Computer Building Basics: Part 6 (Monitors) [aboutcomputer99.blogspot.com]

Computer Building Basics: Part 6 (Monitors) [aboutcomputer99.blogspot.com]

Part 2 in our Cut the Cord series about getting rid of your cable connection but still watching all your favourite shows. For part 1, check out our primer on getting live television without cable here. Cutting the cable is a great to save money, get ... How to build your own home theatre PC

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aboutcomputer99.blogspot.com Extreme Gaming PC |How to build| Part 1 Components (ASUS)

Have you ever noticed that nowadays there are actually two main kinds of computer monitor, LCD and LED? It took me a while to realize they were different, because the C and the E look so similar to each other, all that's missing is the little line in the middle... However, there are some differences that come when you do differentiate between a C and an E. Both LCD and LED monitors are actually both still LCD, but LED is the newer technology between the two.

So the way LCD monitors and televisions work is by shining light from a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) through a layer of crystals in a liquid solution. When voltage is applied to the crystals, they twist and allow different levels of light to pass through red, green, and blue filters.

LED is a little different though. LED consists of many tiny semiconductor tubes to provide the back-light. The advantage: these lights can turn on and off individually, which allows more control over the screen. Now , LED screens have two different sub-categories. The first is similar to LCD in that it's a white light shining through filters, and the second is where the screen has red, blue, and green lights with no filter at all (RGB LED). Between the two of these sub-categories, RBG LED is the better of the two because it controls the light in groups, which produces an effect known as local dimming. Edge-lit LED screens--where the light comes from the sides rather than the back--do not have this "ground-breaking" technology, which allows screens to be thinner than ever.

Another advantage to LED over LCD is that LCD can not produce pure black. Because all the color is created by a single white lamp in the back, which is changed by filters, some light will always escape through, which softens black to a more dark gray. Because of the difference in lighting methods, LED monitors do not have this feature. In fact, it actually makes their colors that much brighter and more vivid, alo ng with a broader color range.

Current LCD technology only allows for clear viewing at about 30 degrees off center, which is really not that great at all. Beyond the 30 degrees, you start seeing those funny colors that makes you think either something's wrong or you need to get your eyes checked. LED fixes that problem, however and do not have that problem. Wonderful, right?

Remember when I mentioned that LED screens were smaller than LCD screens? This reduction allows up to a two-thirds size reduction in the thickness of your standard LCD screen, so LED monitors are flatter, and weight so much less.

Did you know you can crack open an LCD screen and find mercury? (I do not recommend doing this) Yes, in addition to mercury poisoning, you can have some fun playing with it as well. Sadly, you can't get this secondary fun out of LED monitors. Moving on to another fun fact, LED monitors consume 40% less electricity than your typical LCD monitor. Though, all thes e advantages come at a hefty cost--LED monitors cost on average 50% more than a similar LCD monitor. I suppose it's up to you whether or not you think it's worth it.

More Computer Building Basics: Part 6 (Monitors) Issues

Question by n2deep_07: What parts should I get for a computer build? I'm going to build a computer in the near future. I'm not a gamer, but I still want a nice computer. I don't need multiple video cards and a 3.2 GHz quad core processor. I just want something that is good. I'm looking to spend about $ 1500 total for the build and a monitor. Any suggestions? Best answer for What parts should I get for a computer build?:

Answer by sirdice
Go to a computer shop and have one build. Anything you buy for that amount of money will be good.

Answer by Rodger R
here's a build list from Tom's Hardware. Note that it doesn't have a monitor so you may want to move down one step on the graphics card to allow savings for a new LCD.

Answer by Khelben
Here's just what I would suggest, lets get the monitor out of the way. Acer X223Wbd - $ 170 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009145 Core 2 Quad Q8200 - $ 190 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115055 ASUS P5E LGA 775 - $ 200 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131219 G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR2 1066 - $ 55 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231166 SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 4870 X2 2GB - $ 490 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102768 Antec Twelve Hundred - $ 160 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129043 Antec TruePower Quattro 1000W - $ 170 ($ 50 off if combined with the Twelve Hundred) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371012 Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache - $ 75 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136320 LITE-ON Black 2MB Cache SATA 20X DVD±R DVD Burner - $ 21 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106263 Total- $ 1371 Shipping costs will probably be around $ 60-70. Giving you roughly $ 60 to make additions such as to get a bigger HDD, get a sound card, or purchase aftermarket cooling solutions. Basically this allows for easy upgrades in the future, the motherboard can handle another 4GB of ram, the PSU can handle another 4870x2 running in crossfire, and the case has plenty of expansion slots for additional HDDs or optical drives.

