Top-of-the-line computer CRT monitors for gaming?

[dogman91]

What are some of the best models of computer CRT monitors for PC gaming? This is for 4:3 640x480 resolution and above... I'm talking top-of-the-line, 2004-ish era CRTs used for graphics work and such.

I believe this one is good: http://reviews.cnet.com/crt-monitors/ne ... 83601.html ...however since I can't count on this being on Craigslist does anyone know of other models/companies of CRT computer monitors I should look out for? Another thing, are there any places to go to besides looking on Craigslist to find some of these, like somewhere that specializes in computer CRTs? All the results near my area so far for Craigslist is a bunch of old junk simply put.

[fastbilly1]

Craigslist or Ebay. Any of the highend NEC, Viewsonic, or Sony. If you want to get fancy, find a Flanders (but you will be paying out the nose for it since it is a broadcast video monitor [think of those as modern pvms].

Honestly, a CRT is not going to be that distinguishable from an good TFT monitor nowadays. The difference in 1ms of timing is not going to cause you to be any better. Most people say anything under 8ms and you cannot tell the difference.

The two advantages CRT have over TFT are that you can change through many resolutions and they are just as crisp, unlike on a TFT where they will become muddy. And that they are dirt cheap right now. Even the Gateway 2000 32inch one can be found for sub $200.

[CRTGAMER]

The two advantages CRT have over TFT are that you can change through many resolutions and they are just as crisp, unlike on a TFT where they will become muddy.

Agree, the LCD VGA Monitor wins on showing text clearly, but has to upscale to its native resolution. The CRT does not have this issue making it a better choice for games that need the lower resolution.

Due to the shipping weight costs and scarcity, the CRT VGA Monitor choice will be limited to what you can find used LOCALLY at the Thrift Store, Swap Meet, Garage Sale or Craigs List. I see a CRTs sitting out on garbage day at least once a month as I drive around, a good chance most work fine since the owner likey upgraded to a LCD.

The best option would be the Thrift Store since you can test them before buying. Bring a Dreamcast with VGA adapter or a Laptop that has a VGA output. Most CRT monitors already have the VGA cable hard wired in.

[Anapan]

+1 for NEC multisync. Most or all of the older ones can do SOG (sync on green). Give them any low resolution RGB signal (even with a 1:1 patch cable from a Playstation 2) and they'll display it perfectly without the sync-stripper circuitry to split the green line's sync information to the proper pins using an outside power source. Load the GSM ELF, and set it to 480P, then boot HDLoader and you're in heaven. I've always wanted one but I've never found one in the wild. From what I've read, you could even make a pigtail from SCART female to VGA and they'll take whatever the consoles send through it like a champ.
I settled for an Amiga 1084 imported from Europe, but from what I read the old NECs are better - cabling might need to be adapted (home-made) but if you get one of the right models they'll take most any RGB signal from your consoles without buying the in-between circuitry I had to buy and make for my 1084.
Take this with a grain of salt, and do some googling & click on the shmups.system11.org results.
I wanted a SCART CRT that could also make composite beautiful and the 1084 fit the bill perfectly. If you see one of them in the wild, snap it up!
If you want to do 480P as well, make sure you look up the model number along with "SOG" to see if it'll do everything the consoles output. Of course, you could just get a Sync Strike, (SLG 3000 optional), and any Tri-sync VGA-capable monitor.
I don't know much about newer CRT monitors, most information on the net is about older high-end ones and their capabilities. I've owned some really nice newer ones, but none could do the old console stuff really so I threw them away to save space.

[kayanel]

Look for the Sony GDM-FW900 24" Widescreen CRT Monitor

[RyaNtheSlayA]

Look for the Sony GDM-FW900 24" Widescreen CRT Monitor

This. I've had the pleasure to see one in person. If I had the space and money for a nice one, I would get one. They are incredible.

But... hard to find, and, as far as I'm aware the only 16:10 CRT computer monitor. Which isn't even ideal anymore since everything has moved to 16:9.

That said, LCD TFT have gotten to the point where there's really no reason to hunt down an overly expensive CRT. Even IPS monitors are getting there, but not quite. I wish my IPS monitor had better g2g times but other than that it's awesome.

[sonic2041]

I just recycled 2 Sony CRT Monitors. I didn't think people wanted them. Really, the only CRT worth using is that 1920x1200 Sony if you are talking about modern PC gaming. And even then, I can only imagine how much space that would take up, the 20" full screen monitors I used to have were huge.

If you are talking about using consoles on monitors, I don't know much about that.

[dogman91]

I'm talking purely in terms of resoluton; for modern games I can definitely see myself going down the IPS/TFT route. Games from the late 90s to early 2000's that use 640x480 or 800x600 resolution (Diablo 1 and 2, RollerCoaster Tycoon, etc.) Thanks for the suggestions though; found an NEC computer monitor on ebay actually as there were none around Craigslist that were any good.