New monitors, new resolutions

Look, if you're looking at monitors with TN panels—which is basically just code for "the cheap stuff"—you aren't going to see a massive jump in picture quality. They're all pretty much cut from the same cloth. Personally, I’d just focus on how many ports it actually has, so you aren't stuck with a paperweight down the road. Don't settle for just a VGA port; try to find something with at least DVI, or maybe even HDMI if you can swing it. Looking at these two, they both only have D-sub inputs. If that's really your only choice, then go with one of those.
Now, about the PC itself. You aren't going to be running any heavy games on this rig, but for just surfing the web, it should get the job done. Honestly, I'd rather look for something else entirely, just so I could get a DVI connection, which I'm assuming your graphics card is going to require anyway.

http://www.newegg.com/product_info.php?c...oducts_id=8449
http://www.newegg.com/product_info.php?c...oducts_id=9039

Look, I don't even play games anymore. All I do is browse the web, yet I'm still stuck staring at this ancient CRT monitor that's literally killing my eyes!!!

Hey everyone!

I just picked up a Dell UltraSharp monitor. It’s got one VGA port and two HDMI ports, so I'm trying to figure out the best way to hook it up to my NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570. Right now, I've got this VGA to DVI converter and an HDMI cable sitting here. Which one is actually going to give me a better picture?😕😕

Thanks for the help.

First off, just to be clear, the monitor has inputs, not outputs.
You can choose between VGA and DVI, though I'd say DVI is the better option here.

James Morris4 said:First off, a monitor has inputs, not outputs.
You can choose between VGA and DVI. Obviously, DVI wins hands down.

So you mean DVI or HDMI??

That's on me. I missed the HDMI port and plugged the DVI in instead.
HDMI>VGA.
Since HDMI and DVI are both digital signals while VGA is analog, you're looking at a digital-to-analog conversion. I'd say just go with the HDMI.

Hey there,

I’ve hit a bit of a wall here. I need some advice on picking up a new monitor at Best Buy with a budget of about $667. I'm stuck wondering if a 24" screen is actually worth the space, or if sticking to something smaller is the smarter move. Brands, specs—I don't know. Any guidance would be appreciated.
Most of my time is spent running standard office software, watching videos, or working in Adobe.

Thanks,

So, I’m currently rocking a 22'' monitor running at 1680x1050.
I'm thinking about picking up a second 22'' screen, and I'm wondering if I really need to obsess over matching the resolution, or if I can just grab a 1920x1080 model and call it a day?

Dana Morgan19 said:Hey there,

I’ve found myself a bit turned around here, so if you could be so kind as to throw some recommendations my way for a monitor under $667 at Best Buy—honestly, I’m completely lost on whether a 24" screen is actually worth the investment or if those smaller models might somehow be superior, not to mention which brands are even worth considering
it's mostly just for standard office software, watching videos, and running Adobe

thanks

Well, the whole idea of which size is "better" is entirely subjective, really; the truly better monitor is simply the one that actually serves your specific needs.

Take a look at this AOC

See what you think about this one.

So, I’ve actually got a bit of a dilemma regarding the resolution on my old Samsung SyncMaster monitor, which, honestly, was such a reliable little workhorse back when I was using my previous desktop setup, but everything went sideways the moment I tried to tweak the resolution settings through the display properties. As soon as I hit enter, the screen just went completely black and all I could see staring back at me was this cryptic "Hz ?" message blinking there, and now I can't get the display to snap back to normal no matter what I try! If anyone happens to have a clue or some troubleshooting advice that might save me from this headache, please just shoot me an email over at sbagic@vip.hr. Thanks a million!

Hey, fellow tech enthusiasts... I was hoping someone could give me a little guidance. I'm looking to pick up a new LCD monitor, and I have a few questions. Since I spend a massive amount of my time staring at a screen, I'm wondering which type is actually better for reducing eye strain—LED or the standard old-school models? Also, I guess there's a rumor that Dell products are slightly higher quality than other brands, but is there any truth to that?

Quick question for the experts here. I picked up a 22'' monitor that’s supposed to hit 1920x1080, but once I get into the settings—after all that trouble—it won't let me go past 1600x1200. Any ideas on how to actually unlock the resolution I paid for?

