Flat panel monitors for gaming?

[Johnathan]

I really like the idea of flat panel monitors. It would be a great space saver, and a lot lighter taking it to LAN parties. But are they of high enough quality to follow 3d gaming?

If not, what should I look for in a good monitor?

[Element-Xero]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that flat panels are in general, pretty bad for gaming. This is due to their refresh rates. Flat panels only refresh the "active" pixels, so any inactive pixels remain static and cause "trails" to appear, much like a laptop screen. Again, I may be wrong, or their may be better models out there that don't do this, but I am fairly sure that for gaming, you should stay away from flat panels until the technology gets better.



And for what to look for:

-Sharpness
-Clarity
-Max Resolution
-Max Refresh Rate

[azhari]

Element is right. Tomshardware just recently did a review of a bunch of flat panel monitors and gives you the reasons that they aren't good for gaming. The main reason being the extremely low refresh rates compared to CRT monitors. Here (http://www6.tomshardware.com/display/02q1/020114/index.html) is the link to the review.

[Johnathan]

Gamers, on the other hand, should stick to their tried-and-true CRT. The afterglow on TFTs lingers too long for most gaming. The best thing to do is just to wait until the response time has been reduced even further.

If you spend a lot of time surfing the Net, you might want to consider purchasing an LCD display. The best option would be a 17" or 18" pivot-enabled monitor. But we'll get to these larger models in another comparison...

If you still aren't sure and need a few more arguments in favor of buying one of these babies, don't forget the amazing compactness of LCD monitors in comparison to their CRT cousins. They're lighter and easier to transport, which is a real boon when you're packing up to head to the next LAN party.

Thanks for that article. I think I'll stick with my trusty 21" CRT for home use now...maybe I'll get a 17" CRT for LAN parties...This big one is just way too heavy

[CrystalMethod]

Man, that review is kinda weird. My friend usea an LCD at LAN's and loves it. He plays in 1024X768 res. No problems so far. Geuss it all depends on how much you really value a quality image when you're playing. I'm not really the type to stop and smell the roses when I'm playing CS, so it'd be great for me. They definately don't compare to a quality CRT. Of course if you moved up to a plasma display, that's be a different story entirely...

[Johnathan]

PLASMA!?! I'm not made of money (although I wish I were)...maybe i'll just find someone with an LCD screen and load quake III on their computer...a little test driving

[TranceBear]

Neovo X174 connected through a GOOD DVI video card and you have a kickin gaming machine!!