phantommenace2

I'm thinking about replacing my 10 year old Sony CRT monitor with the BenQ G2400WD LCD...my worry is that I'm a big time gamer and the native resolution of the BenQ LCD is 1920 x 1200...a lot of the latest PC games won't allow you to play at that high of a resolution (Crysis, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky)...would lowering the resolution to a non-native one severely impact image quality?

or should I just buy a smaller LCD with a lower native resolution, like 1680 x 1050?...I want to be able to use my new LCD for 6-8 years and not have to buy a new one that supports a higher native res. every few years...how are people who are buying these large monitors with high native resolutions able to play games?

craig5320

I'd prolly go for the 1680x1050 screen, i'm on 1920 but I don't game much on here, It's mainly for photoshop work that the size comes in handy. Save some money and get the lower resolution.

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Judas

monitors have improved considerably in terms of running at none native resolutions.

While it won't be nearly as good as the native resolution, it will be relatively decent, course that's not exactly a top end monitor, but when i've used it, it wasn't to bad.

But consider this,

What some people do is get the bigger screen and then use thier video card to do the conversion for them, keeping ratio and centered timings in mind, you can always flip around and see what you like, game @ 1680x1050 on your 1920x1200 monitor which would result in a black border, you'd have almost the same perhaps even a larger viewable screen then the comparible monitor that runs natively at that resolution and would look just as sharp.


It's an idea, there are alot of games that work great @ 1920x1200, but there is obviously the poorly optimised games that can run worth crap above 1280x1024 even.

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phantommenace2

just for clarification I wanted to add that what I meant in my original post was that I know that those games supprt high resolutions but my real question is, can they be playable with a decent FPS??...even with the latest GTX 280 cards you cannot play Crysis at 1920 x 1200 with most graphical settings cranked up and AA enabled

but I want to be able to keep my new LCD for a long time and don't want to 'upgrade' every few years like I do the rest of my hardware...if I get the 'smaller' LCD then when graphics cards become more powerful to the point where 1920 x 1200 becomes playable I'm going to have to buy another LCD...therein lies my dilemma

get the larger LCD now and have to lower all my graphics settings in new games to get a playable FPS at the native resolution or get the smaller LCD now and be able to crank up the advanced graphics options but then have to buy a new monitor in a year or 2

Judas

it is indeed a conundrum, but as i stated before, running with centered mode is a solution vs having to go with a smaller monitor....

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BlueMak

The only way to get a black border if you use a 16:10 resolution smaller than the 16:10 native resolution of the monitor is if you choose to not have it cover the whole monitor. I used to use 1680x1050 on my 1920x1200 LG245WMP back in Greece for some very demanding games for my previous PC and it looked fine to me. Still, if you don't need the 24" then you could get a 22" monitor at 1680x1050.

Wanting to play only at 1920x1200 resolution, new games and all, will force you to upgrade your hardware more often than you would otherwise.

You can always get the 1920x1200 monitor, play now at that resolution, and when you have problems with performance, just drop resolution (for any other 16:10) and hopefuly it won't be a problem for you.

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The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others(Bertrand Russell)"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil,You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." - Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis
This is slavery, not to speak one's thought. [Euripides-The Phoenician Women (c.411-409 B.C.)] http://www.macedonia.info/FALLACIESANDFACTS.htm Sic semper tyrannis.

phantommenace2

thanks...I'll have to look into that as well...CRT's were so much simpler

would gaming on an LCD at its native resolution of 1680 x 1050 look better then gaming at 1600 x 1200 (or even a higher resolution) on a CRT?

Lowfat

Almost all newer games I've played support 1920x1200. Including STALKER. Even if they don't support it natively you can use hacks from widescreengaming.com in order to get it working.

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Judas

depends

Lets just consider the fact that 1680x1050 has slightly LESS defining details then the same game @ 1600x1200... in terms of pixel information..

1.764 million pixels for 1680x1050
1.92 million for 1600x1200.

The benifit of widescreen however narrows your verticle view slight while increasing your horizontal view considerably, essentially if i were to pick between a little more detail in terms of pixels vs wide aspect view with a little less pixels, i'd go with widescreen.

remembering the fact that 1920x1200 is 2.304 million pixels which is pretty much 600,000 more pixels then the 1680x1050 that has to be drawn.

with the advent of monitors hitting 1920x1200 and manufacturers now looking at bringing out the new beasts in which the resolutions are going to take another leap here soon, atm, it's the best thing aside from a 30" which is extremely expensive.

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BlueMak

phantom, if you have a very good CRT, the game will probably not look better on any LCD. But, the difference is so small that simply not worth to worry about it. Unless of course you have a crappy LCD.

The difference between 1680x1050 and 1600x1200 is mainly a difference of aspect ratios, not number of pixels. If the game supports widescreen properly, then the 1680x1050 should look better than the 4:3 of 1600x1200. If it doesn't, say it stretches or something, then either hacks or setting the graphics card's driver to do a correct aspect ratio on the game while you play, will make the 4:3 resolution appear normal on the widescreen monitor, with two black bars on the left and right.

widescreengamingforum is a great forum that deals mostly only with widescreen issues of games, so after you get a widescreen monitor you can jump in there and check the solutions, if needed, for specific games.


