Will any LCD monitor with VGA plug work on a 386 PC ?

I have an old 386 PC that I still use with a CRT monitor.

However, since a CRT monitor is rather heavy and bulky and a nuisance
to have to move, I'm thinking about having it replaced with one of
those flat LCD monitors, especially since the price of the smaller
LCD monitors seems to have dropped to less than $200.

But most LCD monitors these days are designed for newer computers that
have much higher resolutions than my 386 generates (I think), so I'm
worried about whether they'd automatically work with my 386.
Do LCD monitors have an adjustment that allows them to accommodate
to older, lower resolution monitors?

What specifications should I look for to insure that it'll work with
my 386 computer?

Are there any brands/models that you have found to work well with a
386? (and which have you found to be troublesome?)

Thanks for your help.

 

If the plug fits it should work. After all the output of your 386 will be
a dos screen similar to what you see on your modern computer before it
boots into an operating system.

 

I suggest that you avoid the wide aspect (16:10) models that are
becoming very common. Look for a "square" model with a 4:3 aspect
ratio and you should have no problems.

A client of mine did this recently for his small store, which uses a
DOS based point-of-sale program, and it worls just fine.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2008)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."

 

At 17:57:29 on Mon, 10 Sep 2007 Ron Martell opined:-

Note, though, that 'square' 17" and 19" TFT monitors (1280x1024) have
aspect ratio 5:4. 4:3 would be 1280x960.
Does anyone know why?

 

Should work fine. However, it won't be as "crisp" as it would if you
were running higher resolutions, since LCDs are designed to run
optimally at a fixed resolution (while a CRT can sync to multiple
resolutions) which these days, is usually 1280x1024. Anything lower,
and they have to scale the image to fit the screen. Some people don't
seem to mind this, though.

 

Hi!

Yes. Such a feature is a necessity on most PCs, as several video modes will
be used during startup. Most of these modes are rather low resolution, at
least until your operating system is fully loaded.

The most imporant thing to have is a 15 pin analog VGA input. You can have
others (such as DVI and or HDMI) but there must be an analog VGA input along
with those choices.

Aspect ratio is also somewhat important. You need a monitor that is designed
for a 4:3 ratio, otherwise things may look "stretched" or not fill the
screen.

I've used the 15 inch Samsung Syncmaster and NEC Accusync panels with great
results on a Compaq Deskpro 386/33 and a PS/2 9585 "X". As long as the panel
has the right kind of input, I couldn't see there being a compatibility
problem.

William

 

(Snip)

*** It will work as long as it has the same connector.

However, you may have a problem with native resolution which will show
some screens in a choppy manner. I'd suggest you try the monitor first and
run all your programs to see if you will like it.

Otherwise, my complaints about the flat panel monitors are lack of
quality blacks, fuzziness when scrolling, and narrower viewing angle.
Before you flat-panel fans jump on this, yes, the above three have
improved dramatically and I expect that within two years, theses will be
non issues.

Richard Bonner
http://www.chebucto.ca\/~ak621/DOS/