Does Size Matter? - TFT recommendations [Archive]

Dishy

22-01-2006, 16:55

I am looking for a new TFT to replace my 17" CRT that simply takes up too much room. The problem is that there are so many models out there I can't decide what to get and I can't find any decent reviews of any of the models I have seen. The main issues are:

Should I get a 19" or 17" (both have the same resolution)?
I need it primarily for gaming and web browsing.
Needs to be stylish so to appease the wife.
Got to be in black.
Will a DVI imput make much difference?

I've seen the 19" Samsung 930BF and the 17" LG L1780U. Are the any others better out there for less than £250 inc VAT? Can anybody offer any recommendations please.

Thanks

Kryten

22-01-2006, 17:00

Check this thread for ones in that budget. Get DVI and go for 12ms panels.

kmge

22-01-2006, 17:07

Try these people (http://www.aria.co.uk/) go to the web super specials. Got my 19 inch from them before chrimbo 12ms DVI, not a dead pixel in sight.

Faythur

22-01-2006, 17:53

To answer your question, yes, size does matter IMO :n0rty:

But, seriously I would spend a little extra and get something like the Dell 20" [non widescreen model] like I have at the moment.

I moved from 17" CRT > 17" TFT and now > 20" TFT. As you say, most 19" models just have the same resolution as the smaller 17" ones.

The Dell Ultrasharp has a decent resolution of 1600 X 1200 which easily surpasses my Iyama 17"'s 1240 X 1024. The 17" looks quite puny now by comparison.

For the sort on money you're talking about you could easily pick up one secondhand [like I did :D ] One of my better purchasing decisions lately :luv:

vast_girth

22-01-2006, 18:31

Definately go for a 19". You will regret it if you dont.

Plus, i say 12ms absolute maximum. 8ms is better or even less if you can afford it (3ms is available now)

Jimmyboy

22-01-2006, 18:40

Have the same problem. Been on the lookout for a TFT for ages but there's so many models that I just give up. Sometimes I think it's better when 1 or 2 companies hold the monopoly on a product.

belly

22-01-2006, 21:37

*Lazarus*

22-01-2006, 21:42

am fairly sure i saw a 19inch tft for £149 in the recent argos clearout. :thumbs:

vast_girth

23-01-2006, 11:00

this talk of 8ms and 3ms is not real. these are grey to grey figures and don't mean much.

12ms an absolute maximum :lol: i have a 20ms panel that will perform as well, if not better, than most of these with 12ms.

it isnt about the numbers, its about the quality of the panel. i want to get a bigger monitor but cant bear to part with mine. are the new ones as good? i'm sure they are but.......

true, but the numbers are good as a rough guide. admittidly you probably could get away with more than that as long as your not going to play any fast-reponse games like FPS's.

Consider good old CRT has a 2ms response time and a better picture than any TFT. If you've got the room i still reckon they are the best thing to go for at the moment (but not for long probably as flat screen technology continues to improve)

belly

23-01-2006, 11:11

i agree with the CRT sentiment, but who has the room for a 19" monster these days!!!!

and by the way, i can play any game at any speed on my lowly 20ms panel.

welcome to the Hercules Prophetview 920pro! :clap:

agnetha

23-01-2006, 11:13

Any thoughts on the Acer AL1916S ?

Wishy

23-01-2006, 11:36

I would just be careful to go for a brand, Eg dell, iiyama, lg, samsung, etc
Acer are a bit slow for rma turnaround

My eyes are pretty good, its the resolution that matters to me, so i'd go 17", they tend to be better for gaming but it really can vary.
I'm sticking with my 22" CRT in its high resolution glory, besides, i don't think i could get it out my room and downs the stairs without ending up the wrong way round at the bottom of them!