All I know is that ever since I moved to a TFT/lcd monitor, I have no intention on going back to a CRT, even if I could find one. If I ever condidered switching back to CRTs, my eyes would probably kill me in my sleep. A TFT/LCD monitor is much easier on the eyes, both aestheticaly and the other one.

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The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others(Bertrand Russell)"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil,You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." - Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis
This is slavery, not to speak one's thought. [Euripides-The Phoenician Women (c.411-409 B.C.)] http://www.macedonia.info/FALLACIESANDFACTS.htm Sic semper tyrannis.

BlueMak

No. This only happens when the game is not programmed correctly.

800x600 resolution game and 1600x1200 game, say an FPS game. Both show the same exact view when you play the game.
If the game is programmed correctly, then when you move to a widescreen resolution, say 1680x1050 then the vertical view would still be the same, while you would also get more view on the left and right.
Proper widescreen gamining doesn't mean you gain view on the sides to lose a bit on the top and bottom, that is the WRONG way to do it.

Run, say, Fallout 3 on 4:3 and 16:10 resolutions and you will see that they show the exact same in terms of height and the 16:10 show more on the side. It is made the Proper way.

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The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others(Bertrand Russell)"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil,You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." - Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis
This is slavery, not to speak one's thought. [Euripides-The Phoenician Women (c.411-409 B.C.)] http://www.macedonia.info/FALLACIESANDFACTS.htm Sic semper tyrannis.

Judas

that's true, the proper way would remove nothing from the top and bottom, it would just present even more on the screen then the previous standard aspect.

But still many games (which still shocks me) refuse to use widescreen properly.

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phantommenace2

another reason I'm hesitant to jump into LCD's...seems like a lot of games require a hack of some sort for proper widescreen gaming---Bioshock, Far Cry 2 etc

BlueMak

It shouldn't. Any such "hacks" are very easy to implement, and even if you don't want to, you can still play the game at 4:3 resolutions if the less than proper way is not acceptable for you.

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The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others(Bertrand Russell)"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil,You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." - Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis
This is slavery, not to speak one's thought. [Euripides-The Phoenician Women (c.411-409 B.C.)] http://www.macedonia.info/FALLACIESANDFACTS.htm Sic semper tyrannis.

Tipstaff

Getting back to the original post, most times you will find video cards have built in scaling of some sort, and some monitors have that too. Want to play at 1680x1050 on a monitor thats native is 1920x1200, but don't want it to go full screen (cuz it will look like sh!7)? Play with the scaling. ATI cards have an option that allows you to change the scaling so that you can preserve the original aspect ratio (in fact I'm doing so right now on an LG laptop that runs natively at 1280x800, but the client needs 800x600 for certain items she will be editing, and it's as sharp as if it were running that natively). Some monitors, like the Samsung 2253BW for instance, have built in hardware scaling, and will preserve the resolution you use. So, instead of displaying at 1920x1200 is will display in 1680x1050 with black boarders around it, and it will be as sharp as if it were native without you having to alter any scaling options with the video card. Sometimes the card or the monitor needs to be displaying or running on a digital only connection for the scaling to work (the Samsung 2253BW has this limitation where it will only scale as described via DVI or HDMI only, and not D-Sub).

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BlueMak

Oh yes, whatever LCD/TFT monitor you buy (if you do), make sure it has DVI-D and/or HDMI.

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The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others(Bertrand Russell)"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil,You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." - Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis
This is slavery, not to speak one's thought. [Euripides-The Phoenician Women (c.411-409 B.C.)] http://www.macedonia.info/FALLACIESANDFACTS.htm Sic semper tyrannis.

OldBuzzard

You have obviously never been exposed to the Sony GDM-FW900
It's still the best 24" WS monitor on the planet.

However, it's BIG and takes up an enormous amount of desk space. It's HEAVY, close to 100 lbs. It's not easy to find, and when you can find them, they aint cheap.

I just bought one from AccutateIT. I got the $399.00 "Grade B" one. It has a bit of wear, and a scratch or two on the Case, but the screen is perfect. I would have liked the SGI branded one, but $999.00 was just a bit more than I could spend.

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phantommenace2

will my 8800GT overclocked be able to handle a native resolution of 1680 x 1050 (21' LCD) with most settings maxed out and AA enabled?...I'm assuming 1920 x 1200 (24' LCD) is out of the question?...how about with a GTX 260 card?

