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Upgrade advice


Domarius

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I was doing animating for DarkMod and my computer was chugging - it's at the point where I have to play the animation back at a slower speed just to see the subtleties, because the frame rate keeps dropping too many frames. And so I got to thinking about upgrading again. And the "upgrade" thread shows up in the DarkMod forums the very same day. Must be an omen.

 

How many of you are playing Thief on an LCD? The stores around me don't seem to stock CRTs anymore!! WTF? I need a new monitor cause this one is dying.

 

I guess if I upgrade I would get this;

http://www.computeralliance.com.au/systems...;qrySystemID=35

$2349 AU but I cut it down to $2083 by subtracting the stuff I already have - HDD, DVD, Card Reader, Mouse, keyboard. (Still getting the included speaker system, I think I should replace these huge things here)

 

The LCD in that bundle is $400. I would like to get a comparible CRT but seems like I don't have a choice. All I want to know is, when I turn the lights out, what will it look like??

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I've recently made the upgrade from a SAMSUNG 19" CRT to a SAMSUNG 21.6" WS LCD. Doing a lot of graphic and multimedia work, I was concerned about the change to LCD, but I'm actually very glad I made the change. Even older games like Thief and Thief 2, along with just about everything else looks great, if not somewhat better.

 

I purchased the SAMSUNG 216BW which ran about $250 US. I looked around for a long time before choosing this one and I'm very pleased with the results. The price point / quality is perfect for my needs.

 

The color and speed is excellent, I haven't noticed any ghosting in games or video, and there is very little back light bleed when your looking at a black screen. I'm very happy with my experience so far, and have no desire to go back to CRT at this point.

Edited by Jeb
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I can recommend the Iiyama ProLite E2200WS (you can get it cheaper than the price stated on the website). It has good colours and is far better with darker shades of grey than most laptop LCDs (which are usually poor), but it might be that more powerful TFTs have been produced in the last 8 months though.

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I have orderd this one: LG FLATRON L2000CN 20 Zoll TFT DVI black/silver (kontrast 2000:1, 6 Ms)

I got it for 320 Euro, now it became a bit more expensive but I still got the old price. :)

 

I selected this one, because it had good feedbacks, and from the technical parameters, it seems to be the best one. I also didn't want to get a widescreen. I rather have the extra 150 lines instead of a few pixels width more. :) But as it seems, this will be my last 4:3 screen, because it's pretty hard already to get one, and I expect that in a few years they will be completely extinct.

Gerhard

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I have orderd this one: LG FLATRON L2000CN 20 Zoll TFT DVI black/silver (kontrast 2000:1, 6 Ms)

I got it for 320 Euro, now it became a bit more expensive but I still got the old price. :)

 

I selected this one, because it had good feedbacks, and from the technical parameters, it seems to be the best one. I also didn't want to get a widescreen. I rather have the extra 150 lines instead of a few pixels width more. :) But as it seems, this will be my last 4:3 screen, because it's pretty hard already to get one, and I expect that in a few years they will be completely extinct.

You should get one of them widescreens that can tilt 90 degrees. That must be excellent for coding. :)

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Thanks guys. :)

 

So you guys, when saying these LCDs are great for gaming and everything - how does it look playing Thief games in the dark?????

 

I didnt feel like I lost any of the games atmosphere, and personally though that the game looked even better due to the crisp clarity of the LCD itself.

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I went an got myself a Samsung 226BW today... because I keep feeling cramped on a 17" with an IDE and a few other windows open. Its a pretty little 22" wide screen LCD, with a VERY attractive price.

 

However, Im not too sure when it arrives and in the mean time I am using a friends spare one of the same model. It has the all important S panel which gives the best colour and contrast etc...

 

I have just been playing a few games to check it out and it confirms my fear that the quality of dark games isnt as good as my Viewsonic CRT's, there is a slight wash out of the black even with the best tweaking I do. That said, few CRT's come close to having a black as dark as my old Viewsonics, not even the Cornerstone I have running.

 

I would advise you to try and check an LCD out before you buy it... there are many out there that have poor panels and leak a lot of the backlighting etc. BeHardware (http://www.behardware.com/) are a GREAT source of unbiased and well tested LCD reviews - I would check what they say about latencies and stuff before buying. XbitLabs are also pretty good with LCD stuff.

 

All in all, I am quite impressed by the current generation of LCD's when it comes to dark games - but I am looking forward to techs like SED which will bring along a much impoved quality :)

 

Bottom line : I'd always check the panel before paying.

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You should get one of them widescreens that can tilt 90 degrees. That must be excellent for coding. :)

 

That's exactly what I NOT want, because a widescreen has more columns and less lines. When I code, I want to see as many lines as possible, while at the same time, most code wont ever reach the right side of the screen (even at 1024x768), so the extra columns are just wasted screenspace.

Gerhard

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So you guys, when saying these LCDs are great for gaming and everything - how does it look playing Thief games in the dark?????

 

My LCD I only get in a few weeks, as it is not stocked anywhere at the moment it seems. Reviewers on Amazon said that it is ok for playing, and my wife also has an LCD (different brand though), where playing Thief is no problem at all. I don't expect any problmes therefore, but I'm not one of these obsessed guys either, where black has to be perfect black. :)

 

Good thing is, because of the mail order, it means I can return it, if I don't like it. :)

Gerhard

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The thing always was with CRTs, you turned out the lights and got a higher range of colour out of them. But LCDs always made the dark colours glow and become washed out when you turned out the lights. How bad is this nowadays?

