Monitor Issues

Heya folks!

I've been using a ViewSonic P95f+ 19inch for the past 7-8 years or so, and it worked perfectly until recently. The monitor has 2 settings of brightness - a normal monitor brightness and super brightness, which is what I'm running around 99% of the time.

A while back, I started having brightness/gamma problems. My screen suddenly loses all brightness, and on super brightness I lose brightness AND image quality; text becomes blurry at a point where I cannot read anything. It's become unbearable this week, as it happens several times a day for periods ranging from 5 minutes to 3 hours, or until I can't deal with it and turn it off while I do something else (after 15 minutes I have enough and I just go AFK).

I'm not sure if it's my monitor going south, bad connection (my video card uses DVI connections so I need an adaptor which is a bit too small and doesn't screw in, so it's loose, but I found a way to fix that) or other problems, but it's getting really frustrating.

BTW my graphic card is a nVidia 7600GT, currently hooked on the ViewSonic (via DVI adaptor) and on a TV (via SVideo).

Let's say the monitor is eventually going to die in the next few months, I'm going to need something similar. Nothing under 19", preferably LCD/flatscreen in 4:3 and not widescreen (although I'll take a good quality widescreen over a 4:3 model with less quality to it), with very bright graphics and high resolution (1600x1200 and higher). Willing to pay up to 500 Canadian bucks for a good one (I paid 750 bucks for this one 7-8 years ago, just don't have the same budget as I did back then).

I think that's all for now, will update if something's up.

I'm not too sure whether you would prefer a fix or would like a new monitor? Sounds to me your monitor might be dying so I will suggest a few new monitors. Personally I don't see any reason to go 4:3 over 16:10: basically all new monitors are widescreen because it is simply better. For $500 Canadian you would be looking at a 24inch widescreen with a 1920 by 1200 resolution. This resolution puts more of a strain on your video card, but if your just playing Guild Wars it will be fine. Newegg Canada is lacking 24 inch monitors but the two they have are easily under $500. The specs that matter with monitors are:

Screen size
Resolution
Response time
Contrast ratio
Colours
Viewing angle
Connectors

Unfortunatley the response time, contrast ratio and viewing angle can be made up by manufacturers as home users cannot test the claims. As a general rule, any monitor with a response time under ~8ms will not ghost. Contrast ratios will be around 1000, with anything over probably "dynamic" or made up.

There are two different types of LCDs:
-6 bit TN panels
-8 bit VA panels

The 8 bit panels have superior image quality, viewing angles and contrast ratios but cost more. The 6 bit panels generally have faster response times and cost less. Your budget is a bit small to afford a 8 bit panel: Dell's 2408 is $600 and the Samsung 245T is $570 upwards. That means you will be looking at 6 bit panels. Unfortunatley the round ups from major review sites are a bit dated for 24 inch monitors, but here are some:

X-bit Labs from October 2007
Tom's Hardware from December 2007
Andandtech from May 2008

The Andandtech roundup is the most relevent and updated. To quote them:
Unfortunatley this model is $100 over your budget. If you see it cheaper anywhere, it might be the one to granb.

Shop Newegg or other reputable sites and get a 20-22" LCD with 5ms or less response time and 1680x1050 resolution (trust me I used to think I didn't like widescreen either... well I was dead wrong on that). You can get a good name brand for under $250 - use the rest of your cash to upgrade your video card.

And, speaking of the Samsung 2493HM:

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/pro... 098388&catid=

and it's in stock in both Halifax and Dartmouth.

P.s - it sounds like the high voltage power supply in your old CRT is dieing and it's just going to get worse. It's probably not economical to try to repair it.

From the symptoms described by the OP, I would say that you are right on. If the flyback transformer goes there will not be enough power for the focus ring (electro-magnets) to actually focus the electron beams resulting is an out of focus image.
The symptoms the OP described are almost always associated with a sound coming from the TV or Monitor. If it sounds like static it may take quite a while for it to fully fail, in some cases years. If you get a snapping sound followed by visual symptoms the OP described, maybe a month before it goes.

As for a replacement monitor, I am not sure the 7600GT has the horse power to display at reasonable frame-rates (45FPS or better), on a 22 inch widescreen monitor. Even my 7900 has trouble in most of the larger towns staying above 30FPS.
Please forget about 4:3 monitors, they are rapidly becoming a thing of the past. Besides, one you actually play and get a taste of some wide screen goodness, you will not want to go back to 4:3, I promise.
I have a 22inch Samsung Syncmaster, 2ms GtG with a contrast ration of 3000:1 and it is so bright I can read by it at 50%. It cost me about $350 american so that should fall into your budget. When shopping for an LCD monitor I would advise you pay careful attention to the colors displayed by the canadites, and pick the one that displayes the colors the way you want them displayed.

First off, I know I didn't respond (so far x]) but thanks for the replies. Advice was taken on getting a new monitor.

Didn't take a month. Monitor died this morning. Yesterday the brightness at max was so low that I got a headache from it, and called it a very early night. When I woke up and tried to turn it back on, nothing. Tried turning it back on for a couple hours but didn't work, so I got a new one.

Oh there was a slight buzzing when the brightness loss would kick in, could barely hear it... but it was there.

That's exactly the model I'm getting. They were outta stock at Future Shop so they got me a HP w2007 for a temporary replacement. I'm gonna get the Samsung either Monday, Tuesday or Thursday (it could go up to Thursday, so that's why they gave me a replacement one). I like the w2007 so far but it's a 20" widescreen, while the Samsung is a 22". I just wish the res was a bit higher, my entire GW layout was made for a 1600x1200 (and it implies all my wallpapers are now unusable - kills me, I had a crapload too...), but the available 24" (1920x1200) were a bit too expensive for me (plus the 24" I found were at a 5ms response time and the contrast ratio weren't as good).