Ree wrote:I'm so glad I didn't have to purchase an LCD when I built my current PC. LCDs to me are still inferior to CRTs. Got myself a brand new Viewsonic P227f 21'' CRT when I built my current PC - games have never looked better. Unfortunately, it seems I will have to buy an LCD when I build a new PC in the future for Vista simply because you won't find a new CRT anywhere.
I have to say that is completely wrong.

LCD's are like CRT's in that you have to look at the specifications.
My current 17 inch LCD is far superior to ANY CRT I have ever looked at and I am an avid gamer.

Here are a few pointers...
1. Make sure the LCD has a HIGH contrast ratio (500:1 or higher, 1000:1 is better 2000:1 is perfect), high luminance (450cd/m2 or higher) and a fast refresh rate (8-12ms the lower the better).
2. The LCD monitor should have a DVI connection. If you are using the standard D-15 analog connection the LCD can ghost and look fuzzy.
3. When at all possible run all applications at the LCD monitors NATIVE resolution. This is usually 1280x1024 for most 17 and 19 inch monitors. If you have to run the monitor at a lower resolution DO NOT let Windows scale the image. Let the monitor do it.
I switched to an LCD monitor over a year ago and I will NEVER go back to a CRT. The pictures are clearer, cleaner and colors more vibrant. The key is using the DVI connection and running at the monitors native resolution. Every pixel is a 1 to 1 representation of the 1280x1024 screen. If you are using an analog input for the LCD monitor the pixels will NEVER be 1 to 1 but approximations. An analog signal can never be pixel for pixel in representation. This is why it gives you a muddy or fuzzy looking image where thin lines are not distinct.
If you are going to buy an LCD monitor get one that has a DVI input. Most modern video cards have both DVI and analog outputs.
Using an LCD monitor on an analog output is like running a high performance engine on watered down gas. It will work but it runs poorly.