Q. I am getting a new 55" Samsung 3D HDTV 240hz 1080p LCD-LED television very soon.
My question is what video card for my computer am I going to need to run 3D games on that TV?
The video card I am using now is a ATI Radeon HD 4850
The price needs to be within $100-$400 USD
A. Details that would help would be what operating system that you plan to run. And what other specs you have for the system that you plan on using. I see that you are currently using an ATI card, so I would assume that you would want to have an ATI replacement card. I will also assume that you have enough room around your PCI slot to fit a dual slot card. Also power supply specs come in to play as well, especially where graphics are concerned. You want 600watt supply at the bare minimum. I would strongly suggest over 800watts and above to give you room to grow later.
Now you say you plan on running 3D games. That kinda narrows your list of possible choices to the more expensive end of the spectrum. Being able to play them and being able to play them well are two different things as I'm sure you know :P.
Requirements for HD3D Be sure to check that your TV is supported on this list. Also listed are the graphics cards that I recommended below. Go for the best that you can afford.
http://www.amd.com/us/products/technologies/amd-hd3d/Pages/supported-hardware.aspx
An important note from that list is that you will also have to get additional hardware. (3D glasses and such). I couldn't find any on AMD's website. Researching further into it, it appears that AMD delegates the task of 3D hardware sourcing and compatibility to third party manufacturers. The other options force you to purchase a specific monitor and glasses.
Choices:
Radeon HD 5970 (Hemlock) 2GB $499
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102887
A bit over your price range, but well worth it. Fastest card out at the moment
Then right beneath that you have the Radeon HD 5870
Radeon HD 5870 (Cypress XT) 2GB $369
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102888
I chose that specific 5870 because of the memory. It's a 2GB card, beware of the prices there. Make sure that you are paying for the memory and not for an over clocked GPU on a 1GB card. Don't settle for less than 2GB. And don't pay for an overclocked card, any overclock that you would get is marginal and could be done for free yourself if you so choose.
Comparison chart of the two so you can see the differences and decide for yourself:
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/162?vs=165
To stay in your price range, you would want to stay with the 5870 though.
Now with all this said... I must mention that standard refresh rate for 3D is currently 120Hz and not 240Hz.
http://www.lcdtvbuyingguide.com/lcdtv/120hz-240hz-60hz.html -- Some reading on the subject.
Overall, I'd say those two cards are your choices. And congrats on the new TV. But stick with the 2D games for now, as for 3D technology, ATI doesn't seem to be on the ball.
What is the difference between LCD, LED, and Plasma screen televisions.?
Q. I'm planning on buying a new TV soon, but there are so many display options. I don't know too much about the difference in LCD, LED, and Plasma. I know that one of them has like a light shining off the back or the side of the TV and thats the one that I don't want. Can somebody help me with this information.
A. For many years, the CRT technology was the dominant technology in television sets. However, in the past few years, there has been a significant improvement in the technology, which has seen the introduction of LCD, plasma and LED televisions. Each of these new technologies has its strong points in the method that it displays images, among other features. The features for each type of these technologies are as below.
As with most electronics, it is recommended that you first do your research before choosing a HDTV. By doing research, you can ensure you choose a quality television that you will enjoy. There are many different sites that post reviews, and reviewing what other customers have said is really important. A good example of a page is one that displays Panasonic Viera TC-P54G25 reviews. Such sites not only provides expert reviews, but more importantly, also supply customer reviews.
When researching a television, it is also important to look at the differences in the technologies. The next few section outlines the three technologies that you will find in a HDTV.
What is an LCD TV?
The acronym LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display. This technology was created to replace the CRT technology. A LCD TV is a significant improvement in the way pictures are displayed due to the mode of display involved.
LCD technology uses two major components to display, namely; Cold Cathode Florescent Lamps or CCFLs and molecules of liquid crystals. The CCFLs are used to illuminate the liquid molecules with white light, and as the light passes through, an image is created.
A LCD TV has the following advantages over a CRT TV; flat and much lighter, a higher resolution, wider viewing angle of up to 175 degrees, lower power consumption, resistant to ‘burn in’ due to static images, and are ideal for naturally lit environments. However, there are some disadvantages to this technology such as a low contrast ratio and inability to achieve true black picture quality.
What is a Plasma TV
The shortcomings of LCD TV led to the development of Plasma Display Panel, otherwise known as a plasma TV. With this technology, images are created from gases containing neon and xenon atoms.
Plasma TV technology boasts of a rich variation of colors, due to an advanced color generation feature, that is able to generate true black picture quality.
The viewing distance and angles are also wider, ranging from 160 and up to 180 degrees, which is more than what can be achieved with a LCD TV. A plasma TV also has a higher lifespan than LCD TV. The downside of this technology is that the viewing capability, especially the brightness is greatly diminished in poor lighting conditions, lower resolution, and an irreparable back light.
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