CRT or LCD?

[envisioncs]

I am in the processes of putting together a computer for a family member and had a question about the monitor. As a college student, his desk space is limited. However, he plays games (Diablo, Starcraft, nothing First Person Shooter though) and I want something that will perform well. Should I go with a CRT of a good flat panel. I was looking at the NEC LCD1700NX and I hear its pretty good.

Also, are desktop LCDs the same as the ones for notebooks in that they have a 'native' resolution where everything looks poor if you use a different setting? He likes his desktop at 1024x768.

Thanks!

 

[Kingofcomputer]

From Hitachi:

Why a CRT May Still Suit Your Needs

While flat panel displays are amazing and offer numerous benefits, CRTs are still the best choice for some consumers. People who need to work with multiple resolutions ? especially 1600 x 1200 and higher ? are better off with CRTs because flat panels cannot support very high resolutions, and will show degraded images at non-prime resolutions.

In addition, CRTs are significantly less expensive than flat panel displays, so if budget is an issue, you can get larger screens on CRTs for the same money as a smaller flat panel.

There is no doubt that flat panels are the wave of the future and have a host of great benefits, from space savings to improved brightness and reduced glare, but there are still some cases where CRTs are a better fit.

http://www.hitachidisplays.com/how_monitors/flatpanel.htm

 

[idNut]

I got a MAG 19" and it's the biggest monitor I've ever had but had a very nice price on it. (Max resolution 1600x1200) $200 then there was a $50 mail-in rebate. It's pretty sweet but taking it to LAN parties is another story. It's a space hog but helps the eyes out.

 

[WaTaGuMp]

I prefer the options for resoulution settings with a CRT myself. The LCD's are very clear but from what I have been told if you use any resolution other then what its designed for it doesnt look as good. This is not from seeing them myself so if I am wrong about that dont kill me 😉

 

[BFG10K]

Overall CRTs are far better than LCDs IMO. They cost less, have better colours and run at high resolutions and refresh rates.

 

[AT]

Originally posted by: BFG10K
Overall CRTs are far better than LCDs IMO. They cost less, have better colours and run at high resolutions and refresh rates.

Well, current 17"/18" LCDs run 1280x1024 and 19"/20" 1600x1200. For most people those are high resolutions.

As for refresh rates the way LCDs work make refresh rates non-issue. I run my 17" 1280x1024 at 60Hz. 60Hz on LCD has nothing to do with 60Hz on a CRT.

But to each their own, I am never ever going back to CRTs now that I have had an LCD for some time.

 

[jiffylube1024]

Originally posted by: AT

Originally posted by: BFG10K
Overall CRTs are far better than LCDs IMO. They cost less, have better colours and run at high resolutions and refresh rates.

Well, current 17"/18" LCDs run 1280x1024 and 19"/20" 1600x1200. For most people those are high resolutions.

As for refresh rates the way LCDs work make refresh rates non-issue. I run my 17" 1280x1024 at 60Hz. 60Hz on LCD has nothing to do with 60Hz on a CRT.

But to each their own, I am never ever going back to CRTs now that I have had an LCD for some time.

^ Very good points here.

HOWEVER, I'd recommend a CRT for your friend. You can get a 17" CRT for less than half the cost of a 15" LCD, and a 19" good quality CRT for less than a 15" LCD. Cost is very important for a college student. Also, who really likes using 15" monitors (yeah, we all know a 15" LCD equals a 16" CRT, but a 19" CRT is much bigger still).

Also, he won't/shouldn't be using his desk for work too much anyways - the library is a far better place to work and concentrate in college/university. This is coming from a second year engineer who squeaked by in first year because he thought his dorm room was a good enough place to work.