Articles, Information, Resources

You're looking at it whenever you work or play on your computer, so it stands to reason that the monitor is one of the most important accessories to your computer system. Computer monitors are available in various styles and sizes, and some offer various functions, such as a built-in speaker system. You will obviously consider your budget for a monitor, but may also want to consider how often you will be using your computer and how you will be using it.

How Computer Monitor Sizes are Measured

Monitors are available in 15, 17, 19 and 21 inch sizes. The size of a monitor is the viewable area of the screen, which is measured diagonally (i.e., from the upper right corner of the screen to the lower left corner of the screen and vice versa). These diagonal measurements are of the screen only and not the computer monitor's casing. Regardless of what type of monitor you decide to purchase, the larger the monitor, the more expensive the monitor will be. However, if you use your computer several hours a day, a larger monitor will create less eye strain.

CRT Computer Monitor Bargains

If you are looking for an extra monitor or just want something cheap for your kids or home office, the CRT monitor may be your best priced option.

Although they are big and bulky, CRT monitors will work just fine for basic home computer uses such as sending and receiving email, playing video games, or running a word processing program. These types of activities do not require an elaborate or expensive monitor.

A standard CRT (cathode ray tube) computer monitor works like a standard CRT television, accounting for its television-like appearance and bulk. Many people are switching to the less bulky flat screen monitors and as a result, the prices of CRT computer monitors are dropping. I have found refurbished CRT monitors at auction for just $12. New CRTs cost anywhere from $40 to $100, which is just a fraction of the cost of the sleeker LCD monitors.

LCD Monitors Are Less Expensive Than They Used to Be

They're sleek. They don't take up a lot of space. They look sharp. For these and other reasons, many computer users these days are buying the more advanced LCD (liquid crystal display) computer monitors for business and home use. Nowadays, the flat screen LCD monitors are often packaged with a new computer system. LCD monitors are lighter and flatter than CRT monitors, and can be more energy efficient and produce sharper pictures.

While the prices for LCD monitors are falling since their initial appearance in the market, they are still more costly than CRT monitors. A rule of thumb is that an LCD monitor will cost around four times as much as a CRT monitor.

Considerations for Choosing Your Monitor

Whether you choose to use a CRT or LCD computer monitor, you will want to choose the size that you will be most comfortable with. As mentioned above, the more time you work at your computer, the more you will benefit from a larger view screen. Although larger monitor screens can be beneficial, you want to make sure that the monitor will fit in the area where you will be using it, and will fit your budget as well.

Online vendors offer some terrific deals for just about any type of computer monitor. If you are looking for something reliable but have a tight budget, you can save quite a bit of money by purchasing a refurbished model. Before buying a new or refurbished computer monitor online, however, review the warranty. Check out the shipping costs, too. Because of their bulk, shipping costs for CRT monitors will be higher than LCD monitors. Some online vendors offer free shipping.

Estate sales, garage sales and yard sales are great resources for used CRT or LCD monitors ... and of course, you avoid shipping fees if you shop locally. When buying from individuals, see if the seller can plug the monitor in and demonstrate that it is in good working order. You can find any type of monitor at your hometown computer retailer.

Regardless of whether you are buying a new monitor online or offline, make sure that it is compatible with your computer.