Video Cards - Need to Upgrade?

Live forum: http://forum.freeipodguide.com/viewtopic.php?t=78909

doylnea

23-06-2009 21:51:58

I have a Radeon 9000 in my desktop. I bought a new monitor today - the Dell S2309W that was on sale for $150. The monitor supports DVI and VGA. The video card is VGA only, though, I do have a Radeon 9800 Pro sitting around.

I plan to use the monitor for graphic design and for browsing the web. I don't play games, or watch movies on the monitor.

I don't need to use DVI output correct? Is the image quality really any better for the average non-gaming using with DVI over VGA?

gafdpc

24-06-2009 00:16:33

I would say so. Analog vs. digital. Guess how much of a difference it really makes is a matter of opinion though.

TFOAF

24-06-2009 04:38:15

The only advantage in my opinion is that everything you see via DVI looks cleaner, crisper, and better. I have a Samsung 941BW monitor that has VGA & DVI. I tested out both and I was more satisfied with the DVI input. )

Best of luck!

dmorris68

25-06-2009 20:33:09

Running at the highest resolutions, DVI generally looks better. Being digital, it's less sensitive to interference and variations in the analog signal. In the past, with typically lower resolutions, there wasn't a practical difference. At HDTV resolutions and higher, you start seeing more of a difference with DVI. With most DVI monitors you also gain the control of the monitor through software/drivers instead of the front panel controls, which is why some monitors disable the controls in DVI mode.

Personally, I always use DVI. Haven't used an analog VGA connection in years.

doylnea

07-07-2009 17:39:01

Holy crap, this monitor is pretty awesome. I don't really need it, but, being able to sell my old 17" monitor, and selling the extra 23" monitor I bought convinced me that it was a worthwhile upgrade. Everything is brighter, sharper, and easier to read.

Right now I have it setup with VGA, but, may put the other card in to see how it looks.