What monitor do you use for gaming?

MickinPlymouth · #1 March 31st, 2008, 02:12 AM

Hi, some games only display in 1024x768 minimum, but their text and graphics look so small on my 17" monitor that I get eyestrain and have got to get a bigger monitor.
I think LCD's have replaced CRT's nowadays, so I think a 22" LCD would be fine, but shall I get a square screen one or a widescreen?
I only want it for playing games and flight simulations, nothing else.
Wouldn't a widescreen stretch the picure out and make it look funny?
What sort do you all use?
Thanks

cHiNgY1788 · #2 March 31st, 2008, 08:40 AM

I have an ASUS VW222U
it is a 22" Wide screen
There is an option to change it to 4:3 mode from 16:10 so games dont look stretched
if the game supports it, i will always choose a wide screen mode

MickinPlymouth · #3 March 31st, 2008, 01:49 PM

Thanks, have all widescreens got a 4:3 option?
If they haven't, i don't want one because the game picture will look stretched.

cHiNgY1788 · #4 March 31st, 2008, 02:33 PM

what games do you play?
most newer games (possibly since 2004) have a high chance of supporting wide screen resolutions, which counter the stretching

im not sure what monitors support the 4:3 mode

but on the plus side you have tons more desktop space, you can display 2 documents side by side, to me the change from 17" to 22" WS was awesome

MickinPlymouth · #5 March 31st, 2008, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cHiNgY1788

what games do you play?
most newer games (possibly since 2004) have a high chance of supporting wide screen resolutions, which counter the stretching

I play a load of games.
What does "support widescreen resolutions" mean exactly?
Won't the pic still be stretched out?

cHiNgY1788 · #6 March 31st, 2008, 03:40 PM

ok
say you have a game running in a 4:3 resolution
say 1280x960

lets have it running in 4:3 mode on a 22" wide screen
there would be 2 vertical black bars on the sides, cause its not stretching it

now wide screen resolutions such as 1440x900 allow you to view more of the game, the two black bars

If the game support wide screen resolutions then it wont look stretched

Wide screen allows you to see more if your game supports it, which most recent games do (2004+ maybe)

MickinPlymouth · #7 March 31st, 2008, 04:07 PM

Okay i think i follow, but let me ask this -

Why don't I simply buy a standard square-screen monitor?

Do I really need a widescreen at all for pure games-playing?

A square 22" pic would suit me fine wouldn't it?

cHiNgY1788 · #8 March 31st, 2008, 11:43 PM

the problem is most 22" are wide screen, the only ones i have seen that are not wide screen are the old 22" CRTs
and if you watch DVDs on your PC, on a wide screen you dont get those two huge bars on the top and bottom (which annoy me)
you can get a 19" 4:3 which is the same height as a 22" but smaller width