How To Choose The Monitor Of Your Dreams

The choice of which monitor you use with your computer can determine your ability to work comfortably, enjoy high quality videos and efficiently manage multiple tasks at the same time. But oddly enough, most people will choose their computer's monitor based on what comes in a package deal, or choose the largest screen that they can get within their budget. While size does in fact matter, there are plenty of other factors to consider before purchasing the screen you'll be staring at for hours at a time.

Before you let the monster 32 inch screens seduce you, keep in mind that the screen will only be a few feet away from your face at the most. Make sure you have a big enough desk to handle that much viewing area without overwhelming your whole space.

Remember when you were always told not to sit too close to the TV or you would hurt your eyes? The same thing is true about a monitor that is too large and too close to your face. It can cause eye strain. If you're going to be using the monitor for work or surfing the net, you'll probably find that 21 to 29 inches is right where you want to be depending on the distance from your screen to your chair.

There are some other things that become more important when you enlarge the size of your screen. Resolution, meaning the amount of pixels on the screen, and pixel pitch, meaning the distance between pixels, are the biggest factors when it comes to image quality. Pixels are basically tiny boxes that change color in order to produce an image. The more pixels per square inch on the screen, the more crisp the image. A low resolution on a large screen will result in a bad picture. Smaller pixel pitch will give you a higher clarity

The graphics card inside your computer is going to determine the quality of information sent to your monitor and the speed that is is delivered. An old or low quality graphics card paired with a new top notch monitor will decrease the monitor's performance and also lower the clarity of the image that is produced on the screen. This means that most basic PC owners will not get the full value of a high end, large screen monitor unless they upgrade their computer's graphics card.

If you are upgrading your monitor but not your computer, make sure to check the connection ports on your graphics card. DVI used to be very common, but more monitors are dropping them to instead use HDMI connections instead. Both support the data transfer that is required for a high definition video, but DVI cables have pins that are prone to getting bent and require a separate cable for sound. HDMI cables do both audio and video together. DVI cables also lack support for HDCP encryption, which could limit your ability to watch any HD content at all, including blu-ray disks. You could get a DVI to HDMI converter, but that would make for a messier connection. It's best to just go with a monitor that has multiple connections.

DisplayPort connection are up and coming these days. They have a higher bandwidth, which means that they can transfer a larger amount of data at one time than DVI and HDMI. These may end up being the next big thing, but don't worry too much if your monitor of choice does not support that type of connection.

It is also important to consider a warranty when purchasing a new monitor. Most issues will either be apparent right away or surface within the first month or two of use. Make sure the monitor you choose has at least a 90 day money back guarantee, and/or a return policy that does not include restocking fees. Parts and labor should continue for another two to three years. Always make sure to read the warranty information to confirm that there is also coverage for defective pixels and backlight.

Just remember that not all monitors are made the same. Hopefully this helps you pair up with the screen of your dreams. I wish you a happy shopping experience.

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Alienware's OptX AW2210 LCD Monitor

Alienware has always been a strong competitor in the PC gaming market. They have a reputation for providing some of the most powerful gaming laptops and desktops on the market to date, but one branch of the gaming market they never really got into was gaming monitors, until now. The first monitor Alienware brings to the market is a 21.5-inch widescreen 1080p OptX AW2210. This monitor has a lot of features that are sure to please any gamer including solid image quality, accessible and comprehensive built-in menus and an exterior design that sets it apart from your traditional monitor.

The one downside to this device is the price: $300. That is a lot of money to pay for a 21.5-inch monitor, especially if you take into consideration that Dell offers LCD monitors that rival this one in quality and cost a lot less. The Dell SX2210 has an identical panel to the AW2210 as well as controls for a webcam, face recognition software and a retail price of $220.

When you break it down, it appears that the $80 more for Alienware's AW2210 went into the monitor's aesthetics. This monitor is black and bold and looks good all around. It features a slim profile as well as a large plastic base that sort of resembles a Batarang. The LCD also looks a lot heavier than it actually weighs which could either be viewed as a pro or a con. The light weight makes it easier to carry around but it also makes the stability of the monitor questionable.

The monitor is specifically designed to keep ports out of view, which is great if you are looking at it but a royal pain in the derrière when you are trying to connect cables. It does, however, come with a great deal of ports. The back of this monitor is home to four USB 2.0 ports, two HDMI ports, a DVI-D port and line-in and line-out audio jacks which are all aligned vertically. The only problem is that they are hard to access. The good news is that the tilt, swivel and height of the display are fairly easy to adjust.

The aesthetic appeal of this monitor encompasses everything, including the impressive built-in menu controls. Some people are not a fan of touch sensitive controls and find it difficult to find the right spot to touch. However, the controls on this monitor work well and are really cool looking. The main menu button is even smart enough to detect your hand's proximity and light up before you touch it.

Five preset configurations await you in the menus: Standard, Multimedia, Game, Warm and Cool. These allow you to adjust various display settings. There is an extra added spot for user-defined custom presets as well and even manual options if the presets just are not tickling your fancy.

There have yet to be any reported lag features while playing games whether on PC or a console as well as no ghosting or any other common problems associated with monitor-overdrive functions.

One thing that this monitor does have over the Dell mentioned above is a Premium Panel Guarantee. This guarantee is more stringent than your average 3-year warranty and if you find even a single stuck or bright pixel, you can return the monitor for a brand new one. Your default warranty lasts for 3 years but you do have the option of purchasing a 4-year warranty for $40 extra or even a 5-year warranty for $60.

While $300 for a 21.5-inch monitor may seem steep to many people, Alienware's OptX AW2210 display has plenty of features to justify it. Plus, the extra warranty coverage ensures that you can enjoy your investment to the max.

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