New Monitor

[onebxr]

I am looking at buying my first lcd monitor. I have never owned an lcd monitor due to the fact I use my home computer mostly for gaming. I have always heard CRT is better for this purpose. I havent been hearing this for a while now so I assume that they have improved the technology.
So I need a bit of help. I know I want a widescreen monitor, but what I dont know is what brands should I stay away from and what aspects or ratios should I look for? I am clueless! Also I would like to know the downsides of owning a lcd monitor as opposed to a CRT. My desk really would like the realestate back that a 19" crt takes up.
Thanks for your help,
-1

[Capper]

the basic good brands are Dell, Samsung, Viewsonic, and Ben-Q

Newegg has been having some really good deals on 20' wide screen monitors lately, check those out

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824116014

[jph1589]

Believe it or not, if you happen to have a Sam's club membership, they have great deals on Samsung LCD's all the time.

This one isn't a wide screen, but it is by far the sweetest display I have ever hard.

[stinger608]

Sam's club carries the Samsung SyncMaster 940bw!! It is a 19" wide screen 4ms refresh, 1440x900 res for $200.00

Very cool monitor for the money. I picked one up a couple of weeks ago!

[Capper]

Sam's Club rocks....we shop there all the time

[polobunny]

I love my monitor and I highly recommend it. I compared it with my boss Viewsonic VX2025WM and mine has actually a better look than his. The frame is rather plain but the 700:1 contrast ratio beats his 800:1.
Some said the stand is flimsy, personally I find it adequate. It's true though you can see a very small light around the edges but it's only if you're looking for that that you will see it. 22inch, WSXGA+, gives alot of room and it's currently the cheapest 22inch i've seen. No dead pixel, really it's awesome I don't regret it. I was even contemplating the idea of buying a second one and put it on top of the other one on a stand to monitor other stuff while gaming! :D

Oh, Acer AL2216WBD is my monitor. 5ms refresh, 300cd, 700:1, 22inch WSXGA+. Currently $334 @ NewEgg.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824009094

[stinger608]

Oh man Polo, that is one bad a** monitor!!!!!!

[onebxr]

holy crap I dont even have a tv that big!:) That would be awesome, but I am thinking around a 19-20" monitor ~$200.00 price point.
thanks for the replys ppl keep em coming.
I am not a member of sams club, but I am a member of costco, I will swing by there and see what they have to offer.
-1

[Jokerswild]

Get the one with the highest resolution you can afford.

[drew and not u]

Keep an eye on techbargain.com's cheap LCD page. Some insane deals pop up there from time to time. I ended up going with Dell monitors when I got these because they had some of the best wide-screen LCDs on the market with the lowest price by far. There is a lot more solid competition now. At this point, there is almost no reason not to go wide-screen if you're already making the investment into a new screen. Most games support it and it makes for a much better experience during both gaming and everyday desktop usage. The added screen real estate is just really useful. Look for refresh rates under 12ms (don't worry about 4ms or 2 ms as most of those are just bogus claims and you won't notice a difference under 12ms anyways.) I wouldn't go less then 1440x900 in a wide-screen, preferably 1680x1050 or 1900x1200. Just keep your eyes open, check out reviews and find yourself a good deal!
Good luck!