Acer H226HQL bid 21.5-Inch Widescreen LCD Monitor Review

While most "hardcore" modern PC gamers swear by fast monitors with 144hz refresh rates and 1ms response times, we've noticed that superior color accuracy and saturation actually can add to a more immersive gaming experience. The good thing is that it can be obtained for cheap with IPS displays.

It's not all about speed.

Enter the Acer H226HQLbid. While the IPS panel has become famous through Korean 2560x1440p monitors such as the X-Star dp2710, which currently starts at $280, there are many great options for the budget minded gamer or standard user looking at the lower resolution of 1080p in the sub $150 price range. The Acer H226HQLbid has an amazing value as you get a beautiful IPS display for a measly $130. But that's not all you get:

Specs

Screen size - 21.5"

Resolution - 1920 x 1080

Refresh rate - 60hz

Response time - 5ms (grey to grey)

Finish - gloss

VESA - no

Connectivity - VGA (1), DVI (1), HDMI (1)

Energy consumption - 26w


Acer H226HQL bid 21.5-Inch Widescreen LCD Monitor

First Impressions

After getting the monitor setup the first thing I noticed was how glossy the screen was. This screen is basically a mirror and reflects every bit of light. The build quality of the stand is fairly decent, a little flimsy but strong enough. There is tilt, no pivot, and no VESA mounts. The unit itself is very sleek and thin and the bezels look non-existent when the display is off.

Screen Size

Why on earth would anyone want to buy a tiny a 21.5" display when I can get a 23" or a 27" monitor, bigger is always better right? The answer to that question depends on personal preference. We prefer pixel density over screen size any day of the week. The more pixels you can cram into a smaller space, the sharper the display will look. Here are some numbers to help you put things into perspective.

Pixel density measured in PPI:

27" 2560 x 1440p - 109

27" 1920 x 1080p - 82

23" 1920 x 1080p - 96

21.5" 1920 x 1080p - 102

While 1080p at 21.5" doesn't have the same amazing pixel density as a 1440p display, it does get very close without forcing the user to upgrade graphics cards to push the higher resolution. Most entry level gaming PC's can easily play the latest games at 1080p, but the same cannot be said at 1440p. The Acer H226HQLbid offers a very good compromise in this situation as you get a very nice pixel density for the price.

Color Comparison
For the purpose of this review, we have an Insignia LCD 24" 1080p 60hz to compare to the IPS display of the Acer H226HQLbid. When I first booted into the windows environment, I immediately noticed how much better the colors of the IPS panel looked side by side to a TN panel. The smaller screen size was slightly disappointing at first, but I after I got used to it I did notice the better pixel density.

Gaming Performance

Throughout the course of several weeks, I've played several games to test the response time and superior colors of the display. The list of games is as follows: Crysis 3, Battlefield 4, Battlefield 3, Battlefield Bad Company 2, Mass Effect 3, Dota 2, Mirror's Edge, Skyrim, ESO, Metro: Last Light, and Half-Life 2. Throughout the testing I never encountered any input lag or ghosting. The 5ms response time is plenty for my tastes. The colors were beautiful and games seemed more vibrant. The only problem I've come across with IPS is that blacks are too dark in dark game environments. It's extremely hard to see and navigate in any game while in a dark environment. This was a significant problem in Metro: Last Light. Turning up the gamma in Nvidia control panel helped solve this issue, but it's still difficult to see compared to a TN panel. After playing with IPS, I switched back to my old TN panel and was disgusted. The colors seemed washed out and games weren't as enjoyable to play. It only took a few minutes of BF4 to know for sure that I didn't want to play on TN anymore. Gaming during the day is a challenge however. The glare due to the extremely glossy panel makes it hard to focus. I would suggest only purchasing this monitor if you have a 100% dark room or prefer playing at night.

Conclusion

While the Acer H226HQLbid does have it's flaws, it is one the best monitor choices you can make under $180, especially if your sold on the idea of IPS. I don't regret the purchase of this monitor, but in the future I'll be purchasing screens with matte finishes as this is the first glossy panel I've owned. Yes, it does look very crisp but the glare really bothers when I try to play with the lights or during the day. If your concerned about the glass finish, Dell and AOC make some good budget IPS display under $180 that might be worth looking into. Overall, I give this monitor an 7.5/10, docking points for the very glossy screen and flimsy stand. Everything else about this monitor is great; perfect pixels, amazing colors, great pixel density, good response time, sleek design. If glossy screens don't bother you, definitely consider picking this monitor up. You can't beat at $130 shipped.

6 Tips to Becoming a Better Scout in Team Fortress 2

The Scout, an agile asset to any side in Team Fortress 2 if played correctly. Otherwise, the Scout can easily became a nuisance their own team. Here are some basic tips to improve the skills of anyone interested in the Scout.

1. Aim with the Keyboard. An untrained Scout can always be identified by its spastic motions and inability to hit their target. This is commonly because they are darting their mouse all over the place, trying to get the shoot. Instead, the mouse should generally be used for small motions and the majority of aiming should be done with the keyboard while moving. This will give you a much steadier and accurate shot. 


2. Don't Stop. With a base health of 125 HP, one good hit could (probably will) kill you. The best preventative measure for this is to not give your enemies a chance to line up a shot. Even when nobody appears to be around, keep moving.


3.  Don't Be Predictable. I told you to always move, but that doesn't mean to move in a predictable manner. Add some zigzags and spontaneous jumps. If the enemy can determine where you're going, they can set up a shot before you get there. 