Numenor

23-01-2006, 11:59

Have a look through the various reviews on Tom's Hardware Guide (http://www.tomshardware.com) - they put loads of TFT monitors through rigorous testing and show you how they compare.

vast_girth

23-01-2006, 12:12

Kryten

23-01-2006, 12:26

ive got a 22" CRT :luv:

and a big desk :p

:lol:

I had to get rid of my 17" Iiyama VMPro CRT because it weighed too much for my desk (I bought got a glass topped desk), so that persuaded me to get the 18" TFT (that was ~4 years ago) and now I am looking for another larger TFT to replace this one, and I know it will cost less than I paid for this beauty which is annoying in a way :|

If you have the desk space then CRT is still superb quality if you play a lot of variable resolution games or need a really large screen size without a mortgage to get it, but otherwise TFT is the way to go and 19" is the minimum I would buy now.

Rawk

23-01-2006, 12:27

I have a 19" CRT iiyama 451 pro at home and an iiyama 17 " LCD at work.

The LCD is okay, but I think it actually strains my eyes in a way that I find difficult to explain - never had this problem with my CRT at home so I'm going to stick with that for quite some time!!

Having said that we got some of those Dell 19" panels at my previous work which had an extremely dark black reproduction - they were good!

Never got to give them a proper try out though...

thetope

23-01-2006, 12:33

i have a 19" dell which i bought from aria for £185 in about september last year. it's fantastic and i could not be without it now!! i think at least 19" is essential these days and as mentioned above try and get one from a reputable brand such as iiyama, dell etc

SpaceCoyote

23-01-2006, 14:00

I have a Dell 2005FPW (20" wide) and although it takes some getting used, you'll never go back.

Dodgy

23-01-2006, 15:29

The only thing that concerns me is the the vertical space on the 2005pw is less than that of a typical 19" (or even 20"!). I've got the 2005PW, 2001FP and Samsung 930BF on my shortlist at the moment and I'm finding it really difficult to make a decision! :brickwall
Dave.

SpaceCoyote

23-01-2006, 15:43

I know what you mean, when it arrived I must admit that it seemed very small in comparison even to my old 18" dell FP.

After a short while you get used to it and then after that you can't go back to a non-wide monitor - believe me I tried.

The only thing I would watch out for is the native resolution, which is 1680x1050 so if you're playing recent games make sure you've got a decent GPU to push them along.

At The Gates

23-01-2006, 21:32

I have the Samsung 930BF and it's an awesome gaming TFT. You can get better TFTs for cheaper for stuff like DVDs and movies, but if you primarily play games and do a bit of surfing then this panel rocks.

I have a Xerox XA7-172i for my MCE PC which is also very good. Looks damn stylish too - black with a glass fronted panel.

http://www.xerox-displays.info/product_display_xa7.html#

SamDude

25-01-2006, 14:16

I went from a 15" TFT to a 20" Dell 2005FPW to a 24" Dell 2405FPW.

It's like when you go to a cinema - the screen is so big you need to move your eye's to see it all...

Dodgy

25-01-2006, 17:23

Finally went for the 2005fpw today. After doing my research (otherwise know as agonising for a week), it's a few mm's taller than my current 19"CRT but a lot wider. What finally swung it for me was being able to rotate into portrait mode, useful for my work.
Dave.

Jimmyboy

25-01-2006, 19:51

I have a Xerox XA7-172i for my MCE PC which is also very good. Looks damn stylish too - black with a glass fronted panel.

http://www.xerox-displays.info/product_display_xa7.html#
Interested in one of these too but can't find it for sale at the usual suppliers.

Dodgy

27-01-2006, 18:25

Well it's arrived (2005fpw) and it's a complete disappointment in games, so much smearing it's unbelievable! Having said that, it makes colours in games look superb (I didn't realise there was so much blood in half-life! The desktop looks great and it's fantastic with static imagery, even DVDs look good.
Don't buy it for gaming.
Dave.

At The Gates

27-01-2006, 21:17

Interested in one of these too but can't find it for sale at the usual suppliers.

www.overclockers.co.uk sell it, and the 19" version too.