For many people choosing a gaming monitor is challenging and irritating because of the many choices. Gaming monitors with new latest specifications are coming on the market day by day, which is making it more challenging to choose when buying a gaming monitor.
To fully enjoy the latest modern games, you just don’t need a good graphics card and CPU, but you also need a good gaming monitor. Then, you will be able to fully take advantage of all components of a gaming PC.
Well, on the other hand, if you have a good gaming monitor but a poor graphics card and CPU, then you will still have a poor gaming experience. You need to make sure that your entire gaming setup is right to have a smooth gaming experience.
In this article, we will provide an in-depth explanation of everything you need to know about gaming monitors and what to look out for to ensure that you choose the monitor that is best suited to your own preferences as well as your requirements. Following are some features that should be considered when you are buying a gaming monitor.
Display Dimensions And Resolution
When it comes to the optimal display size for gaming, bigger is not always better; pixel density must also be considered. Pixel density is the number of pixels that are displayed on a monitor in relation to its size and resolution.
The image quality will be pixelated if the monitor has low pixel density. This can result in not having enough room on the screen, and the displayed image is not clear and sharp.
If it’s too high, there will be a lot of screen space and details, but the small text will be too small to read unless you scale the image up.
In games that don’t allow scaling, the HUD will be too small. Luckily, most new games work well with scaling. If you opt to go with a display that has a high pixel density, you should examine the scaling capabilities of your preferred applications before making the switch.
Games suit different monitor sizes. CS: GO and Valorant players like 24′′-25′′ monitors. Because you can see everything in-game while sitting near the monitor, pro players like Shahzam prefer these smaller monitors. A 27′′ monitor is better for casual or FPS gamers. The average gamer can view the entire monitor if they sit back. Adventure and story-based gamers should upgrade to 28′′–32′′ monitors.
Refresh Rate and Response Time
When looking for a gaming monitor, you should definitely check the refresh rate, which is measured in hertz (Hz). This number shows how many times the screen will be refreshed every second. Higher numbers are preferable. Most basic screens and televisions operate at 30 Hz. However, some can reach 60 Hz. Gaming requires at least 60 Hz.
When it comes to gaming, having a higher refresh rate is beneficial since it ensures that what you see on screen is consistent with what is happening on the computer.
Now, 60 Hz is thought to be the bare minimum, but there are many displays on the market that can show 144 Hz. For serious gaming, this is highly recommended. You can tell the difference between 60 Hz and 144 Hz, and this difference can help you improve your own response times. There are even monitors with 240 Hz.
But if your graphics card and CPU can’t handle these high frame rates, a high-refresh-rate display won’t help you.
Monitor Panels
The monitor panel is like a “canvas” that your monitor uses to show the images it gets. Most gaming monitors have one of three types of panels: TN, VA, or IPS. These three kinds each have their own characteristics that make them good for different games.
TN Monitor Panel
Twisted Nematic, or TN, design panels are among the oldest and most well-known types of LCD display panels. Since they have been worked on since the 1980s, there are a lot of them, and they are very well made. TN monitor Panels are affordable and have a quick response time.
But it has a low and inaccurate quality of colors, and viewing angles are restricted. Compared to IPS and VA panels, TN monitors have washed-out colors and poor viewing angles.
VA Monitor Panel
Vertically Aligned, or VA, monitor panels are regarded the middle-ground monitor panels. Using the refresh rates of TN panels and the color depth of IPS screens. VA panels can be affordable and have low latency and high refresh speed. VA monitor panels are rich in color reproduction.
But between light and dark colors, it has restricted angle viewing and is prone to blurring.
IPS (In-Plane Switching)
IPS panels provide the most accurate and consistent colors but lower contrast ratios than VA screens. IPS displays provide the best viewing angles and faster response times than typical VA panels. Some recent IPS panels are as quick as TNs.
You will therefore experience vivid colors, and there will be no discernible ghosting, even in the most action-packed games. The most significant disadvantage of the IPS technology is known as the IPS glow. IPS glow a common flaw with the panel. In essence, the corners of the screen appear to be glowing as extra light travels through the panel.
The glowing is only distracting when you are viewing a dark image in a dark room; however, there are ways to control IPS light even in those circumstances.
V-Sync
V-Sync, often known as vertical sync, is a refresh rate option that synchronizes your GPU and monitor. Most graphics cards enable this software capability, which can be toggled across or within games. The idea is to match the images to your monitor’s frames-per-second (FPS) to make them function better together.
G-Sync
G-Sync, a variable refresh rate feature in some displays, reduces screen tearing and input lag.
G-Sync prevents screen tearing and input lag by restricting FPS when necessary. However, it is too expensive and has a limited compatibility range.
Ending Note
Above, we have discussed some features that will help you while buying a gaming monitor. But when you are purchasing a gaming monitor, you must ensure that your graphics card can support the desired display resolution. It makes no sense to get an 8K monitor if your computer has an outdated integrated graphics card.
