How to Find a Good Monitor

You are not going to find the single best monitor for everyone. It just won't happen. What you can hope to find is the single best monitor for you. But what can make one monitor better than the other?

I am sure you already know that size can make one monitor better or more expensive than another. After all a 20" monitor should not cost as much as a 26" right? Most computer monitors that you will be looking at will be a flat panel LCD monitor so that is what we will be focusing one here.

Resolution
There are a few things by which to compare monitors, size, resolution, aspect ratio, contrast, response time and quality. Let's start with resolution. Resolution almost exclusively states the size of a monitor now. This should not be confused with dpi (Dots per inch).1920x1200 is larger than 1280x1048. You should also make sure that your video card can display the native resolution of the monitor. This is the resolution your monitor will look best in. Also make sure that you have a the correct connection on your video card for this monitor. White connector = DVI and blue = SVGA. If you followed my advise you should at least have a DVI and be okay purchasing any new monitor.

Contrast
Contrast is another important aspect to consider. Contrast is measured by a ratio. (1800:1) The first number represents the whitest white and the lowest number represents the darkest dark. The bigger the difference between the two the better the contrast and the better the monitor is.

Viewing Angle
This best viewing angle for all LCDs is directly at your monitor. If you imagined a line from one side of the screen to the other directly from the middle then a perpendicular line from the line would be the best angle from which to view it. The point at which you change that angle from and the picture degrades in quality is effectivly the viewing angle. That might mean contrast was less, brightness, color or anything else that difines the image.

Response Time
Response time is most important for movie enthusaist or gamers. Response time is how fast a pixle can change color. For instance from white to black or vice versa. The slower the rate the more you will see what is called ghosting. This is where the image a moment ago is still visiable within the tenths of seconds. It can be noticable and really annoying with action films and games The lower the number the better the monitor in this category.

Other Considerations.
Remember there may be other things that matter to you. Take your time and look in a store. See them in action. Ask the sales associate to pop in an action movie with high resolution. Wach for what I have mentioned above. Take note of any monitor that stands out to you. Look for reviews online for that monitor. Go to places like www.tigerdirect.com, www.newegg.com or cnet.com. (I get no money for advertising they are just sites that I use) Or you could ask someone like my company to give you a quote. We have a wholesaler and might be able to get it to you cheaper than what you find else where.(www.netrage.org) We don't advertise things for sale but that does not mean that we can't get it for you.