If you are buying a computer, it is necessary to think about the choice of the monitor. Usually, its cost makes one third of the price, and it will work for a long time. Therefore it is recommended to choose a good monitor that corresponds to your needs, even if you’ll have to save a part of money on the system block.
Standards of monitor safety
Nowadays there are two widely spread standards of safety - TCO and MPRII. They make demands to various parameters of monitors.
Standard TCO ' 99 regulates restrictions on such parameters, as radiation, fire and electric safety, ecological compatibility, energy consumption and convenience of use. These requirements include restrictions on materials used at manufacturing, which should be ecologically pure; necessity of lowered energy consumption at long idle time.
The main principle of MPRII standard is based on criterion that the level of radiation from various devices should be less, than from our surrounding.
Therefore TCO standards are better, because the requirements are so rigid, how it is possible at a level of technical realization.
Sizes of the monitor
The size of the monitor, or to be more correct of its diagonal, depends on the function you need. It can be everything, beginning from games and up to professional work with computer graphics. The standard size of the monitor is considered to be a diagonal of 17 inches. It is the most appropriate for home, computer clubs, i.e. it is an optimum choice by the price. But for typing 15-inch monitor is quite good (especially if you are not going to spend a lot of money on monitor). For professional graphics, works with large documents, you’ll need a monitor with a diagonal of minimum 19 inches supporting the maximal resolution up to 1600x1200.
As for the type of monitor, liquid crystal or tube-monitor, here there are some difficulties too. First, their cost: monitors of different types but of identical sizes strongly differ in price. Therefore it is sometimes better to buy tube monitor with a big diagonal, than a small liquid crystal one. Second, quality of the image: for LCD monitors the question of reaction time and view angle is still open. Long reaction time will not allow to display quickly moving objects qualitatively, for example in games or films. The insufficient review angle also imposes the
restrictions. Viewing under angles close to 180 degrees becomes impossible. But LCD monitors are more compact, occupy less space and, what is also important, the real screen size, i.e. its visible part, corresponds to reality. While on screens with a cathode-ray tube the size of the image on a diagonal is less.
To sum up, we can say that for office work the 17-inch LCD monitor is appropriate, and for those who needs computer graphics usual tube monitors with a diagonal from 19 are better.
Updating frequency and resolution of the screen
Frequency of updating and resolution of the screen are indissolubly connected. Often in a shop the maximal resolution of the monitor is emphasized, without telling that it is reached at a quite low frequency. Minimally admissible frequency of 85 Hz is accepted, and it is desirable to have even 100 Hz. Otherwise, during the work in front of the monitor with smaller frequency your eyes will quickly get tired. Large resolution allows to display more information, but thus every object becomes smaller. And here such factor, as a dot step is important. Quality of the image will depend on this parameter: the lower is its value, the higher will be the level of image detailed elaboration. The feature of liquid crystal monitors is that only one standard resolution, which it is not always convenient, is well displayed (for example, because of too small type). If you try to install any another resolution, the image quality can noticeably worsen.
Notice that video card of your computer should also support the necessary resolution.
High Gloss
High Gloss is also very important because the flat screen does not solve all the problems. Cheap High Gloss cannot protect properly from the outside light sources, and really qualitative ones can be easily distinguished by dark-violet reflection.
Solving the problem of monitor choice, don’t forget about a guarantee since breakage is possible. Guarantee period can make up to three years, thus it should is correctly filled in. Otherwise when you address in occasion of the monitor repair to the service center, it can be simply not accepted. And one more pleasant trifle - additional opportunities of tuning by means of the screen menu. Professional monitors have a lot of tunings in their equipment.
You are to make a choice; the main is to feel comfortable in front of the monitor.
Have a good purchase!