LCD tft - gaming

[Alias_Moda]

Hey

I dont know a whole lot about LCD/TFT monitors except that i kinda want one unless you can pursuade me otherwise.

I want a 17" but i also want to play games alot. Do you know of any brands that are better than others for games and what i should look for when buying one. ps i am a poor student.

Also what should i look for when i come across this :

Contrast Ratio: 400:1
Brightness: 250cd/m2
Viewing Angle Horizontal 150deg / Vertical 140deg
Response Time: 30ms
H-Frequency Range: 30-80kHz
V-Frequency Range: 55-75Hz
Power Input: 100-240VAC, 50/60Hz (Adaptor)
Power Consumption: <48W
Power Saving: EPA, VESA
Regulation: UL/CUL, TUV, CCEE, FCC, CE, TCO99

Cheers

[SledgY]

Have a look at some reviews on the internet (tomshardware still has some good info on LCD's). The best place of course is to just go to somewhere like Harvey norman and look at em. Which one do you think looks best. I have a 15" Samsung SyncMaster and it works sweet as with games.

One big thing to be carefull with a large LCD, you are going to need a top end graphics card to get it looking good. You really want to run an LCD in it's native resolution (1024x768 for a 15" larger for a 17") so make sure that your graphics card can handle running those kind of resolution's with the games you want to play.

[Grrr!!]

You definately want DVI input; it will give you extra clarity in the 2d desktop environment, and reduce streaking/ghosting in games. The cheaper your graphics card is the more important this is.

You must run your lcd at native res; otherwise it looks incredibly awful.

I have 2 philips 25ms LCD's and both are good for gaming; however; I'd suggest grabbing a 16ms (or lower) one for gaming on as these are now common.

As for brand; there are three main manufacturers of lcd panels in the world, they are, in the generally accepted order or quality (best to wrost):

Samsung
LG Philips
AU Opteronics

Having said that; almost any lcd will look decent. Buy what you can afford.

[TooMuchCoffeeMan]

The key figure you are looking for with regards to gaming is Response Time and the value should be 16ms or below e.g. 12 is better, 25 is worse

These monitors suffer less ghosting or blurring due to motion, very important for gaming or watching action movies DVDs etc.

The one you quoted with a response time of 30ms will suffer noticable ghosting when compared to a 16ms unit.
These newer 16ms ones are starting to become a lot more common now, usually starting with 15" and in lesser numbers 17".
arstechnica has a LCD forum and went nuts over the new generation 16ms response time models that appeared last year.

[Oh-Sigh-Ris]

The top four of that list are the most important, as well as whether its analogue or digital. You need a DVI port for a digital LCD to run it in digital mode (otherwise you can just use an adapter and run it analogue, but what's the point in that :P?).

Contrast and brightness are important because if they are not high enough, the colours can look dark, or washed out and not vibrant. Viewing angle is what it says, and particularly important if you watch movies with others and sit at a weird angle to the screen.

Response time is most important for you (as a gamer, that is). This is how fast the pixels take to change colour, in milliseconds. In gaming, especially fast moving games like first person shooters or racing games, if the response time is not fast enough, you'll see a "ghost" following behind the models as the pixels respond to the requests from the GPU/CPU. This can make models look blurry and difficult to pinpoint, as well as being distracting.

You really need a 16ms or lower response time if you want to play action games on an LCD. That LCD you've quoted would be horrendous in any action game because of its 30ms response time. Be careful though, as some manufacturers use exaggerated figures in their quotes for response time, look at some reviews to see what the "true" response time on the screen is.

[Grrr!!]

Just on the contrast and brightness; don't look only at the highest numbers here. I have the brightness on my LCD's set to the lowest possible; and am then still reducing the brightness at a driver level because otherwise it is so bright/whitened.

For me; I have both the brightness and contrast set to zero on the monitor; and then use the driver controls to decrease the gamma slightly, and the brightness a little too. This gives me the nicest colors, which are really vibrant :).

[Alias_Moda]

I found one that seems to meet some requirements that you have specified.

CMV CT-722DS 17" LCD DVI / Analog Input with Speakers monitor (Including DVI Cable)

It is $700 inc gst which is probably the max i will go to.

Pixel Pitch
0.264 mm

Resolution
1280 x 1024 / SXGA

Display Color
16.7 M

Brightness
400 cd/m2

Contrast Ratio
450

Viewing Angle
Horizontal
160X

Vertical
140X

Scan Rate
Horizontal
28~82 KHz

Vertical
50~76 Hz

Display Area
340 x 272 mm

Response Time
16 ms

Power Source
Stand-Alone AC Adapter 100~240VAC, 50/60Hz Output: 19VDC, 3.16A

Weight
4.3 kg Including Stand

Tilt Angle
0X ~ 20X

Speakers
2.5W x 2

Wall Mount
VESA Standard

Dimension W x H x D
400 x 388 x 192 mm

Power Consumption
45W

Power Saving State
3 W

Function
Kensington Lock


Does this look like a good deal and is it definitly digital because the wording is kinda confusing because it says dvi and analog.

[H2gO]

Philips 170W4P wide screen user here for the past two months :p
My ePenis is Bigger Than Your ePenis

One should also establish the manufactures warranty policy concerning white pixels (dead) and the acceptable number :eek:

;)

[whetu]

Originally posted by H2gO
Philips 170W4P wide screen user here for the past two months :p
My ePenis is Bigger Than Your ePenis


Same camp here :D
http://g33kflat.skankyflat.net/images/random/widescreen/100_1786.JPG

[H2gO]

Living up to expectations then whetu ?
quite like the blueness led On Off button

nice subject screen shot if I may add ;)

[Grrr!!]

