Refresh rate (vert.)
The vertical refresh rate supported by the monitor.
Initially, the term "sweep frequency" was used in the characteristics of CRT monitors that work with an analogue signal. By tradition, it continues to be used for LCD matrices, however, for such screens, the refresh rate is actually the frame rate. See above for more on frame rate; here we note that in this case it is not the maximum frequency that is indicated, but the frequency range supported by the monitor — from the minimum to the maximum. This allows you to evaluate compatibility with certain video cards and operating modes: the frame rate of the video signal must match the frame rate of the monitor (or at least be a multiple of it), otherwise twitches and other unpleasant phenomena are possible.
It is worth noting that the monitor usually does not support any refresh rate from the range given in the specifications, but only certain standard values — for example, 50 Hz, 60 Hz and 75 Hz for the 50 – 75 Hz model.
Refresh rate (hor.)
The horizontal refresh rate of the image on the monitor screen.
This parameter was relevant for CRT monitors, in which the image was formed by an electron beam that "ran through" each individual line on the screen and illuminated the pixels. The horizontal refresh rate described the number of lines drawn per second. However, modern LCD matrices do not use a scan, but a full-frame image. Therefore, today this parameter is rarely given in monitors, and it describes the maximum horizontal frequency in an analogue video signal (for example, via the VGA interface), with which the screen can work normally.
Colour depth
The colour depth supported by the monitor.
This parameter characterizes the number of shades that the screen can display. And here it is worth recalling that the image in modern monitors is based on 3 basic colours — red, green, blue (RGB scheme). And the number of bits is indicated not for the entire screen, but for each base colour. For example, 6 bits (the minimum colour depth for modern monitors) means that the screen is capable of producing 2 ^ 6, that is, 64 shades of red, green and blue; the total number of shades will be 64 * 64 * 64 = 262,144 (0.26 million). An
8-bit colour depth (256 shades for each base colour) already gives a total of 16.7 million colours; and the most advanced modern monitors support
10-bit colour, allowing you to work with more than a billion shades.
Screens with support for FRC technology are worth a special mention; nowadays, you can find models marked "
6 bit + FRC " and "
8 bit + FRC ". This technology was developed to improve picture quality in situations where the incoming video signal has a greater colour depth than the screen, such as when 10-bit video is fed to an 8-bit matrix. If such a screen supports FRC, the picture on it will be noticeably better than on a regular 8-bit monitor (although somewhat worse than on a full-fledged 10-bit monitor, but “8 bit + FRC” scre
...ens are much cheaper).
High colour depth is important primarily for professional graphics and other tasks that require high colour fidelity. On the other hand, such features significantly affect the cost of the monitor. In addition, it is worth remembering that the quality of colour reproduction depends not only on the colour depth, but also on other parameters — in particular, colour gamut (see below).Portrait pivot
The screen is 90° rotatable on a stand, from landscape (horizontal) to portrait (vertical). The vertical orientation of the screen (
portrait mode) can be useful, for example, when working with large documents made in portrait orientation.
Screen rotation
The presence of
a swivel stand in the design of the monitor allows you to change not only the angle of the screen (of course everyone has it), but also its rotation to the right and left. The angle of rotation depends on the model, but anyway, even a slight deviation allows you to quickly adjust the position of the monitor to your needs.
Height adjustment
The ability to move the monitor screen up and down relative to the base. This feature is very convenient for
adjusting the height of the screen — moving it on the mount is much easier than looking for a stand or resorting to other tricks.
Power consumption
Rated power consumption of the monitor. Usually, this item indicates the maximum power that the device can consume during normal operation — that is, the energy consumption at maximum brightness, the highest volume of the built-in acoustics, etc. Actual power consumption can be noticeably lower, however, when choosing, it is still best to focus on the value stated in the specifications.
In general, the lower the power consumption, the more economical the device in terms of electricity consumption (ceteris paribus). In addition, this characteristic can be useful when selecting an uninterruptible power supply for a PC and in other specific situations when it is necessary to accurately determine the power consumption of equipment.