How to Choose a Desktop Monitor

Computers are complex machines built upon very simple principles. They perform arithmetical operations millions of times over to transform digital information, moving at lightning speed, into usable human data.

A personal computer's job is to help a user create, manipulate, deliver, receive, or delete media content. This is a simple, sterile definition that sounds uninteresting on the surface. Nevertheless, these fundamental functions mimic human ability in some surprising ways. Therefore, the computer is increasingly becoming an engine of the imagination, a platform for the digital life.

In this free video guide to choosing desktop computer monitors, keyboards and other pc accessories and peripherals, get tips on building your ideal desktop pc setup. Our expert will explain some of the advantages and disadvantages of CRT computer monitors versus flat panel LCD monitors. He’ll help you navigate the external hard drive market. Learn how to install either an IDE or Sata computer hard drive. Finally, get some basic electronics cleaning and maintenance tips for your mouse and keyboard.

"Hi this is Matt Dinatale representing expertvillage.com and in this clip we are going to be choosing a monitor. This is here is a CRT monitor. The type of connection that is has is a VGA connection like this one, which is standard in pretty much on all the computers. Now as you could see here, the CRT is very big. You could see that is very long, very bulky, but it is very inexpensive. Want to you want to look for when purchases one of these is the DPI, dots per inch. The lower the number the better. Also, the bigger the monitor size, the better resolution that you could get. Like 1000x768 or even bigger. This is a LCD flat panel monitor. As you could see, unlike the CRT, they are very slim. Very good for you know office you know if you have a small office. They are a bit more pricey but they have more color, better resolution. What you want to look for is there is two types of connections. This particular one is a VGA connection, but if you have a DVI connection, which is the other connection on your video card, which looks like this they make a adapter that would go on the VGA connection to make is a DVI. By doing that the VGA connection is a analog type of a signal where the DVI is a digital type of a signal. A DVI is much better, but if you don't have enough money to upgrade your video card they do make adapters for the VGA connection. Most monitors come with both VGA and DVI, so depending on what kind of video card that you have. The other things you want to look for is you could see up here this particular model is 12 milliseconds. What that is is the refresh rate, how many times the picture would show. The lower the better, especially if you are playing a lot of games. There lower the better. Also you want to look at the contrast ratio. The higher the better on that. You would see a 401 you don't want to go any lower then that. 501 it is really good. They also make wide screen flat panels, which are good for watching movies on and things like that. That is flat panels monitors."