Best Monitor for under 400 bucks

[jdm4936]

I will be building my first gaming rig shortly I plan on getting two 6950s overclocking them and using crossfire. I want to maximize my gaming experience but I am not sure what route I should go in terms of monitors. I am leaning towards LED but what is the best option.

 

[internetlad]

would the ML249H REALLY be that bad for gaming? VA panels have a bad rep amongst fast paced video and gaming but an 8ms response time doesn't seem bad.

 

[jaguarskx]

Generally speaking, 8ms is not bad for gaming. Yes, the higher the response time, the more chances of seeing ghosting effects. Some would argue that up to 14ms response time is fine. Not sure of that since I don't have experience with that response time.

I play games on a 6ms response time monitor, while I might see a tiny bit of ghosting in some rare instances overall it is good for gaming. The difference between 6ms and 8ms is not that much.

The basic strength of VA panel monitors is the high static contrast ratio which allows for better details especially in dark scenes. I believe VA panels can have up to about 4000:1 static contrast ratio, but I think up to 3000:1 is more common.

 

[HGFA]

Go 1920x1080 IPS, VA or TN (120Hz).

Just be sure to avoid TN (60 Hz) and 16:10 resolutions.

 

[AnUnusedUsername]

There's no reason to tell people to avoid 16:10. As a general rule, most companies higher-end monitors are 16:10 anyway. If you wan't to connect a console to your monitor, then you don't need 16:10, but it won't hurt (you'll just get black bars). If you want to run PC games on your monitor, there's no serious downside. Sure, not all games natively support 16:10, but not all games natively support 16:9, 4:3, or 5:4 either. Effectively zero games support the aspect ratios produced by using multiple monitors, that alone is no reason to discredit using them. You can always force a game to a given resolution/aspect ratio, even if it doesn't "officially" support it. That said, there's nothing wrong with 16:9 either. Choose whatever aspect ratio you prefer. Some want more vertical space, others value horizontal space more.

As jaguar said, 8ms is not bad at all for gaming. I used to play a lot of UT on a laptop screen with a 16ms quoted response time, and never noticed ghosting at all. The asus looks to be a good option, as it's somewhat cheap and doesn't use a TN panel.

A few other general options are 120Hz TN panel monitors, those can display a 120Hz image rather than the standard 60Hz. It's best to find one and see for yourself if you notice the difference. If you don't go fora 120Hz monitor, you could find a VA panel (like the asus) or an IPS panel monitor also within your price range. Here are just a few.

IPS/VA monitors: (23'', not 24'' seems to be the standard size for 16:9 IPS panels, I'm not sure why)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824176144 (recertified HP, 24'' VA panel, 16:10, $200)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824005234 (LG, 23'' IPS panel, 16:9, $250)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824116421 (Viewsonic, 23'' IPS panel, 16:9, $290)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236122 (ASUS, 23'' IPS panel, 16:9, $210)
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04&sku=320-9270 (the often-recommended U2410 is out of your budget, but this is dell's 23'' 16:9 IPS model. $250 from their site)
http://shopping1.hp.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/WFS/WW-USSMBPublicStore-Site/en_US/-/USD/ViewProductDetail-Start?ProductUUID=gV8Q7EN5rFYAAAEtWmVVIOG3&CatalogCategoryID=yP4Q7EN5.w0AAAEu6fw.zwd2 (A tad over your budget at $425. HP, 24'' IPS panel, 16:10)


120Hz monitors:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009222 (Acer, 23.6'' 120Hz TN panel, 16:9, $350)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236104 (Asus, 23'' 120Hz TN panel, 16:9, $350)

There are obviously a lot of options out there. It would be easier if you specified a few things, like do you prefer 16:9 or 16:10, do you want 120Hz or not, and are you more concerned with picture quality or monitor size?

For $450ish you could get three cheap 23'' TN panel monitors if you wanted to (dual 6950s should be able to handle that), or you could get a single 23.6'' 120Hz panel for ~$350, spend around $300 for a 23'' IPS/VA panel monitor, or spend ~$375 for a 27'' TN panel monitor. It's kind of up to your preferences.

 

[HGFA]

If you wan't to connect a console to your monitor, then you don't need 16:10, but it won't hurt (you'll just get black bars).

Many 16:10 monitors stretch out the picture which is even worse.

There is just no reason at all to pay the double for 1920z1200 when you wont use the pixels anyway and they cause you problems.

 

[jaguarskx]

Many 16:10 monitors stretch out the picture which is even worse.

Not on my 1920x1200 monitors.

And I don't really hear of people complaining about 16:10 monitors stretching the picture.

 

[HGFA]

Well, you can hardly visit a gamingforum any more without have to read 16:10 users that complains about game developers that doesnt have 16:10 support for their games.

 

[internetlad]

back to the point, on the front page there's a deal on a dell IPS monitor. 24 inch for 250. not bad, even if it is Dell.