LCD monitors for games

Do you prefer LCD or CRT for games?

  • LCD

    Votes: 3 15.0%

  • CRT

    Votes: 14 70.0%

  • Too close to call!

    Votes: 3 15.0%
  • Total voters
    20
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Grey Area

Posts: 13   +0
Thinking of moving to an LCD monitor. I have seen reviews on Tom's Hardware that strongly recommend the Iiyama AS4821DT (I'm looking for 19" minimum). There's also an AU4831D with the same 19" screen and a higher main resolution (1600x1200 vs 1280x1024) and I was wondering about that one.

Main requirements would be a DVI in (might as well start using the DVI OUT on my video card at last!) and good games performance - I accept that not many people think they can keep up with CRT's for the action games, but I'm willing to sacrifice a litlle performance for the other benefits (just not TOO much)

So, recommendations please?
 
I prefer CRTs simply because of the fast response time and the low price. But my friend has a 17" Hercules Prophetview which he uses for games, and takes to LAN Gaming events, simply because it is a lot easier to carry than has previous monitor (a 19" CRT).

As soon as TFT Prices comes down, I will probably change, but for the moment I will stick with a 19" CRT. By that time the response times should be even better (they are not bad at the moment - I am more than happy playing games like Vice City on my Laptop's screen) and so will be even better value.
 
If you do go with the LCD... make sure you get the right type of DVI cable.

There are 3 types (not alot of ppl know that, u'd be suprised)

DVI-A, DVI-I and DVI-D

Analogue and Digital etc..
 
Not surprised at all - I didn't know that either. So what controls what type of DVI cable I need? Does the monitor and the graphic card output have to be the same "type"? How do I know what type my graphic card is?

Thanks!
 
I just ordered the Planar PX171M 17" LCD. Its got a 16ms response time, DVI-D and VGA, 400:1 contrast ratio, and its the winner of PC World's Top Pick of Comdex Award. Its a nice monitor and ive seen a few gaming sites say its the best LCD for gamers available. Heres a link to check out the product site. http://www.planar.com/Products/flatpanel_monitors/px_flatpanel/PX171M.html

I havent recieved it yet since i ordered it when Dell had the price mistake so its on heavy backorder. Hopefully ill get it soon and let you guys know what i really think.
 
I find my 15" TFT (AOC) to be great even for gaming 350:1 contrast and 30ms response time, so that sounds even better.

The only problem I have ever seen was that some textures apppeared slightly darker, but I upgraded my graphics card and its great.

75Hz is the max refresh and 1024x , but on a 15" it looks perfect. I just reduced the font size that explorer uses to make it appear smaller.

My work machine is a 17" AOC CRT maxed out res and refresh, but I by far prefer the TFT.
 
Yeah... im uber excited about getting this LCD. Im checkin my mail constantly every day... its like torture waiting for it.
 
Fast-paced gaming and movies require short response times from the LCD monitor - unless you like ghosting, of course ;)

25 ms seems to be common these days, 20 is better (doh). There are even some 16 ms panels, but there's a catch: they display only 2 ^ 18 colors in 16 ms.
 
I love LCDs for the deskspace they save. I've yet to see an LCD that can match a good CRT for image quality (I own two iiyama LCDs and an excellent CTX trinitron tube CRT).

LCDs need to be run in native resolution otherwise the image sharpness degrades substantially.

They also don't reproduce deep blacks because there is a permanent backlight that is always on, and LCDs attempt to shutter out this backlight to product black. This doesn't seem to be very effective, and blacks only look black when the monitor power is switched off.

Despite this I don't mind LCDs one bit and it certainly saves me from having to turn up the brightness on a CRT when playing games, which always seem to be very dark for some reason.

I get no noticeable ghosting on my iiyama LCD, despite the rather poor 35ms response time, unlike some other poorer LCDs that I've seem, such as some of those fitted to some laptops.
 
Originally posted by Nic
blacks only look black when the monitor power is switched off.
Click to expand...

LOL. I bet the rest of the colours are not so good at that point though.

You mentioned Iiyama monitors - which ones, what size? I am torn at the moment between two, both 19" but one is 1600x1200 native with a 30ms response time, the other is only 1280x1024, but with a better 25ms response time. It seems a shame on a 19" screen to limit yourself to 1280x1024, but on the other hand I don't want ghosting and afterglow all over the place. I've seen a review on the 1280x1024 one which strongly recommended it, but there was no comparative review on the 1600x1200.

It's got to be Iiyama - I have an Iiyama CRT, and whoever thought of the idea of building in a USB hub to a monitor earned his year's salary on that particular afternoon!

Choices, choices.....ARGH!
 
Don't get a 1600x1200 LCD because most newer games will struggle to run at that resolution, if you want to get the best image quality from your LCD that is. You could run them at 800x600 though, and they'll still look good (but may look blocky on a large screen).
 
samsung just released a 12ms response lcd at comdex. $999 for 17" will probably get you 72fps without ghosting
 
I have both a 19" Samsung 957DF Flat CRT and a 17" Samsung 172T TFT (Same displayable area as 19" CRT).
And I have to say that the TFT is ok for gaming but with 25ms response time it still gets beaten by the CRT for gaming, but for work and all other use the TFT is lovely.
 
Sounds like you have your answer.
Newer Lcd's have response times fast enough to perform very well for games.
Since you already admit that you would sacrifice some performance ,the minimum difference in sharpness and color should not be a problem.
I have an older Iiyama as437ut 18" 3yrs no problem. I love it .
 
OK, so I took the plunge and bought one - the AS4821DT from Iiyama.

I like it :)

I mean I REALLY like it :D

I haven't tried it with a super fast moving game like Unreal, or (more likely for me) Colin McRae Rally 03 yet, but on most other stuff it seems ideal. And I have so much SPACE now!

If only my first experience of wireless networking had been so successful!

Another vote for LCD's! They rock!

One sad note - I have a solitary little green dead pixel - but it's way down in one corner - if I hadn't deliberately looked for it, I'd never have noticed.
 
Originally posted by Grey Area
I have a solitary little green dead pixel - but it's way down in one corner - if I hadn't deliberately looked for it, I'd never have noticed.
Click to expand...
Try tapping it lightly with your fingernail to see if it will switch on.
 
i like the crt because of its price and it seems more simple to me even thou the lcd might look "cool" im afraid some stupid kid or me is gonna puncture the screen of the LCD :D or break it
 
lol me 2 I like 2 give my CRT a right WALLOPING evry now and then.

So there's your answer Grey Area!

Drop the LCD and get a CRT cause you can give it a right WALLOPING without it flying across the room and going out the Window :grinthumb
 
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