Scott Mueller's Upgrading and Repairing PCs Forum

Scott, do you think that it would be particularly cost-effective to get an HDMI monitor for a PC at the present time? I need a new monitor for the PC that I usually use these days, but I can't say that I'm not on a budget.

Monitors are becoming cheaper all the time, just make sure you get one with a matte screen and an LED backlight. Scott.

I recommend 1920x1080 resolution and a minimum of 23"
They can be had for as low as $110
Anything smaller than 23" at that resolution make things a little too hard for me to read but everyone's eyes are different.

Mike

My dad bought me from Costco. It works OK. I am currently using it with an HDMI cable. However, one thing that annoys me is that when I have it on the highest screen resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels), the image doesn't fill up the entire screen. Is there any good way to fix this situation? Keep in mind that I'm using the monitor with a PC that has a Windows XP Professional installation.

Try resetting the monitor to default settings and make sure you are using the latest video drivers. Also try a different HDMI cable. Other than that it sounds like either the cable, monitor or video card may be defective. What happens when you try another 1920x1080 display as a test? If you don't have a spare monitor, then try a spare video card. Let me know what you find, Scott.

Scott, I've chatted online with a person from Samsung. I've used Auto Adjustment for the monitor. I've downloaded and installed the latest display driver. (My video card is an .) I've used a different HDMI cable. Nevertheless, when the resolution is on one of the two highest settings (1920 x 1080 pixels, 1776 x 1000 pixels), the entire screen isn't filled with an image. Please keep in mind that when the resolution is on lower settings, the entire screen is filled with an image. I do have an card along with an adapter than can make it work with an HDMI cable, but I don't feel like installing the card right now.

Make sure you have installed the driver for the monitor, it should have come on a disc with the display or you can download it from Samsung. Also make sure the PC/AV setting on the display is set to PC, and that the "scaling" setting in the ATI "Catalyst Control Center" for the video card is set to 0%. Scott.

I set the "Scaling Options" in the ATI Catalyst Control Center to 0%. That solved the problem. Thank you, Scott!

You're very welcome, glad it worked out! Scott.

Evgeniy,

The most popular and most standard display used these days is one with HD resolution, which is 1920x1080. Because of that they are also the best value. For that resolution 23" is the minimum size I would recommend, and for those with less than perfect vision I would recommend going with a larger 25" to 27" size if possible. An LED backlight is a must, along with a matte (non-glossy) screen. I cannot emphasize the matte screen enough, a glossy screen is an absolute deal-breaker for me.

After that, the main consideration would be inputs, with the choices being DVI, HDMI, or DisplayPort. Most of these will also have an analog VGA port, but actually using that is unacceptable at HD resolution. Ideally you would choose a display with ports based on what you have on your video card, however are available for example if the display has only HDMI and your system has only DVI (or vice versa).

Another thing to consider would be any accessory functions or features. This includes having built-in speakers, USB hubs, webcams, or other accessories. I generally prefer plain monitors, but in some cases having built-in speakers can be nice, especially when using an HDMI connection since that connection also carries audio.

You might be concerned with specifications like response time, refresh rate, brightness, contrast, viewing angle, etc. however I find that many of these specifications are overstated (especially contrast), difficult to compare, and any differences hard to notice in the real world. Unless your main focus is gaming, I would say that most if not all modern displays meet any minimum recommendations I would have in these areas. For gaming purposes look for lower response times and higher refresh rates.

I don't have any specific manufacturer recommendations since I don't see a lot of differences between the various manufacturers any more, and most are using LCD panels from the same sources anyway. With the relatively low prices of displays these days they are normally not serviced or repaired once the warranty has expired. I hope this helps, Scott.

Scott, thanks for the complete answer. Egeniy.

That's basically what I said, or at least what I meant. Scott.