Computer monitors are an integral part of any computer purchase. Desktop or laptop, business or gaming the display is a critical consideration. Let’s take a quick look at the choices and what makes them tick. Some of the main considerations when picking out a monitor are price, display size, display technology and display performance.

First decide how much money you are willing to part with vs the features you can’t live without. Just like buying a car the size and all the extras quickly add up. As the size, shape and style of computer monitors change with each generation it is safe to say that the most popular sizes range from 15” to 22”. The price rises with the display dimensions. Large format LCD Plasmas screens (37” to 60”) are also an option. However monitors of this side come with their own set of logistics and placement. Adding that second monitor may be a good choice if space is not a critical factor. This option lets you have multiple windows open without over crowding your desktop. As manufacturers improve their technology the prices are bound to come down.

The type of monitor will also come into consideration when purchasing. You choices are the older stand by (CRT) cathode ray tube or (LCD) liquid crystal display – flat panel monitors.

LCD monitors are all the rage now a days and manufacturers are slowly phasing out the older CRTs. However, CRTs still maintain an advantage in price and visual display of videos and games for the time being. LCD monitors are quickly gaining on CRT monitors as manufacturers look toward the future. LCD monitors are essentially smaller and take up less space. The CRT monitor with similar display dimensions will easily weight twice as much as the LCD monitor. Weight can be an important factor if you are looking at a new laptop. The wider the laptop display the weight and price can rise quickly. LCD monitors have flat displays that deliver a bright and clear image.
I have a 17” Dell Monitor and like it a lot. The 15” monitor I looked at was too small for me. With a higher resolution the 17” monitor increases my display area which makes it easier to use when viewing documents without having to scroll up or down.



Now that you have decided on a price range and CRT vs LCD lets look at performance. How many times has a salesman found you browsing down the aisle of the electronics department to overwhelm you with a flood of techno babble that only a techie would appreciate? As overwhelming as that flood of words may be the more you know the better your selection will be.

One of the most important factors when picking a monitor is the resolution of the monitor. The resolution of a monitor is the amount of pixels that can be displayed horizontally x vertically. A pixel is variable dot of color. The higher the resolution the more pixels and the more information that can be displayed on the monitor. In short, a higher resolution offers you a brighter, more colorful, crisper image which is a significant factor when watching a movie or playing a video game. Below I have listed some standard resolution rates for different size monitors.
15\" 800 x 600 / 1,024 x 768
17\" 1,280 x 1,024
19\" 1,280 x 1024
The Response time is the amount of time a pixel in an LCD monitor takes to go from active (black) to inactive (white) and back to active (black) again. It is measured in milliseconds (ms). Lower numbers mean faster transitions and therefore fewer visible image artifacts.
Now for the space between the pixels, the Dot Pitch or Stripe Pitch is a very important consideration. Dot Pitch measurement is found on most monitors and defines the amount of space (in millimeters) that separates two adjacent pixels that are the same color. The smaller the Dot Pitch, the sharper the image. It is recommended that the Dot Pitch of a monitor be no bigger than 0.25

The refresh rate is a term I have also heard thrown around. The refresh rate is a measurement of the number of times per second the screen is redrawn or can change images. This is important in video gaming where reaction time and critical moves are becoming more life like at amazing speed. The refresh rate is measured in hertz and it is recommended that a monitor have at least a refresh rate of 75 MHz at the resolution you desire.

The contrast ratio is defined as the ratio of the luminosity of the brightest color (white) to that of the darkest color (black) that the monitor is capable of producing.


The aspect ratio, which is the horizontal size compared to the vertical size, e.g. 4:3 is the standard aspect ratio, so that a screen with a width of 1024 pixels will have a height of 768 pixels. A widescreen display can have an aspect ratio of 16:9, which means a display that is 1024 pixels wide will have a height of 576 pixels.
Well I hope that I was able to bring to light some of the critical factors to consider when monitor shopping. I would also recommend that you go to manufacturer websites for any and all specifications that you desire. Sites such as Amazon, Ebay and Newegg.com are also good resources for owner feedback of products.

Good Luck!

By peterc35

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