What's the BEST LCD Monitor I can get for ~$650?

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: deadken

Originally posted by: Markbnj

DVI+Cleartype+Widescreen FTW

I second that.

Please explain these 'designations'.

I understand that DVI is inherently better then digital on an LCD. Why go from Digital to Analog back to Digital when you can keep the signal Digital straight through? But, will you see a difference? I mean the average user, or in my case a gamer?

I think that Cleartype is a program that lets you set your LCD to display text better. I could be totally wrong, so please tell me what it is.

I know that the Widescreen format is supposed to be more like what the human eye actually see, but what is the FTW part?

Thanks for any and all help.

-Ken

It's not going through analog. Simply goes out the video card's TMDS transmitter, out the DVI port, in to your monitor's DVI-D input. No RAMDAC or analog tuning involved.

Cleartype is a function of Windows where it blends in the LCD subpixels better to provide clearer, more anti-aliased text. It is not adjusting the LCD itself. The LCD always shows a perfect grid of pixels from DVI. Since the display matrix is so perfect, it needs something to antialias, or else it will look rough.

I think you'd be happy with the Samsung 970P LCD. Great colors, great features, DVI, and quite fast pixel response. I changed my mind..it's not worth sacrificing the color for only a small boost in response with the 930BF, especially with your high budget. For 20"@1600x1200, you could try the VP2030b.

 

[deadken]

Originally posted by: xtknight
It's not going through analog. Simply goes out the video card's TMDS transmitter, out the DVI port, in to your monitor's DVI-D input. No RAMDAC or analog tuning involved.

Cleartype is a function of Windows where it blends in the LCD subpixels better to provide clearer, more anti-aliased text. It is not adjusting the LCD itself. The LCD always shows a perfect grid of pixels from DVI. Since the display matrix is so perfect, it needs something to antialias, or else it will look rough.

I think you'd be happy with the Samsung 970P LCD. Great colors, great features, DVI, and quite fast pixel response. I changed my mind..it's not worth sacrificing the color for only a small boost in response with the 930BF, especially with your high budget. For 20"@1600x1200, you could try the VP2030b.

Ahh.... Thanks. I appreciate that.

BTW: For those who have asked, my NEC is a MultiSync97F, quite possibly far from the best NEC, but it certainly lets me game at 1600X1200 with a decent Refresh rate (70Hz Min.).

I have gotten my check and now will cash it and be sure not to let anything happen before my purchase.

 

[Malignantx]

Originally posted by: broly8877
Gateway FPD2185W - 21" Widescreen 1680x1050
Component, Composite, Svideo, VGA, DVI input


Fantastic LCD.

I second that.. costs around $600 before tax at retail chains (bestbuy)

 

[djnsmith7]

My Gateway 21" FPD2185W is phenomenal...It leaves my 19" Viewsonic CRT in the dust by a long shot...If you get the Gateway, you won't look back...

Plus, it's right in your budget...

 

[n7]

Originally posted by: CP5670

Originally posted by: n7
Yeah i know it's just refresh of the 1970GX.

I owned the 1970GX for about a month, & oh man, i loved it.

I so wish some manufacturer would make a 20"+ display with Opticlear or that type of finish, since frankly, i find it looked better than my 8-bit 20" Samsung.

They recently listed this on their website, but I don't know what the resolution is. I would also really like to see a better LCD with this coating. I need an LCD soon for another computer and was dead set on getting one of these glossy coating monitors, but it seems that the only ones available are mediocre panels otherwise (6-bit, low contrast, 12x10, etc.).

[edit] looks like it's 1680x1050. The contrast ratio is also much better than the other monitors. It will probably be too expensive for me though.

OMG yes!

*does a happy dance*

Now i just have to wait to see if they arrive in Canada.
I just hate that resolution though.
If i do buy widescreen, i want a minimum of 1920x1200, since i've now gotten used to 1600x1200.

Thanx for that link though.

 

[xtknight]

I think the MultiSync 20WMGX2 is an 8-bit S-IPS panel with response time accel.

 

[deadken]

I am really leaning towards the Samsung SyncMaster 970p . Everything might be shifting towards WideScreen format, but I still like 4:3 (in this case 5:4). I am still considering going with a 20" just to get 1600x1200, rather then the 1280X1056, but haven't found it locally for a nice price yet.

