There's also something called the refresh rate. Usually, refresh rate range from 45 to 120 Hz. Refresh rate is a measure of how many times the monitor draws the entire screen per second. The higher the number, the better because higher refresh rates mean less screen flickering - an artifact you can clearly see when looking at a monitor through a video camera. But more importantly, a higher refresh rate will be easier on your eyes, particularly useful if youýre planning to use a PC for extended periods of time (more than two hours).
Generally, PC monitors supports several refresh rates, this means they'll change with the resolution. A higher resolution uses a lower refresh rate. The sweet spot for monitors seems to be 1024 x 758 pixels, where refresh rate is usually at its highest. As a general rule of thumb, a refresh rate of 75 Hz is adequate, although some would argue that this figure should be 85 Hz. So if you're quite satisfied with a refresh rate of 75 Hz, you could probably up the resolution to 1280 x 1024 pixels. A better solution (albeit more expensive) is to get a bigger monitor that supports a higher refresh rate and resolution.
Some pointers when choosing a monitor
* for general usage, a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels is enough. If you have special needs, such as image / video editing or 3d modeling / animation, choose one that at least supports 1280 x 1024 resolution. Higher is better.
* choose a monitor with at least 75 or 85 Hz on your resolution of choice. Just remember that when you're using a higher resolution, images will look best on a monitor that's physically bigger.
* those with special needs will probably benefit from monitors with a lower dot pitch number since they offer a sharper image.
Nowadays, there are several types of monitor you could choose: CRTs (Cathode Ray Tube) or LCDs (Liquid Crystal Display). Until recently, LCD was only used in portable / notebook PCs but now they've become more affordable for desktop users. The primary difference between a CRT and LCD monitor is size (or bulk if you prefer), power consumption and price. Generally, an LCD monitor will (still) cost more than their CRT counterpart. This is understandable since they are lighter, take up less space and consume less power. So, it those things are important to you and your budget allows it, consider getting one.
The monitorsý measurements we talked about generally also apply to LCDs, but there are some differences because LCDs work differently. CRTs draws the screen by manipulating electrons in their tube (remember the Tube in CRT?), while LCDs uses lots of small crystals (for the dots, remember?). When LCDs draw the screen, it will only change the relevant crystals and not the whole screen like CRTs. So when evaluating LCD, look for something that's called pixel response time: a lower number means the LCD crystals take less time to refresh. This means images are displayed quicker. The lower the number, the better.
Because of the way LCDs are made, they work better in certain resolutions. Since LCDs use lots of small crystals for the screen, displaying an image above or below than number of crystals means the LCDs must rescale the image. This concept is what we call 'native resolution'. A 15' LCD usually has a native resolution of 1024 x 768, while bigger LCDs (17', 18', or 19' LCD s) support a native resolution of 1280 x 1024 or higher.
Some other factors you may want to consider are brightness, contrast and color. Lower priced LCDs usually has lower quality screens and may display pictures and images poorly although they're still suitable for text. Check for gradual color or contrast changes between the center and the outer area of the screen. Needless to say, if you're going to use your PC for digital imaging and photo editing, any color or brightness deviation is not acceptable. Go with higher quality LCDs or pick a CRT monitor.
Some of you may think LCDs are the better solution as monitor go. Well, that's not entirely true. There is something you must know if you're thinking about using LCDs - dead pixels. A dead pixel is what happens when a crystal in a particular pixel (or area if you're really unlucky) has stopped functioning and can't change its color. You can spot dead pixels quite easily by opening an image with one color (black or white or blue) and look closely at the screen to find a pixel or pixels that displays the wrong color. As LCDs got bigger, so does the possibility of dead pixels in your screen.
Another problem concerning LCDs is 'ghosting'. Ghosting is an artifact that's quite apparent on LCD s with slow pixel response time. It happens when the image shown on screen changes quickly or frequently. What happens is the crystals on your LCD are slow to react to this change. So, you will still see an imprint or shadow on these pixels (hence the term ghost) of the previous image while the screen is already displaying the next / current image.
If you're thinking about using an LCD, you'll need to pay special attention to dead pixels and pixel response time. Check with your vendor to find out what their policy is concerning dead pixels. Some vendors will tolerate a moderate number of dead pixels, while others will tolerate a small (lower is better) number.
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