IAHGames

In this brand new column we look at some of the meanest hardware that gamers can acquire to up their game. We start with a kick-ass monitor that is BIG… and green…

I don't know about you, but I don't usually think about buying monitors very often. If I were to upgrade my computer, I'd generally spend my money getting more RAM or a faster video card. The monitor is a piece of hardware that I'd replace only if the old one broke down. But after giving the AOC 2436Vwh LCD monitor a spin, I think I'm going to give monitors greater thought and consideration in the future.

If you were at the recent One Asia Gaming (at Licence2Play), you might have seen these huge AOC monitors set up to display all our games. If you thought they looked big and impressive there, then you're really going to be impressed when you see one of these on your desk. Before I plugged the 2436Vwh in, I was running off a 19” widescreen monitor, which I already thought was pretty big. But lo and behold, the extra few inches can really make a difference. Measuring in at 23.6”, the 2436Vwh will really put those games and programs in your face. I thought the jump from 14” to 19” was huge, but this is really insanely big. Any questions and doubts about the added immersion of a 23.6” monitor will be quickly quelled once you set it down in front of you.

Anyone who would consider getting a monitor of this size will probably be doing so because he’s an avid gamer or he watches a lot of movies on the computer. So I tested the 2436Vwh out by booting up a few games and watching a couple of my favorite scenes. The resolution on this thing is a whopping 1920x1080 pixels, in other words – Full HD. The picture was not just big, but it was sharp enough for blu-ray movies and other HD devices too. The brightness and contrast generated some really vivid colors to go with the sharpness, and all in all the picture quality won't leave you wanting more. Whether it's the bright colors of Dragonica or the gloomy and stylized imagery of a movie like Silent Hill, you'll be able to get the full experience out of this monitor.

The big upcoming game is of course StarCraft® II, and lots of gamers will be clamouring to upgrade their computers to run that game on smooth framerates. But what's the point of having an uber video-card that generates super-smooth framerates when your tiny zerglings still look like little moving splodges on the screen? You're going to need some size and Full HD resolutions to fully enjoy those zerglings, and this monitor is going to provide just that.

Enough about its size though, because like the smartest girls say: “there's more to it than…size.” The 2436Vwh is a green machine too. Well, it's actually black in colour, but the greenness comes from its power-saving function. This series of monitors from AOC are supposed to cut down on energy usage by about 50%, which is quite a boast.

Connectivity on the 2436Vwh is also pretty covered: you've got your usual PC monitor plugs, but then you've also got HDMI input to make full use of its Full HD display (which can service your blu-ray players and next-gen consoles), and a USB port for thumb drives, digital cameras and the like. With these additional plugs built into the monitor, you won't have the hassle of needing to get strange and obscure cables just to plug your normal gadgets in.

The 2436Vwh also comes with built-in speakers, but if you intend to enjoy your games and movies, you might be found wanting. They're good enough to play the scary error tones when a program decides to crash, but that's it. Gamers and movie buffs, do yourselves a favour and rely on a good pair of external speakers or headphones instead. This is probably a low point but then again, it's a common issue with most (if not all) monitor speakers.

Competitively priced at SGD299, the 2436Vwh is worth thinking about if you're in the market for a large LCD monitor.

Tech Specs:

• Screen size: 23.6” (widescreen)
• Brightness: 300 cd/m2
• Contrast ratio (typical): 60,000:1 (DCR)
• Response time (typical): 5ms
• Recommended resolution: 1920x1080 @ 60Hz