A good monitor completely changes the experience of using any activity you want to perform. But if we focus on the theme of video games, a suitable screen can make a difference even in the outcome of your games. So, let’s see how to choose a good monitor to play and not die trying.
The keys to choosing a good gaming monitor
In general there are no bad products but devices more or less recommended according to the needs and types of use. On the subject of monitors this happens, since a screen for office use is not the same as another for design or to play video games. And it is from this last case that we are going to deal with: how to choose the best monitor to play.
To choose a good monitor and be sure that you have not been wrong you must be clear about some key concepts and characteristics. So, let’s make a quick and clear review of what you should know.
Panel technology: IPS vs TN vs VA
Today you will be clear that there are two technologies in this screen manufacturing: OLED and LCD. In terms of game monitors, it is not very common to see OLED screens right now, although there are some. So we are going to skip them, because they also mean a bigger outlay and really not worth it.
Focusing on TFT LCD screens, we must know that there are three types of basic panels: IPS, TN and VA. Within each of them you can find some variants, but in essence they are identical and it does not compensate to bind much.
Depending on the type of LCD panel you will find advantages and disadvantages . Therefore, there is no absolute winner and there are options that will adapt better or worse to what you are looking for. If we were to quickly summarize the best and worst of each technology, this would be:
- IPS panels offer a great image quality, with a fairly faithful color and very wide viewing angles (avoid the darkening of some areas when you are not perpendicular to the screen). The negative or less positive part is that they are screens that offer a longer response time and a lower contrast (shallower blacks).
- TN panels on the other hand offer screens with a very low response time and a high refresh rate. Of course, you sacrifice a little quality in the reproduction of colors with respect to an IPS and viewing angles are also more limited. Of course, they are or are usually cheaper.
- VA panels stand out for their contrast and brightness. They are a good option, although they are not perfect either. The response time does not become as fast as in the TN type, nor does the color fidelity. In addition, they are usually used more commonly on televisions and not so much on computer screens.
Response time
The response time of a screen refers to the interval between the order being given and executed on the screen. That is, you press the button to shoot, jump, punch, etc., and what it takes to see the action is the response time.
This response time is important in games where these small differences of milliseconds can mark the outcome of the game. Therefore, and more in competitive games, the shorter the response time, the better.
Refresh rate
The refresh rate is the number of times the image is drawn on the screen. The higher this value is, the greater fluidity and sense of realism you get. And, again, in games where there is a clear component of action they are very beneficial since they allow you to respond more quickly to the movements of your rivals.
At present, finding screens with a refresh rate of 144 Hz begins to be more than usual when we talk about gaming monitors. And in games or viewing content where there is a lot of action, you can enjoy a clearer image by avoiding that halo effect that causes fast images to appear blurry. Even so, as you will see later, it should not be the main value when deciding which model to acquire.
Steps to choose a good gaming monitor quickly
Having the above clear, the question is: how do I choose the best gaming monitor? Well, let’s see, there are many ways to deal with this decision, but for both this type of screen and any other, this scheme can be very useful. So, it’s a matter of going step by step until you have the hardware configuration that your ideal monitor should meet.
Screen size and resolution
The first filter is the screen size and resolution . Because, although playing on large diagonals is always striking, it should not necessarily be or offer the best possible gaming experience. Even less if you plan to play online and in competitive modes.
Therefore, set what screen diagonal you need based on the game distance. A 27 ″ monitor can be a great option to have a considerable size without sacrificing in the rest of the features and without making an investment too high, although the price issue we leave for the end.
Regarding the screen resolution, here you have to take into account the power of your PC and other possible uses that you are going to give it. It is true that the 27 ″ 4K screens are no longer so expensive, but you may find a 27 ″ panel, 4K and with a refresh rate of more than 60Hz it will cost you to find it. And if you do, what it will cost you is to pay it.
So, if you are clear that it is only to play, 27 ″ 1080p monitors there are many and very good price. Failing that, the QHD panels give an extra resolution and could interest you. And over panel technology, again, if it is to play a TN panel it brings advantages. But if you want to use the screen for other uses, it may be more convenient for you to use IPS.
Refresh rate
As we have explained above, being able to use high refresh rates (120Hz, 144Hz, etc.) brings advantages and improves the gaming experience . But you have to know that it does not depend only on the monitor, the graphics card of your PC is the main responsible here.
If the graphic does not offer connections or enough power to output a video signal with a refresh rate of more than 60Hz, it does not matter if the screen does. You will not notice any change or improvement.
G-Sync and AMD FreeSync technologies
Related to the above, the variable image refresh technologies allow synchronizing the image taken by the graphic and the monitor itself. If they are not, it is possible that during the process of sending and receiving the image some artifacts will occur. So yes, it is worth your next monitor to have Nvidia G-Sync or AMD FreeSync.
As you can already intuit, do not buy a screen with Nvidia G-Sync if your graphic is AMD and vice versa. Because they are not compatible technologies, so all Nvidia G-Sync or all AMD Freesync.
Okay, now that you already have a quick summary to consolidate content. If you are looking for a new screen to fully enjoy your favorite games, these are the steps to follow:
- Choose diagonal screen according to available space you have and playing distance. Between 24 and 27 inches are recommended sizes and where the largest offer is concentrated.
- Resolution : if your graphic is not able to support 4K game with quality, better a 1080p screen or if you have some power, QHD screens.
- If you are looking for a monitor with a high refresh rate, then opt for TN type LCD panels . If you want better quality in color rendering, viewing angles, etc., IPS panels are better, but if you also want a refresh rate of more than 60Hz it will cost you more.
- If you use NVIDIA graphics, have Nvidia G-Sync . If you use AMD GPU, have AMD Freesync.
Ready, with this you will be able to find the gaming monitor that best suits your needs. And do not stay with only those with the gaming tag, sometimes there are monitors that despite having a maximum refresh of 60Hz are better option for global quality than those that add that flashy label.
