Welcome!

Welcome to our community forums, full of great people, ideas and excitement. Please register if you would like to take part.

This is extra text with a test link..

Register Now

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Good Montior for 3D

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Good Montior for 3D

    Alright folks, excuse my ignorance, but I finally will get my new computer for 3D purposes and well, I need a monitor to go with it...

    So what are the basic specs a 3D major needs for a good monitor?

    I'd just like to hear some feedback before I buy a good monitor.
    "If you wanna see some action, gotta be the center of attraction."

  • #2
    I'm definitely no pro when it comes to rating different manufacturererers, but I've always had good experience with Samsung, both their monitors and HD tvs... If you look around the net you can find a good Samsung LCD for almost any budget...

    other than that, I say the best monitor for a 3D student is an affordable one! haha

    Comment


    • #3
      Remember that there are several specs that are important. A 23" monitor that only runs a resolution of 1024x768 isn't much of a monitor. Further, a 23" monitor that runs 1600x1200 but does so at only 60Hz isn't good either. You want to make sure and get one that can run at a high resolution (at LEAST 1600x1200) at a fast refresh rate (at LEAST 75Hz).

      Many of the new big LCD's (Apple just dropped their prices considerably on their monitors); fit the bill well. Remember that you can have the greatest monitor in the world, but if your video card sucks, it does you no good.

      Also remember not to skimp on a monitor. A good monitor can last you through several computers; and remember that you spend most of your time looking at the monitor (not the computer). So don't skimp on the monitor to get a better computer; make sure to get a good quality monitor - it will keep you from headaches and a lot of fatigue as time goes on.

      Comment


      • #4
        Ayeee, I picked up a Samsung Syncmaster 213T almost a year ago and the thing works like a charm! It was kinda expensive, but it was a far better upgrade from the 17" Gateway I had for like 5 years, lol...

        Comment


        • #5
          Thanks Prof. Watkins.

          My computer just arrived at my house today so I'm going to have to go monitor shopping tomorrow.

          Hmmm...should I buy a new video card? The one in my new PC is an ATI Radeon X1300LE with 512 MB video memory. It's a "PCI-Express Video Card" it says.

          I made sure to get an ATI Radeon with good size memory, but maybe I should upgrade anyway... I'm not exactly an expert on video cards yet.
          "If you wanna see some action, gotta be the center of attraction."

          Comment


          • #6
            Typically the Radeon cards are more for gaming, opposed to workstation uses. I don't know much about that specific model but if you want to play games with it I'm sure it's fine; if you want to load scenes in maya with huge texture maps and large poly counts, you might be better off with their FireGL line of products... then again, there is no sense spending alot of money on a new card I guess either...

            I have a question for you though Prof, what would you recommend....

            I'm looking at either A; 2 20.1" dual monitors, or B; 1 widescreen unknown monitor, and 1 19" or smaller monitor. I will probably be buying them at seperate times so I was thinking about getting maybe like a 22" or so widescreen, then in a few months maybe picking up a smaller monitor as my second. The only reason I'm considering going widescreen is just because I notice that alot of monitors these days are widescreen, i guess they are gearing up more for HD and stuff like that..

            So basically my question is;

            2 - 20.1" monitors
            -or-
            1 22"? widescreen,
            1 17"/19" monitor....

            thanks :)

            Comment


            • #7
              Keiphus: So, you think I can just wait a while to upgrade the video card?

              Money's not the issue right now, but if I don't HAVE to purchase another video card then I won't at the moment.

              Oh, and that's a good question: To go widescreen or not...?
              "If you wanna see some action, gotta be the center of attraction."

              Comment


              • #8
                If money is really no issue, then yeah, I'd buy the latest and greatest from either ATI or NVidia... firegl/quadro respectively... You'd be better off with the FireGL if you're doing 3D applications (except XSI, :P) , where as the radeons are more game oriented.. It has alot to do with how they handle OpenGL acceleration and resource/memory management issues, etc... If you're building a workstation computer it's best to have a workstation card. I think a basic NVidia 1500Q (256mb) is running like $400? Not exactly the cheapest component. That said, you could always throw the Radeon into your gaming machine or sell it to decrease that cost..

                Comment


                • #9
                  Also, not all graphics cards/drivers are supported, it's best to check. If you're running Maya, this might be helpful to you....

                  Autodesk Alias is a premier automotive and industrial design solution for the studio. Buy an Autodesk Alias subscription from the official Autodesk store or a reseller.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Typically, maya runs better on NVidia cards.

                    Not that it's flawless; but everytime, students have reported video card errors - it's been on an ATI card.

                    As for the two monitor question; I'd probably go one big monitor for work space, with another smaller one for tool pallettes. That's what I'm running. I had two 23" montiros, and swapped out for 1 30" LCD and a 19" CRT. But that's largely personal preference.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      If anyone else is monitor shopping maybe you'll find this useful;

                      Right now I'm looking at either:

                      Dell UltraSharp 2407WFP 24" Widescreen FlatPanel LCD
                      --or--
                      Samsung SyncMaster 244T 24" Widescreen FlatPanel LCD

                      From what I can tell, the Dell LCD is actually made by Samsung, as has been true about many of their screens including my XPS/i9300.

                      Pricing:
                      The Samsung is currently priced around $859, where as the Dell is about $879. However, Dell is constantly throwing promotion after promotion, and even has them listed now for $703. With a little bit of snooping around you can even get it for around $675.

                      Requirements and Features:
                      Both monitors have a native resolution of 1920x1200 (16:10) - your system must be able to support WUXGA in order for this feature to be of any use to you. Most of the newer video cards suppor this but it is important to check before buying just to make sure. They are both pretty much the same as far as specs and features with very small differences. The Samsung is a bit deeper, the Dell has extra USB ports, etc..

                      Ironically enough I work on 2 Dell and 2 Samsung monitors everyday. I alternate throughout the day between a machine with 2 Samsung SyncMaster 191T's and 2 Dell 19XXFP's...(not sure the exact model, but they are very comparable as far as time of purchase)

                      The Dell monitors are a bit darker at full brightness than the Samsung. Right now the Samsung is at 64% and the Dell at 100% - the Samsung is still much brighter. However, I have noticed that in darker areas of images on the Samsung I start to lose a bit of detail, where as I can easily see a wider range of dark grays on the Dell. The Samsung has a great Menu setup and navigation. Dell's is horrible. I have also heard people say this about the new 2407FPW, so I'm sure it's probably pretty accurate. Overall the Samsung seems to be a much better quality monitor. Seems like Samsung keeps the best quality monitors for themselves and Dell gets the lesser quality ones.

                      Overall it's a tough decision. For me, it's going to be hard to justify an extra $200 on a nearly identical monitor made by the same company. Unless something I don't know about changes my mind, I'll probably be checking out a dell pretty soon. I'd like the Samsung but for -$200 I can get other things for a box I'm building instead. I'll check them out in person before I make my final decision.

                      Oh yeah, if you go my route and get the Dell, make sure you get the 2407FPW A02. The ones before this release had several color and banding issues, but 99% of users reported them fixed when they exchanged for an A02 version.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        I love my Samsung!!!

                        Comment

                        Working...
                        X