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Looking for monitor suggestions

grazzhoppa

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My budget is $200 but I could go a bit higher - $250 is the absolute max I'm going to spend.

Right now I have a 17" CRT and it has been making squealing sounds for some time now. But I just smack the side of it lightly and the squealing sometimes goes away. That's not a huge problem. My two gripes about it is that the brightness is now uneven on the monitor and the low refresh rate. The left third of the screen is a bit darker. If the screen was filled with white, I see a grayish color on the left and a pure white on the right. And I recently started needing a res higher than 1024x768, but this monitor can't do higher than 75hz refresh at a res higher than 1024.

Right now I'm running at 1152x864 with 75hz. I sense a small flicker when staring directly at the screen, but if I focus on one side of it, the corner of my eye sees a noticable flicker. I can work with this, but 85hz is what I'd like.

I'd perfer a CRT monitor because
  1. generally cheaper than LCD
  2. better brightness/color across the entire screen
  3. changable resolutions
Like I said, I need a res higher than 1024 for working within Windows with at least 85hz refresh rate. But I play games at 1024x768, so I need for the monitor to be able to change resolutions without interpolating the pixels and creating a crappy picture when its not using its native resolution, like with LCDs.

I've noticed in games that the picture seems to distort or stretch, like a fish-bowl effect, around the edges of the screen. Would a flat-screen CRT still have this problem?

So what monitors do you guys have and are you happy with them? I haven't been following LCD tech, so maybe an LCD in my price range can match a CRT for my needs. Do refresh rates for LCDs match up with the rates for CRTs?
 

Polaris573

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NEC monitors are supposed to be really good.

My current monitor is made By CTX and it has treated me well. It's about 5 years old now, and when I go to LAN parties with my friends it still has by far the best color, contrast, sharpness, etc. I don't know if they still make good monitors, but they might be worth checking out.
 
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The thing I don't like about LCD's, like you said, they have a native resolution. So when you change it, you loose image quality. NEC's are good monitors, specailly for the price. Flatscreen, well I think most are flatscreen now...I have a old TTX (I think its a CTX or other way around, both are the same company I think) and its a great monitor. But most of the time when you buy a CRT, they are basiclly the same, the tubes are all made in like two manufacturers across the world.

-Dan
 
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You could always try a ViewSonic? I've loved mine since I bought it. ;)
 

Anarion

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just buy a 21'' mnt

with good refreshrate !

OR DO NOT BUY !
WAIT & collect more money

!

i buoght LG-samsing -tvm-ctx

almost all of 'em are good
 
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i have a envishion by panasonic and it has a good refresh rate and i have had it for 6 month and it still works fine and it goes well past 1024x768 and i have no complants so if u live in the usa or canada
here is the sight click here
 
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