DRAFT 2009-2010 Display and Graphics Guide

Display

For nine years Information Systems & Computing (ISC) recommended a 17-inch cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor as the desktop standard. For the 2007-2008 desktop recommendations the standard was changed to a 19-inch liquid crystal display (LCD). While ISC believe that the 19-inch LCD display standard will suit the needs of most users, it's important to be aware of special considerations that may influence your specific requirements.

Comparing LCDs to CRTs

LCDs are currently priced about the same as CRT monitors. In fact, some LCDs may be less expensive than some larger CRTs (20-inch and above).

In terms of how displays are measured and reported, CRT sizes are generally given as the diagonal size of the bezel (housing) of the entire unit; sometimes the "viewable" or actual size of the screen is given as well and is about two inches smaller. LCDs, however, have their size given as the actual screen size since the housing is negligible (a half-inch or less). For comparative purposes, consider only the viewable or actual screen size.

Since LCDs are flat panels, they take up much less space and may protude only six inches from a wall, depending on the base of the display. CRTs require at least a foot or so because of the television tube they contain. This is also why CRTs are much heavier than LCDs. In addition, LCDs do not suffer from the distortion to which some CRTs are prone (because of their curved screens).

LCDs also use significantly less energy because of the display technology they employ; however, they do not always provide the same clarity of CRTs. LCDs have a "native" or "best" resolution; while other resolutions are available, they are not always as sharp or clear. CRTs can provide clear images at many resolutions. See this chart for a comparison of size, resolutions, and dots per inch (dpi): any resolution above approximately 110 dpi may be uncomfortable for some users.

Furthermore, LCDs tend to be much brighter, even with their brightness and contrast settings lowered. If planning on using an LCD in a dark environment, you should look at a screen with a lower contrast ratio (the trade-off is that there is less difference between shades of black and gray). Users who perform graphic design or desktop publishing need to know of these limitations.

LCDs do occasionally ship with manufacturing defects, such as "dead" pixels, or small dots on the screen that either illuminate in one color, or not at all. A certain quota of dead pixels must be present before manufacturers will replace the display. If this is a concern, CRTs may be the better choice; however, CRTs are prone to electromagnetic interference (such as testing equipment, medical machinery, electrical equipment conduits, and microwave ovens) which bends the rays inside the cathode tube and distort the picture. LCDs are far more resistant to these effects.

Purchasing Advice for LCDs

Some lower quality, primarily older LCDs fall victim to a phenomenon known as "ghost images" where the images on the screen appear to streak or blur during fast motion, a result of slow response times or low refresh rates. Response times and refresh rates are the rate at which a display updates the image it is showing. Slower response times and lower refresh rates, aside from the ghosting phenomenon, can also cause headaches for certain individuals. When looking for a monitor, you want a fast response time (16 ms or less) and high refresh rate (75 Hz or greater).

ISC strongly recommends purchasing LCDs toward the higher end of the market, especially since it is becoming common practice to keep the same display for two system life cycles. ISC has had good experiences with Apple's Cinema Displays and Dell's UltraSharp displays.

Graphics

ISC highly recommends purchasing a desktop system with a discrete graphics card. Discrete graphics cards continue to afford significantly higher performance than integrated graphics solutions. This consideration is especially important with newer operating systems such as Windows Vista and Mac OS 10.5.

Since discrete graphics cards have their own processor and memory, they offer more power and do not need to share the system's main memory. This provides a better user experience and support for more powerful features and programs, such as Vista's Aero interface or graphics-intensive software such as AutoCAD and LightWave 3D. Furthermore, it "future-proofs" them - over time, ISC has found that systems with discrete graphics are far more usable at the end of their life cycles.

Purchasing Advice for Graphics Cards

For most adminstrative systems, ISC believes that low end 256 MB discrete graphics cards such as the ATI Radeon 2400 series available on the Dell OptiPlex 760, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M58, and the Apple iMac are appropriate choices.

Additional Information

The Computer Connection offers displays by Apple, Samsung, and Viewsonic. Apple and Dell displays are also available in build-to-order configurations.

Apple's Studio Display web site.

Samsung's LCD monitors web site.

Viewsonic's web site.