Computer Monitor Guide

Choosing the right computer monitor can get tough these days, with so many different types and sizes to choose from, how could you possibly make an informed decision?

Well, we're here to make choosing a computer monitor a little bit easier. Lets start out by defining some terms used in the computer monitor industry.

Refresh Rate - This is basically how fast the monitor can update the screen, the faster the better. With low refresh rates, monitors can get a noticeable flicker.

Resolution - This is how large of a screen the monitor can display. Higher resolutions are better, but most people don't even use the highest resolution possible, unless they have a really large monitor.

Dot Pitch - This is basically a number value that determines the quality of the image displayed. Most computer monitors vary from .15 to .30, with the lowest number being the best.

Viewable Screen Size - This is how much of the screen you can actually see, which only really applies to CRT monitors, since you can always see the entire screen of an LCD computer monitor. Most CRT monitors lose at least half an inch, and up to an inch on some monitors. This means on a 17 inch CRT monitor, you can only see 16.5, or 16 inches, depending on the manufacturer.

The different types of computer monitors

CRT Computer Monitors - These are the regular tube style monitors, except that they now have flat fronts, which gets rid of most of the distortion around the edges.

The good - CRT monitors are extremely cheap, and refresh rates are fast enough for today's hottest games.

The bad - Their size can be annoying, taking up most of your desk space, especially with large models.

LCD Computer Monitors - These are the flat panel monitors you see everywhere now.

The good - Extremely small size makes them very versatile as far as location is concerned.

The bad - They're still quite a bit more expensive than CRT monitors, and the refresh rates aren't great when it comes to hardcore computer gaming

Some things to note about all computer monitors is what type of inputs they have from the video card. All of them have the basic 14 pinned VGA input, but if your video card supports DVI, or S-Video, (higher quality input types) and you want to use these, you must make sure that the monitor also supports these. DVI and S-Video are superior to VGA, but usually cards & monitors with them cost slightly more.