If I am going to go to a 1920x1200, I must do it in the next few days. It will also limit me to only being able to get an 8800GTS 640MB (probably the eVGA KO verison). Also, I would be quite limited to the monitor I can get. It may only be the Acer AL2423WR. I might be able to swing the Samsung.
 

chizow

Diamond Member
Jun 26, 2001
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Originally posted by: MacAttack
My dilemma is that I have the Samsung 224BW. It is 1680x1050. I have a crappy video card and I have to update soon. If I am going to go to a 1920x1200, I must do it in the next few days. It will also limit me to only being able to get an 8800GTS 640MB (probably the eVGA KO verison). Also, I would be quite limited to the monitor I can get. It may only be the Acer AL2423WR. I might be able to swing the Samsung.

The 640MB GTS is more than enough to handle most games with max detail/shaders and AA/AF. It should perform welll in future games too by sacrificing some AA.

Curious as to why you're limited to the Acer and Samsung? Are you outside of the US? Both the Dell 2407WFP RevA04 and Gateway FPD2485W are readily available in most markets and very competitively priced as well. The BenQ models are also widely available but online only. I mention these because they're able to do 1:1 pixel mapping; I'm pretty sure the Samsung 244T can't, not 100% sure on the Acer though. The Samsung is pricey though, so if you can find one of the others I'd go with that.
 

MacAttack

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I may be limited with returning my current Samsung to TigerDirect. That is why. I need to dig up the receipt and check. If I am within the 30 days, I can return it. The other issue is the better monitors are 2x what I paid. May just have to work buying them in pieces instead of at once (monitor and vid card).
 

chizow

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Jun 26, 2001
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Originally posted by: MacAttack
I may be limited with returning my current Samsung to TigerDirect. That is why. I need to dig up the receipt and check. If I am within the 30 days, I can return it. The other issue is the better monitors are 2x what I paid. May just have to work buying them in pieces instead of at once (monitor and vid card).

Ah, that makes sense. TD has the BenQ FP241WZ in stock but its a good bit more than the Acer and even the Samsung. The Samsung has dropped a lot in price which may be a sign that the 245 or 246T is otw. Anyways, if 1:1 isn't that important to you, you won't lose that much by going with the Acer and Samsung.

But ya, its a significant bump in cost going to 24" since you'll need a new GPU and the 24" are 2-2.5x more than the 22" panels. Upgrading in pieces will be pretty unbalanced in your situation but it'll probably be worth it in the long run.
 

jjzelinski

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Aug 23, 2004
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You know what finally occurred to me just now is that people are pairing up 24" LCD's w/ 8800's for a perfect match, but what happens on next gen games? My guess is that the 8800 won't offer enough horsepower for 1920*1200...
 

chizow

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Jun 26, 2001
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Originally posted by: jjzelinski
You know what finally occurred to me just now is that people are pairing up 24" LCD's w/ 8800's for a perfect match, but what happens on next gen games? My guess is that the 8800 won't offer enough horsepower for 1920*1200...

Well, the 8800 does have quite a bit of headroom in most games right now, but anyone buying an 8800GTS today thinking they'll be able to run 1920 with the same settings for the next-gen DX10 games is being unrealistic. Just need to make some sacrifices (turning down some IQ settings) to get playable frame rates, and if that's still not enough, then its time to look at other measures or upgrading again. :)

Lots of options though, with 1:1 scaling fixed with 8800 drivers you can run a lower resolution and not get a stretched image. You can upgrade to a GTX, 8900, or R600 (I'd expect them to be released before something like Crysis, Unreal 3 or Gears of War hits the streets), or get a second GTS for SLI.

But those are some of the trade-offs that have always been effect with PC gaming, the 8800GTS is definitely not chugging along at 1920 in most current games though. I'd go as far to say the GTS has exceeded my expectations in terms of what its able to run at 1920 + 4xAA/16xAF settings with max details while maintaining at least 60 FPS.
 

MacAttack

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OK. I have decided if I am going high end, I need to go that route. The only way I can do it is by selling my flat panel TV as well. This would require me to get a computer monitor that can also have the XBox 360 hooked to.

I'd have to look into things a little more, but I believe on all of the High End monitors, I can connect the PC through the DVI, XBox 360 through the VGA, and another component via HDMI. The Benq has this capability. Dell monitors do not have an HDMI port, so that may be out.

I will have to see if I can sell my Samsung 32" LCD tv.


Potential TV/Monitor replacement: Link

It is not a matter of upgrading all the time. I am trying to get my computer finalized for the next 4-5 years. If it costs an extra $200-$300 now and not $800-$900 a year or two down the road, I would rather spend the money now.
 

Extelleron

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Dec 26, 2005
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Originally posted by: jjzelinski
You know what finally occurred to me just now is that people are pairing up 24" LCD's w/ 8800's for a perfect match, but what happens on next gen games? My guess is that the 8800 won't offer enough horsepower for 1920*1200...

Someone with the money to buy a 24" display ($600+) can afford to upgrade when necessary. When necessary they'll upgrade to an 8900GTX or X2900XTX, or whatever is fast enough to play @ 1920x1200.
 

chizow

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Jun 26, 2001
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Originally posted by: MacAttack
OK. I have decided if I am going high end, I need to go that route. The only way I can do it is by selling my flat panel TV as well. This would require me to get a computer monitor that can also have the XBox 360 hooked to.

I'd have to look into things a little more, but I believe on all of the High End monitors, I can connect the PC through the DVI, XBox 360 through the VGA, and another component via HDMI. The Benq has this capability. Dell monitors do not have an HDMI port, so that may be out.

