which of these monitors would be better ?

i want to get a new monitor for my PC within the next few weeks. This will maily be used for gaming. Im looking at getting a 22 inch since its all i really need and is also the biggest that will fit on my desk.

I have looked at these but cant really work out which one I should go for.

LG W2261VP

LG E2260V

The most I really want to spend is £160, since im on a student loan and already spent quite a bit on my PC, lol

Top one would be better in my opinion, however you are just going after 60hz monitors. You are going to want 120hz or more. I highly recommend you try to get thishttp://www.amazon.co.uk/Acer-GD245HQ-monitor-DVI-D-1920x1080/dp/B00322VJC6/ref=sr_1_4?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1298832641&sr=1-4

Its best to do it right the first time. If its not possible, then go for one of the Samsungs instead. LG and Samsung get their screens from the same factory, but Samsung has better build quality.

Top one would be better in my opinion, however you are just going after 60hz monitors. You are going to want 120hz or more. I highly recommend you try to get thishttp://www.amazon.co.uk/Acer-GD245HQ-monitor-DVI-D-1920x1080/dp/B00322VJC6/ref=sr_1_4?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1298832641&sr=1-4

Its best to do it right the first time. If its not possible, then go for one of the Samsungs instead. LG and Samsung get their screens from the same factory, but Samsung has better build quality.

Shiftfallout

Top one would be better in my opinion, however you are just going after 60hz monitors. You are going to want 120hz or more. I highly recommend you try to get thishttp://www.amazon.co.uk/Acer-GD245HQ-monitor-DVI-D-1920x1080/dp/B00322VJC6/ref=sr_1_4?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1298832641&sr=1-4

Its best to do it right the first time. If its not possible, then go for one of the Samsungs instead. LG and Samsung get their screens from the same factory, but Samsung has better build quality.

Shiftfallout

Why is he going to want a 120hz monitor? He didn't mention anything about 3D and if any game he is playing breaks 60fps he can just enable vertical sync and problem solved?

[QUOTE="Shiftfallout"] Its nice but its outside my price range. Yeah im looking at either samsung or LG. Chris_53

[QUOTE="Shiftfallout"]

Top one would be better in my opinion, however you are just going after 60hz monitors. You are going to want 120hz or more. I highly recommend you try to get thishttp://www.amazon.co.uk/Acer-GD245HQ-monitor-DVI-D-1920x1080/dp/B00322VJC6/ref=sr_1_4?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1298832641&sr=1-4

Its best to do it right the first time. If its not possible, then go for one of the Samsungs instead. LG and Samsung get their screens from the same factory, but Samsung has better build quality.

Buttons1990

Why is he going to want a 120hz monitor? He didn't mention anything about 3D and if any game he is playing breaks 60fps he can just enable vertical sync and problem solved?

Thanks, but again, its far too expensive. As stated in the original post, I only want to spend upto 160 pounds, maybe £180 maximum. Plus 22 inch is the biggest I can fit on my desk, plus I dont sit that far from my screeen anyway

Thanks, but again, its far too expensive. As stated in the original post, I only want to spend upto 160 pounds, maybe £180 maximum. Plus 22 inch is the biggest I can fit on my desk, plus I dont sit that far from my screeen anyway

Chris_53

Thats a shame, but you do what you can right? If your hands are tied on this, pick theSamsung SM2233RZ 22" Monitor. It has 120hz refresh rate, its not ugly and gets great reviews. Between LED and 120hz, 120hz is more important. There is only a slight difference in color quality for LED backlit monitors, the main draw of LED is that they are thinner and consume less energy. With 120hz you notice a huge impact on visual quality when playing games and watching movies.

For gaming it is a must. You can use it for 3D gaming if you ever want to go in that direction, but its not really necessary.

Since you are in the UK i am guessing, here is the link to the amazonUK page:http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-SM2233RZ-Monitor-Gloss-Black/dp/B001TH77I6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1298860488&sr=1-1

It is going for£188.34 right now, which according to Amazon is a 50% what it usually goes for. Good deal.

