Is my LCD holding back my Games?

[anixon]

I have a decently pimped out rig... see below. But i just don't feel like my framerate in games is really that great. Main games I play are oblivion, battlefield 2, doom3 etc.

When I read forums others with similar specs seem to all be saying they run these games totally smooth all settings max and stuff like that etc.

My main problems are when I have my settings really high two things happen:
1. my mouse movement seems pretty lagged and
2. Even if my framerate seems okay everything seems kinda blurry when i move my view around. when i stop moving my view around and stand still it's fine.
(vsync on or off doesn't seem to change the outcome of these issues)

In oblivion I also seem to have some stuttering, i don't know if everyone has that... if so nobody ever admits it.

The LCD i have is a samsung 910N, 1280x1024 8ms. Could this be causing my blurring and slow mouse tracking? If i switch to say a 2ms monitor would my problems be solved? Or is my performance normal for my system specs and everyone else who has similar specs is just blowing smoke?

Thanks.

 

[LandRover]

Your 8ms LCD is not the problem.

 

[moonboy403]

blurry? can it be you're not running at native resolution??

about slow mouse tracking, i think you can increase your mouse sensitivity in the game

 

[NoLimits3D]

What are you guys talking about? The blurring he's speaking of is definitely a sign of bad overdrive. A lot of the older generation "fast" monitors have this problem.

I'm not sure about the mouse movement, but I'm pretty sure a VX922 will solve the blurring problem, as the monitor has a very well controlled overdrive beside it's extremely fast response time.

Check out Tom's Hardware Spring LCD reviews for more info.

 

[Noema]

You probably need extra sensorial perception or something like being an Oracle to see ghosting in an 8ms LCD. Heck, most people wouldn't see ghosting in a 16ms LCD.

Stuttering is not caused by the monitor; yes, I believe most people lie when they say Oblivion doesn't stutter in their systems.

 

[BassBomb]

dont i have the same panel in my 915N, i dont get blurryness

do these even have overdrive

 

[moonboy403]

Originally posted by: Noema
You probably need extra sensorial perception or something like being an Oracle to see ghosting in an 8ms LCD. Heck, most people wouldn't see ghosting in a 16ms LCD.

Stuttering is not caused by the monitor; yes, I believe most people lie when they say Oblivion doesn't stutter in their systems.

heck, i even have occasional stutters with my 7900 gtx sli setup in oblivion,
so i've always wondered how people would call their system running "buttery smooth" in oblivion with only a single card

 

[xtknight]

The Samsung 915n isn't the fastest around...so give the ViewSonic VX922 a try, which is the fastest around (give or take 1 ms).

 

[LandRover]

I have a very similar 17" version of that LCD, a 710N. And my response is 12ms, and I have no issues.

As previously pointed out, if you run games at less than the native resolution, that could be noticeable.

Also, check your refresh rate. If it's set at less (or more) than the optimal refresh, that can definitely cause some blurryness. On mine for example, if it's set at 60hz (which is the default the drivers set it to), it's noticeably blurry compared to the optimal 75hz. Try manually configuring your refresh rate for the resolutions you use. Just be sure you set it at the optimal refresh rate as specified for your LCD @ the resolution(s) you use. You should also be able to check the onscreen display to see what it's currently set at.

The 910N is not a crappy LCD. And I very highly doubt you are noticing anything due to the 8ms response.

 

[Skyhanger]

are you running @ 75Hz? Many LCD panels can't handle that refresh rate properly. Check if you are running at the recommended refresh rate.

Besides, its pointless to go above 60Hz for LCD, LCDs dont work like CRTs in having a scan rate, instead they change individual pixels at the refresh rate (8ms in your case). Thus the 60Hz refresh rate is misnomer. Don't force a refresh rate that's not native to your LCD.

 

[Skyhanger]

Originally posted by: LandRover
Also, check your refresh rate. If it's set at less (or more) than the optimal refresh, that can definitely cause some blurryness.

Well, maybe not all LCDs run @ 60 Hz, but make sure your refresh rate is the one specified by the manufacturer

 

[BassBomb]

915N wants 60Hz im assuming so does the 910

 

[xtknight]

Few 17"/19" LCDs have problems running 75 Hz (though most 20" ones don't support it at all). The Samsung 970P is the only one that comes to mind at the moment, where response time can increase roughly 20 ms. across the scale. The ViewSonic VP930b does not have this problem. My Samsung 710T worked just fine under 75 Hz, and the smoother panel update rate was an added bonus. My VP930b has also been working great at 75 Hz. Response time does not tell the crystals how often to refresh, only the time it takes for the crystals to twist.

 

[LandRover]

Originally posted by: Skyhanger
are you running @ 75Hz? Many LCD panels can't handle that refresh rate properly. Check if you are running at the recommended refresh rate.

Besides, its pointless to go above 60Hz for LCD, LCDs dont work like CRTs in having a scan rate, instead they change individual pixels at the refresh rate (8ms in your case). Thus the 60Hz refresh rate is misnomer. Don't force a refresh rate that's not native to your LCD.

That's the impression I was under as well. But, there is definitely a noticeable difference when running mine at 60hz instead of the specified 75hz. And this guy has a similar LCD, so he could notice the same thing. I just checked the PDF manual I have, which also covers the 910N, and the specs show the max res as: "1280x1024 @ 75hz" like mine. It's worth a shot.

Another thing that may sound silly, but is worth a look... Are you using the analog cable that came with it? Mine came with a very flimsy/cheap cable. I swear when I swapped it with a high quality/thicker shielded cable I had, that it looked better.:Q