What to look for when buying an LCD monitor?

[DisplayError]

What are some key factors to look at to determine which LCD monitor to buy? ex.: Is a monitor with a super high contrast ratio (10,000+) really all that greater than a monitor with a 1,000 or 2,000 (or lower) contrast ratio? Is a monitor that is 1080p/HD better than a regular LCD monitor in terms of general use (moderate gaming, watching movies, etc.)?

 

[EXCellR8]

I would buy a monitor with a high contrast ratio if you are into graphic design work and photo editing. These monitors display richer colors and makes high quality images appear more vivid. You may also notice some enhancements in games as well with textures appearing more crisp and clear. Displays with a lower ratio are not really "inferior" but you will notice that some colors may not appear so vividly. However, I would just get something with a decent contrast ratio, like 20000:1 and with a good response time under 5 seconds. That will give you a good picture and a good gaming experience.

1080p is a good solution for HD gaming, and is only available in some widescreen monitors. I would recommend a widescreen display because they are nice for gaming and there's a lot more desktop space to work with.

 

[BlindObject]

I think he meant to say a response under 5MILIseconds.

 

[EXCellR8]

lol my bad... yea i meant 5ms. thanks for catching that.