computer moniter

[car54]

One of these days I will be buying a new computer and I would like to get up to a 24 inch wide screen LCD. I am not a gamer but my eye sight is not getting any better.

I would appreciate any comments or advice.

Thanks, Brad

[Oldman]

Brad when ever I build out a system I spend a fair amount of time doing research. This is really important when you start looking at the 23" - 24" wide screens. The very first thing you need to look at is what are you going to be using to drive it? It would be a total heart break to get the unit home, fire it up only to find out that your video card does not have the power to drive the screens 1920 X 1200. Or just about as bad is using a marginal card and as such you are pushing it to its maximum every minute your system is on. I would strongly suggest that whatever card you match to your monitor that the card be a PCI Express: the AGP8X Replacement. (I'm assuming you are building out a new system.)

I know you are not a gamer, but latency is so important when it comes to this type of monitor. It is one thing to have a monitor in a bank with a high latency (16 ms,) it is another to want to watch a vid only to have it ghost all over your screen.

Latency is measured in ms. Now here is were you really have to do your homework. I have not checked as of late, but just 6 months back many manufactures where playing the "ms" game. One would claim a latency 4 ms. Another would claim 8 ms. The manufacture of my monitor claimed 5 ms. Now the lower the latency the better the performance. This is true but latency is measured ms up and ms down. The truth is the companies that were claiming 4 and 5 that was only one way. Not both ways of up and down. The one monitor I looked at that was 8 ms was a true up and down. In summary the total ms for the 4 ms monitor was 8 and mine is 10.

Next do your homework on how well  "black" is drawn. There are many other factors to look at. I suggest that you Start Here.

I have a Samsung 20" and love it. Here is a review on the Samsung's 243T 24 Inch LCD Display.

Good luck with your homework. Oh ya don't short yourself on a power source. Just off the top of my head, without doing any research, I would have at least a 500 watt power supply.

BTW I'm driving my monitor with a G-Force 7800 OC (over clocked) card. 256 megs. By next year it will be marginal in the gaming world. It cost me new $458.00. I just cannot express how important it going to be for you to match the correct card with your 24"er....

Olds

EDIT: While I have purchased ready made boxes for my wife (Dell), and employees  (E-machines) I have my box built to my specs and using the brand name items I have decided on by a local company. After that when needed I do my own tweeking.  If you go this route may I suggest that you get two matched hard drives and have them in removeable caddies. One would be your bootable the other a back up drive that you can turn off when not needed. (This then becomes a cheap fast secured backup system.) The reason I say put them in caddies if for some reason you need to leave in a hurry (like a storm is coming) is you can pull them out like big floppies and go. Or if you put in three caddies then you have your own and the family has there own. Both would be bootable just not at the same time.

[car54]

Thanks for the info Olds, I will look into it. I do not plan on buying for about 6 months so I do have time to research.

Brad