Does it matter if the pc is only being used for trading if the signal is Digital or Analog? Also would you then really need the 128 or 256mb cards with 8x AGP for trading??? At what level(price/specs) would you fail to notice a difference between video cards if the pc is only used for trading?? thanks
There is not much of a visual difference between using Analog vs DVI. It's just that it is a pain in the ass trying to find DVI cables that are reasonably priced.
If you're using a flat-panel monitor, digital (DVI or ADC) is a MUST. With flat-panels, the analog versions end up antialiasing too much of the screen, making it much harder to read small type. If you're talking about regular CRT-based monitors, there's not much difference between the two connection types.
Also depends on the brand of LCD. Some are better than others at converting analog. I have 2 Philips LCDs that I can not for the life of me adjust to run on analog wihtout some parts of the screen out of sync; Viewsonics are far better. I opted to run all 3 on digital and every pixel is in focus. At any rate it's insane to have the computer produce digital video, then convert to analog at the video card only to have the LCD convert back to digital. You're bound to lose something in the porcess. I found DVI cables on ebay for under 10 bucks a pop.
One of my trading rigs is a cheapo Compaq with 11MB of shared video for graphics and a KOGi 17" analog LCD.... an inexpensive and basic setup, yet both graphic and text displays are very sharp.
Also, don't forget to "enable" a Windows XP function called: CLEAR TYPE. You can find out more about it by simply doing a search, and it will make a world of difference.
You sure that shouldn't be called BLUR TYPE? Call me crazy, but I've enabled it + tried 2 different clear type tweaking programs.... it still looks better with clear type disabled.
No, you definately don't need 256 for trading. A 128 card should have an onboard processor though, which definately will keep things speedy if you happen to be running multiple applications simultaneously. Also some lcd's convert analog signals superbly and have crystal clear text. I have an NEC, analog connection. Text and graphics are razor sharp. So it depends on the brand of monitor. Clear type disabled is much clearer on my monitor as well. Also some graphic cards have additional settings to adjust text and graphics clarity.