Recommend me a monitor for gaming

[morgothaod]

I'm going to build a budget gaming PC to play Quake 3 Arena. I would like a 20" monitor and I'm not sure what specifications I should be looking for in a monitor. Should I just buy something with the highest numbers for the following?

-Maximum Resolution
-Contrast Ratio:
-Brightness:
-Response Time:

If it'll help, this is most likely going to be my build:

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 840 3.2GHz AM3 95W Quad-Core

Motherboard: ASRock EXTREME3 870: CF 8x/8x SATA6Gb/s USB3.0 ATX

RAM: G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1333MHz

Video Card: PowerColor Radeon HD 6850 1GB

Storage: Samsung F3 1TB SATA II 3.0Gb/s

Optical Drive: ASUS SATA 24X DVD Burner

Power Supply: Antec VP-450 450W

Case: Not sure

Cooling: Stock cooler w/ CPU

Sound: 8 channels sound card: Integrated on the motherboard

Network: Ethernet RJ-45 10/100/1000 Mbps: Integrated on the motherboard


Thank you

 

[MauveCloud]

It would help if you fill in this template: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/59847-3-template-monitor-advice

However, as far as the numbers for the entries you list:
Maximum Resolution - if it's too high, you might find text hard to read due to the tight pixel pitch.
Contrast Ratio - LCD monitors that specify a contrast ratio higher than about 1200:1 are measuring dynamic contrast, which quickly becomes meaningless as a comparison.
Brightness - if this is too high, the whites may become painfully bright, forcing you to turn down the brightness.
Response Time - different manufacturers use different measurements for this, so it doesn't work well as a comparison point, but unless it's specified as 16ms or higher, you'll probably be okay. The number you really want to find for a First Person Shooter like Quake 3 Arena is the input lag.

 

[morgothaod]

The template doesn't do much for me because I'm pretty clueless about technology. But here it goes...

Approximate Purchase Date: ASAP

Budget Range: $150 maximum

Monitor Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming- mainly going to be playing Quake 3 Arena

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg

Country of Origin: USA

Brand Preferences: No idea... I know Samsung makes good TVs. Do they make good monitors too? I want a well known brand.

Physical Size (Diagonal): 20"

Resolution(s) You'll Consider: Whatever is good for gaming. Quake 3 Arena looks fine on my Macbook Pro which has a 1200x800 resolution.

Inputs Needed: I'm clueless about this. I just plan on playing Quake 3 Arena.

Panel Type(s) Desired: Again, clueless about these... Quake 3 Arena is a first person shooter if that helps.

LED Backlight: Yes

Speakers: I plan on using headphones so do I really need speakers?

Wall-Mount: No

Stand Functions: Tilt up, down, left, and right.

Additional Comments: Quake has some maps that are dark and some maps that have a lot of colors. I would like my monitor to be good for blacks and colors.

 

[MauveCloud]

You may have been clueless about some details, but your actual budget and the fact that you're in the USA are helpful.
When you indicated a desire for an LED backlight, I'm guessing didn't know about the blue tinge issue, so I advise against getting one.

I suggest the Acer G205Hbmd:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009209

 

[morgothaod]

When you indicated a desire for an LED backlight, I'm guessing didn't know about the blue tinge issue, so I advise against getting one.

Can I hook up headphones to the monitor (since it has built in speakers)?

Is a backlight better if the screen will be exposed to sunlight? I plan on setting up my computer to the side of a sliding glass door (I have no other place to put it).

blueprint lol:


----
^
monitor .....................sliding glass door >|

 

[MauveCloud]

I can't confirm that the Acer G205H has a headphone jack, but if it doesn't, just connect your headphones to the motherboard sound.

Both CCFL and LED backlights can look washed out if the sun is shining on the monitor. Emissive display types are a bit less susceptible to this, but if you really want it to look good in sunlight, you want something like a reflective LCD or IMOD. Unfortunately, I don't know of any such that are even close to your size or budget.