Here is the Cnet video review of the product:http://reviews.cnet.com/lcd-monitors/samsung-syncmaster-2233rz/4505-3174_7-33499496.html?tag=mncol;txt

Here is a Youtube video with the monitor compared to a normal 60hz lcd, try to watch it all.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN7Y6jTpf0Y

Check out other youtube videos of the monitor. Its pretty sexy in its design actually.

[QUOTE="Chris_53"]

Thanks, but again, its far too expensive. As stated in the original post, I only want to spend upto 160 pounds, maybe £180 maximum. Plus 22 inch is the biggest I can fit on my desk, plus I dont sit that far from my screeen anyway

Shiftfallout

Thats a shame, but you do what you can right? If your hands are tied on this, pick theSamsung SM2233RZ 22" Monitor. It has 120hz refresh rate, its not ugly and gets great reviews. Between LED and 120hz, 120hz is more important. There is only a slight difference in color quality for LED backlit monitors, the main draw of LED is that they are thinner and consume less energy. With 120hz you notice a huge impact on visual quality when playing games and watching movies.

For gaming it is a must. You can use it for 3D gaming if you ever want to go in that direction, but its not really necessary.

Since you are in the UK i am guessing, here is the link to the amazonUK page:http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-SM2233RZ-Monitor-Gloss-Black/dp/B001TH77I6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1298860488&sr=1-1

It is going for£188.34 right now, which according to Amazon is a 50% what it usually goes for. Good deal.

Here is the Cnet video review of the product:http://reviews.cnet.com/lcd-monitors/samsung-syncmaster-2233rz/4505-3174_7-33499496.html?tag=mncol;txt

Here is a Youtube video with the monitor compared to a normal 60hz lcd, try to watch it all.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN7Y6jTpf0Y

Check out other youtube videos of the monitor. Its pretty sexy in its design actually.

My only concern is the 1680x1050 resolution. I was thinking of going for 1920x1080, but would 1680x1050 look ok on a 22 inch screen, would it look stretched at all ? I know the obvious advantage would be the less stress on the graphics card.

[QUOTE="Shiftfallout"]

[QUOTE="Chris_53"]

Thanks, but again, its far too expensive. As stated in the original post, I only want to spend upto 160 pounds, maybe £180 maximum. Plus 22 inch is the biggest I can fit on my desk, plus I dont sit that far from my screeen anyway

Chris_53

Thats a shame, but you do what you can right? If your hands are tied on this, pick theSamsung SM2233RZ 22" Monitor. It has 120hz refresh rate, its not ugly and gets great reviews. Between LED and 120hz, 120hz is more important. There is only a slight difference in color quality for LED backlit monitors, the main draw of LED is that they are thinner and consume less energy. With 120hz you notice a huge impact on visual quality when playing games and watching movies.

For gaming it is a must. You can use it for 3D gaming if you ever want to go in that direction, but its not really necessary.

Since you are in the UK i am guessing, here is the link to the amazonUK page:http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-SM2233RZ-Monitor-Gloss-Black/dp/B001TH77I6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1298860488&sr=1-1

It is going for£188.34 right now, which according to Amazon is a 50% what it usually goes for. Good deal.

Here is the Cnet video review of the product:http://reviews.cnet.com/lcd-monitors/samsung-syncmaster-2233rz/4505-3174_7-33499496.html?tag=mncol;txt

Here is a Youtube video with the monitor compared to a normal 60hz lcd, try to watch it all.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN7Y6jTpf0Y

Check out other youtube videos of the monitor. Its pretty sexy in its design actually.

My only concern is the 1680x1050 resolution. I was thinking of going for 1920x1080, but would 1680x1050 look ok on a 22 inch screen, would it look stretched at all ? I know the obvious advantage would be the less stress on the graphics card.

IPS panel > 120Hz.

120Hz is nice for games and fluid motion. But its got horrible color and black levels for movies.

120Hz is not that big of a deal. The average TN monitor should have below 10ms of input lag and 5ms GTG response time, which is good enough for most. Plus he's on a budget so I doubt he wants to pay so much premium for 120Hz or IPS. You will also need to render above 60 frames to get any benefit from the increased refresh rate. 120Hz IPS with 0ms input lag would be pretty good though - but that's not what he's looking for.

