A short while back, I posted and asked for opinions on a monitor purchase. I had a ViewSonic 15" LCD, which despite being a high-quality monitor, was the antithesis of a gaming monitor. So, I asked for advice ...
Some people gave me good advice and provided me links to sites I didn't know existed (I.e. Tomshardware.com) and through a lot of googling, I figured out what I needed.
Others sort of belittled me and told me to get a new CPU first. My current CPU is a P4 1.5 GHz, 768 megs of RAM and I run an ATI Radeon 9800 XT.
Anyway - I ended up with a Samsung 710N. It's a beautiful screen that is well equipped for gaming (12 MS response time) and runs 1280x1024 at 75Hz. Perfect! And to make things even better, I got it for CDN$360 (US$306), which was CDN$120 less than the retail price! I actually found a small computer store in an Asian neighborhood in Toronto that had just bought 100 units from Samsung as was selling them WAY cheaper than anywhere else...
I was so excited to get it plugged in ... Of course I had to wait 20 mins in queue ... but once I was in, I was amazed. The difference is HUGE. Everything is brighter, better defined, and the movement is SO much smoother. The contrast is better, the dark areas are as well defined as the light areas. 1280x1024 resolution and the extra 2" of screen size make everything bigger and easier to follow ...The difference was not subtle - it was HUGE! Everything I hoped for!!! I *see* the game in a whole new light
In summary - if you have a non-gaming-friendly LCD like I did, and you have a bit of cash to burn, I 100% recommend a good monitor. I can't believe what I was missing!!