Computer Tech: Part I - Displays
Remember the good old days of computing? Back then you knew that a 486 computer was faster than a 386, at any given clock speed. A VESA Local Bus video card was faster than ISA based one. 8MB of RAM was way better than 4MB of system RAM. Nowadays things aren't so clear. This is the first blog of a multipart series where I compare the technology of today vs. the tech of the next generation. Although it may seem like a no brainer to go with the next big thing, the decision to go with the latest and greatest in the computer world isn't so clear anymore. In this series I will try to explain the technical differences and what shortcomings, if any, the next gen tech entails. I will also provide my personal recommendation for my next gaming rig and the reasons why I choose to go with that particular product.
Today, I'm going to talk about displays. For many years dating back to the dawn for modern computing CRT displays have ruled the roost. It wasn't until recently that LCD's have gained momentum and are on track to eventually replace all CRT's, especially on new systems. The benefits of modern LCD's are numerous; they have excellent brightness and contrast. The color representation is consistent and does not shift based on magnetic orientation. It uses much less power to operate and uses much less desk space than its CRT counterparts. Since an LCD's pixels are always on, they don't need to be refreshed as often as a CRT and therefore are easier on the eyes.
Despite all the benefits of LCD displays they do have some negative attributes. One is price. Although prices of LCD's have dropped dramatically over the years and will continue to do so, they still cost more than double what CRT's cost with similar specs. Another negative of an LCD display is that only have one native resolution. You can set your screen resolution to lower what is recommended but the pixels are interpolated and can make the display look fuzzy. Some of the higher end LCD's do a much better job of this than lower end one's but the effect is still noticeable. Lastly, unless you purchase a good quality LCD with a fast pixel refresh rate (less than 20ms is ideal) then you may experince ghosting artifacts with fast moving games (such as first person shooters) and watching videos.
Since my goal for building my next PC was to keep costs low and to only play games on it, I decided to purchase a used CRT. I ended up buying a 19" Dell P992 CRT display on eBay for only $85. It features the award winning Sony Trinitron flat glass tube and can support a resolution of up to 1600 x 1200. Another reason why I went with a CRT is that since I am only using this for games, the ability to switch resolutions without losing quality is important. This will allow me to lower the resolution as games get more graphically demanding without seeing blurred pixels. Also I will never have to worry about ghosting artifacts when playing Doom 3.
Dell P992 Display
It is a really stylish display, the only problem is that it really is a deep monitor and takes up a lot of room on my desk. Also don't get me wrong, I still own and love my Apple Cinema Display, its just for this particlar purchase, a CRT made more sense. I look forward to playing some really great gaming titles on it.
Today, I'm going to talk about displays. For many years dating back to the dawn for modern computing CRT displays have ruled the roost. It wasn't until recently that LCD's have gained momentum and are on track to eventually replace all CRT's, especially on new systems. The benefits of modern LCD's are numerous; they have excellent brightness and contrast. The color representation is consistent and does not shift based on magnetic orientation. It uses much less power to operate and uses much less desk space than its CRT counterparts. Since an LCD's pixels are always on, they don't need to be refreshed as often as a CRT and therefore are easier on the eyes.
Despite all the benefits of LCD displays they do have some negative attributes. One is price. Although prices of LCD's have dropped dramatically over the years and will continue to do so, they still cost more than double what CRT's cost with similar specs. Another negative of an LCD display is that only have one native resolution. You can set your screen resolution to lower what is recommended but the pixels are interpolated and can make the display look fuzzy. Some of the higher end LCD's do a much better job of this than lower end one's but the effect is still noticeable. Lastly, unless you purchase a good quality LCD with a fast pixel refresh rate (less than 20ms is ideal) then you may experince ghosting artifacts with fast moving games (such as first person shooters) and watching videos.
Since my goal for building my next PC was to keep costs low and to only play games on it, I decided to purchase a used CRT. I ended up buying a 19" Dell P992 CRT display on eBay for only $85. It features the award winning Sony Trinitron flat glass tube and can support a resolution of up to 1600 x 1200. Another reason why I went with a CRT is that since I am only using this for games, the ability to switch resolutions without losing quality is important. This will allow me to lower the resolution as games get more graphically demanding without seeing blurred pixels. Also I will never have to worry about ghosting artifacts when playing Doom 3.
Dell P992 Display
It is a really stylish display, the only problem is that it really is a deep monitor and takes up a lot of room on my desk. Also don't get me wrong, I still own and love my Apple Cinema Display, its just for this particlar purchase, a CRT made more sense. I look forward to playing some really great gaming titles on it.
posted by Marcos at October 10, 2004
3 Comments:
I can totally relate to the blurred pixels on my HP L2335 LCD. I don't really notice it in the game itself but rather in any HUDs or menu screens. Playing RTCW in my native res of 1920x1200 looks fantastic though! I do have bigger fish to fry in regards to my widescreen aspect ratio and games that support it though. Will post about this in the near future!
I almost forgot- now you're going to have to keep your Dell case Mark. No mismatched components. Think of the whole Dell experience now! ;)
Rob don't forget that Doom 3 now supports true widescreen modes with the latest patch. Also regarding the Dell display. I knew it wouldn't match my future case but the price was right. Even if I went third party (Sony, ViewSonic, Samsung, ect...) the display still wouldn't match a Lian-Li case!
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