If/when I do get the Samsung, I will buy it from my local Brick-and-Mortar store and that will allow me to return it with little to no hassle if I find that I dislike the whole LCD experience and want to go back to my CRT.

Might someone explain the difference in quality of a response time measured from white-to-black and grey-to-grey. I have heard the g-to-g isn't as accurate a way to measure and therefore is used to lower a rating that would be higher if measured from white-to-black. Any thoughts?

I will keep checking back here and most certainly will post back after I buy my monitor and tell you guys how I like it.

-Ken

EDIT: BTW, I should mention that I love the idea of having all of the inputs that the Gateway FPD2185W has. I am not sure that I would use them, but the idea that I can use different inputs seems rather nice to me.

EDIT2: Boy! That NEC 20WMGX2 seems SWEET! It has DVI, Composite, S-Video, and Component inputs as well as a cable input for its built in TV tuner! Nice response times and good color round out the package. The downside? Price and Availability...

 

[PhoenixOrion]

Monitors, speakers and cases are the ones that you would want to keep for a long time.

With that said, widescreen is the best way to go nowadays. IMO, they're great for FPS and hands-down a must for RPG's that support it.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: deadken
Might someone explain the difference in quality of a response time measured from white-to-black and grey-to-grey. I have heard the g-to-g isn't as accurate a way to measure and therefore is used to lower a rating that would be higher if measured from white-to-black. Any thoughts?

For all intents and purposes, the figures manufacturers put out there are meaningless for comparison.

About the 970P (and similar LCDs like the VP930b): Colors in the 0-50 range will rise and fall very slowly. That means if you change to or from a color in the sub 50 or so range it will blur like crazy. That's why they started using gray-to-gray (more in the middle such as 96-192 or so). There's two instances where the lower colors appear. Usually it's with subtlety. So when it blurs, it won't be very annoying since all the colors are almost the same anyway. In rare cases, a dark box can be over a dark floor and that can be a problem too. Because of the rarity, gray-to-gray is seen as a more correct measurement. You won't come across these transitions too often (I'd say hardly at all.)

EDIT: BTW, I should mention that I love the idea of having all of the inputs that the Gateway FPD2185W has. I am not sure that I would use them, but the idea that I can use different inputs seems rather nice to me.

I think you can hook up a splitter to the 970P and select inputs from its menu as well but that's just what I read.

 

[xtknight]

I should add it's recently been discovered by one user (ddekany under LCD Buyer's Guide thread) that the 970P (at least his) was actually a 6-bit S-PVA using dithering. However I still think you'll be happiest with it over any other monitor despite these minor flaws (you'd probably never see the dithering). This is also pretty much only noticeable on grayscales. I wouldn't want to lie to you saying it's 8-bit though.

 

[hans007]

20WMGX2 is 6bit.

but still... i think once that is in better availability and the price is < $600 i might have to get that.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: hans007
20WMGX2 is 6bit.

but still... i think once that is in better availability and the price is < $600 i might have to get that.

How do you know that? Everything indicates it's an S-IPS (8-bit). With such high contrast I don't think a TN would be possible for that. You can see in a PDF they rate similar models which are TNs with 85 angle, and the 20WMGX2 has 89 angle (178 each pair of directions).

 

[Zebo]

Originally posted by: deadken


BTW: For those who have asked, my NEC is a MultiSync97F, quite possibly far from the best NRC, but it certainly lets me game at 1600X1200 with a decent Refresh rate (70Hz Min.).

Well in that case an LCD is a definite upgrade. Lots of good sugesstions in this thread.

However I'd wait for a hot deal on dell 2005 for less than $400. 19" is only useful if you're blind and need large text since it's the same number of pixels as 17" LCD's


Maybe right now
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=40&threadid=1745319&enterthread=y

 

[deadken]

Originally posted by: Zebo
......However I'd wait for a hot deal on dell 2005 for less than $400. 19" is only useful if you're blind and need large text since it's the same number of pixels as 17" LCD's


Maybe right now
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=40&threadid=1745319&enterthread=y

Nahh, it looks as if someone resurected it for no reason. At least I couldn't find a 'deal' on one at either of the links originally provided. I did happen to come accross this though....