 

That only happens with backlight. Colourwise, most LCDs nowadays can display 16.7mio colours, so I don't expect any troubles there. And in a game it shouldn't matter so much anyway, because you are mostly moving around. It's not as if you are watching still pictures all the time, unless you are an artist or otherwise need perfect colours, in which case CRTs are still recommended.

Gerhard

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That's exactly what I NOT want, because a widescreen has more columns and less lines. When I code, I want to see as many lines as possible, while at the same time, most code wont ever reach the right side of the screen (even at 1024x768), so the extra columns are just wasted screenspace.

Did you even read what I said? I said one that can tilt 90 degrees into "portrait mode". That means you get way more lines than columns. More than on a regular 4:3 screen. Edit - Like this one: http://www.eizo.com/products/lcd/l997/index.asp

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Did you even read what I said? I said one that can tilt 90 degrees into "portrait mode". That means you get way more lines than columns. More than on a regular 4:3 screen. Edit - Like this one: http://www.eizo.com/products/lcd/l997/index.asp

 

Ah, sorry! I didn't understand what you meant by that. :blush: That would be great of course. Just wondering if the software can deal with this though. Do you know any models that can tilt that way?

Gerhard

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I just looked up monitors now, and my model, that I ordered also supports 90 degree swivel. That's a good thing, I certainly will try, because it gives me a more usefull screen on the desktop. :) I also looked up 1900 displays, but they are more expensive.

Gerhard

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There was recently a pretty length discussion on CRTs vs LCDs on TTLG.
Thanks, I didn't know cause I don't visit there anymore, I'll take a look.

 

I went an got myself a Samsung 226BW today... because I keep feeling cramped on a 17" with an IDE and a few other windows open. Its a pretty little 22" wide screen LCD, with a VERY attractive price.

 

However, Im not too sure when it arrives and in the mean time I am using a friends spare one of the same model. It has the all important S panel which gives the best colour and contrast etc...

 

I have just been playing a few games to check it out and it confirms my fear that the quality of dark games isnt as good as my Viewsonic CRT's, there is a slight wash out of the black even with the best tweaking I do. That said, few CRT's come close to having a black as dark as my old Viewsonics, not even the Cornerstone I have running.

 

I would advise you to try and check an LCD out before you buy it... there are many out there that have poor panels and leak a lot of the backlighting etc. BeHardware (http://www.behardware.com/) are a GREAT source of unbiased and well tested LCD reviews - I would check what they say about latencies and stuff before buying. XbitLabs are also pretty good with LCD stuff.

 

All in all, I am quite impressed by the current generation of LCD's when it comes to dark games - but I am looking forward to techs like SED which will bring along a much impoved quality :)

 

Bottom line : I'd always check the panel before paying.

Thanks for the info :)

http://www.behardware.com/articles/667-1/s...he-verdict.html

Apparently it's difficult to tell if it really has an S panel, even when using the secret menu? Until you notice the poor quality that is.

 

 

That only happens with backlight. Colourwise, most LCDs nowadays can display 16.7mio colours, so I don't expect any troubles there. And in a game it shouldn't matter so much anyway, because you are mostly moving around. It's not as if you are watching still pictures all the time, unless you are an artist or otherwise need perfect colours, in which case CRTs are still recommended.

Well there's more to it than that :) To see what I mean, just turn down the brightness on your montior - there, it's still showing "16 million colours" but they look shit!

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@Spring, this thread?

http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=114492&

 

He's talking about the very same monitor. The outcome of the thread is his has a darkening towards the top. Sounds like one of the insidious bad versions.

 

(The "dotted grid" he's talking about is just the 16 bit colour dithering inherent in Thief. I've always noticed it even on my CRTs, and I can live with it, because I know it's just the old game, and not the $400 monitor)

 

Man, if it wasn't for the risk of getting a bad version, I would be sold on this monitor. I emailed my computer store and asked if they can confirm which version it is.

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I have no clue what panel will arrive, which is a bit dodge... The S I am using atm, the friend requested that that people he was buying for try and find one and they did :) I did the same, but havent heard anything yet... let alone when my one arrives.

 

If you can get your local crowd to have a look for you, its about the best price you can get :)

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I went ahead and bought myself an LCD monitor about 6 months ago. I got a Dell 21' ultrasharp LCD monitor; and i haven't had any qualms about it so far. it seems to play games fine. Normally I wouldn't touch any of Dell's stuff but I figured it was unlikely that they would manufacture the screen themselves; rather use OEM and rebrand it.

 

I managed to get my screen for 500AUD through those promotional plans they have, and there was an even larger one for cheaper but it wasn't Ultrasharp, and most review sites I checked said that it was better to get Ultrasharp LCD's. It was probabaly a scam anyway but the screen does the job.

Edited by SplaTtzZ
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Thanks again for the input.

 

Serpentine - yeah I asked them yesterday and no reply yet. I like to think they are suddenly panicking about this new found info and asessing all their stock and trying to organise making sure they're only getting the right ones from the supplier... :) Maybe not.

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Blah - computer store guy told me (been having email communication with him today) that in Australia we only have the C panel version. I found out here, it's the worst.

 

http://www.behardware.com/articles/673-1/s...er-226bw-c.html

and the article finishes like this;

We just finish this express article on the model C when we hear that a fourth version of the 226BW has been released. It’s still a 226BW C, but this time the C is for CPT – another panel manufacturer with a poorer reputation than CMO. Enough is enough !
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