Jaysi Posted November 28, 2014 Report Share Posted November 28, 2014 Hey guys, I really want a large monitor to hook up to my laptop for dual screen purposes or to keep and use if I ever get a desktop. My laptop display is 17" and I was hoping for over a 20" display. I was pricing some out with the Black Friday deals and especially cyber monday, but I really don't want to pay that much for one... Would just buying a small tv work any better or would you guys say their resolution is much too low? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkr Posted November 28, 2014 Report Share Posted November 28, 2014 There's more to display than resolution/size... Refresh rate, response time, etc, etc... Go for a Samsung monitor, because they are very reliable and not madly expensive. Try for a response time from 2-5ms, look for a refresh rate lowest 100Hz( if your playing many casual games like LoL or AoS) or more like 200Hz or more if you play FPS games. TV's ussally dont have these specs, as you dont notice the details on them. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martY Posted November 29, 2014 Report Share Posted November 29, 2014 What's your budget? Like 200...150...? I'm definitely in favor of an actual monitor instead of a TV for the reasons Darkr listed, but budget can make it tough to find a winner. I roll with a 23 inch LED and 27 inch LED, but I love FPS games and the refresh rate is huge for me. Both monitors have a 2ms response time and I really love them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaysi Posted November 29, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2014 Honestly, I'd feel bad spending over 100 on a monitor. I thought $50 was expensive after seeing those prices at our campus surplus store, but maybe I'll look into those again after pricing them out. So why is refresh rate such a big deal if you can play FPS on a console with a tv? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martY Posted November 29, 2014 Report Share Posted November 29, 2014 (edited) Well, the maximum number of frames you see with your eyes is actually limited by your refresh rate. For example, you can have a rig that runs a game at 100 fps, but if you're using a typical LCD TV with a 60hz refresh rate, you're really only seeing 60 frames. So while both values are completely independent of each other, together they have a major impact on what your eyes see on the screen. I am always seeing 120 frames, but typical LCD users are capped at 60 or 75. There's actually not a lot of hard data on this subject, but if you can get your hands on a monitor that displays 100hz or 120hz, just use it for a few hours and then immediately jump back on to a laptop afterward. Your eyes will feel strained. This is why you have old shaps like me who grew up using CRT monitors obsessing over 120hz LED monitors. They emulate that smooth, smooth experience. EDIT: And I apologize, friend, but you won't get a good new monitor with that kind of money. However, I bet you could find something used on Craigslist from someone near your campus. College kids move all the time, leave tons of shap behind and are always trying to pawn items for cash. Capitalize on that! Edited November 29, 2014 by martY EterNity 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EterNity Posted November 29, 2014 Report Share Posted November 29, 2014 Most of time, you get what you paid for. Never go cheap on stuff like this if you are a heavy user that sit in front of computer for hours every day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaysi Posted November 29, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2014 So you're saying that a higher refresh rate may actually cause less pain/strain on my eyes? Thanks a lot for your input guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EterNity Posted November 29, 2014 Report Share Posted November 29, 2014 That's also the reason why people prefer to play Mario Carts on a CRT instead of any consumer grade LCD as they are just not up to the job. martY 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martY Posted November 29, 2014 Report Share Posted November 29, 2014 So you're saying that a higher refresh rate may actually cause less pain/strain on my eyes? Thanks a lot for your input guys. Precisely. Once you use 100/120hz for awhile, it will be physically trying to go back to 60. I run dual LCDs at work and it's definitely harder on my eyes, but I've been running on CRTs since I was a wee lad. I know the LEDs are really expensive, but here's something for free that can reduce the pain/strain at night: https://justgetflux.com/ That link is for f.lux, a program that makes your screen turn a yellowish hue as the sun goes down (it takes your location down so it's accurate). It's a little weird to get used to, but aside from running a high refresh rate monitor, f.lux is an awesome way to preserve your eyes. You can also disable it temporarily if you want to watch TV or a movie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkr Posted November 29, 2014 Report Share Posted November 29, 2014 Oh yeah, f.lux is a iPhone tweak =) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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