widescreen + gaming

hi, i'm thinking about getting a 19 inch widescreen samsung LCD...but is till want to play my fair share of games like cs1.6 and dota

are there specific resolutions for widescreen and is the gaming still identical?

do i need a "better" computer so to speak to support it or should everything just be ok?

love,

akalic

I think this belongs in the T-T-Tech Yourself section. What video card is your computer using?

lol DotA, I recently learned what that is because of this music video.

http//basshunter.m0o.eu/video,VentriloDotA,English[]http//basshunter.m0o.eu/video,VentriloDotA,English

oh sorry my bad, its just i needed the attention because they won't be on sale for long..(199 canadian)

i have a 9550 radeon 128mb

i have no problem playing games on a 17 inch LCD, but is it a different case for a widescreen? thats my question (other than it being widescreen right)

It stands to reason that you'd get a better response by putting it in the Tech forum, since that's where the tech-heads (aka dmorris68) will be browsing.

...okay.

so..

any responses guys?

Ya I still kinda play custom in WC3 but I dont really like dota too much, and I never thought of using ventrilo for WC3.

Well i wouldnt get something overly expensive as you most likely wont be running games at super high resolution since your video card would most likely choke.

Whats the rest of your system and what resolution are you using now.

I think the biggest detail to pay attention to when searching for a widescreen or flat panel monitor is the refresh rate. You want something with a relativly low (MS) rate

Many (most?) games today still don't utilize widescreen modes properly. Just supporting the WS resolution in the list doesn't mean it supports it properly, either. A widescreen (169 or 1610) perspective requires support coded into the game to allow a wider perspective in-game. Otherwise it just stretches the 43 perspective to fit the widescreen (exactly like HDTV's stretch 43 SD content), resulting in somewhat distorted and "squashed" graphics.

Source-engine games do support widescreen properly, but I can't recall if CS 1.6 does or not. The BF2 series, for example, do not properly support WS, which has been an ongoing complaint for some time. EA doesn't seem to care.

That 9550 video card you have will not play the latest games very well, especially at WS resolutions, but CS 1.6 should probably play okay.

yea well i don't intend on playing the high end games as a 9550 won't cut it on a normal LCD anyways

its this one btw

http//www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0665000FS10078547&catid=22334

couldn't i just play CS 1.6 windowed mode in the 1024x768 resolution?
but in turn, i'm still using the widescreen

If you're going to play at 1024x768 on an LCD, I'd recommend you configure the LCD to display non-native resolutions in 43 mode with black bars on the sides. Otherwise the image will be stretched to fit the full LCD. Some monitors (Dell and Samsung, for example) scale non-native resolutions pretty well, while others totally suck at it.

And I know I've had this rant before, but I really really don't like 19" widescreens. You're losing 124 vertical pixels over a 43 19" monitor. I don't even like the 1680x1050 resolution of 20" widescreens -- I refused to go widescreen until I got a 24" at 1920x1200, since 1200 was the lowest vertical res I was willing to tolerate. Until you get to that size, I much prefer a 43 monitor.

That seems like a pretty good buy if it was instock for what you need.

I wouldnt spend much more one a WS monitor though as you really wont be able to utilize higher resolutions and features with your 9550 and im guessing the rest of your computer

It basically all comes down to preference. If you want a really great 19" widescreen monitor by Samsung, with a 4ms response time, here

It's $229 and then there's a $40 rebate, but you gotta purchase it by December 31 in order to get the rebate. ;)

http//www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16824001088

so there are only cons to playing games on a widescreen?

i was htinking more along the lines that there wouldn't be much of a difference but i guess there is..

The most popular resolution for gaming is 1280x1024.

Not exactly -- playing on a widescreen is great if the game natively supports it. You get a wider perspective and can see more onscreen at once.

Even though a lot of the games I play at 1920x1200 on my 24" Dell don't natively support a 169/1610 perspective, I still prefer to play at native resolution, even if onscreen graphics are squashed slightly. You get used to it after awhile, and playing at native resolution is always preferred to playing at non-native. However if a 19" is all you can swing then IMO you'd be better served by a standard 43 19" running 1280x1024.

