23" or 24" Gaming Monitor Help

[fo_tbh]

So last night my old 19" Hyundai Imagequest decided to turn itself off on me, and I haven't been able to get it working since. Since I upgraded a month or two ago now I think I've been in need of a new monitor anyway. My current spec:

Intel Core i5 2500K
Kingston 4GB
Asus HD 6950 2GB GDDR5 Dual DVI HDMI Dual DP Out Graphics card

I was told that to really get the benfit of that card before I bought it that it would make more sense to upgrade my monitor. Can anybody confirm if thats true? (I'm doing it now regardless, I just want to know if I can expect big differences.)

I was looking at a 23" or 24" monitor which would be for gaming, films and general use. I mainly play FPS games and from some of the brief reading I've done am I right to assume 120hz monitors are a must for FPS games?

Would anybody be kind enough to recommend me some of the better monitors? Lets say about £200 max although, of course, if it was less that would be better.

Thanks

 

[Fragg]

yeh, you were told correctly, the graphics card you have is very nice, there is justno point in having a great system if you can display the visuals on your screen.

processor ~
You have an i5 processor, they are great and do produce very good visuals. i heard the i7s (the series after i5) were selling quite cheap second hand and amd's phenom 2 series are a very good alternative to intels i7. amd's phenom are surprisinly cheaper, i have one and wouldnt look back.
That is if you would like to upgrade your processor, but your i5 is good enough =P

monitors ~
anywhere from 20"+ is great for gaming. 23 or 24 inch monitors are the most common for gamers

by the way, you were wrong to assume 120hz are a must, infact most 1920x1200 lcds/leds only go up to 60hz
it used to be a lot higher on the old monitors


when choosing a monitor look for ones with thin bevels, high resolution, a good response rate, type of display (lcd or led - led is newer but more expensive, go with the lcd they at the minute are still better) and a Contrast Ratio: 3million:1 +.


you would be looking for
Full HD resolution, 1920 x 1080 at 60 Hz
with a response time of 4-8
and 3million:1 contrast ratio

the best monitors in my opinion would be dell's ultrasharp series but are quite pricey

dell's 23" = 219.98
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MO-055-DE&groupid=17&catid=1425&subcat=

other 23/24 inch monitors are great and can be bought at around 180-200. i personaly wouldnt go below 175 when buying a 23/24

23" monitors -
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MO-057-DE&groupid=17&catid=1425&subcat=
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MO-096-LG&groupid=17&catid=1425&subcat=
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MO-095-LG&groupid=17&catid=1425&subcat=


24"
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MO-026-AS&groupid=17&catid=510&subcat=
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MO-072-IY&groupid=17&catid=510&subcat=

have a look yourself, it shouldnt make much of a difference which one you go for.

- the better monitor you buy now means the longer you can go without upgrading again.


i actually run off hanspree's 27 inch tv at 1920/1200 at 60hz
it is console gaming tv but works amazingly well for the pc.
it can bought at around £220, search around ebay for it.

if you can go with dells ultrasharp 23 monitor but it is up to you what you choose

 

[=XDC=FluphyBunny]

If I bought now it would be a LG W2363D 23" TRUE 120Hz - available for about £160 or wait for OC's to put it on offer again. My requirements are Fps gaming > other stuff. The monitor isn't perfect but price/performance its at the sweet spot for me.