Larry Morales12 said:I have a question for the experts here. I just picked up a 22'' monitor that is supposed to support a 1920x1080 resolution. However, once I hook it up and check my settings, the highest resolution I can select is 1600x1200. Can anyone tell me how to unlock the higher resolution?

Are you looking under the display settings in your drivers or within the Windows Control Panel? Also, specify which graphics card you are using.

Patrick Garcia4 said:Are we talking about settings within the drivers or the control panel? Also—what GPU are you running?

It's an AMD Radeon X1600. I did some digging online and apparently the card should support this resolution—at least on paper. I installed the latest drivers, but "latest" just means they haven't been touched since February of last year. Typical.

Samsung SyncMaster bx2350 vs. bx2450.

For those of us who aren't exactly tech wizards—which is most of us—what kind of visible difference are we actually looking at here? And what’s the deal with this bx series in general?

Any advice would be appreciated—I'm a bit out of my depth here. 😬

Hey everyone—my monitors are kind of my weak link right now, so I'm looking for something around 22" max since anything bigger won't fit on my desk 😁
I'm running an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 9800 GT with 512MB alongside 4GB of RAM. I'll eventually swap out this AMD Athlon 5200 for a Phenom II, but for now, I just need a recommendation for a monitor that uses DVI or HDMI instead of old-school VGA 🙂 ideally staying under $1000—$400

Also, wondering if this GPU can actually handle 1080p properly... specifically if I can run games at 1920x1080

Timothy King7 said:Hey, tech experts... I could use a little help here. I'm looking to pick up an LCD monitor, so I have some questions. Since I spend a massive amount of time staring at a screen, I'm wondering which one is easier on the eyes—LED or just a standard one? Also, is there any truth to the idea that Dell makes slightly better stuff than everyone else?

I've been wondering about this too, honestly. But I really need an answer from someone who doesn't just use a monitor for gaming, but uses it professionally (like 8 to 12 hours a day). I'm talking graphic design, heavy reading, tiny details, photo editing, vector work, and trying to match color shades. Any specific models you guys would recommend right now?

If you're diving into graphic design, getting those color definitions right is non-negotiable—you absolutely need an IPS panel, and let me tell you, that level of accuracy doesn't come cheap.
HP DreamColor or maybe a Dell UltraSharp could serve as your entry-level baseline...

Hey there.

I'm thinking about picking up a new monitor, but honestly, I'm pretty clueless about it, so if anyone could weigh in with some advice, I'd appreciate it.

I'm looking for something around 22 inches with a budget of roughly $400. It’s mostly for casual stuff—browsing the web, watching movies (nothing fancy, just standard DivX files; I'm not really a cinephile who needs high-end picture quality, just something easy on the eyes), and maybe the occasional game, though that's rare, so you can probably ignore gaming specs for now. That's basically the whole story; my requirements aren't high, but since I don't know much about this stuff, I figured I'd ask before I commit to anything.

The last thing I bought was an old Samsung SyncMaster 19'', and it's definitely earned its retirement, so I'm hoping to find something that isn't a step down from what I'm using now.

I've done a little digging, but the selection is just overwhelming. I found these two examples; let me know if they're decent or if there's something better out there.

Oh, I should mention that my PC is actually quite powerful, so I don't need to worry about whether the graphics card can handle higher resolutions or anything like that.😉

Casey Long2 said:If you're doing graphic design and actually need accurate color definition, you HAVE to go with a TN panel, and let me tell you, that isn't "cheap."
Dell UltraSharp U2412M or HP Pavilion Monitor are about as budget-friendly as you can get...

Look, I’m currently rocking the predecessor to that Dell UltraSharp U2412M (the Dell P2419H), and I can't recommend it or the TN tech enough. Honestly, at my office, we used nothing but Dell monitors with TN panels. But do I actually trust Dell for monitors? Not really. I mean, sure, I’ll vouch for their laptops any day, but when it comes to their screens, they seem to die way more often than HP does. We had about thirty of them, and two of those went straight to the scrap heap within just two years—and it was the actual display that gave out! Meanwhile, the HP units are still kicking. Plus, one thing I love about the HP setup is that height-adjustable stand with the tension spring built right into the "neck." And don't even get me started on the pivot functionality. You just don't get that kind of flexibility with the Dell models. So yeah, bottom line? Stick with HP.