How to choose a monitor for gaming
Monitors are just as crucial to your overall gaming experience. When playing video games, many factors come into play that affects how well you play.- Article authored by Kunal Chowdhury on .
Choosing the right monitor for gaming can be challenging. There are so many different specifications, resolutions, and frame rates to keep track of.
Luckily, there are some simple things you should look at before making a purchase that will help narrow down your options. Read on to learn what they are!
Monitors are just as crucial to your overall gaming experience as your computer or console hardware quality. A sub-par monitor can give you eye strain, make games look bad, and decrease your reaction times during fast-paced action. If you're serious about the best possible gaming setup, choosing a good display is a must.
Apart from this, If you don’t want to go through this deep information, then you can check out some recommended guides that skyrocket your research for choosing the gaming monitor.
When playing video games, many factors come into play that affects how well you play. One of the most significant factors is often overlooked: The monitor itself. This component alone can significantly impact FPS (frames per second) rates, reaction times, clarity levels, and improved accuracy due to less eye strain/fatigue overall - the list goes on.
Your screen is the first thing you see when you load up a game, so why not give it some extra love by choosing one that will enhance your playing abilities? The monitor is meant to be an interface between you and the game- let's make sure it's doing its job correctly!
Now let's see what are the things that you should consider before buying a Gaming Monitor!
Screen size is the first and most obvious consideration that needs to be made. There's no point in getting a massive screen if you're planning on sitting right in front of it, as this would decrease your reaction times by more than double! Remember: The closer you sit to your monitor, the higher its response time will need to be (for it to remain unnoticeable).
For some people, 24" may be too small, and 60" might be too big - finding a happy medium can be challenging, but generally speaking, anything between 27"-32" is where I'd suggest staying. This is just my personal preference; however- play around with your options and see what feels best suited for you!
Many gamers choose a monitor based on the resolution. It doesn’t matter if 4k or 1440p - as long as your frame rates are high, you should be set! However, even though these two resolutions have been gaining popularity over the years, 1080p is still where it is.
1080p has the perfect balance between being high enough to give a flawless visual experience without breaking the bank on more powerful hardware that would be required for 4k or 1440p. If your PC can handle 60 FPS with all settings maxed out in 1080p - congratulations! You've just found yourself a fantastic monitor for this price range/resolution.
Ah yes- The ever so special refresh rate. When playing video games, monitors can have a "refresh rate," which essentially just means how fast your monitor can re-draw the image displayed on the screen.
This is measured in hertz (Hz), and it's generally recommended to go for at least 60 Hz, as anything lower than this will cause frame rates to decrease. Some gamers instead prefer higher refresh rates- up to 240 Hz even! The benefits of having a high refresh rate are evident: Less eye strain/fatigue overall, less motion blur, smoother experience - however, these benefits come at a cost. Higher refresh rates often require much more powerful hardware to maintain reasonable FPS rates.
Additionally, monitors with higher refresh rates may also be limited by their resolution capabilities. If you're using something like 1080p or 1440p, then you're likely going to be okay. However, if you're rocking a 4k monitor with 240 Hz- say hello to some major issues! Achieving high refresh rates at 4k is still a WIP within the industry, and it's something that will take more time to develop/perfect.
Gamers looking for a high-quality gaming experience on a tight budget should stick to 60Hz as they'll either have good performance or good visuals - not both! This is just my personal opinion, but it makes sense from a logical standpoint as well.
The visual clarity of your games is also another significant factor that comes into play when choosing the best monitor for gaming. When playing video games, you're going to be looking at a screen for hours on end. Getting a monitor with good color reproduction capabilities will help reduce eye strain and fatigue so that you can enjoy your games longer!
Different monitors have different types of panel technology, each one being better suited for specific applications. TN panels are best used for frequent FPS gaming as they have the shortest response time compared to other display types. IPS panels provide a much more vibrant and true-to-life visual experience in comparison, but they do sacrifice some visibility - especially when viewed from odd angles.
Some monitors come with built-in technologies such as "Low Blue Light," which reduces the amount of harmful blue light emitted during gameplay by fine-tuning various display settings (ex: During the evening, screens tend to emit more blue light- this feature reduces these harmful effects while also reducing eye strain).
All of us gamers like our games buttery smooth, and if you're rocking a monitor with motion blur, then you're going to be in for a world of pain! There's nothing worse than playing an FPS and seeing everything on your screen blurred out because of poor motion handling capabilities.
Luckily most contemporary monitors come equipped with technologies such as "G-Sync" or "Free-Sync," which reduce the amount of visible motion blur when gaming by synchronizing your graphics card's FPS output rate with your monitor's refresh rate. These technologies have been around for quite some time now, and they're very effective in achieving a more fluid gameplay experience when compared to standard monitors.
We come to the topic of whether or not you should opt for a curved or flat gaming monitor. This is primarily up to personal preference - some people like the immersion effects that curved displays provide, while others prefer flat monitors to make reading small text easier (among other benefits).
I use a curved monitor, and I enjoy it! As with most things in life, you can't make everyone happy, so it's best to try both options before purchasing your next display.
All of us are pretty familiar with response time by now. Low response times are crucial for gamers who play fast-paced games or competitively.
1ms monitors are the gold standard in responsiveness, although they tend to be more expensive than their slower alternatives.
Different gaming setups will place you at different angles relative to your monitor/display, which most people overlook when purchasing a new display.
Viewing angle refers to how different your viewing experience will be based on the angle from which you view your screen. A good viewing angle can enhance immersion and overall satisfaction with your display!
These are probably the most important factors when choosing a display for competitive gaming. Both technologies synchronize your in-game FPS output with your monitor's refresh rate to reduce the amount of screen tearing and stuttering you see when playing. Monitors that support these technologies typically come at a premium. Depending on how hardcore you are about your competitive gaming, it might be best to save up a bit more to purchase a G-sync/FreeSync capable monitor! Other "Gaming" Technologies.
Other techs have developed over the years, such as 3D displays, light boost tech, or ULMB (Ultra Low Motion Blur), which all claim to improve immersion and responsiveness during gameplay. Still, I’ll just leave this here without going into detail as I have not used them personally.
This is pretty self-explanatory, but when purchasing a monitor, you probably want something that's going to be able to withstand the test of time and stay in use for many years to come. Fortunately, this has gotten better over the years, and most displays nowadays are relatively reliable and built with quality materials! Just keep an eye out for high-quality parts such as good-quality plastics, metals, etc.
Different monitors come with different amounts and types of ports. Some will have DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort inputs, while others might only support a single type such as D-Sub/VGA or even just a VGA input!
It's worth double-checking that the display you want to purchase has all the right kinds of ports that your current system is sporting, as it may be a great hassle to return/exchange for a new one if it doesn't match up.
The price range for decent gaming displays can vary from dirt cheap to somewhat expensive depending on what specs they offer and how much you're willing to pay for them! As usual, I always recommend finding a happy medium, but if you're looking for something that's going to last, you should aim for the higher end of the price spectrum.
In the end, picking the right monitor for gaming is about striking a perfect balance between performance capabilities and visual fidelity. You want something that has fast response times, low input lag, good color reproduction- all of this while providing you with a smooth user experience! If you can afford it, I recommend going for an IPS panel as they provide the best balance between visual fidelity and performance, in my opinion.
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