monitor question (should I get a new one)

[crzybob77]

I just ordered a really nice new computer for college (Athlon XP3000+, 1 Gig of PC3200 DDR memory, 128 meg Radeon 9600 Pro, Creative Audigy, 120 gig Western Digital, 16x DVD, 52x Burner). Anyways, now I need to think about what monitor I am going to use. I have a 17" HP Pavilion m70 monitor from an old computer. It probably isnt the best monitor, but the specs are at the bottom of this post. My question is considering that it is a nice computer with a nice video card and everything, would it be worth getting a new monitor that is better, or would the difference between a new one and this HP be minimal enough to not matter. Of course, I would rather not spend money, so tel me if you think the difference is unnoticable enough to keep the HP or should I get a new monitor, and if so... what monitor. I dont want to spend any more than about 170 or so on a new one.


Picture tube
17 inches (43.1 cm), 90 degrees deflection, non-glare, black matrix, light transmission 52% phosphor P22 medium short, 0.28 mm dot pitch

Maximum viewable area
320 mm (H) x 240 mm (V)
12.8 inches (H) x 9.6 inches (V)

Line (horizontal) frequency
30-70 kHz

Raster (vertical) frequency
50-120 Hz

Dot rate
110 MHz

 

[brettjrob]

For college, any LCD would be a great way to save space and avoid the heat output of CRT's... but you certainly aren't going to find one for under $170.

I was in a similar position to you (at least with the monitor) a few months ago... I had a 5 or 6 year old generic 17" monitor and had to run at 1024x768 @ 85Hz max. I payed $175 shipped for the Samsung SyncMaster 950b 19" on NewEgg and am quite satisfied considering the price for a 19". It's not completely flat, but it's much flatter than most non-flat monitors (if that makes any sense). I am also able to run at 1152x864 @ 85Hz, giving more space and a nicer feel in WinXP.

I would say go with at least the 950b that I mentioned, or possibly a nicer 19" for somewhat more money (~$200 to ~$230 should get you a nice flat-screen 19" CRT). Your point is absolutely valid; why spend tons of dough on a top-notch new system and view it through a crappy monitor? The fact that the CPU and vid card can run the latest and greatest games at 1280x1024 with good framerates will mean nothing if your monitor can't even handle it.

 

[themanwithapc]

If you have the money, then definitely buy a new monitor. I have a similar problem to you. I have a 19inch generic monitor that is extremely crap, whereas my PC is extremely high spec(see sig). You could make do with the monitor for a month or two, and save up some more money to get a really decent monitor. I would recommend a NEC or Sony (quite expensive) monitor if you're looking at CRT's, and Sharp or Ilyama for TFT's.