120Hz is not that big of a deal. The average TN monitor should have below 10ms of input lag and 5ms GTG response time, which is good enough for most. Plus he's on a budget so I doubt he wants to pay so much premium for 120Hz or IPS. You will also need to render above 60 frames to get any benefit from the increased refresh rate. 120Hz IPS with 0ms input lag would be pretty good though - but that's not what he's looking for.

simplyderp

[QUOTE="simplyderp"]

120Hz is not that big of a deal. The average TN monitor should have below 10ms of input lag and 5ms GTG response time, which is good enough for most. Plus he's on a budget so I doubt he wants to pay so much premium for 120Hz or IPS. You will also need to render above 60 frames to get any benefit from the increased refresh rate. 120Hz IPS with 0ms input lag would be pretty good though - but that's not what he's looking for.

Shiftfallout

If I'm not mistaken the 120hz only kicks in if he uses 3D. That alone requires an Nvidia card and he has a Radeon 4890 which does not support Nvidia 3D monitors. I may be wrong however but I'm positive it'd only work with Nvidia cards since AMD can't output 1 monitor on 2 cables.

[QUOTE="Shiftfallout"][QUOTE="simplyderp"]

120Hz is not that big of a deal. The average TN monitor should have below 10ms of input lag and 5ms GTG response time, which is good enough for most. Plus he's on a budget so I doubt he wants to pay so much premium for 120Hz or IPS. You will also need to render above 60 frames to get any benefit from the increased refresh rate. 120Hz IPS with 0ms input lag would be pretty good though - but that's not what he's looking for.

ChubbyGuy40

If I'm not mistaken the 120hz only kicks in if he uses 3D. That alone requires an Nvidia card and he has a Radeon 4890 which does not support Nvidia 3D monitors. I may be wrong however but I'm positive it'd only work with Nvidia cards since AMD can't output 1 monitor on 2 cables.

No, the refresh rate is constant if set, it doesnt matter if you use 3D or not. The 3D effect requires you to have at least 120hz refresh rate, thus it can display 60hz for each eye. So by using 3D you effectively turn it into a 60hz monitor, but outside of 3D you get the full 120hz. His GPU wont matter.Shiftfallout

I already knew all that. I just didn't know if the 120hz could be used without Nvidia 3D enabled. I've always asked this whenever I saw someone mention a 120hz monitor but no one ever gave me an answer. Found out you have to use dual-link DVI for it too, which would be smart when mentioning it imo. I would think most would hook it up using only one cable.

That said, he's still gonna need quite a bit of power to take advantage of games maxed for 120fps. His 570 should be good is most DX9 games though. I don't think its worth it until IPS and 120hz become cheaper.

I would recommend against LG monitors. If you can get one with an LG panel, I'd go for it. But AFAIK, you can't tell, and a lot of them are Phillips panels and they usually die pretty fast. Samsung SyncMasters are still some of my favorite monitors. That, or a Dell UltraSharp. They're very nice and they are IPS panels.

Thanks guys, im still a little unsure which monitor to go for, should I go for 120Hz or 1080p? what will be better for gaming ? Also I can only really spend upto £200 :/

EDIT: Im unlikely to be using it for 3D, so would 120hz still give me any benefit, what if games are giving me less than 60fps ?

[QUOTE="Shiftfallout"] No, the refresh rate is constant if set, it doesnt matter if you use 3D or not. The 3D effect requires you to have at least 120hz refresh rate, thus it can display 60hz for each eye. So by using 3D you effectively turn it into a 60hz monitor, but outside of 3D you get the full 120hz. His GPU wont matter.ChubbyGuy40

I already knew all that. I just didn't know if the 120hz could be used without Nvidia 3D enabled. I've always asked this whenever I saw someone mention a 120hz monitor but no one ever gave me an answer. Found out you have to use dual-link DVI for it too, which would be smart when mentioning it imo. I would think most would hook it up using only one cable.

