Selecting the Best Monitor

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The Beginner's Guide to Building A PC - Selecting the Best Monitor.

The monitor you select should definitely be well researched and well thought out. This is of course due to the fact that the monitor is what you look at whenever you are using your computer. The monitor, unlike peripheral equipment, is used whenever you are using your computer making it one of the most important buys of your system. Nevertheless, there are still countless options available to you. While most monitors work with most system set-ups you will find that some will work best for you needs than others.

Quality Of Picture.

Since the beginning of personal computers monitors have gotten progressively better in quality to the point where the same technology that goes into television screens goes into computer screens. This transition is a natural one when taking into account the rise of home multi-media centers. With the rise of LCD, HD, and plasma screens becoming mainstream terms quality of picture is as important as ever. Resolution is a common term which is loosely used to describe the quality of picture. Resolution is measured in pixels (example: 1024x768). Monitors have a maximum resolution which means that the dots on the monitor are the same number of dots coming from the computer. Do you remember the last time you saw a laptop screen? Maybe you are looking at one right now. Anyway do you recall a time when you looked at the computer at an angle and you could barely see anything? This is an LCD monitor/screen trait called the viewing angle and can be overcome by purchasing a computer with a higher viewing angle. Viewing angle is measured in degrees. Near the viewing angle listing on a monitor specifications list you will find a ratio (example: 500:1). This ratio measures contrast and the higher the ratio the better. A better ratio will give the screen a clearer appearance. The Hanns-G pictured has an amazing 700:1 ratio. If you will be using your computer in an area with bright lighting brightness is the next q monitor LCD uality of a monitor that you should concern yourself with. The brightness specification will look like this: 400 cd/m2. Again, the higher the number the better if used in an area with bright lighting. Next up is response time. Response time is most important to gamers and to people who watch DVD's on their monitors. Response time is measured in milliseconds (ms) and the lower the number the better.

Size.

Size is an innate trait that we focus on with all things technological. �Ooooh, that phone is so sleek and small .� �Wow, that T.V. is MASSIVE .� Size can also be a guide to expense. The bigger the screen the more it costs. Costs of monitors have been going down steadily in the last few years yet monitors of larger size are indeed more costly than their smaller counterparts (Hanns-G 19-Inch LCD Display is only $149.99). Although a large monitor is generally more desirable for some people the large screen is hard on the eyes. That is why shopping for a monitor over the internet only is not recommended. Several monitors of different type should be viewed, compared, and contrasted before making any final decisions. Speakers often increase the size of the actual monitor yet decrease the needed space around the computer system. At first thought this may seem like a great space-saving idea. On second thought avoid monitors with integrated speakers. More often than not the speakers will malfunction before the monitor possibly conceiving a large series of headaches. The inevitable frustration of having to send the monitor in only to fix the speakers is surely not a pleasant thought.

Given the fact that the monitor can be one of the most expensive components in a computer system the decision to buy a better quality, larger, monitor might be clouded. Still, the monitor is the only piece of the computer system as expensive as it is that is still technically a great value for several years. With that in mind selecting the monitor that is best for you with less regard to price is the advantageous decision.

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