speaker& monitor question

Hi all! I am still using a 10 year old 17" CRT on my machine. I was wondering what prices run for a 19" or 21" monitor nowadays. It dosen't matter if its new or re-furbished, as long as it works good. Also, what performance benifits does a flat panel have over a CRT (besides weighing less and saving space)? My video card has one VGA and one S-Video jack if that makes a differance. I used to have a 21" NEC CRT monitor, which was great for games!) until Hurricane Katrina hit, and I only had room in the car for one 17" monitor. I am also looking to upgrade my current 2.1 speaker setup to a 5.1 setup. My card will go up to 7.1, but I live in an apartment, and don't think I could really benifit from it. I am looking for stuff by reputible brands too. I'm just getting prices right now, so there's no spending limit, but I don't want to go overboard, just want something better than what I have now. Thanks in advance,
hacker_cracker

NewEgg has a bunch of good deals on HP LCD monitors. Here is the 17 in. LCD that I have ($180.00 after rebates). And here is the complete list of HP LCD monitors.

The biggest upside to the LCD monitors is that they are easier on your eyes. CRT monitors refresh constantly even though you can't see it. Ever notice how CRT monitors have a bar moving arcross them on TV? That's the refresh being caught by a camera.

If you're used to using a 21 in. CRT, you may be more interested in a 19 in. LCD. Just be aware that the resolution is going to be the same on most 17 and 19 in. LCD's. Really, all you're adding is the physical size of the screen by getting the 19.

I was really looking for a 19" or 21". I haven't had too many problems with headaches or eyestrain before form using CRT's, so I may stick with them, just to save some money. I also want to run in 1024x768 resolution on higher, cause this 10 year old monitor I'm using now pincusions bad if I set it to over 800x600.

Flachebag, that link for the HP monitors led me to a page with ink cartridges and CD media, but no monitors.

Hello, prices run from under $200.00 to 0ver 1000.00 depending on what you want. Dell ultra sharps, Viewsonic, Samsung and Sony all make darned good LCD's. I am using a ViewsonicVP12b 19", its sharp with vivid colors and easy on the desktop space and eyes. I am running this at 1024x768, its not the native resolution but works fine indeed. I am also using the logitec z5500 SS speaker system with a creative sound blaster audigy sound card. The sound quality is awsome!!!!!!!!!

Remember that a 17" LCD monitor is the eqivalent of an 18" CRT, and a 19" LCD is the equivalent of a 20" CRT. Both normally have a native resolution of 1280 x 1024.