LCD Monitors

LCD monitors have distinct size and power advantages over past, and even some present, display choices. Plasma monitors don't come in desktop sizes, and represent higher costs, weight, and energy consumption. Most homes and offices use monitors between 15 to 20 inches, though larger widescreen monitors increase productivity at work and enjoyment of games and movies at home. Newegg carries a huge variety of LCD monitors from Samsung, BENQ, NEC, ViewSonic, Acer, HP, Hanns-G, ASUS, and many other major brands.

Pros and Cons

LCD Monitors are thin, lightweight and easy to move, and some are wall-mountable, getting them completely off your desk, providing drastically greater options for work or play. Adjustable monitor stands also offer increased ergonomics. LCD monitors have a steadier, flicker-free picture, causing far less eyestrain, and are a blessing to users who spend long hours at their screens. They use less energy than plasma monitors or CRTs.

What should you consider before purchase?

LCD monitors are currently available in a variety of screen sizes. A larger viewing area will often provide support for higher resolutions, which translate into more on the screen at once. LCD screen sizes are measured in inches along the diagonal of the screen. Newegg carries LCD monitors from 15" all the way up to 52"!

Native resolution is the maximum resolution (detail level, in pixels) an LCD monitor can support. A monitor provides the best viewing experience when working in its native resolution.

Aspect ratio is the width to height proportion of a display. Non-widescreen LCDs have an aspect ratio of 5:4, similar to a standard television set's aspect ratio of 4:3. Widescreen LCDs boast 16:9 or 16:10 dimensions to better display movie formats.

The response time is the speed at which an LCD monitor's pixels change from one color to the next and back again. Response time is measured in ms (milliseconds). The quicker an LCD monitor's response time, the less likelihood there is for ghosting or after images appearing when displaying fast-paced images (games and movies). We recommend 8ms or better for high-performance gaming and multimedia applications.

Brightness (luminosity) is often measured in candelas or cd/m2. Most LCD monitors today can provide over 200 cd/m2, which is more than sufficient for normal use. Games and movies may benefit from somewhat higher brightness levels. A higher contrast ratio allows a monitor to provide a greater range of dark and light details.

Viewing angle is the greatest angle (horizontal or vertical) from which a user can view an LCD screen at an acceptable image quality. A wide viewing angle enables a group of people to view the screen at once or enables a user with greater viewing flexibility.

LCD monitors are usually equipped with one or two types of connectors for connecting to your PC. D-Sub Connectors transfer analog signals and are still very popular as they are compatible with most video cards. DVI Connectors transfer a video card's digital output directly for a superior signal. The DVI connector is mainstream equipment on newer video cards and on an increasing number of new LCD monitors. HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) connectors are necessary for displays with HD resolution approaching that of HDTV, from 780-1080 lines per inch, and they're backwards-compatible with DVI systems.