I'd rather invest in a 24' LCD as I don't want to have to upgrade my monitor for a long time and if I get a monitor that 'only' has a native res. of 1680 x 1050 then in a year or 2 when games are playable at 1920 x 1200 I'll have to upgrade again!...a monitor is the one piece of hardware that should not require upgrading every time new hardware comes out...my current CRT is going on 8+ years

excellent CRT...when I originally bought my current CRT years ago I almost went with the GDM-FW900, but in the end decided it was way too big and bulky...plus widescreen gaming was not prevalent as it is today back then

my current Sony GDM-F520 is also very highly regarded and known as one of the best CRT monitors...it has a .22 dot pitch which is something no other CRT has (least not that I've seen)...AccutateIT does not even offer the GDM-F520 as part of its refurbished lineup

Judas

the 8800 is now falling behind in terms of being able to crank everything up and max it out even at 1680x1050 in some games...

course it all depends on if you want sustained 60fps or 30fps and above....


i'm not a fan of the Sony GDM-FW900 though... but that's just my opinion

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phantommenace2

I'm leaning towards getting a 24' LCD if I make the switch to somewhat future-proof myself...after literally 2-3 days of research I've decided to 'settle' for this LCD

LG Full Line of LCD Monitors - Model W2452T: Computer Products > LCD Monitors > Full Line of LCD Monitors > W2452T

the lowest available price online now is $370...but I'm waiting to see if any Black Friday deals pop up and lower that price under $300

BlueMak

I don't think we are at a level yet that you can future proof a TFT monitor purchase. My other monitor in Greece is a 24" LG L245WPM and it is a mostly good monitor. LG makes good monitors, but if you find yourself you need larger and larger monitor, I advice you to have a doctor examine your eyes or if you do know you have a problem do something about it, say eye corrective surgery. I am not kidding. I had one in September and now that I can see 20/20 (or whatever it is called), I can barely accept 22", I wouldn't mind getting a 20" @1680x1050, but they don't make them that much.

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The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others(Bertrand Russell)"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil,You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." - Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis
This is slavery, not to speak one's thought. [Euripides-The Phoenician Women (c.411-409 B.C.)] http://www.macedonia.info/FALLACIESANDFACTS.htm Sic semper tyrannis.

phantommenace2

I doubt I'm ever going to need a monitor bigger then 24'...for gaming/internet/word processing 24' max is fine...I can't see myself getting a 30' monitor...would have to swing my head from side to side to see everything...24' is fine...in fact 21' is fine...anything bigger and it'll soon be as big as my 50' DLP HDTV set

I'm not going to use my computer monitor for TV watching or even Blu-Ray as I have a separate TV for that

what's the difference between the 'L' series and 'W' series LG LCD's?...they look the same...seems like they have multiple models at the same screen size

OldBuzzard

THat's probably the opinion of most people, and I can understand that. I'm not recommending it for Phantom. He clearly wants an LCD. I was mostly replying to Blue's remark about Image Quality and eye issues.

The FW900 is for people that are willing, and able, to put up with all of it's drawbacks, and compared to LCDs it has quite a few. Size, weight, power consumption, heat output. That's a lot to overcome.

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When looking for a reason as to why things go wrong, never rule out sheer STUPIDITY

Judas

well it's not so much those aspects old buzzard... is the meer price of the monitor... and what it would cost to get one vs a similarely prices LCD monitor that can product imo, far superior blacks/color/clarity and sharpness....

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BlueMak

I was talking about the quality of the monitor (picture mostly) than size

The W2452T model has a TN panel. That means faster response times (not important anymore since there is no difference to the human eye), but overall worse visual quality, not as accurate colours and worse viewing angles than say a PMVA panel (for example the one in the L245WP).
The W model has less brightness, doesn't have an HDMI connection, doesn't have heigh adjustment, not pivotable, no USB Hub, no VESA mount(weird), and I don't know but I doubt it has component connection either.

BUT, the W model is much cheaper. If you are going to mostly play games on it, get the cheaper unless you need the HDMI connection.

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The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others(Bertrand Russell)"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil,You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." - Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis
This is slavery, not to speak one's thought. [Euripides-The Phoenician Women (c.411-409 B.C.)] http://www.macedonia.info/FALLACIESANDFACTS.htm Sic semper tyrannis.

BlueMak

Don't get me wrong, I love SONY CRT monitors. I used to own a couple back in the 90s up to 2002. But they are beasts, they are ugly and for as long as I remember I always had this irrational fear that it (CRT monitor/TV) is going to explode.

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The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others(Bertrand Russell)"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil,You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." - Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis
This is slavery, not to speak one's thought. [Euripides-The Phoenician Women (c.411-409 B.C.)] http://www.macedonia.info/FALLACIESANDFACTS.htm Sic semper tyrannis.

phantommenace2

The 'L' model also uses the TN panel and seems to have the same specs

BlueMak

The L245wp uses P-MVA panel.

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The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others(Bertrand Russell)"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil,You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." - Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis
This is slavery, not to speak one's thought. [Euripides-The Phoenician Women (c.411-409 B.C.)] http://www.macedonia.info/FALLACIESANDFACTS.htm Sic semper tyrannis.

phantommenace2

in terms of the difference between the L227WTG and the W2252TQ...the only difference appears to be the stand...as both seem to be TN panels

BlueMak

IT appears the W has build in scaling, so I would go with that.

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The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others(Bertrand Russell)"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil,You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." - Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis
This is slavery, not to speak one's thought. [Euripides-The Phoenician Women (c.411-409 B.C.)] http://www.macedonia.info/FALLACIESANDFACTS.htm Sic semper tyrannis.