Computer monitor guide: what you should know when buying a computer monitor

Choosing the right computer monitor can be difficult these days, with so many different types and sizes to choose from, how could you make an informed decision?

Well, we are here to make the choice of a computer monitor a bit easier. Let's start by defining some terms used in the computer monitor industry.

Refresh rate: this is basically how quickly the monitor can refresh the screen, the faster the better. With low refresh rates, monitors can get a noticeable flicker.

Resolution: This is the screen size that the monitor can display. Higher resolutions are better, but most people don't even use the highest resolution possible, unless they have a really large monitor.

Point step: this is basically a numerical value that determines the quality of the image displayed. Most computer monitors vary from .15 to .30, with the lowest number being the best.

Visible screen size: this is the amount of screen you can really see, which only applies to CRT monitors, since you can always see the full screen of a computer LCD monitor. Most CRT monitors lose at least half an inch and up to an inch on some monitors. This means that on a 17-inch CRT monitor, you can only see 16.5 or 16 inches, depending on the manufacturer.

The different types of computer monitors

CRT computer monitors: these are regular-style tube monitors, except that they now have flat fronts, which eliminates most of the distortion around the edges. privacy screen 27 inch monitor

The good: CRT monitors are extremely cheap and refresh rates are fast enough for today's most popular games.

The bad: its size can be annoying, taking up most of your desk space, especially with large models.

LCD computer monitors: these are the flat screen monitors you see everywhere now

The good: their extremely small size makes them very versatile when it comes to location.

The bad: they are still quite more expensive than CRT monitors, and the update rates are not excellent when it comes to hardcore computer games

Some things to keep in mind about all computer monitors is what kind of inputs they have from the video card. They all have the basic 14-pin VGA input, but if your video card supports DVI or S-Video (higher quality input types) and you want to use them, you must ensure that the monitor also supports them. DVI and S-Video are superior to VGA, but usually the cards and monitors with them cost a little more.