Computer Monitor Buying Guide

In today’s market, LCD Computer Monitors are the choice of most. Their flat screen design takes up much less space than the conventional alternative, providing a quality picture for a reasonable price.

Over the past five years, LCD monitors have become cheaper and cheaper with basic models now available for as little as £90. Cheap doesn’t have to mean losing out on quality either, with the majority of manufacturers making less expensive models that meet the specifications for most people’s computing requirements.

Benefits include the low power consumption compared with conventional monitors and common features include integrated speakers and built in TV tuners, depending on the spec. of the monitor. The TV tuners allow the monitor to be used as a HDTV.

LCD monitors typically range in size from 14 inches to around 26 inches, although bigger is available. The size of your LCD monitor should depend on what you’re using it for. For gaming or watching films, users might want to venture up to 20 inches or more although for simple office usage, a smaller monitor is likely to suffice.

Another thing to consider is the screen format as LCD monitors come with 2. This is the screen aspect ratio and is either 4:3, which is the same as a standard TV screen, or 16:9, the same as a widescreen TV. Again, which format to use depends on what you’re using the monitor for. Movies and gaming are best viewed with the widescreen format although even for office use, more horizontal space means users can view two windows at once.

Typically, users wanting an LCD monitor for office work or simple surfing the web should look for good text reproduction. Gamers, look for a high brightness and no delay between input and display. To watch movies or edit photographs buyers should look for a monitor with a wide viewing angle and low black level with accurate colours.

Finally, when purchasing an LCD monitor it is important to consider the graphics card in your computer. A seven year old PC is not likely to have a graphics card that will support your new interface and there’s a good chance you’ll need to upgrade it to get the best out of your new LCD monitor.Despite the numerous benefits of LCD monitors, CRT Computer Monitors, the conventional type, are still available and do have their uses.

CRT screens tend to provide a smoother, clearer image than the typical LCD monitor, which can sometimes give a pixellated image. This means the little coloured dots that make up the LCD monitor, the pixels, appear too large like if you zoom into a digital photo too far.

CRT monitors can be ideal, especially if you’re a graphic designer or similar although, apart from their size, they are also pretty thirsty; using around 100 watts of power depending on the size. Cheaper models are likely to be around 17 inches although these are slightly harder to find than cheap LCD monitors and tend to suffer in quality more than a cheap LCD monitor would. Again, sizes range from 14 inches upwards and are really down to customer preference.