"How do I compare LCD Monitors? Is 800:1 ratio better than 500:1? And what's up with these brightness numbers?"
- Dave, Riverside, CA

Dave,

When comparing LCD monitors, here are some features to compare:

Brightness - The measure of how much light a panel can produce is measured in candelas per meter squared (cd/m²), also known as nits. LCDs usually run from 250 to 300 nits. HDTVs go up to 500 or more nits.

Pixel Pitch - The distance between like-colored pixels in the display. The closer the pixels, the sharper the image.

Response Time - This measures how fast the image is redrawn on the LCD screen measured in milliseconds (ms). The smaller the number, the better.

Contrast Ratio - This is the difference between the darkest black and the brightest white. The larger the ratio, the better.

Resolution - Make sure the LCD has a native resolution that matches your video card. The native resolution of an LCD is an important because if the LCD has to scale the image to fit a different resolution, it won't look as good.

chris

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