Choosing a CRT monitor is more than just choosing a big box with the biggest screen. There are far more knowledge involved. But don’t be afraid. This guide makes it simple for you to follow.

Read on to learn about the factors that determines a good CRT monitor.

Screen Type

CRT monitor comes with two different type of screen: curved and flat. Curved screen is a technology of the past. If you are concerned with comfort, flat screen monitor will be suitable for you as it has a clearer image and more comfortable for eye viewing.

Pixel Pitch

Pixel pitch (also known as dot pitch) is the distance between two like-colored pixels. It is measured in millimeters. The smaller the pixel pitch, the sharper is the image. When the pixels are farther apart, they become noticeable and make the image look grainier. On CRTs, the pixel pitch is usually less than 0.31mm. When choosing for CRTs, always go for the one with the smaller pixel pitch.

Refresh Rate

Refresh rate refers to the rate of speed at which a CRT monitor screen image refreshes itself. If the refresh rate is 72Hz, the screen will refresh itself 72 times per second. The refresh rate affects the image quality. If the CRT monitor is refreshing at a slow rate, the image will be flickering and this can be very uncomfortable to the eye.

All CRT monitors support multiple refresh rates. When choosing your CRT monitor, Always select a CRT monitor with refresh rate more than 70Hz as that is the point where most people do not perceive flicker.

Resolution

Resolution refers to the number of pixels that can be displayed on the screen. The higher the resolution, the more detailed the information on the screen.

Usually the bigger the resolution, the smaller the display font size will be. As a balance, most people set the resolution to 1024×768 where they can read comfortably without having to strain their eye over the small font.

Most of the CRT monitors allow users to change the resolution to suit their needs. Manufacturers also provide a recommended resolution for each CRT monitor they produced. It is always advisable to choose a computer monitor with recommended resolution that best support your needs.

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Tip: The bigger the resolution, the slower the refresh rate will be. You cannot have a high resolution and refresh rate at the same time. There have to be a tradeoff between flicker and resolution. Recommendations for refresh rate and resolution include 1280×1024 at 85 Hertz or 1600×1200 at 75 Hertz.

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Conclusion

Choosing a CRT monitor is not a difficult task. As long as you follow the pointers above, you should be able to find the CRT monitor that’s best suited for you.

For gaming, a CRT monitor with 21" flat screen, 0.25mm pixel pitch and 1600×1200 resolutions will be perfect.

Check out TigerDirect! for CRT monitor promotion

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