For about 9 years I thought I had a really great CRT, but I'd been noticing eyestrain when I use the computer, and also noticed that even with the brightness turned up, that photos on my screen were not nearly as clear as they were on others' LCD screens. So I bought a $200 ish 20" Samsung LCD monitor about two months ago. The difference is amazing, and when I think of the eyestrain I went through for no reason, I think I should have made the change years ago. Plus there's a LOT more room on my desk now. Don't wait for the CRT to die: get an LCD.
I noticed some eyestrain using my CRT, and I fixed it by turning the refresh rate up to 85hz (from 75hz). Even though I couldn't see any flickering at 75hz, it was causing eye strain. The picture is slightly fuzzier and darker, but it's worth it.
Now (unrelated to changing it to 85hz) I am having a problem whenever I resume from hibernation the monitor gets stuck at 60hz, which is completely unusable. Changing the refresh rate setting does nothing, and the only solution is to reboot. I want to get an LCD, but I can't really afford one right now.
If I do get an LCD, it will probably be this one:
https://accessories.us.dell.com/sna...5&cs=04&c=us&l=en&dgc=SS&cid=27722&lid=628335
It is an eIPS panel, unlike 99% of all LCDs out there. Most are TN, which is cheap but has bad viewing angles (especially vertically) and not the best color.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TFT_LCD#TN
The quickest way to spot a TN panel is to look at the viewing angle spec. If it is 160 or 170 degrees, the panel is TN, but if it is 178 degrees the panel is IPS, PVA, or MVA (all of which are better than TN).
IPS panels are normally a lot more expensive, in the $400-1000 range for the size I am looking at, but the Dell I linked to uses a new eIPS panel, which has all the benefits of IPS, but costs only a little more than a TN panel. Obviously I don't expect it to compare to a $1000 LCD, but it should be a lot better than a $150 one. I heard that if you call or chat with a Dell representative you can get it for about $200 instead of the list price of $280.