I will have to see if I can sell my Samsung 32" LCD tv.


Potential TV/Monitor replacement: Link

It is not a matter of upgrading all the time. I am trying to get my computer finalized for the next 4-5 years. If it costs an extra $200-$300 now and not $800-$900 a year or two down the road, I would rather spend the money now.

1080p LCD TVs are becoming pretty popular nowadays, but imo a 24 or 27" LCD serve better as a TV than a 30"+ LCD TV serve as a monitor, if that makes sense. Biggest complaints about the LCD TVs are viewing text and pixel size/granularity etc.

The new LG 246 has a built in HDMI port instead of DVI, although I'm not sure if it has 1:1 pixel mapping. The Gateway and Dell don't have HDMI, but you can get an adapter/switch for a reasonable price at Monoprice.com. $25 for a 2-way, $60 or so for a 3-way with remote. They also support HDCP. The BenQ variants have HDMI and DVI so they'll give you a bit more connectivity out of the box.

In that price range though you could also consider the Dell 27". I haven't looked at it much, but I'm pretty sure it does 1:1 pixel mapping and has similar inputs to the 24" options. Some of the complaints about it are similar to the LCD TVs in terms of pixel pitch and density, but it seems to be a pretty good compromise of size and flexibility as a PC monitor.

Depending on the size of your room where you plan to put the new panel, the 24" do a really good job serving as both a TV and PC monitor. I'm not sure if it'd be big enough for a family room, but I no longer need a TV in my bedroom with the 24". Viewing distance is typically 2' for PC usage and 7-8' watching TV/movies from my bed.
 

jjzelinski

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Aug 23, 2004
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Originally posted by: Extelleron
Originally posted by: jjzelinski
You know what finally occurred to me just now is that people are pairing up 24" LCD's w/ 8800's for a perfect match, but what happens on next gen games? My guess is that the 8800 won't offer enough horsepower for 1920*1200...

Someone with the money to buy a 24" display ($600+) can afford to upgrade when necessary. When necessary they'll upgrade to an 8900GTX or X2900XTX, or whatever is fast enough to play @ 1920x1200.

Hopefully in most cases you'd be right, but I'm sure there will be exceptions where someone might splurge on what should be one of the longest lasting and most significant PC purchases they can make in the form of a 24"+ and they may not be informed about the additional $500+ they'll be forking over every generation just to keep they're frame rates up while running 1920*1200 (grammar be damned!). Again, most people would probably realize this but some may not.
 

bigsnyder

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Nov 4, 2004
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Since the issue of monitors supporting 1:1 pixel mapping has come up, get this be done through the video
drivers regardless of what the monitor "supports" ?

 

chizow

Diamond Member
Jun 26, 2001
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Originally posted by: bigsnyder
Since the issue of monitors supporting 1:1 pixel mapping has come up, get this be done through the video
drivers regardless of what the monitor "supports" ?

If you output via PC/video card yes, but for components and devices that hook directly into the monitor (XBox360, PS3, HD-DVD/Blu-Ray, HD cable/satellite, Digital camcorder etc.) the monitor needs to support 1:1 or else the image will be stretched. Before the 100 series drivers 1:1 scaling was broken via PC/Windows for the 8800s, but now that they're fixed, I get a 1:1 image always. :thumbsup:
 

MacAttack

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Nov 12, 2003
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After all this bouncing around of what to do, I am probably going to get the Benq 24" monitor in the next month or so. Then I will wait a few months to see the prices on the G80's and possibly the R600's. Maybe the prices will drop and I will have enough to jump on a semi-future proof card in May.
 

CloE

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Mar 2, 2007
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8800 GTS will handle all today's game at 1900x1200 max settings, just not future DX10 games prove. you can get GTX and OC the card that will take care the future release games with same max settings.
 

jjzelinski

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Aug 23, 2004
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Originally posted by: MacAttack
After all this bouncing around of what to do, I am probably going to get the Benq 24" monitor in the next month or so. Then I will wait a few months to see the prices on the G80's and possibly the R600's. Maybe the prices will drop and I will have enough to jump on a semi-future proof card in May.

Don't suppose you'd be willing to get your 8800 before your hungry new monitor?
 

MacAttack

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Nov 12, 2003
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I don't think I will be buying the video card or monitor within the next month or so. Need tax return and annual bonus to be able to cover them.
 

slag

Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
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Originally posted by: chizow
Originally posted by: MacAttack
My dilemma is that I have the Samsung 224BW. It is 1680x1050. I have a crappy video card and I have to update soon. If I am going to go to a 1920x1200, I must do it in the next few days. It will also limit me to only being able to get an 8800GTS 640MB (probably the eVGA KO verison). Also, I would be quite limited to the monitor I can get. It may only be the Acer AL2423WR. I might be able to swing the Samsung.

The 640MB GTS is more than enough to handle most games with max detail/shaders and AA/AF. It should perform welll in future games too by sacrificing some AA.

Curious as to why you're limited to the Acer and Samsung? Are you outside of the US? Both the Dell 2407WFP RevA04 and Gateway FPD2485W are readily available in most markets and very competitively priced as well. The BenQ models are also widely available but online only. I mention these because they're able to do 1:1 pixel mapping; I'm pretty sure the Samsung 244T can't, not 100% sure on the Acer though. The Samsung is pricey though, so if you can find one of the others I'd go with that.

Does oblivion take more horsepower than Vanguard? I played Vanguard 1680x1050 balanced detail and it was smooth as butter. Kick it up to Full detail and it was a bit slower, but very playable. This is with an EVGA 7600GT 256 mb pci card. I would think a 7900 would be plenty for this game and 8800 just pure overkill....