Please give recommendations for a 20.1" non-widescreen for under $400 AR

[kalrith]

I'm leaving my original post in tact below, but I'd like to change the point of this thread. I feel that my resolution question has been answered, so I would now like recommendations for a 20.1" non-widescreen monitor for under $400 after rebates, tax, and shipping. I live in southwest Missouri and want to purchase something locally. Right now the Samsung 204b for $300 AR at Circuit City seems to be the best deal. The deal ends tomorrow, so I'd like some input before then.

I am mainly looking for a gaming monitor, so I don't want a 20ms response rate or anything like that. However, I'm not going to pay a huge premium for a 2ms response rate, because I'm just not that picky. I didn't notice any ghosting in Quake 4 when using the SCEPTRE X20G-Naga III that I borrowed from work.

I appreciate all the help so far. Keep it coming!

Well, the title basically sums it up, but I'll add a little more info. I really want to get a 20.1" non-widescreen monitor like the Samsung 204b. I am just concerned about how much 1600x1200 will tax my video card. I know that my current one won't keep up, but I'm going to wait a few months or maybe even until early next year to upgrade. I'll get the best card that $300 can buy, which right now is the X1900XT. Quake 4 is the most-taxing game that I play right now. After I upgrade my gpu, I plan on getting Oblivion.

I know that a lot of people love widescreen gaming, but I just don't care for it. I borrowed a 20.1" WS from work for a weekend and gamed for several hours. I only played Warcraft 3 (which stretches the image) and Quake 4. I played Quake 4 the most, and it doesn't strecth the image. I felt like I didn't have enough vertical space, and I also felt like the screen was too wide and I was having to look back and forth to see the whole picture. I love widescreen for daily usage, but I'm upgrading mainly for gaming reasons. I also gamed a bit on a 19" non-WS and actually enjoyed it more than the 20.1" WS. I hate the 5:4 ratio though, which is why I'm not considering a 17" or 19". I'm upgrading from a 19" CRT that I've had for 6 years.

So, please chime in if you have any input as to how much the two resolutions will tax the video card, and mainly which one will tax it more and by how much. Also, if you have any other 20.1" non-widescreen monitor recommendations, please feel free to share your input. If you want to convince me that widescreen gaming is better, I don't mind, but I seriously doubt it will change my mind. If I had the resources to go with a 24" WS, then I probably would. I plan on spending about $600-700 on BOTH a monitor and video card, and it's hard to get just a 24" WS for that price.

Thanks!

 

[LittleNemoNES]

Prob about equal. 1600x1200 has more pixels but 1680x1050 has a higher FOV. Depends on the game (=tie)

 

[Just4Ever]

Well I would say the 1600x1200 is more taxing because there are more pixels (156,000 more) and your system would have to render a larger image.
Don't take what I say for gospel but logically it seems to make sense.

 

[BrokenVisage]

Originally posted by: kalrith
I plan on spending about $600-700 on BOTH a monitor and video card, and it's hard to get just a 24" WS for that price.

Thanks!

Well then, a X1900XT and a VX2025WM could be in your future for not much more then $600. The 20.1" VX2025 runs 1680x1050 @ 75Hz and is very fast with games. The X1900XT will be able to play any game on the market at that reso with almost all the eye candy turned on. I find the 24" WS panels to be TOO wide and big sometimes, and as you said the prices arn't very friendly right now.

 

[PingSpike]

I guess they'd probably about the same like gersson says. More pixels on the 4:3...but the widescreen will be rendering stuff that the 4:3 isn't.

 

[kalrith]

Originally posted by: BrokenVisage

Originally posted by: kalrith
I plan on spending about $600-700 on BOTH a monitor and video card, and it's hard to get just a 24" WS for that price.

Thanks!

Well then, a X1900XT and a VX2025WM could be in your future for not much more then $600. The 20.1" VX2025 runs 1680x1050 @ 75Hz and is very fast with games. The X1900XT will be able to play any game on the market at that reso with almost all the eye candy turned on. I find the 24" WS panels to be TOO wide and big sometimes, and as you said the prices arn't very friendly right now.