Originally posted by Alias_Moda
I found one that seems to meet some requirements that you have specified.

CMV CT-722DS 17" LCD DVI / Analog Input with Speakers monitor (Including DVI Cable)

It is $700 inc gst which is probably the max i will go to.

Pixel Pitch
0.264 mm

Resolution
1280 x 1024 / SXGA

Display Color
16.7 M

Brightness
400 cd/m2

Contrast Ratio
450

Viewing Angle
Horizontal
160X

Vertical
140X

Scan Rate
Horizontal
28~82 KHz

Vertical
50~76 Hz

Display Area
340 x 272 mm

Response Time
16 ms

Power Source
Stand-Alone AC Adapter 100~240VAC, 50/60Hz Output: 19VDC, 3.16A

Weight
4.3 kg Including Stand

Tilt Angle
0X ~ 20X

Speakers
2.5W x 2

Wall Mount
VESA Standard

Dimension W x H x D
400 x 388 x 192 mm

Power Consumption
45W

Power Saving State
3 W

Function
Kensington Lock


Does this look like a good deal and is it definitly digital because the wording is kinda confusing because it says dvi and analog.

That is a good deal.

One thing; most monitors with a digital (DVI) input ALSO have an analog input. This is actually quite a ncie feature; means you can switch between two inputs (in my case two different comps) with the click of a button :).

[CUBiK]

Re: Whetu

Have you got any specs on that monitor? I've tried the Philips site and haven't found anything on it. Also where'd you pick it up? I've only seen PB Tech with it in stock and I'd rather get it from someone I've dealt with before like Starlyte or JB.

[Valium]

this may be of interest. http://www.gamepc.com/labs/view_content.asp?id=philips17wide&page=1&cookie%5Ftest=1

[Grrr!!]

That 170W4 looks really nice. However; I wouldn't buy one due to the reduced resoultion. I quite like to use my monitor in portrait mode (I have it in portrait for most desktop apps; it just works more nicely :) ), and a screen width of 768 isn't enough for me.

[Gremlin]

I was looking at one of those Philip's wide screens the other day and didn't really like the colour vibrancy, the black wasn't as dark as I personally like either. Not sure whether what I saw with that particular one is indicative of all or not as it was the only one they had on display.

One thing I'd always recommend with an LCD is see it yourself before making any decision, don't just look at it switched on either, switch it off and make sure the screen isn't some icky "off-black" colour instead of a nice dark black.

[whetu]

gremlin - most likely because it had some spastic brightness/contrast setting going on :rolleyes:

everyone else - the 170W is a discontinued product. It is now replaced by the 170T, effectively the same screen except they've taken away DVI (stupid decision - they should have kept DVI and provided a DVI-VGA adaptor), and they have added a TV-Tuner and speakers.

A bit more functional but it also looks aesthetically worse IMO. More of a sidestep than a forward step.

I got this for under 9 hundy with full warranty (they retailed at 1 to 1.2k) and the 170T's go for at least $1300.. really a no brainer

[Valium]

tis a sexy whee monitor, is there anyway to force games into its native resolution? or do you have to play with bars down the sides?

[whetu]

some games you have to hax0r the config files, other games just support it natively... otherwise you have to play with bars down the sides :(

[ozzy]

another monitor to check out it the AOC LM721A. pretty much the same specs as the one you posts, 16ms response time, DVI and analogue, price about $675. be sure you look at the 721A not just the 721. a price spy search will give it to you. AOC have ben really good to me with their warranty ( I only have a crt, 9klr) replaced it without a reciept. and it is onsite so i didnt even have to take it to them. just something else to check out. hopefully I will be buying one in the next couple of months

[Chrono]

I can get a Viewsonic 710s for just under $700, should I go for it?
Apparently its got 16ms response, analogue and DVI.

Help would be appreciated :)
BTW, I have an IBM ThinkVision 17" LCD right now that I nicked from dads office, its fine but should I just get this Viewsonic and give this piece back?

[Siris Le Osiris]

I have a AOC LM721A, tho its good enough id recommend the CMV as this one just isnt as bright as id like, tis also yellower then my other LCD to my annoyance :P

[Root]

I am looking at 19inch LCD and have come across these:

Samsung syncmaster 191t
Philips 190B

Anyone offer some personal experience with either ?
I am looking to purchase next Friday, budget is under $2000 and I am a gamer BF1942/Vanilla etc, that's pretty much all I play.
I have space issues hence LCD, and I want a large one.....

xp3200
1024mb ddr400
Shuttle sn45g
9800pro

[Konev]

get a 172x root :)

[imdying]

Yeah, get a 172X. Any interest in a LCD bulk buy? I'm interested in a couple of 172Xs and a 15".

[Valium]

it would all depend on what type of prices were talking...

[Root]

Konev, this puppy ?

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/other/display/samsung-2_4.html

Doogie just told me to go get one of these...
http://www.viewsonic.com/products/desktopdisplays/lcddisplays/proseries/vp171b/

muchness choicess

172X like this yar

[Root]

Anyone in Wellington got one of those 172x, fancy shouting me a demo ?