LCD (Liquid Crystal Diode) Screens

LCD screens are all the new rage !!  But you need to weight your options:

LCD Advantages

• LCD's are brighter than CRT's  -  this is measured by the "contrast ratio".  :Look for more than the minumum of 200:1 and if you want really high-end, look for 400:1
• LCD's are less susceptible to glare and reflections
• LCD screens are pertfectly flat
• LCD's use less current, and can reduce your electric bill by as much as $60 per year

LCD Disadvantages

• LCD's are expensive
• Most LCD screen manufacturer's do not offer the large-size screen that CRT's do - although Samsung now has a 24" (extremely expensive !!)
• LCD's are terrible for fast-moving video, games, etc. - anything that requires the pixels to change rapidly.  Standard CRT Monitors offer lightning speed changes for all pixels - LCD's are slow.
• LCD's are made for one resolution (usually 1024x768 which is my favorite resolution BTW).  But they can look terrible if you change it !!!

LCD Video Connectors

Some have the standard VGA 9-pin connector.  However, the best way to go is with the newer DVI connector.  You will need to buy a video card that has this port !!  There are 3 types, the most common is the DVI-I :

• DVI-A - analog only
• DVI-D - digital only
• DVI-I - integrated (both analog and digital)