Answer by opensiriusfox
$ 1500 is a VERY big budget for what you're doing. I built a mid range gaming system a couple of years ago with a few extra parts for under $ 900, so you should be fine. Now that was minus display costs, but when I bought my display it was $ 150. You'll need a Motherboard, RAM, Video Card (of some sort), a CPU (probably intel), a Hard Drive, a power Supply, a Case, and a Monitor. For the case, poke around NewEgg or Tiger Direct for something you like, really there aren't many ups and downs. Many people say cases are very flimsy, they don't know what they're talking about. Cases tend to be very sturdy provided they're just siting under your desk. Make sure it supports a full ATX form factor. This page should get you started. (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductLis... ) CPU and Motherboard should probably be a 775 Socket system. The best bang for your buck I found is the MSI P7N SLI Platinum LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 750i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as... ). It's a high end motherboard, but it doesn't cost very much considering what they usually run for, and it's decent quality board. As for the CPU you've got a lot of choice. The bottom end of the prices give you a 2.66GHz Core 2 Duo (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as... ), or a 3.0GHz Core 2 Duo (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as... ). The parts are $ 5 appart, and there are increments every $ 5 to $ 10 up, so you can really choose just about anything that has a 775 Socket, and has a 1066MHz or 1333MHz Frontside Bus speed. RAM is pretty easy. One or Two Gigabytes of 800MHz RAM. Choose a brand and buy. Here is 2GB of Corsair RAM for $ 40 in store $ 10 after rebate. (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as... ) Now Power supply is not something you dish out to the lowest bidder. It has the power to make or tank your system. So we don't skimp on it. I'm recommending a single rail solution as it avoids you being unable to draw enough current off of any particular rail, and as it is harder to make, it tends to come from manufactures who actually use decent grade parts to make their supplies. As such I say go with either the 550W Corsair supply, or the 610W PC Power and Cooling. Both are highly rated brands, and tend to produce very good results. Also, I love my Corsair 550W, and I know that your system will draw about the same or a little less power than mine, so this will be able to support yours without any problems. The other one will be able to as well should you choose it. [EDIT: I'm limited to 10 links per post, so I'm only linking to the Corsair supply. A simple search for "610W PC Power and Cooling" at newegg will show you the other drive.] (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc t.as... ). Hard Drive is really just whatever you want. SATA Drive at whatever size you want by virtually any brand will serve you fine. If you want a brand to pick then go like Western Digital, Segate, or Samsung. They tend to make the best drives. Find out how much space you need total and buy one. Just be sure to say no less than an 80GB drive. I'd say shoot for 250GB because they're still pretty cheap, and it's a huge amount of storage. (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductLis... ) CD-ROM Drive is also very flexible. You can buy virtually anything and be fine. You may need an extra SATA cable from newegg if your CD-ROM drive is an OEM drive. Just search for SATA cable and you should be able to find one for a few dollars. This DVD burner/reader is cheaper than buying a CD-Reader so it'll work fine. (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as... ) The last part you'd get at NewEgg would be you're Video Card. Frankly, I'm not sure where to go for this one. I'm an Nvidia man, so really anything 8000 or 9000 series (the most recent two generations of Nvidia video cards) will be more than enough for most users. You can search around on the website, and if you find something else you want cheaper, so long as it's a PCI Express x16 Video Card it'll work in your computer. Here is a EVGA, and they tend to be a somewhat reputable brand. (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as... ). Now for your GPU. We can poke around a newegg, but considering you're total cost at this point should be somewhere around $ 600, you've got quite a bit of breathing room left. So we'll go to Dell, as they tend to make very nice displays. Dell's standard 20 inch Widescreen LCD display should be a very nice fit. As with your GPU, you can buy pretty much anything you want and be fine here. If you want to go bigger or smaller, or even go Dual display, feel free to do it. This display runs $ 240. The only thing you may be lacking is a video cable to connect to your display. So a standard NewEgg DVI or VGA cable should serve you fine here. Provided the Dell display lacks a cable this one should work for you (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as... ). That should do it for you. Display, Case, Motherboard, CPU, RAM, Video Card, Hard Drive, Case, and Power Supply. My numbers say that the total cost should be under $ 850, and with shipping and tax it shouldn't pass more than ~$ 900. So you should be WELL bellow your $ 1500 budget, and even if you make some major upgrades to your system you should have lots of cash to spare.

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