If it takes a long time to display high resolution images on your monitor, it might be time to upgrade your video card, and monitor. A video accelerator card will speed up the display of images on your monitor. It has an onboard CPU which does most of the graphics processing which is normally done by your PC.

If you see a "ghost" image on your screen after you turn it off, your monitor has phosphor burn. This happens when you leave your monitor on with the same image showing for too long. The only solution is to replace the monitor. Make sure you install a screen saver with your new monitor. It automatically blanks your screen or changes the image after a specified time period. This will prevent phosphor burn.

If your monitor suddenly begins to display images in a distorted fashion, or images become fuzzy, it may be time to replace your monitor. Before you jump to conclusions, however, double check your monitor's cable and make sure it is plugged in securely. A loose cable could be the culprit of the above symptoms, as well as loss of color.

Finally if your monitor begins to make a loud humming noise or popping sound, it's time to replace your monitor. However, if your monitor makes a funny sound while running only a certain program, this software could be trying to make the monitor do things it can't. Check the video graphic requirements of the software to ensure it matches your monitor's capabilities.