That said, he's still gonna need quite a bit of power to take advantage of games maxed for 120fps. His 570 should be good is most DX9 games though. I don't think its worth it until IPS and 120hz become cheaper.

ok cheers, oh I have a GTX570 :) I think you actually read my motherboard model lol

ATI enabled their GPUs for 3D stereoscopic not that long ago, and there is always third party software that allows for 3D. Chris_53, yes the 120hz is a perk..the 3D isnt a necessity, just an added option later on down the line if you ever want to get into it. Its really hard to go wrong with the Samsung SyncMaster series either.Shiftfallout

AMD did enable 3D on the 5xxx and 6xxx series but you cannot make them work on Nvidia 3D monitors and projectors, only 3DTVs and thats limited to 720p 3D for games or 1080p24 for Blu-Rays.

And yeah I did read your motherboard model :lol: I caught myself though. Yes the 120hz would essentially go to waste if your not getting above 60fps in games. Its all very good tech as it eliminates most of LCD's problems I've heard but its still too expensive atm.

[QUOTE="Shiftfallout"] ATI enabled their GPUs for 3D stereoscopic not that long ago, and there is always third party software that allows for 3D. Chris_53, yes the 120hz is a perk..the 3D isnt a necessity, just an added option later on down the line if you ever want to get into it. Its really hard to go wrong with the Samsung SyncMaster series either.ChubbyGuy40

AMD did enable 3D on the 5xxx and 6xxx series but you cannot make them work on Nvidia 3D monitors and projectors, only 3DTVs and thats limited to 720p 3D for games or 1080p24 for Blu-Rays.

And yeah I did read your motherboard model :lol: I caught myself though. Yes the 120hz would essentially go to waste if your not getting above 60fps in games. Its all very good tech as it eliminates most of LCD's problems I've heard but its still too expensive atm.

Not true, there are ATI users using the monitor I have mentioned for 3D as well, as seen on youtube and ATI forums. Its not as easy to get to work as with Nvidia but as long as the monitor is 120hz they can generally get it to work.

The general consesus I have found and from personal experience is that you do see a difference with 120 hz even running below 60fps, but obviously the more fps the better it will look. There is no logical reason to not go for a faster refresh rate.

I really should have created a poll for this lol. Im sorta edging towards the 120 monitor, but the 1080P LG model is much cheaper and may be more affordable for me. Also, wouldnt 1080p give better image quality anyway ? The thing thats putting me off the 120hz is the fact that i probably wont ever use 3D, and the lower resolution looking stretched on the 22 inch screen. But most of all its the price really that putting me off, is it really worth the extra considering im not using 3D ? Chris_53

haha probably. But at least this way you get a dialog rather than numbers to help you decide. Either way, you got it right earlier when you said you can get better performance with the slightly lower rez. Good gaming is better with good performance. Older games generally dont use 1080p, the newer ones you might lower the rez anyway just to get better performance. If you play fast action games with lots going on, such as FPS, you will appreciate the Samsung all the more.

But thats just my opinion. The rest is up to you.

I still think a good 1080p LG would be best. I'm waiting until DisplayPort becomes more popular to get a 120hz monitor and 3D is better.

One more think, I play fps, but i also play quite a lot of rpgs like mass effect and dragon age. So will the 120hz samsung still be the righ choice ?Chris_53

I would not buy a 120hz monitor right now, personally. The average cost (and I'm not exaggerating) is twice as much as their 60hz counterpart. It may be a good feature, but its not pay-twice-as-much good. Tauruslink

[QUOTE="Tauruslink"]I would not buy a 120hz monitor right now, personally. The average cost (and I'm not exaggerating) is twice as much as their 60hz counterpart. It may be a good feature, but its not pay-twice-as-much good. Shiftfallout

You know how you can be running a game at a high frame-rate, but still experience choppyness. Would 120hz prevent that ? also would there still be input lag when v-sync is enabled? If you dont use v-sync, would the 120hz still make a difference ? Im looking at videos comparing 60 and 120hz and I honestly cant tell the difference. Chris_53

Videos will be limited by your monitor anyway..

120hz will help with screen tearing actually (in theory, if it does not, then it is pretty much a useless feature for gaming)

[QUOTE="Chris_53"]You know how you can be running a game at a high frame-rate, but still experience choppyness. Would 120hz prevent that ? also would there still be input lag when v-sync is enabled? If you dont use v-sync, would the 120hz still make a difference ? Im looking at videos comparing 60 and 120hz and I honestly cant tell the difference. Lach0121

Videos will be limited by your monitor anyway..

