While the debate between CRT’s and LCD monitors is now pretty much over, choosing an LCD monitor can be a somewhat daunting affair. The sheer volume of choices available on the market makes the choice even more dizzying. Our Buyer’s Guide will help to make you a savvier consumer and help you navigate the through the wide array of LCD monitors available today.

We will guide you step by step through important aspects of choosing an LCD Monitor most suitable for your needs.

Budget

0$ - $200 - Entry Level Monitors

• basic web browsing
• working with single documents
• basic level use

$200-300 - Mid Range Monitors

• watching video
• light multitasking
• gaming

$300 and more - High End Monitors

• video editing
• hard core gaming
• heavy multitasking
• working with multiple documents.

Size

Choosing the size of your monitor is an important step. The amount of space that you currently have available, your budget and what you plan to mainly use the monitor for will all play a factor. 19 inch monitors are the standard these days; however the price points for monitors 21 inches and over are rapidly coming down making them more and more affordable.

Below 17" - Entry Level

• basic web browsing
• working with single documents
• basic level use

17-21" - Mid-Range

• watching video
• light multitasking
• gaming

21" and more - High End

• video editing
• hard core gaming
• heavy multitasking
• working with multiple documents.

Contrast Ratio

Essentially, contrast ratio is the measurement of the difference in brightness from the darkest to brightest portion on the screen. Basically, a higher contrast ratio will mean that the screen will tend to have deeper blacks and brighter whites. Look for at least a 500:1 Contrast ratio

200:1-500:1 - Entry Level

• basic web browsing
• working with single documents
• basic level use

500:1-1000:1 Mid Range

• watching video
• light multitasking
• gaming

1500:1 and more - High End

• video editing
• hard core gaming
• heavy multitasking
• working with multiple documents.

Pixel Response rate / Latency

Response times, measured in milliseconds, refer to the amount of time it takes for the crystals in the LCD panel to move from an on (white) to off (black) state. The lower the response time, the less of a blurring effect there will be on the screen. A faster (lower) response time is more desirable. In general you want to look for a response time of 25ms or less.

50ms-25ms - Entry Level

• basic web browsing
• working with single documents
• basic level use

25ms-15ms Mid Range

• watching video
• light multitasking
• gaming

15ms and less - High End

• video editing
• hard core gaming
• heavy multitasking
• working with multiple documents.

Dot Pitch / Pixel Pitch

The Dot Pitch is the amount of space between pixels in a monitor. The smaller the dot pitch, measured in fractions of millimeters, the crisper the image, so the lower the number, the higher the monitor quality.

1.2mm-0.8mm - Entry Level

• basic web browsing
• working with single documents
• basic level use

0.8mm-0.3mm - Mid Range

• watching video
• light multitasking
• gaming

0.2mm and less - High End

• video editing
• hard core gaming
• heavy multitasking
• working with multiple documents.

Luminance/Brightness

This is a measurement of the amount of light the LCD monitor produces. The measurement unit is called a nit. One nit is equal to one cd/m2. Look for a luminance rating of 300 cd/m2 (nits) or more.

90-300 nits - Entry Level

• basic web browsing
• working with single documents
• basic level use

300-500 nits - Mid Range

• watching video
• light multitasking
• gaming

500 nits and more - High End

• video editing
• hard core gaming
• heavy multitasking
• working with multiple documents.

Maximum Resolution

The Maximum resolution refers to the Maximum resolution settings that the monitor is capable of displaying. In general, the higher the number the better.

Entry Level: 1024x768 (XGA)

• basic web browsing
• working with single documents
• basic level use

Mid Range: 1280x1024(SXGA), 1280x800 (WXGA), 1440x900 (WXGA+)

• watching video
• light multitasking
• gaming

High End: 1600x1200 (UXGA), 1680x1050 (WSXGA+), 1920x1200 (WUXGA)

• video editing
• hard core gaming
• heavy multitasking
• working with multiple documents.

Summary

With all of the above considerations in hand you should now be better equipped to make an more informed choice when choosing a LCD Monitor that best suits your needs.

Thank you for using our buyers guide. We hope you enjoy your shopping experience!