20" vs 22" for gaming

[Extelleron]

A few weeks ago my 18" LCD I've had for 3 years died and since then I've been running on an old 17" CRT. I really want to replace it and get a new monitor, especially since the prices are so good right now. I'm looking at either a 20" or 22" monitor, specifically the 205BW and 225BW from Samsung. For a little bit more money I'm not sure whether I should get the 22" or get the cheaper 205BW. I'll be using the monitor mostly for gaming and internet browsing. Resolution isn't a problem since both are 1680x1050 and I have an 8800GTS... the main issue for me is whether or not the text will be too small on the 20" vs. a quality reduction in the 22" monitor because of a lower DPI.

Thanks.

 

[SEAL62505]

225bw is awesome! I just picked one up last week and I really like the widescreen. In the store it did look like the extra two inches would be beneficial (when I compared).

 

[Jeff7181]

I have the 205BW, I like it a lot. When I bought it the 22 inch was about $70 more and I couldn't justify that... but I certainly wouldn't mind a slightly bigger screen. I don't find the text to be too small, but I have good eyes and I don't usually sit more than 2 feet from the monitor. If you can afford it, go with the bigger screen. I rarely hear anyone say they wish they had gotten a smaller monitor.

 

[Captante]

For gaming the 22 inch 6-bit TN panel's color reproduction will be ok & its fast response time will result in less ghosting ... its in non-gaming applications like video & photo viewing/editing that it'll let you down when compared to a real 8-bit model.

 

[craftech]

Originally posted by: Captante
For gaming the 22 inch 6-bit TN panel's color reproduction will be ok & its fast response time will result in less ghosting ... its in non-gaming applications like video & photo viewing/editing that it'll let you down when compared to a real 8-bit model.

Only lasted three years? Discussions in other threads about being resigned to stuck or dead pixels as "acceptable" because the industry says so? BS warranties. Fraudulent reponse times specifications. Widescreen sizes that sound bigger than they actually look.

Remind me again why people are spending $400 to $1000 or more for LCD monitors. I am starting to lose sight of why this is all worth it.

John

 

[Extelleron]

Originally posted by: craftech

Originally posted by: Captante
For gaming the 22 inch 6-bit TN panel's color reproduction will be ok & its fast response time will result in less ghosting ... its in non-gaming applications like video & photo viewing/editing that it'll let you down when compared to a real 8-bit model.

Only lasted three years? Discussions in other threads about being resigned to stuck or dead pixels as "acceptable" because the industry says so? BS warranties. Fraudulent reponse times specifications. Widescreen sizes that sound bigger than they actually look.

Remind me again why people are spending $400 to $1000 or more for LCD monitors. I am starting to lose sight of why this is all worth it.

John

Well, there really isn't any other option, is there? CRT's are dead; anything you get now is pretty much left over junk. LCD's are cheap (unless you want 24" or higher) and for the most part they're good. Stuck/dead pixels are a problem but my 18" LCD had none and neither does my laptop's screen.. it's just luck of the draw.

I decided to go with the 205BW; it's big enough for me and at $199 an absolute steal. Bought it last night and hooked it up this morning; looked real nice but as soon as I got to my desktop I could see a stuck (green) pixel in the middle-left hand corner. It's pretty obvious too... when gaming I could see it and while viewing any dark webpage. I tried using some programs and the pressure technique that is supposed to unstick the pixel... neither worked. I decided to return it and Samsung is going to ship me a new one... hopefully it will be better.

As for my old 18" lasting 3 years... yeah I was mad about that. It just suddenly died a few weeks ago, with no warning... and my luck it was about a month after the 3-year warranty expired.

 

[Emo]

I was also debating going with the 205BW or the 225BW from OM. I am used to looking at a 17" laptop screen at 1900x1200 resolution so going to a lower resolution and a much larger screen size was not something too exciting. I felt the 205BW was the better choice for me (cost was not an issue). The first one I picked had a stuck red pixel so I exchanged it for another one which is perfect as far as I can tell. I will use it for about 6 months or so (hoping the 24" monitors drop in the $400s) and then I'll give it to my wife.

 

[MegaWorks]

I got the Samsung 205BW very happy with it. I really don't need more than 20".

 

[daveymark]

enjoying my 225bw I picked up from staples for $200