120hz will help with screen tearing actually (in theory, if it does not, then it is pretty much a useless feature for gaming)

[QUOTE="Lach0121"]

[QUOTE="Chris_53"]You know how you can be running a game at a high frame-rate, but still experience choppyness. Would 120hz prevent that ? also would there still be input lag when v-sync is enabled? If you dont use v-sync, would the 120hz still make a difference ? Im looking at videos comparing 60 and 120hz and I honestly cant tell the difference. kidcool189

Videos will be limited by your monitor anyway..

120hz will help with screen tearing actually (in theory, if it does not, then it is pretty much a useless feature for gaming)

I mean what does the 120hz over the 60hz benefit in gaming? Less screen tearing when V-sync is turned off? Or does it allow the FPS to run higher when V-sync is enabled if the game engine allows it? Less screen tearing overall? what is the real benefit for gaming..

[QUOTE="kidcool189"]

[QUOTE="Lach0121"]

Videos will be limited by your monitor anyway..

120hz will help with screen tearing actually (in theory, if it does not, then it is pretty much a useless feature for gaming)

Lach0121

I mean what does the 120hz over the 60hz benefit in gaming? Less screen tearing when V-sync is turned off? Or does it allow the FPS to run higher when V-sync is enabled if the game engine allows it? Less screen tearing overall? what is the real benefit for gaming..

Why would a 120hz monitor reduce screen tearing? Doesnt that occur due to frames not being a multiple of 60 Hz. So it would only reduce screen tearing in games that are above 60 FPS.

If they were above 60 FPS then v-sync on a 60 Hz monitor would be fine. While 120 Hz is a perceveiable improvement in motion.... Its be a relatively small subset of games where he would reach 60 Hz.

In contrast getting an IPS monitgor with far better black levels, reduced banding, and improve color accuracy would work on any game or movie regardles of framerate performance.

Why would a 120hz monitor reduce screen tearing? Doesnt that occur due to frames not being a multiple of 60 Hz. So it would only reduce screen tearing in games that are above 60 FPS.

If they were above 60 FPS then v-sync on a 60 Hz monitor would be fine. While 120 Hz is a perceveiable improvement in motion.... Its be a relatively small subset of games where he would reach 60 Hz.

In contrast getting an IPS monitgor with far better black levels, reduced banding, and improve color accuracy would work on any game or movie regardles of framerate performance.

XaosII

So..the samsung 2233RZ has an IPS panel then ? Chris_53

[QUOTE="Chris_53"]So..the samsung 2233RZ has an IPS panel then ? kidcool189

sorry to nag, but is IPS really worth the extra money for gaming ?

if so, then how is the DELL Ultrasharp U2311H ?

EDIT: Ignore my question, according to a video review, this monitor is "definatly not for gaming"

I disagree, i think it will be fine for gaming.

Feel free to read an indepth review on the monitor.

I personally feel IPS has a greater value over 120 Hz. Sadly, the two are mutually exclusive for now, though a few companies are working on bringing a solution. But considering the premium IPS and 120Hz have as it is, with the two combined? Well.. its not gonna be cheap.

I own two IPS monitors as my computer setup: NEC LCD 2490Wuxi and the HP ZR24W. I have an obvious bias towards IPS. Take that for what you will.

I disagree, i think it will be fine for gaming.

Feel free to read an indepth review on the monitor.

I personally feel IPS has a greater value over 120 Hz. Sadly, the two are mutually exclusive for now, though a few companies are working on bringing a solution. But considering the premium IPS and 120Hz have as it is, with the two combined? Well.. its not gonna be cheap.

I own two IPS monitors as my computer setup: NEC LCD 2490Wuxi and the HP ZR24W. I have an obvious bias towards IPS. Take that for what you will.

XaosII

I think I sent you a message about a monitor I was thinking of getting, it says it has a 2ms response time, but I was wondering how I can find out what its "accurate response time" is...