New Monitor?

[Sam]

Hello all, as many of you already know, I am looking to buy an (air cooled) X58 and therefore I want a new monitor to go with.

I do not want a huge monitor but on the other hand, I don't want a small one. Currently I own a 17" TFT monitor which is a little on the small side but I don't want anything bigger than a 20", ideally. I do want something that will play at a decent resolution but I do not want a widescreen monitor.

Are there any monitors on the market that take two inputs that can be switched between by pressing just one switch (or simply)?

What type of connection will my X58 use to connect to a monitor? (P6T Mobo & 260GTX Max Core GFX card)

My budget is around £250 (no more than £300 ish) but the better bang for buck the...better...


The rig (watercooled ;)):
Graphics: 295GTX Max Core
Processor: Intel i7 920 - (4Ghz ish)
Motherboard: P6T



From listening to people talk about monitors, it seems to me as though people tend to go for Samsung's for reliability and performance. Could anyone recommend me a brand and even a specific monitor with links?


Again, sorry about my lack of knowledge but I am here to learn and would really appreciate your help.


Thanks, Sam.

[dR.bEEf]

To be honest sam you got to go for a 24" monitor to appreciate the graphics of your sytem. Have a look at Samsung SM-2443BW 24" Widescreen LCD Monitor - Black on Overclockers site its £200. Or Dell S2409 24" TFT Monitor 1920x1080 1000:1 300cd/m2 5ms Black DVI/VGA 3 years Manufacturer Warranty on the Ebuyer site £215.

[Sam]

Thanks for that, I have looked up those two monitors but the only trouble is that they are widescreen. The game that I am playing at the moment (Wolfenstein : ET) doesn't support 1900x1200, the closest it supports is 1600x1200.

With the DellS2409, does it support a lower resolution, such as 1600x1200? I could live with playing that game at a non-widescreen resolution.

Are there any Non-Widescreen solutions if a lower resolution is not supported by the DellS2409?

Which do you think is better for gaming, the Samsung or the Dell There isn't too much difference apart from the Samsung having a contrast ratio of 20,000:1 and the price - £225.

[Marder]

I can't give any specific monitor but I'd say that don't settle any smaller than 24".

[Sam]

I still haven't bought a new system or monitor yet but I am looking to buy a new monitor to hook my PS3 into and later on, when I get my system, that too.

I was wondering if there were any new monitors out, at around £250 that are better than the DellS2409 and/or the Samsung SM-2443BW?

I will need atleast one HDMI & VGA input although 2x HDMI would be a lot better.

Also, am I right in saying that the image from a 24" monitor at 1920 x 1200 is slightly stretched as opposed to a 24" monitor running at 1920 x 1080? If so, I'd rather go with x1080.



Thanks.

[dR.bEEf]

Sam I got a Samsung Syncmaster T260. Its awesome mate, 26" of brilliant screen HDMI, full HD. Well worth the money. Also the Samsung T240HD is great, again full HD but has free veiw built in and 2 HDMI connections. The ViewSonic VX2433wm is awesome and comes in at £220. Once again full HD and also has great speakers built in. Have a look here (http://www.overclockers.co.uk/productlist.php?groupid=17&catid=510)

[Sam]

Ok, so since my system should be arriving around Tuesday, I kinda need a monitor......fast.

By the looks of things, Dell have stopped producing the S2409.

So it is between the Samsung T260 (26") and the Samsung T240HD (24").

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MO-087-SA - T260
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MO-104-SA - T240HD

Does anyone have an experience with these monitors, if so, what are they like for games?

I think the T240HD seems the better option as it is cheaper and it has two HDMI inputs.

Does anything happen to the picture quality when you use 1920x1200 on a 26" monitor instead of a 24" monitor? I.e digital scaling, etc.

Thanks, Sam.

[Antland7]

Hi Sam, check out issue70 of custom pc,the current one. There is a labs test on 24in tfts:)

[Sam]

Ah, thanks for that.
I'll have to go and buy it.

Sam.

[Azuricate]

I'll have to agree with the rest when they say that you shouldn't settle for anything less than 24" with that setup. I have a samsung monitor myself and I'm very happy with it, although mine is "only" 22". It looks really nice and it's discrete combined with good support and quality.

*small hijack*
Anyone know if the BenQ 24" LCD E2400HD TCO03 is any good? It's currently for special sale on a swedish site for £150 and I was wondering if it'd be worth it to pick one up while it's for sale.

[Sam]

forgot to mention.. my rig has changed since then...I'll update the first post.
Oh, and also...I am updating my budget ;)


Sam.

[Matt]

Well I have just bought one of these for £195 delivered. Took a bit of calibrating but I'm actually well impressed with it especially considering the price.

http://www.pcbuyit.co.uk/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=&products_id=329

I looked at so many 24" displays and LCD TVs I even bought a few only to end up returning them. I just couldn't get what I was looking for it seemed I had to always compromise somewhere.

I gambled on the Dell due to it's price and other people's feedback, I'm so glad I did now.:)