Basics of Computer Hardware
Computer Monitor
The computer monitor is an output device and is a part of the computer's display system. A cable connects the monitor to a video adapter which is either inbuilt on computer's motherboard or is installed in an expansion slot on motherboard. This system converts signals into text and pictures and displays them on the monitor. The computer sends a signal to the video adapter regarding what character, image or graphic to display. The video adapter converts that signal to a set of instructions that tell the monitor how to draw the image on the screen.
Computer monitors are available in two common formats, Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) and Liquid Crystal Display (LCD). CRT monitors are yesterday's technology, but they still provide the best color fidelity, making it them a good choice for professionals who deal with high graphic resolution and video.
LCD monitors have become more popular for the reasons that they take less space, weigh less and uses less energy than the equivalent CRT monitors. Prices for LCD monitors have come down in the recent past.
LCD monitors have following negative attributes:
- reduced viewing angle as compared to CRT monitors
- inability of some LCD monitors to correctly display fast motion. Because of the relatively slow response time of an LCD panel , fast motion may appear blurred or leave trails. Higher-performance LCD monitors tend to reduce it.
Resolution: Resolution is the number of pixels that are used to draw an image on the screen. Higher resolution leads to better image quality. However, the resolution of a monitor must be matched with the video adaptor in the system. The monitor has to be capable of displaying the resolutions and colors that the adapter can produce. It works the other way around too. If the monitor is capable of displaying a resolution of 1,024 x 768 but the adapter can only produce 640 x 480, then we can get a resolution of of only 640 x 480.
Refresh Rate: The refresh rate is the number of times a display's image is repainted or refreshed per second. The refresh rate is expressed in hertz so a refresh rate of 75 means the image is refreshed 75 times in a second.