Is there a "sharpness" attribute to monitors? Eye strain?

[CuriousMike]

1. My wife is using an older 21" 1680x1050 Viewsonic over VGA.
It seems to sync well, but I wouldn't call it sharp.

She's asked me if it's possible to get a similarly sized ( think 21-24" ) monitor, but she wants it to be sharp.

She has an ATI 5450 video card that has DVI ( but I don't think HDMI... i'm not at home atm ).

2. Secondarily, if anyone has ever suffered from eye strain, do the > 60hz monitors help?

No gaming - this is purely for application work ( email, spreadsheets etc)
Budget is ~ $300

 

[VirtualLarry]

I think that backlight, brightness, and contrast, matter more for eyestrain in LCDs than refresh rate. After all, there's no "flicker" like an CRT. (*)

(*) Hi-FRC panels may use a sort of flicker, to get colors that are in-between when the panel can actually display. Most often seen with 6-bit physical panels, I think. (Cheaper ones.)

 

[TurboCooler]

1. My wife is using an older 21" 1680x1050 Viewsonic over VGA.
It seems to sync well, but I wouldn't call it sharp.

She's asked me if it's possible to get a similarly sized ( think 21-24" ) monitor, but she wants it to be sharp.

She has an ATI 5450 video card that has DVI ( but I don't think HDMI... i'm not at home atm ).

2. Secondarily, if anyone has ever suffered from eye strain, do the > 60hz monitors help?

No gaming - this is purely for application work ( email, spreadsheets etc)
Budget is ~ $300

I agree with CuriousMike -- backlight, brightness, and contrast but I will also add room lighting and monitor position. IPS monitors IMHO are easier on the eyes.

The Dell UltraSharp monitors can be found in your price range especially when on sale.

The best monitor at the best value right now is the Dell UltraSharp 24 Monitor - U2412M. I have two of them at work.

I would also look at the HP Z Display Z24i 24-inch IPS LED Backlit Monitor. Or the Z Display series in general. These are made specifically for CAD/CAM and 3D modeling work where people are staring at the monitors all day. I have two of the Z24i monitors at home.

For room lighting, I would use calibrated 6500K bulb. You can find them on Amazon and they are not that expensive. These are used by graphic artists.

 

[CuriousMike]

Thank you for your suggestions.