Best 19" CRT monitor for gaming

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GamingGod
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Best 19" CRT monitor for gaming

Post by GamingGod » Fri Oct 18, 2002 12:06 pm

I know its not really a quiet pc thing but i was just curious as to what monitor everyone uses. I was looking at the Hitachi 721f, but now im starting to lean towards the viewsonic p95+. I researched sony monitors but surprisingly they had quiet a few bad reviews and horror stories about monitors going out after just a few months ect.

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Post by GamingGod » Tue Oct 22, 2002 10:46 am

bump* no one has recommendations for a 19" monitor?

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Post by MikeC » Tue Oct 22, 2002 12:10 pm

I have three 19"s: an old ADI that used to be silent but now makes a high pitched whine occasionally, a newer Samsung 955Df that made a small amount of whine for a long time that I notice is now gone, and a cheap AOC that is pretty much quiet. I suspect it's a bit of the luck of the draw -- tubes, coils & transformers are generally responsible for the whine.

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Post by Rusty075 » Tue Oct 22, 2002 9:48 pm

I have first hand experience with the Viewsonic Gs790. Its a very nice monitor at a fairly nice price too. A good value in my opinion. Not quite as fine a picture as a Sony trinitron, but the price is alot friendlier!

Viewsonic GS790

You can save some money by looking at their E series monitors too.

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Post by powergyoza » Thu Oct 24, 2002 1:33 am

At my office we have nothing but Sony G420S and they are good up to about 1152 x 864 or 1280 x 960/1024. One of them is occasionally making a very high pitched whine, though. And they're expensive too. We also have some LaCie ElectronIII's (good, but a bit fuzzy starting at 1152 x 864 - dunno if it's b/c of the video card on the G4) but those are really not appropriate for your needs. My brother just purchased a P95F+ (supposed to be a good one), but hasn't unpacked it yet. I'll let you know about its picture quality when he fires it up.

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Post by GamingGod » Thu Oct 24, 2002 4:42 am

oh wow thanks powergyoza! first hand experience on the p95f+ would be great.

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Post by LeoV » Thu Oct 24, 2002 1:27 pm

Using a refurb Sony G500 (21" flat .24mm) CRT for close to two years. Refurb Sonys are luck of the draw, but mine is a winner--1600x1200 vibrant and clean at 85hz (max 98hz at that rez). No high-pitch whine, but a very faint buzz that would only be audible with everything else completely off. I can only hear it holding my ear to the monitor. It also makes loud clicks when changing resolutions. For some reason, different Sony monitors from the same series make different sounds (if any) when changing res.

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Post by stsmytherie » Fri Oct 25, 2002 10:46 am

We have lots of 21" Sony G500s at work, and I love them. I use two of them in a dual-head arrangement, both at 1280x1024 at 85 Hz. Very quiet.

Just for kicks, I set one of them to 1600x1200 at 120 Hz, and it's still dead quiet.

At home I have a 19" ViewSonic PF790. At my normal working resolution (1280x1024, 85 Hz) it is fairly quiet, though less so than the Sonys. When gaming, however, I like to run 1600x1200 at 72 Hz, which often causes a pronounced, annoying whine.

Also, I find that flat-screen CRTs are worth the added cost. The reduction in glare and distortion is usually significant.

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Post by powergyoza » Tue Nov 05, 2002 12:36 am

GamingGod,

My bro finally cracked open his p95f+. He runs it at 1280 x 1024 on an ATI Rage Pro card (i think). It's very good considering he doesn't have Matrox G4x0/550. I'd say its sharper than my 17" Samsung 700NF @ 1280 x 960 connected to a G550 (which is already killer combo IMHO). Geometry is good - I only saw very minor distortion.

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Post by bluehat » Wed Nov 06, 2002 6:23 am

LeoV wrote:No high-pitch whine, but a very faint buzz that would only be audible with everything else completely off. I can only hear it holding my ear to the monitor.
The "faint" CRT buzz becomes clearly audible after silencing all other electronic components in your room. Fortunately it is also possible to silence. Buzz is caused by the monitor's rewinding coils. Just apply a strong layer of special plastic spray (from electronic shop, designed for coils) to crt's rewinding coils so that it keeps the copper wires with high voltages tightly in place. You can also ask your monitor repairer to apply the plastic spray if you don't want to open the crt yourself.

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Post by quokked » Wed Nov 06, 2002 6:44 am

and I thought after I managed to silence my computer that'd be it... :roll: The thing in my room that makes the most noise now is my fluro light I might do this mod on the transformer with this plastic spray if I can find some down here... any idea what it's called?

