[Khato]

I currently have a 20'' Dell at 1680X1050 res. I am considering a 24'' or even a 25.5'' Samsung, one of the TOC series.

I know some of you use 1920X1200 resolution or up, and I am wondering is it worth the upgrade? If I decide to upgrade I will obviously have to upgrade my video card as well and I am looking into either a 4870, gtx280 or even a 4870x2.

The monitors I am looking for are:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824001281

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824001280

Any suggestions/comments would be greatly appreciated.

[cabose1227]

I think that any increase in moniter size is great but I am just like that, you should do it if you have the money. Out of those two the 24inch will probobly look better but the 26inch is bigger, I would go with the 26in because it will seem alot bigger than your 20in than the 24in would.

[Khato]

The price difference between those two sizes is insignificant. My main concern is that my 20'' has a 0.258 pixel pitch, with a 25.5'' it will go up to 0.287. So even though the total number of pixels will increase, the size of the pixels will increase as well, so things will look bigger and (maybe) blocky.

[nightelph]

Do you simply want more real estate to work with? Do you play games, which ones? Will you use it for HD movies? You can't go wrong with any of those video cards, pick one that suits your budget. The two panels above look to be TN panels. The viewing angles are kinda poor because of that; if you move your head too far the edge of the screen will start to black out. These are your best options on Newegg:

BenQ - I've got this one, the stand is a bit different but its a quality panel. Great inputs.

NEC - Also has good inputs.

[Khato]

Thanks for the suggestions.

I use my computer pretty much for gaming and I am looking for more real estate. Now, I can see that the size increase will be remarkable, but will the increase from those extra pixels be significant? Perhaps, I can hook up my current screen as a second monitor and increase the desktop area that way. I wonder if a 24'' and a 20'' would look like an odd couple side by side.

Decisions...decisions...

[nightelph]

I went from 1680x1050 to 1920x1200 and very much enjoyed the newfound pixels. I also hook a PS3 up to it for Blu-ray movies. Next to my main 24, I have a 19 and a 15 extending my desktop. So don't worry about a funny setup.

[Khato]

Thanks nightelph,

Would you go with one of the 24'' you listed or a 25.5''? Do you know or have read about any good 25.5'' (affordable) monitors?

[nightelph]

I'm not knowledgeable on any on 25.5 inch monitors. Keep in mind how far away you plan on sitting from this thing. The 25 will spread the same amount of pixels as the 24 wider, which makes for a slightly less sharp image. 24 seems pretty standard, if you grab a 25 just keep on eye on the more important specs, i.e. brightness, contrast, viewing angle (if its not 176°x176° or higher then don't buy it), inputs, warranty and lastly, bling.

Let us know which one you pick!

[AsusLover]

I'd also recommend the 24" that Nigh said, it's a decent monitor and you should like it for what you do.