If I bought a 20.1" widescreen, then the VX2025 would be the one. However, I think I would prefer a 20.1" non-widescreen like the afore-mentioned Samsung 204b or the Dell 2007FP. Also, I'm going to wait a few months to upgrade the video card. I have a really busy semester coming up in a couple of weeks, and I won't be able to game much until December. But I will be able to enjoy a new monitor since I'll be using the computer a lot for school.

Since there will not be much of a difference in performance between the two resolutions, I'd like to change this thread to asking for recommendations for a 20.1" non-widescreen for under $400 after rebates and shipping. I'd also like to purchase locally to keep from getting dead pixels. Circuit City has the 204b for $300 AR, and I might be able to use a $40 off coupon as well.

 

[Athadeus]

I just went through a bunch of trouble this week with LCDs. I thought I wanted a big high res monitor with height adjustable stand, so I bought that 204B from Circuit City after convincing an employee to let me open it and test it for dead and stuck pixels before paying. I also got the 4 year warranty because it covers even 1 dead pixel and it was only $70 which is not too bad. I thought it was a pretty nice monitor if you keep it in one place, but it comes in at 17lbs, which is a lot more than some 19" ones at 10.6lbs. The height adjustable stand goes up nice and high, and the base rotates without even liftingf ... gotta go, I am at work working on customers comp, and its time for it to leave lol. Good monitor tho, and BB has the same one for $300 instant juts so you know!

 

[Josh7289]

Originally posted by: Athadeus
I just went through a bunch of trouble this week with LCDs. I thought I wanted a big high res monitor with height adjustable stand, so I bought that 204B from Circuit City after convincing an employee to let me open it and test it for dead and stuck pixels before paying. I also got the 4 year warranty because it covers even 1 dead pixel and it was only $70 which is not too bad. I thought it was a pretty nice monitor if you keep it in one place, but it comes in at 17lbs, which is a lot more than some 19" ones at 10.6lbs. The height adjustable stand goes up nice and high, and the base rotates without even liftingf ... gotta go, I am at work working on customers comp, and its time for it to leave lol. Good monitor tho, and BB has the same one for $300 instant juts so you know!

I don't see any trouble here.

 

[Dr J]

I recently swam through the complexity of choosing a new lcd monitor and decided on the LG L203WT. There is now a 204 version and there are some differences. The panels, unfortunately, are not universally the same, some TN, others IPS and the specs are measured/rated differently between the two models. Of my research, the response rate is 8 ms, b to b and the contrast ratio: 1400:1 (native, 1680 x 1050). The L203WT is structurally more qualitative and attractive, but originally sold for more money.

Here's a fairly detailed thread relating to this model:

http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/fo...0&sid=dd33c1fce03ee93715e7d7a759736dcb

The LG L204WT, currently sells for $369 cnd. The LG L203WT, originally priced out at $699 cnd.

The TN vs ISP issue is also something to consider when choosing a new lcd monitor as ISP is supposed to be significantly improved (and more costly to manufacture). On the LG models, there's no truly objective test, other than removing the back cover to see what panel is inside, as they seem to use different panels at different manufacturing facilities. The other test involves viewing angles, as the TN models are more limited and noticeably so (the common test being a black screen, at a 45 degree viewing angle from below).

In any case, I paid $399 cnd for my L203WT and I'm absolutely in love with this thing. Prior to this, I had a 17" trinitron and so that should at least give you some idea.

Hope this helps,

John

 

[ProfJohn]

The Samsung 204b is $299 out the door at bestbuy right now, through Saturday. No rebates or shipping.

Seems like a better deal than waiting for rebate.

 

[kalrith]

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
The Samsung 204b is $299 out the door at bestbuy right now, through Saturday. No rebates or shipping.

Seems like a better deal than waiting for rebate.

Hey, thanks for the help. I am now the proud owner of a Samsung 204b. It looks awesome! The colors are so vibrant, and the size is just perfect. I got it at Best Buy out the door for $300 plus tax. I had them plug it in to make sure there are no dead pixels, and there are none. I'm looking forward to gaming for the next week and a half before class starts.

 

[Dr J]

Congrats !!!

Enjoy your new display, game play and the bit of freedom you have remaining!

John