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Post by bluehat » Wed Nov 06, 2002 7:03 am

Lacquer? Varnish? Cloudberry? Sealing-wax?
In my room the loudest noise is caused by the active crossover divider of Genelec active monitors. A very faint white noise everywhere...

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Post by GamingGod » Wed Nov 06, 2002 9:19 am

u guys are gonna go deaf

powergyoza
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Post by powergyoza » Thu Nov 07, 2002 2:01 am

Do you mean something like this? http://www.cir.com/mgchemicals/coatings/coatings.htm

Scroll down to "419B - ACRYLIC LACQUER CONFORMAL COATING"

Since I've quieted my HD's just yesterday, I've begun to really notice my monitor buzz too. Very annoying!

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Post by bluehat » Thu Nov 07, 2002 8:07 am

This is likely right kind of laquer, since it is suitable also for coils and transformers. It is necessary to use quite a lot of it, so it goes between the copper wires inside the coil. And even it is quickly drying, the drying time will be at least 12 hours or more.

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Post by dejacky » Sun Nov 10, 2002 9:17 pm

Cornerstone p1460. Has the highest refresh rates, sharpest text and image, and better convergence specs then those crappy viewsonic monitors. I have been using mine for almost a year and have still not seen a better monitor.

8)

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Post by shunx » Sun Dec 08, 2002 2:57 am

bluehat wrote:This is likely right kind of laquer, since it is suitable also for coils and transformers. It is necessary to use quite a lot of it, so it goes between the copper wires inside the coil. And even it is quickly drying, the drying time will be at least 12 hours or more.
Just curious, assuming you (or anyone else here) have done before, how effective is the laquer at silencing the coil whine?

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Post by bluehat » Fri Dec 13, 2002 3:59 am

shunx wrote:Just curious, assuming you (or anyone else here) have done before, how effective is the laquer at silencing the coil whine?
It isn't a 100% silencer, but very effective in reducing monitor buzz. It doesn't have effect on other crt noises (such as resolution changing, or after going to power saving mode, strange noises from plastic parts when the crt cools down).

Previously crt buzz was the loudest noise in my room, but after applying some lacquer I don't even hear the crt buzz very far or to the other side of the room.

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Post by Belgarion » Fri Dec 13, 2002 8:04 pm

quokked wrote:and I thought after I managed to silence my computer that'd be it... :roll: The thing in my room that makes the most noise now is my fluro light I might do this mod on the transformer with this plastic spray if I can find some down here... any idea what it's called?
You're getting a humming or buzzing from a fluorescent light? If it's a regular ceiling fixture (takes T12 or similar tubes), you could replace the noisy magnetic ballast with an electronic ballast. If it's a little desktop lamp, you'd probably have to buy a new lamp. Either way, if it's making more noise than it used to, it might be on its way out. I just replaced a dead magnetic ballast in a single-tube 24" light fixture above my kitchen sink that was getting noisier and flickering more until it finally gave out. I replaced it with an electronic ballast and now it's dead silent (or at least so quiet I can't hear it above other ambient noise) and puts out considerably more light (higher ballast factor). If you're in the market for a fluorescent lamp or fixture, definitely go with an electronic ballast. They cost more, but they're quiet. And some are even dimmable.

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Post by Belgarion » Fri Dec 13, 2002 8:39 pm

At work, we have three 19" monitors. Two are Viewsonic PS790's (circa '99), and the third is a Samsung 955DF. The convergence on the PS790's is terrible, and there's no convergence adjustment! They also have a lot of screen curvature. I don't know if they're still on the market, but if so I'd say avoid them. The 955DF has a surprisingly decent picture for its price. Our first one starting dying, but fortunately we got CompUSA's replacement warranty so I got an immediate trade for a new one. As for noise, I can't say I've noticed anything out of the ordinary, but it's hard to hear over the computer noise at the office.

None of those hold a candle to my Nokia 447Xi at home, or my wife's Mitsubishi Diamond Pro 87TXM (both are 17" models). That Mitsubishi has the best picture I've even seen on ANY monitor. My Nokia is a close second. I've heard that Mitsubishi's TV's are also well-regarded, so I'd suggest looking at Mitsubishi's. They cost a bit more than most other brands, but you get what you pay for. A monitor can be a longer-term investment compared to other PC components, so it's worth it to spend a little more to get the good stuff. If you get a bad one, you don't want to be stuck with it for a long time.

If you can afford it, you might consider the new Hitachi CML174 LCD panel, which has a much better response time than the previous generation models. I have a slower 17" LCD at work and I do 3D programming, so I know how bad slow response rates are for gaming. www.gamepc.com did a review (http://www.gamepc.com/labs/view_content ... cds&page=1), and they think it's fine for gaming.

