@Razo
Before I say anything, you should know that I am not an expert.
I dare say NO ONE is able to give you intelligible advice unless they thoroughly understand: (1) the specifications of the components of your existing system, (2) the primary purpose for which your system is or will be designed, (3) your plans to upgrade other components in the near future, and (4) have an appreciation of what role graphics plays in your computing life. Absent any of these criteria, at best, advice you will receive will be a slew of personal, subjective, and inapplicable opinions that entirely relate to what a particular user has or banal quotations from a Google search; at worst, they will be patronizing, if not condescending, "expert" offerings to the noob.
My suggestions:
1. NEVER consider any component in the abstract or in a vacuum. Why? Components (and their drivers) have to play well together. For example, someone might suggest a monitor that has a native resolution that your gfx card does not support.
2. Speaking of native resolution: the next step is to know and understand the global specifications of a component. Why? Apart from the thing being able to be used in your system, I think it is important to know before you buy because the abundance, or absence, of certain features drives the cost.
3. Go
here and review the common features of an LCD monitor with an eye toward what is important to you. For example, if you are a gamer or watch a lot of movies on your computer, you might want a monitor with a fast response time (2ms) to reduce ghosting.
To the list I would add matte v. glossy screens. Most people think of these only in terms of glare (matte less, glossy more). But that is not the significant difference. What you rarely hear discussed is the quality of the images produced by the two. If you have ever seen matte photographs they are just that: matte - dull. Glossy photographs are rich and sharp (why they were not used often in portrait photography: accentuates blemishes). Glossy computer screens render very rich and vibrant colors. Is the difference great/significant? Depends on your primary use of the computer.
My point is to assist people in educating themselves to choose for themselves rather than to rely on the "expert." Alternatively stated, why be a sheep when you can be a wolf?
Once you've narrowed your choices down, see if you can get to a store where you might be able to view the different models. Also, once narrowed down, post back and solicit comments from folks who have the models under your consideration, or monitors with similar features.
Monk
