> > I am leaning towards this LCD: > > SAMSUNG 226BW Black 22" 2 ms (GTG) DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 > cd/m2 700:1(DC 3000:1) - Retail > > http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16824001096 > > Any thoughts on this $325 LCD? Is there something better? >
The 226BW seems to be a decent display...the fast response time will be good for gaming. However, this model is a 6-bit TN+ panel. TN+ panels do not have the best color reproduction (S-IPS does) or black levels, and most of them are 6-bit displays, including this one. That means that it is only truly capable of displaying 262,144 colors, and must use dithering technology to emulate the advertised higher color range. The 226BW does appear to be better at doing this than some other models, but you should still be aware of this potential issue. Additionally, it would appear that your specific unit could use one of two different panels: a Samsung or an AU Optronics. Both are TN film type panels, but reports suggest that the AUO panel provides inferior picture quality. Unfortunately, quality S-PVA, P-MVA, or S-IPS displays that provide a low response time (and are therefore good for gaming) are generally expensive. I would suggest buying a display locally, if possible, so you can exercise the return policy if it doesn't suit you. My brother, an avid gamer, has a 20.1" 4:3 ViewSonic VP2030B that he loves. It sports a P-MVA panel and an 8ms response time. It, however, will probably run you another $100. > MSI NX8800GTX-T2D768E-HD OC GeForce 8800GTX 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI > Express x16 HDCP Video Card - Retail > http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16814127281 > > How about this video card @ $500? > > Kingston 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual > Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail > http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16820134488 > > Was this the Kingston RAM that was the best? It's decent--it's just JEDEC-standard CL5 PC2-6400 memory. It's about as vanilla as it gets, but should work fine. If you fancy something more exotic, you might try to find some CL4 memory, or even go with something like PC2-8500. The P35 will read the EPP profiles and set the clocks/voltages to the correct JEDEC-exceeding values for this speedier memory. If you do go for higher-speed memory, don't buy anything that requires over 2.2v to reach the advertised speeds--and generally try to find the lowest voltage set you can for given speed/timing criteria. > > GIGABYTE GA-P35C-DS3R LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail > http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16813128048 > > This was the board I picked out - is there something better? The DS3R is interesting in that it sports 4 DDR2 and 2 DDR3 slots. Frankly, however, I've never liked Frankenboards. :) I went with the -DS3P, primarily due to the second x16 phy/x4 ele PCIe adapter for my Areca RAID controller and the extra 2 SATA ports. > > I took a 650w Seasonic PSU, WD Raptor drives, Zalman 92mm cooler, and > a Samsung DVD burner also... > > Thumbs up on all that.
