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I've been thinking of getting an lcd monitor, are they superior to crt monitors? What are the pros and cons of each? Help me decide!

CRT VS LCD

Resolution & Viewing Quality
Resolution on a CRT is flexible and a newer model will provide you with viewing resolutions of up to 1600 by 1200 and higher, whereas on an LCD the resolution is fixed within each monitor (called a native resolution). The resolution on an LCD can be changed, but if you're running it at a resolution other than its native resolution you will notice a drop in performance or quality.

Both types of monitors (newer models) provide bright and vibrant color display. However, LCDs cannot display the maximum color range that a CRT can. In terms of image sharpness, when an LCD is running at its native resolution the picture quality is perfectly sharp. On a CRT the sharpness of the picture can be blemished by soft edges or a flawed focus.

A CRT monitor can be viewed from almost any angle, but with an LCD this is often a problem. When you use an LCD, your view changes as you move different angles and distances away from the monitor. At some odd angles, you may notice the picture fade, and possibly look as if it will disappear from view.

Refresh Rate
Some users of a CRT may notice a bit of an annoying flicker, which is an inherent trait based on a CRTs physical components. Today's graphics cards, however, can provide a high refresh rate signal to the CRT to get rid of this otherwise annoying problem. LCDs are flicker-free and as such the refresh rate isn't an important issue with LCDs.

Dot Pitch
Dot pitch refers to the space between the pixels that make up the images on your screen, and is measured in millimeters. The less space between pixels, the better the image quality. On either type of monitor, smaller dot pitch is better and you're going to want to look at something in the 0.26 mm dot pitch or smaller range.

Screen (viewable) Size
Most people today tend to look at a 17-inch CRT or bigger monitor. When you purchase a 17-inch CRT monitor, you usually get 16.1 inches or a bit more of actual viewing area, depending on the brand and manufacturer of a specific CRT. The difference between the "monitor size" and the "view area" is due to the large bulky frame of a CRT. If you purchase a 17" LCD monitor, you actually get a full 17" viewable area, or very close to a 17".

Physical Size
There is no denying that an LCD wins in terms of its physical size and the space it needs. CRT monitors are big, bulky and heavy. They are not a good choice if you're working with limited desk space, or need to move the monitor around (for some odd reason) between computers. An LCD on the other hand is small, compact and lightweight. LCDs are thin, take up far less space and are easy to move around. An average 17-inch CRT monitor could be upwards of 40 pounds, while a 17&-inch LCD would weigh in at around 15 pounds.

Price
As an individual one-time purchase an LCD monitor is going to be more expensive. Throughout a lifetime, however, LCDs are cheaper as they are known to have a longer lifespan and also a lower power consumption. The cost of both technologies have come down over the past few years, and LCDs are reaching a point where smaller monitors are within many consumers' price range. You will pay more for a 17" LCD compared to a 17" CRT, but since the CRT's actual viewing size is smaller, it does bring the question of price back into proportion.

Ultimately I say go for LCD

Thanks a lot for that, it's exactly what I needed to know. LCD it is! One question though, is the difference in colour range considerable? I do like colours.

It's really difficult to notice any variation as long as you get a good LCD screen.

This is the one I'm looking at. It looks pretty nice!

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6824001088

actualy with newer lcd monitors, they have like a 140 degree or better viewing angle ( where the colour is not distorted )

Me being a gamer I would still pick a CRT over a LCD screen everyday. The colours and image quality is just that much better imho. Also you won't have any 'ghosting' with a CRT.
Then again it also depends on how much space you got. I just happen to have enough room to fit this huge CRT screen of doom. (and yea, the one I have is huge )

yeah, i went for the lcd, because as im at uni, a crt takes up too much space in my car whenever i go home on holiday. plus the desk here is kinda small. i just got me a bog standard 17" lcd monitor - (although that was to keep the overall cost of my pc to under £1000 )

Better to go with a LCD or CRT TV with HDMI or DVI outputs, that way you can use it for both computer and Television. LCD compared to CRT isn't as good when it comes to High-Def and CRTs still have a better color range then LCD or Plasma.

LCD, Plasma and CRT are all dead technology. If you want the best go with ILA or DLP they are the only technology that has a life-span nowadays. Plasma and LCD have reached their maximum when it comes to quality on the colour scale and are as close to CRT as they can be and they still are not close to what CRT is. DLP and ILA are like LCD and Plasma in that they are flat-panel and are not as heavy as CRTs but they are better because they will still be upgradeable while the firmware updates for CRT, LCD and Plasma are done and everyone is trying to sell off their Plasma and LCD moniters and TVs because they are not making anymore.

When it comes down to it, if you are willing to splurge 1000-3000$ search for a DLP or an ILA, there are alot of places in north america who are selling now and its better to have something that has a decent life-span to it then something that has reached the end of its time.