Cheap LCD monitors are a cost effective, space saving way to increase the size of your workspace and the clarity of your work that is on the computer monitor. LCD's have become a standard now and cost only a little more then old fashioned CRT monitors.

Since your monitor is one of the most important parts of your computer (you couldn't do anything without it) you should really put the time and effort into choosing the right one for you. First off, you need to know some information about cheap LCD monitors.

How Do They Work?

Common LCD Monitor Lingo

• Resolution - Resolution is the image quality of a printer or monitor. In monitors, the resolution is measured by the number of pixels in a given area.
• Vertical Refresh Rate - A term commonly associated with computer CRT monitors, refresh refers to the renewal of the screen content. As the refresh rate is increased the image will become clearer. I recommend that users run their computers with at least a 75MHz refresh rate. Lower refresh rates commonly cause eye strain.
• Dot Pitch - Distance between pixels on a computer display screen measured in millimeters.

Buying a cheap LCD Monitor

The world market for flat panel displays exploded to nearly $38 billion last year with projections of 18-percent growth for each of the next three years. According to Business Economics magazine, few markets this size are growing at such high and sustained rates.

The reasons are obvious. Flat panel monitors employ TFT (Thin Film Transistors) technology that creates gorgeous images. And the attractive, thin-bezel design has captured the imagination of everyone who values style and substance.

Consequently, virtually everyone is abandoning their CRT monitors and racing to buy flat panels, so the prices are dropping fast. To help you decide which sleek, ultra stylish flat panel monitor fits your needs; I have compiled this handy cheap LCD monitor buying guide.

I will try to keep it as simple as possible. Basically only two major rules apply, and there are some secondary considerations. In a nutshell, let your eyes be the most persuasive factor in your decision and choose the biggest screen size you can afford. With that in mind, let's get started.

What you see is what you get

When it comes to flat panel monitors, the eyes have it. If you love what you see, then give it serious consideration. After all, you are shopping for cheap LCD monitors because it gives you richer, sharper images than your old CRT monitor, as well as a stylish contemporary, space-saving design.

When it comes to monitors, image is everything. The LCD monitor resolution is what determines the picture quality and detail.

Bigger is Better

You might find some great deals on 15-inch LCD flat panel monitors , but that's because they're disappearing fast. 15-inches is now almost the default measure for notebooks, so discerning desktop users need a bigger canvas for optimum performance.

Nonetheless, a high quality 15-inch monitor makes an excellent spare monitor, or a decent primary unit if budgetary concerns are your primary motivator. However, the difference in price between a 15-inch and 17-inch monitors is only about $100, and you will see an incredibly better panorama with the larger unit. And believe us, you will ultimately be replacing your 15-inch monitor in favor of a larger screen.

If you have some wiggle room in your budget, it's a good idea to select a 19-inch monitor - you will see some really spectacular images and will not regret your decision. And both 17-inch and 19-inch monitors usually offer 1280 x 1024 resolutions.

So, if you connect both sizes into the same PC you'll find slightly larger, easier-to-read images on the larger monitor.

The Price

Like most products, LCD flat panel monitors come in a wide variety of prices. You can easily spend more than $1,000 on one of the higher-end models. Some monitors may have identical specifications yet carry big price tag differences.

This can be due to a difference in quality components. They can vary in brightness, contrast and many other areas. Check out the monitors in a huge store with a full wall of LCD flat panel models and you will notice huge disparities in screen quality.

Always remember, the eyes have it! If the screen you're considering looks better than the others, has excellent specifications and fits within your budget, go for it!

Because there are so many models to choose from, it's impossible for us to make specific recommendations. Consider such factors as resolution - the higher the better - and response time - expressed in ms (anything from 12ms on up, with 12ms being the quickest response time available today).

To sum it up, let your visual impression be your guide, select a monitor made by a respected manufacturer and seller, choose the largest screen size you can afford, and pay attention to specs such as resolution and response time (brightness, contrast, pixel pitch are other important considerations (with these variables, the higher numbers are best).

Other Flat Panel Display Types

Plasma - Plasma displays produce incredibly rich images that are remarkably realistic. The technology that mixes the plasma palette does so by trapping gas between sheets of glass. Plasma is less expensive than cheap LCD monitors, especially in the over 40-inch sizes.

DLP - DLP televisions are usually less expensive than their LCD and Plasma counterparts. However, the trade-off is their much thicker screen. DLPs are a form of rear-projection TV, which is the slim, digital successor to the clunky old rear projection models. DLP TVs create pictures via a special chip at the rear of the set.

This chip contains thousands of tiny mirrors that project the picture onto the back of the screen, which is simpler and less expensive than LCD or Plasma screens. As a result, you get exquisite picture quality at an affordable price.

Video Card

Another factor that determines the quality of your cheap LCD monitors picture, is the video card (AKA graphics card). Your video card processes the information that is sent to your LCD display.

So the higher quality your graphics card is, the better your picture will be on your cheap LCD monitor. LCD monitors also use a DVI port ( Digital Visual Interface ), which is different then the standard VGA port. Most LCD's have both a VGA and DVI port, so you can choose what you would like to use.

Digital is of course better though because it removes the "noise" from the picture, unlike a VGA port. If you would like to use the DVI port option, make sure your video card has DVI capability.

More Informative Resources - Features like backup contribute essentially to effective internet marketing. This is considered opting for good web hosting. The cheapest domain name may be booked if it also comes with best image hosting. Otherwise it is useless for search engine marketing aspect.