CRT Help

[desertfox04]

I'm going to need a new monitor for college. I'll be playing games, level editing, modeling, Photoshop etc.

An LCD is way out of my budget. The best size for me would probably be 19", anything bigger and it might not fit on the dorm desk.

So my question is what type of CRT to buy? My budget will probably be around $200-$230.

FST, Shadow Mask, Pure flat, Dyna Flat, Diamondtron or Apperature Grill?

Also, is there any difference in eye strain between the different techonologies?


In case you were wondering. I am now using a 15" mv540. Very crappy, I can see the vertical lines when running 1024X768 and my R 9800 pro is begging for higher res.

 

[soulflyfan]

read the guides section under midrange system buld, they reccomend acouple of very good monitors in there, one of which is the NEC diamond 19"

 

[MrPabulum]

Soulflyfan is right, Anandtech's midrange system guide is a useful tool, definitely a good place to start. When considering a CRT, there are three technologies to consider: Shadow Mask, Dynaflat/Pureflat, and the Aperture Grill. While the following explanations do not do justice to the actual specifics of the technology, it'll give you an idea of what to expect.

A shadow mask monitor is basically a curved tube, and is an older technology. An invar shadow mask CRT is a curved tube with an additional flat layer of glass on the very top. This roundup of shadow-mask and invar shadow mask monitors should give you a better idea of what these monitors look like. DynaFlat and PureFlat are versions of invar shadow mask CRTs, and represent Samsung and Viewsonic, respectively.

Aperture grill monitors mark the apex of CRT technology, as they tend to produce a brighter and more color-saturated image. Also, the screen are truly flat, unlike the invar shadow mask. The AP CRTs are easily recognizable due to two partially-visible wires, found at the top and bottom of the screen. Diamondtron and Trinitron are, once again, different versions of aperture-grill technology; Mitsubishi/NEC created the former, Sony the latter. Additionally, people do admit that there are subtle differences between the two. Some (like myself) find that Diamondtron's produce sharper text at higher resolutions, while Sony's have slightly better graphic reproduction. But to others, the differences are negligible.

At a budget of $200-230, Samsung 955DF is an excellent choice. Link

If you can afford a little more, I recommend getting an aperture-grill monitor. The Viewsonic P95F would be another solid choice. Link

I've tried invar shadow-mask technology before (Samsung 1100DF), and while it was nice, I found its color reproduction to be lacking. Results may vary. With regards to eye-strain, it comes down to what resolution you plan to be using. So long you keep a refresh rate of 75 (though 85 is optimal) you should be fine. Also, invar shadow masks and aperture grill monitors do not have the glare problem that older shadow mask CRTs retained. Good luck!

 

[imported_FishTaco]

For dorm life, it depends on what your transport situation is like. Moving a 19" monitor can be a pain if you have limited transport space. If you got your own car with alot of space, a 19" will be fine. If you have to bum a ride off friends to go home get a smaller monitor.

 

[Tostada]

I would say the $198 + $35 ViewSonic G90FB is better than that Samsung for less money. If you had $274 (239 + 35) for the ViewSonic P95F, though, I'd probably try and squeeze another $6 out of the budget and get the NEC FE991SB.

Not that any of those are bad monitors.

 

[desertfox04]

Also that Viewsonic 95F doesn't list any res lower than 1600X1200, surely it could support 1280 res?

This monitor looks interesting. Not out though, and the refresh rates are a little low.

 

[MrPabulum]

The Viewsonic will definitely support 1280 x 1024, or 1280 x 960, whichever you prefer. I own a Mitsubishi 930SB, and the lines are not noticeable to me. If you look for them they're there, but I never found the two gray lines to be a big deal. Though I haven't any experience with the NEC 991SB, I have read that the text reproduction isn't very good at high resolutions. Graphics are supposed to be top-notch though.

PC World article