My Monitor is no more. Pls help

[jnc007]

I need to buy a new monitor and I'm looking at the LCD ones. Can someone give me the down and dirty break down of what I'm looking at as far as features are concerned? I'm looking to spend around $200 but I'm not sure about some of the TECH specifics. Ie pixel pitch, resolution, contrast ratio, What does 8ms mean????

Anyway If any one can help I'd be greatly apprecitive.

Thanks

[pam123]

Umnnn wait a minute.
You want a recent LCD monitor that you're going to attach to a 16 mb pci video card?
I'm assuming you intend to upgrade, soon.
In your place I'd get (borrow?) a used monitor until I got a modern video card with a digital connection.
Then I'd go shopping for an LCD.

edit : I'm assuming you have an AGP slot but aren't a gamer.
An X1300 AGP card should do nicely.

[jnc007]

There's too much assuming going on here.

I just need some information. I don't have a monitor to borrow, I'll get around to buying a new video card eventually and I don't have an agp slot. I only have PCI slots.

So if there any kind souls out there, I still need some one to explain LCD monitors to me and I guess whether or not my temp video card will work in a pinch

A video card will do me no good with out something to view it on.

[Alaron]

I would not buy the monitor until you upgrade the video card. Main reason being that your Rage card doesn't have a DVI connection. When buying new LCDs, this is important. It provides a better picture with a completely digital signal. Buying an LCD with a VGA-only connection, which is what your Rage has now, is slightly less clear of a signal.

For LCDs in general though, the important things to consider are size, response time, brightness, viewing angle, and connection.

I would go witha 19" LCD, simply because the price to size ratio is the best there is right now. The resolution will 1280x1024, and that is a native resolution. You cannot change it without blurring the picture.

Response time is important if you're gaming. This is the time it takes for the picture to be redrawn. The less time (in milliseconds) it is, the better the monitor can handle fast motion in games or movies. Unfortunately the rating differs from manufacturer to manufacturer, so its not always the best way to compare. But I would get something at 16ms or lower. 8ms is popular now.

Brightness is how bright your picture is. Most monitors are around 250-300, which is fine. Some people like a brighter picture then others.

Viewing angle means how far to the side you can look and see a clear picture.

And I already covered the connection. Go with DVI.

Contrast ratio refers to the difference between a bright white and a dark black. It is basically the intensity of the colors. Higher is better.

The last thing to remember is to go with a name brand. Samsung and Viewsonic are good choices.

My recommendation: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16824001063

[XenaWP]

Buying an LCD with a VGA connection doesn't affect the picture quality ... USING the VGA connection does. Most of the better LCDs have both VGA and DVI connections.

The other factor, for those folks who use computers for things other than gaming, is the bit depth of the panel. 6-bit panels, expressed as supporting "16.2 million colors" or "16.2 million colors dithered," have much lower picture quality than 8-bit panels, which are expressed as supporting 16.7 million colors. If you do any work with digital photos, this can make a huge difference.

[jnc007]

Alaron and XenaWP thank you both very much. That was exactly what I needed. I feel much more informed and now I can get back to shopping.

However just to clearify I can use the piece of junk video card I have for the time being I'll just experience lesser picture quality. Is that correct?

I understand I need a new video card. My issue is basically I started school again about a year ago on top of working full time. I use to play and love online gaming, but then my video card blew up and my free time went out the window. So basically I use my computer for watching movies and research. With that being said I can't afford both a 250 vid card and a 250 monitor. If I can get a new monitor I'll at least be able to continue my work.

Does this all sound do-able???

Thanks again

[XenaWP]

Yes, the LCD will work with your card as long as you don't exceed supported resolutions (don't go buying some fancy 24" widescreen ;)) and as long as the new monitor has Input Video Compatibility: Analog RGB or VGA or d-sub 15 (mostly different ways of saying the same thing).

But keep in mind, you can get a video card that's a few years old for about $25 - $50 that supports DVI too. So you don't have to go to the extreme on that front.

[jnc007]

Thanks XenaWP I appreciate the info

[pam123]

There's too much assuming going on here.

I just need some information. I don't have a monitor to borrow, I'll get around to buying a new video card eventually and I don't have an agp slot. I only have PCI slots.

So if there any kind souls out there, I still need some one to explain LCD monitors to me and I guess whether or not my temp video card will work in a pinch

A video card will do me no good with out something to view it on.

Well that straightens me out.:o
The monitor suggestions are good ones.
edit : Yes, I remembered that your board is pci-e.