ViewSonic VX924I don't know why they listed 3ms in the name, the specs show 4ms or -5ms. I will have to read up on it a bit. I really wasn't interested in getting one online, or starting to research yet another monitor, but, if it is as good as the 970P (I can't imagine, but I can hope), then I will put the money I save into a 'good use', I promise.

 

[xtknight]

The VX924 won't be as good as the 970P. Not as high contrast, lower viewing angle, lower color accuracy (probably), and just for a small decrease in response time. Not worth it IMO. More likely to have backlight leaking as well.

 

[deadken]

You are right as usual... I was temporarily blinded by upgrade fever, and figured, "Wow, with this I can get some new PC parts also!". I have regained my senses... Sorry for the outburst.

 

[Pr0d1gy]

Feel free to send me that sweet NEC 19" CRT you have!

 

[deadken]

Originally posted by: Pr0d1gy
Feel free to send me that sweet NEC 19" CRT you have!

Not sure if shipping it from NY to GA would be worth it. Sorry to say, this one is being retired to one of the other rigs in the house.

 

[aboothman]

I have the NEC 1970 GX and I love it. I think there is a rebate on them now...
but it does not have the cool widescreen. Oh well, maybe for my third screen

 

[Sunrise089]

darXoul for elite. Seriously, I just read this thread, and even though I have pretty much formed my LCD opinion - mainly that I don't want one, his suggestions were very helpful. I even learned a little bit :tear:

 

[darXoul]

Hehe, thanks

I might change my opinion about TN panels though. I've just seen a Samsung 204B, and I must say I was impressed. OK, its vertical angle is crap but if you're sitting in front of the display, it's not really an issue, thanks to height adjustment. Even though smaller, I think the ViewSonic VX924 looked worse in this aspect. Also, the 204B has really nice, vivid colors, and the dithering is barely noticeable. It also has a surprisingly good black level.

I say for general use, the 6 ms S-PVA and 8 ms P-MVA displays are probably better but if someone wants an inexpensive, fast 20" monitor for gaming and has a good video card, the 204B is a more than decent choice.

BTW, the horizontal viewing angle on most new TNs is really good. Looks almost better than *VA.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: darXoul
BTW, the horizontal viewing angle on most new TNs is really good. Looks almost better than *VA.

Yeah, VA only really beats TN at vertical viewing angle. VA has a *little* less distortion horizontally I guess, very miniscule. I don't find myself moving up and down in my chair while gaming so vertical viewing angle isn't a problem (on 17" or 19" at least.) Then again, I haven't gamed in awhile. Once a n00b haxs me I may be jumping out of my chair.

(Joking ) Honestly though I have not found vertical viewing angle to be an issue whatsoever.

 

[deadken]

So, do both xtknight and darXoul agree on the Samsung 204B? It is about the same price as the 970P, and has similar ms ratings. The fact that it is a 20" instead of a 19" makes it seem better, not only in size, but since I could use a 1600X1200 Resolution.

I am still looking around trying to find one that I can actually 'see' locally, that way I can try to compare it to the 970P at CompUSA (which is local for me).

Thanks, Ken

 

[Sunrise089]

Remember, 1600x1200 is a lot of resolution for a 6800GT to push. Not trying to insult your card, it's still great, but that is a high resolution to never be able to drop down from.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: deadken
So, do both xtknight and darXoul agree on the Samsung 204B? It is about the same price as the 970P, and has similar ms ratings. The fact that it is a 20" instead of a 19" makes it seem better, not only in size, but since I could use a 1600X1200 Resolution.

I am still looking around trying to find one that I can actually 'see' locally, that way I can try to compare it to the 970P at CompUSA (which is local for me).

Thanks, Ken

The Samsung 204B looks very decent. 6 bit, but so is the 970P/VP930b anyway. Probably not something to worry about. I over-analyze my monitors and even I can't notice it 99% of the time (never noticed it in SRGB mode). The 20" having a better fill ratio (low dot pitch) will be an easier transition from CRT. It may also make resolution scaling more desirable. The response time sounds great. It uses Samsung's brand new B-TN III panel (5 ms on/off!) http://samsung.com/Products/TFTLCD/Monitors_n_Industrial/LTM201UX/LTM201UX.htm

Danish review here. I know, not much use in Danish, but you can see color calibration graphs and viewing angle analyses. Translate it and get some "Danglish". http://www.flatpanels.dk/204b.php