How do I: Optimize 2ms LCD for COD4/gaming?

[Ghost]

I've built my last few systems, so I can plug things together, make them run, and I even learned to OC things without melting or frying my system.

BUT I just cannot seem to get my new LCD optimized for gaming, and I'm not sure wth I'm doing wrong, or what the settings should be to kill the horizontal 'tearing' I'm having playing COD4.

Whenever I move/turn/strafe quickly (like to shoot someone) the screen seems unable to keep up, and tears, leaving me basically unable to aim.

I played COD4 with the exact same graphics settings on my old 19" Trinitron flat-tube CRT monitor with no problems.

I switched to the LCD only because my CRT was finally dying after 5yrs of use. My system is about the same age, but it ran BF2, 2142, COD4 and others at reasonable resolutions and settings. Crysis beta killed it, but so it goes. AGP is a dead-end and I'm stuck with it...

I've avoided LCDs because of ghosting and issues like this, but the 2ms Samsung SyncMaster 2232BW+ was supposed to be an award-winning gaming LCD, and it had tons of very positive feedback on Newegg and Amazon.

System:
2ms Samsung SyncMaster 2232BW+ LCD monitor

Abit IC7-MAX3
Intel p4 3.2EE
2GB Corsair XMS
Radeon X1950XT PE (512MB GDDR3)
SB Audigy 2 ZS Audio
Direct X 9c
Win XP Pro SP3
ATI CCC & driver v 8.10 (10/200
--all settings to 'performance'
AA off,
Catalyst AI ON,
LCD Overdrive ON

Suggestions?

[JustSomeDude]

Dude... seriously?

[angab]

I understood many of the words in this post, such as "the," "and," "but," and "whenever."

I'd be happy to help with your problem! As soon as I figure out what's wrong I'll tell u how to fix it...

[Ghost]

Dude... seriously?

Seriously. My K ratio is slipping and my overall score is being overtaken by angry 13yr old German kids...

I understood many of the words in this post, such as "the," "and," "but," and "whenever."

I'd be happy to help with your problem! As soon as I figure out what's wrong I'll tell u how to fix it...

So, guess I'll start on that wall in China then?

-=-
Where are the uber geeks to share their 1337 knowledge with me?

[dm_gsxr]

Sorry, I have three CRT's in the house just for gaming purposes along with the two LCD panels. I've tried a few games on the LCD's but they all come out as crap (they're not gaming screens though).

I read a bunch just now on your new panel. It's supposed to be the best, however one thread over on AnandTech was mentioning last year that they'd be getting the C panels as they got older (the S were the best, C the worst). I don't know how you'd tell though.

Your video card is probably the biggest issue (you said AGP right?). Geeze, pop the $100 or so for a decent pci-e card and pitch the AGP.

Good luck with Call of Duty. I haven't tried Crysis but BF2 and especially HL2 works excellent on my new rig.

Carl

[DFab]

Is the tearing as much of a problem if you turn down the quality of the graphics settings?

There are a few AGP cards out there that would be an upgrade; not sure about price/availability.

Going to PCI-E would of course require a new mobo, probably a processor and memory to go in the new mobo ... and maybe a power supply.

[kevplus2]

here is the thing with lcds. you have to run them at the native resolution or they will generally look like crap. a few look better on resolutions higher than the native, but it depends on the vid card as well. your lcd has a native resolution of 1680x1050. your dated card is probably hurting at that resolution. if you reduce the resolution to speed up the card, the pic is gonna look like crap because it isnt runnign the lcd in its native resolution. if you leave the resolution and lower the graphics settings, it is still gonna look like crap because of the lower settings. plus, lower resolutions and grap[hics settings will always look worse on an lcd when compared to a crt. lower settings result in blockiness on an lcd (one reason you have to run at least at the native resolution.

a 2ms lcd (like yours) should not ghost as long as you run it at a high freq and the native resolution (2 things your vid card will not like)

sorry, but it is time to upgrade. jump to a dual core proc and a mobo with a pcie x16 slot (two would be best) and a mid range current or last generation vid card (geforce8 series or ati equivalent). that will blow your current system outta the water and you will only have to spend a couple hundred

crysis is a card killer. not because it has such great graphics, it is because it is coded like crap. there is a great crysis config utility out there by incrysis. use it and crysis will look and run great, but you will still need horsepower. luckily i went overkill 2 winters ago so my system is still running strong. everything looks good and runs smooth for me at 1680x1050

[DavidofColorado]

Have you checked your screen refresh rate? Some games will be stuck on whatever XP's frame rate is at. I'm not saying this is the problem but it has helped with higher resolution games I have played. Plus I think that I am in the same boat as you so I want to see how you solve your problem.

[t_jolt]

kevplus2 has the right idea here, the main thing killing your system is the fact that your card cannot keep up with monitors. in its native res. Im sure your propably not running native res on monitor. But good choice on the monitor. Im planning on buying 2 here shortly

[DavidofColorado]

This may help. I am toying with the idea myself of getting another monitor.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati..._-spooktacular

[t_jolt]

this is actually the monitor i want x2
hopefully before x-mas

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824005109

woot 10000:1 contrast ratio. and the biggest thing i've learned the hardway, make sure that if you buy a monitor. the manufacture will tell you the refresh settings.

[DavidofColorado]

Not bad for $100 more!

[t_jolt]

and a 3 year, anything happens, 48 hours you'll have a new one - warrenty.
got to love it.

[Ghost]

Thanks All!

You're all probably right, it's probably my system, and not the LCD that's the problem.

I did play with different resolutions, and when they scale they look like crap, when they don't, my GPU is probably at its limit (or beyond). I tried to force the refresh rate, but it doesn't matter. At non-native settings it looks fuzzy, and at native my GPU ishts itself...

I have the X1950XT PE b/c that was the last/best AGP card out there, my ABIT IC7-MAX3 mobo isn't PCI-e capable so there are no simple upgrades out there. I built this system right as the swap to PCI-e was in its infancy.

Thanks again for the help/advice.

Guess it's time to save up and build a new rig...which is a financial bummer but I suppose winter is coming, need something to do, right?

[HR636]

I don't have any problems with my LCD monitor (3ms response) and XBOX 360 COD4 on an HDMI 720P flat panel monitor. It's definitely something with your system, there's no reason you would see any distortions with a high quality 2ms response monitor.

[Nobody]

Though your video card is the definite issue in this matter, I would suggest going into your display properties and making sure your refresh rate is set a 60HZ, which is native for that lcd monitor. I've got the exact same one and it kicks ass! Food for thought: dual 6800GT's for 60 bucks