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Post by Gandalf » Tue Dec 24, 2002 2:02 pm

I'm using an LG StudioWorks 995E. I rather love it. It has a decent power usage too considering its size.

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2c

Post by seishino » Mon Dec 30, 2002 8:51 am

Here we have a Nokia branded 447L and a 21" Nanao FlexScan F2-21. Both are over 5 years old. The Nanao's picture is too fuzzy for our tastes, but we use it for web development anyway. Except for a slight high-pitched whine when your ear is within 1 inch or so of the grill area in the back, it makes no audible noise. The Nokia has a nice, crisp picture, but it is known to complain when displaying certain images. This happens only about once every two weeks, but it is loud enough to be heard throughout the room. It also will complain loudly at certain abnormal resolutions (300 X 200), but the fact that it does them at all is kind of impressive.

-C

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Viewsonic P95f+ makes a buzz

Post by powergyoza » Mon Dec 30, 2002 6:03 pm

FYI: The viewsonic makes a buzz!

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Post by ez2remember » Mon Dec 30, 2002 6:33 pm

If you want a 19" monitor for gaming, look for a Diamondtron M squared tube or Sony FD Trinitron tube. They are simply the best. Look out for big quality manafacturers too, it helps a lot.

The best 19" I have come across is the Iiyama Vision Master Pro 454 (Mitsubushi Diamondtron M2 Tube). I don't know about the availability in America but this unit really really rocks. It is better all the FD trinitron and Mitsibushi Diamondtron M2 tubes from big manafactures such as Sony, Mitsubushi, NEC, Samsung (Flatron technology) etc. I have seen.

Any monitor that is slightly round or does not use one of these three technology including Flatron pales in comparison.

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Post by Alistair » Sun Jan 05, 2003 4:10 am

I am very picky when it comes to monitors (and everything else). I have had a big run-around buying a 19" in the past few months. (I returned 3 of them). Tried 2 of the Panasonic p95+ which both had too many imperfections for the price. NEC's are the luck of the draw, I have had some really nice ones but have returned many also.

I settled with a Mitsubishi Diamond Pro 930sb which I can recommend quite highly and is not much more $ than the Viewsonic. The next price step up from that would be Sony but with 1 year warranty I believe compared to 3 on the Mits. This one comes black standard, nice design, and very close to perfect display. The refresh rates are nice and high (1280@104hz, 1600@87hz).

It does have a slight buzz, as did the Viewsonic, but as I read here I will look into fixing that.

ll.

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Post by GamingGod » Sun Jan 05, 2003 6:18 am

ive heard about alot of people who had sonys for little over a year and they broke in some fashion and sony wouldnt replace the monitor. and for the price of a sony monitor i want a 5 year full warrantie thats for sure.

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Post by Alistair » Tue Jan 07, 2003 2:23 am

bluehat wrote:The "faint" CRT buzz becomes clearly audible after silencing all other electronic components in your room. Fortunately it is also possible to silence. Buzz is caused by the monitor's rewinding coils. Just apply a strong layer of special plastic spray (from electronic shop, designed for coils) to crt's rewinding coils so that it keeps the copper wires with high voltages tightly in place. You can also ask your monitor repairer to apply the plastic spray if you don't want to open the crt yourself.
i'd really like to know more information on this procedure, can't find anything in my searches. anyone seen any detailed how-to's as to where to spray this stuff? or is this easier than i imagine?

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Post by bluehat » Tue Jan 07, 2003 5:43 am

lumo latour wrote:i'd really like to know more information on this procedure, can't find anything in my searches. anyone seen any detailed how-to's as to where to spray this stuff? or is this easier than i imagine?
I don't know any howto's either. Probably there is a book in library about repairing tv's? Deflecting coils (sorry about using a wrong word earlier) are the major source of buzz. They are the 2 big coils in the middle of picture tube. Nothing can go wrong if you just apply enough lacquer to the coils (otherwise lacquer won't go inside the coil and you just create a thin layer on the surface of the coil and need to remove it and try again).

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My Viewsonics don't buzz

Post by Mookabelius » Sun Feb 09, 2003 11:25 am

I just bought two Viewsonic P95f+ monitors.

The picture is very good and I can't hear a thing from them. If they did make any noise, I'd notice it. The loudest thing in my office is a slight hum from the power supply.

They are only a week old. That may change with age.

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Post by GamingGod » Mon Feb 10, 2003 1:39 am

Good, I read around and for a high performance gaming 19" monitor there dont seem to be many that can beat the p95f+

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