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You should carefully research your monitor purchase. After all, what good is that top of the line graphics card if your monitor doesn't produce a nice image? There are several factors to consider other than size and price. You will also want to make sure you get a bright, sharp image and a monitor that doesn't flicker. This guide will explain what to look for so you can choose the best monitor for your purposes.
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The sharpness and clarity of picture is determined in part by the monitor's resolution. Screen resolution is measured in the number of pixels horizontally multiplied by the number of pixels vertically. A pixel is the smallest image-forming unit capable of generating all of the colors the display is capable of showing. Pixel size depends on the resolution. Lower resolutions will have larger pixels. Higher resolutions will have smaller pixels, which will result in a sharper image. Common resolutions are 1024x768 and 1280x1024.
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Pixel pitch or dot pitch, as it is sometimes referred to as, is a measurement in millimeters (mm) that tells you how sharp the displayed image can be. It tells you the size of the smallest physical visual component of the display. When you set your resolution to the monitor's maximum resolution this will be the size of one pixel. The smaller the number the sharper your picture will be. Generally a pixel pitch of .28mm or smaller is desired.
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The brightness of your monitor is generally only referred to when speaking of a LCD monitor. It may be called Luminance or Nits as well. It is a measurement of light in candles per meter squared (cd/m2). For LCD's 200-250cd/m2 is common. A higher level of brightness will produce a better image.
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The contrast ratio is the ratio of luminance between the brightest white and the darkest black that the display can produce. You want to look for a high CR to get the best image.
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If you've ever had a monitor that "flickered" constantly you know how annoying that can be. It can also lead to eyestrain and headaches. The reason this happens is the refresh rate for the monitor is to low. Your monitor reloads the image many times a second. This should be invisible to the user. However, if the monitor's refresh rate is lower than 70Hz it will have a noticeable flicker. I would recommend getting a monitor with a refresh rate of at least 75Hz (this is the industry standard). 80Hz would be better.
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CRT stands for Cathode Ray Tube, which is what produces the picture in standard monitors. LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display. The biggest difference between the two is size. CRT monitors are very large and bulky. However, they are much cheaper than LCD monitors. You can get a 19 inch CRT monitor for about $150 compared to 19 inch LCD monitors that start around $280. LCD or Flat Panel monitors take a great deal less space and do have better image quality (if you purchase a good one). I prefer LCD monitors, however, if you want the largest screen for the lowest price you will probably want to go with a CRT.
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