[quote8dbb848a99="Daggoth"]The most popular resolution for gaming is 1280x1024.[/quote8dbb848a99]
Maybe for the public at large, but I refuse to play anything at less than 1600x1200. And I play at my native 1920x1200 for every game that supports the resolution. ;)

I am also looking for a new LCD monitor, prefering widescreen over regular. As much as I like using 1600x1200 resolution, those monitors are way out of my budget. What would be best to use 1400x900, 1680x1050, or a regular at 1280x1024?

I suppose the choice of monitor is dependent on which games are played. WoW works well with widescreen, while WC3 doesn't. So for WoW or Guild Wars, one would be better off with a widescreen monitor.

oh seriously? wc3 doesn't support it? ....it can't be that bad can it

[quote81b6dcfdb0="Daggoth"]I am also looking for a new LCD monitor, prefering widescreen over regular. As much as I like using 1600x1200 resolution, those monitors are way out of my budget. What would be best to use 1400x900, 1680x1050, or a regular at 1280x1024?[/quote81b6dcfdb0]
It's really a subjective thing, and also depends on how much time you spend gaming versus doing other stuff. For me, I spend an extraordinary percentage of my time these days actually working (writing code, site design, graphics work, or reading) rather than playing, as well as running multiple apps at once. For those tasks vertical resolution is important. Hence my refusal to get an LCD with less than 1200 vertical resolution for my main monitor, since I've been using CRT's at 1600x1200 for years. My first LCD was a Dell 2001FP at 1600x1200, followed by the 24" Dell 2407WFP which sits beside the 2001 in dual-monitor mode (3520x1200 resolution FTW, baybee!). I do have a 1280x1024 19" LCD on my Linux workstation, but I don't game on that one.

If however you only care about gaming resolutions, and don't spend a lot of time doing things that would cause you to scroll vertically or move windows offscreen, then a 1680x1050 panel would probably be a good compromise for you. Personally I'd never touch a 19" WS with 1440x900 resolution, for either gaming or work. A 43 1280x1024 panel would be more practical IMO.

http//www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=203321008&loc=101&sp=1
i got this for the 'rents for xmas. i got it cheaper. note that it is sold out though (

lol that is the same monitor but cheaper and OOS.
i used the google checkout but that is expired.
u can use a 15 off coupon as a new customer.
http//dealnews.com/coupons/online-stores/Buy-com/233/
u can get their credit card and get 30 bucks off
http//www.fatwallet.com/store.php?store=6

So what would be the best widescreen, 1680 x 1050 resolution, 10ms>li, LCD monitor to buy for under $300?

i think the one we both listed.

[quote2e9328b15d="jy3"]i think the one we both listed.[/quote2e9328b15d]

Those are 1440x900. I am used to 1600x1200 and switching to widescreen I want the least drop in resolution as possible.

I'm partial to Dell's, so I'd recommend the 2007WFP (I believe that's the right model #).

[quote9e15159d85="dmorris68"]I'm partial to Dell's, so I'd recommend the 2007WFP (I believe that's the right model #).[/quote9e15159d85]

I was looking at that monitor, and it looks pretty decent. Does anyone have personal experience with it?

I don't have personal experience with it, because I didn't want to drop to that resolution, but it's extremely popular with gamers. I've read many, many positive reviews, and several guys in my gaming group have it and love it. I don't think you'd be disappointed with it if you're okay with that resolution.

[quotede55beab3e="dmorris68"]I don't have personal experience with it, because I didn't want to drop to that resolution, but it's extremely popular with gamers. I've read many, many positive reviews, and several guys in my gaming group have it and love it. I don't think you'd be disappointed with it if you're okay with that resolution.[/quotede55beab3e]

They are only $270 on ebay, which seems like a pretty good deal. I don't like Dell's dead pixel policy at least 5-7+ pixels required for a RMA. ( I can't stand dead pixels.

Edit The ones I am looking at are the E207, so the 2007WFP are actually around $350~. What is the difference between the two monitors?

To the OP Widescreen for gaming is dependent on what games you play. WC3 doesn't support widescreen, so if that is your main game, I don't recommend getting it. If you decide to get a widescreen, then two things you should look out for are response time and resolution.