4. Get Close and Get Out. Shooting a Scattergun at an enemy halfway across the arena is not only a waste of ammo, but also leaves you vulnerable while you try line up the shot. close in the space between you and you enemy in order to take a shot, and get the hell out of there. Your job is to deal damage, distract, and then get out of site before you die.


5. Increase Mouse Sensitivity. As a scout, agility is key. If you don't take advantage of this, you die. Increase you sensitivity enough to have the ability to jump over an enemy, do a 180 degree spin, and shoot them on your way down.


6. Know the Arena. Most importantly, know where all the health pack are. If you're get lost with low health, you will die in an instant.

Have any more Scout tips? Or are you having trouble with one in particular? Let me know in the comments below.

How to Turn a Windows 7 PC Into a Dedicated Steam Machine

As most Steam users know, Steam is coming out with their very own console. However, those of us who want a Steam console experience still have to wait. Also, Steam Box will be Linux-based, which is a problem for those of us who own several Windows or Mac only games, and are not ready to part with them. Below are instructions to convert a Windows 7 PC into a Windows-based Steam Box.

These instructions will tell you how to make windows boot straight into Steam Big Picture, disable windows interface from loading and set Steam as shell, disable user interaction at windows logon screen, customize windows logon screen, and customize boot screen. Note: this is only if your computer is only going to be a dedicated Steam Box. I’m not responsible if you don’t like what you did or if you messed up your machine. Okay, so let’s start.

Part One: Set Big Picture on Steam Start

 This part will set Steam Big Picture Mode to startup whenever Steam starts.

1. Open Steam in windowed mode (not Big Picture)
2. Click on the ‘Steam’ dropdown menu in the top left corner. Then press ‘Settings.’
3. Click on the ‘Interface’ tab and check the box that says ‘Start Steam in Big Picture Mode.’

Part Two: Set Steam as Shell (Main Graphical User Interface)

In this part we will set Steam as your computers shell instead of what most people consider to be Windows. This will mean that as soon as your computer logs in, Steam Big Picture Mode will start. You will not see and Windows background, start menu, or anything of that nature.

1. Open the start menu. In the start menu search box type ‘regedit’ and press ENTER. This will open regedit.
2. Navigate through the folders to [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon]. 
3. Right click on the ‘Winlogon’ folder and select ‘New > String Value’ 
4. Name it ‘Shell’. 
5. Right click on the newly created ‘Shell’ and press ‘Modify’ 
6. Type in the path to Steam.exe on your machine. By default on a 64-bit Windows 7 machine, the path is ‘C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\Steam.exe’ Press OK after you have entered the path.

You can stop here if you want and you will have a dedicated Windows-based Steam Box. The next parts just make the power up of the ‘console’ more elegant and beautiful.

Note: Now that your computer boots straight into Big Picture, you won’t have immediate access to you Windows Graphical User Interface. If you ever decide that you don’t want your computer to boot into Steam, just delete the ‘Shell’ entry that you made in regedit. Below are instructions in case you ever need access to windows.

1. Press CTRL+ALT+DELETE and Select ‘Start Task Manager’
2. Press the File dropdown menu at the top and select ‘New Task (Run…)’ 
3. Type in ‘explorer.exe’ and press OK

Part Three: Set Windows To Automatically Login

Since you’re making a dedicated Steam Box it makes sense to not type in your Windows password or click your user icon every time you turn on your machine. In this section we will set windows to automatically login so you don’t have to mess with unnecessary typing or clicking.

1. Open the start menu. In the start menu search box type ‘netplwiz’ and press ENTER. This will open regedit.
2. Uncheck the box that says ‘Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer’
3. Press ‘Apply’ and then press ‘OK’

Part Four: Customize Windows Logon Screen

Yes, you have already set Windows to automatically login, but your machine will still show the Windows logon screen while it’s booting. You can edit the background with registry edits, but’Tweaks.com Logon Changer for Windows 7’ makes it simple and does not require an install either.

1. Download ’Tweaks.com Logon Changer for Windows 7’ http://tweaks.com/software/tweakslogon/
2. Download or create a background. I suggest a good quality Steam background. 
3. Run ’Tweaks.com Logon Changer for Windows 7’ 
4. Press the ‘Change Logon Screen’ Button 
5. Select your new background and press ‘Open’ 
6. Press the ‘Test’ button to make sure it looks right

Part Five: Remove Windows Branding on Logon Screen

Two things you may have notice while customizing your logon screen are the Windows branding and ‘Ease of Access’ Button of the screen. For this step, I suggest just following the instructions from.

http://www.askvg.com/how-to-remove-branding-logo-and-ease-of-access-accessibility-button-from-windows-vista-and-7-login-screens/

Part Six: Customize Boot Screen

When your machine boots up, you may have notice the Windows icon and text saying ‘Starting Windows’ below it. This can be changed to anything you want with a program called ‘Windows 7 Boot Updater.’ You can make animated images during the boot screen, but for this example, we’ll just use a static image.

1. Download ‘Windows 7 Boot Updater’ http://windows-7-boot-updater.en.softonic.com/
2. Download or create a Steam Logo 
3. Run ‘Windows 7 Boot Updater’ 
4. Under ‘Animation’ select ‘Static Image’ 
5. Select your image and press ‘Open’ 
6. Select the ‘Message 2’ tab and replace ‘Starting Windows’ with ‘Starting Steambox’
7. Change the text in the ‘Message 1’ tab to something clever. 
8. Press ‘Apply’

Part Seven: Time To Play!

You created your very own Windows-based Steam Box. Now it’s time to connect your new Steam Box to your TV, plug in a controller, and have fun!

Did you have any success with your Steam Machine project? Or are you having trouble getting started? Let me know in the comments below.