The best monitor for NWN?

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G'day gamers.

This isn't a question about playing NWN, but is one I am sure gamers will understand my asking and hopefully put their two-pennyworth in.

My 15" CRT monitor is beginning to show its age and I have this once-in-a-while opportunity to upgrade it, to something which enhances the gaming experience. My question - do I stick with a CRT monitor or take the plunge and get a desktop LCD? And is 17" sufficient and 19" better, or is 19" too big when it's only two-feet in front of your nose?

My video card is a GeForce 2MX, if that has any relevance.

My present understanding is that CRT can handle a faster refresh rate, which makes for smoother movement, and displays truer colour. I'm not sure if any refresh rate I set survives the onset of MWN, tho' . On the other hand LCD is easier on the eyes - the makers claim! - and has no glare or radiation. As I tend to spend several (read 'many'!) hours at a time in front of the monitor playing NWN (&tc) this is not a trivial consideration.

All views - particularly from those who have played NWN on a variety of monitors - welcome - before I spend my money.

Regards.

 

I'd seriously advise you to get a small one, because otherwise the graphics NWN is capable of might frazzle your eyes.
I run a 12" and it still gives me headaches.

 

The LCD's have come a long way.

They are right next to independant of refresh rate. You're right; they can't "update" the screen 85 times per second.

But they can handle just over 40. And no; your eyes will not be able to see flicker. If there's flicker, it's because there's a torch nearby, and someone probably just tried shooting it with a water arrow.

Make sure you don't get clubbed with a blackjack.

The CRT makes a "flash" when the electron hits the phosphorous coating. And that "flash" immediately begins to die away. If your refresh rate isn't high enough for the resolution you're working at, then the screen appears to "flicker" because the electron gun just can't get around to that part of the monitor, fast enough.

The LCD stays lit, until it is told to unlite, or it is told to turn a different color. Right now, a decent quality LCD can "change" just over 40 times per second. The high quality ones ($1200 and up) can do close to 50.

Translate that into a frame rate. The LCD's can do 40fps. Which is faster than your eyes can respond.

Other than that, the LCD will cost you out the whazoo. Maybe your best friend's whazoo, too. 17 and 19 inch LCD's run around a thousand. And that's just a decent quality LCD.

You can get a very good 19" shadow mask monitor for $250. You can get a lowend trinitron 17" monitor for about $200. And you can get a very good quality trinitron 19" for $550.

Personally, I went with the 19" shadow mask. I have an Envision 980e. The screen is curved, but they put some "rectifying" glass in front, which really flattens it out. It's curved just enough that you can tell it's curved, as opposed to a high end trinitron "perfect flat" monitor. Figure, it's got 18 viewable, and I bring it down to about 17.5" because I don't take it completely to the edge. Maybe more like 17.7" viewable.

It's got a 95khz horiz. refresh. Which lets it do 1024x768@110hz. I usually run it at 100hz, that resolution. It'll do 1600x1200@75hz as well. The few times I've even bothered with that resolution, there's no noticable flicker. But, I didn't test it extensively. I just played a couple of games at that, and decided that the monitor just wasn't big enough to make that look good, and dropped it back down.

If you get a high end Trinitron, they have good contrast. If you get a low end trinitron, they tend to wash out colors. Poor contrast.

This is the only are where the shadow masks shine. Even the decent quality shadow mask monitors have contrast that is close (but not quite) the level of a high end trinitron. Shadow masks and LCD's are good text readers.

But, the most important thing you can possibly do is trust your own eyes. Go across the city this Saturday, to all the computer shops. Start with the big ones. And just look at monitors.

Look up the term "Maximum Horizontal Refresh Rate" on the internet, first. This number tells you exactly what kind of vertical refresh rate you will get, at a particular resolution. You'll see numbers like "30-90khz", "30-85khz", "30-95khz".

This number is a good "first impression". If you see 70khz, then you know it's a low end monitor before you even look at anything else.

And remember that number only applies to CRT's. LCD's are right next to independant of the refresh rate. They work, fundamentally, completely different than a CRT. For an LCD, you have to decide with your eyes.

For NWN, I'd have to say before anything else, you'll want a good contrast monitor.

 

I'd also recommend a CRT. I've got a 17" Trinitron. For gaming, it has yet to disappoint. LCDs aren't quite as good, IMO. With the very highest performance graphics in full speed with everything going to the maximum available you will notice some screen distortion (no, I'm not talking about flicker).

While LCDs have come a long way, for fast moving images, they still can't compete with the best CRTs and are a lot more expensive. Unless you've got an issue with deskspace, forget the LCD.