debcook

Online gaming is best when the computer is fast and when the monitor can keep up with the action without graphic shadowing.

The refresh rate is one of the most important features of a monitor. Typically 5ms is considered very good – until you see a monitor with a 2ms refresh rate. Why is the refresh rate important? Without getting too technical it simply tells you how fast the image is redrawn. The image does not jump from frame to frame as with a video camera– instead the image is drawn from scratch each time the new data is sent. Some online gamers experience “shadowing” of the image if the refresh rate is too slow.

First hand experience showed me the difference between a good monitor and a very good monitor. My husband plays several online MMORPG games such as Star Wars Galaxies and Pirates of the Burning Sea. Both games are very graphics intensive. Without a very good monitor a player finds it necessary to lower the graphics settings of the game.

Once we bought our 22” Samsung SyncMaster 226BW we were able to see what a difference the refresh rate makes. The seawater in Pirates of the Burning Sea is amazing. It is true that a top of the line graphics card such as the Nvidia 9800 is necessary to consistently run the full-blown graphics – but the monitor has to cooperate for the best results. This one does.

Of course the 22” SyncMaster 226BW is great for ordinary computing as well. The monitor is large enough that multiple screens can be open at the same time. Spreadsheets seem to go on forever. I use QuickBooks and the same goes for payroll reports. This shows that the 22” Samsung SyncMaster 226BW is a great monitor for both work and play.