Gaming Monitors – What’s the Difference?

If you’re making the most of the lockdown by getting in some serious gaming hours, you really want your game to look as good as it can be. In this week’s Tech Tuesday, I will talk about the difference between an ordinary monitor and dedicated gaming monitors and which option is best for you.

Features to Look for in a Gaming Monitor

Panel Size and Resolution

Size is definitely a key feature when it comes to gaming monitors; bigger is better. If you have the desk space, I would say a 27" screen would be best due to providing more significant real estate, basically a bigger screen compared to your standard 21" widescreen monitors. A normal resolution will be 1920 x 1080, or HD. Many newer 27" models are Quad High Definition (Ultra HD) monitors with a maximum resolution of 3560 by 1440 pixels. This is usually referenced by the phrase 4K Gaming!

A higher pixel count will provide a much sharper image than a Full High-Definition monitor. However, you will need a more powerful graphics card that will allow you to play the latest games at the top resolution, especially if you want to add effects.

If you don’t have the desk space for a 27" monitor, a 24" monitor is an acceptable choice but they are typically limited to 1920 by 1080 resolution.

If you have the desk space and are willing to spend a bit more, a 30" ultra HD monitor can produce a stunning 3840 by 2160 resolution. Or if you want to have a curved monitor, you can go up to a 34" screen size. These ultra-wide monitors are generally equipped with a 21:9 aspect ratio, differing from the usual 16:9 aspect ratio. They do offer a much larger field of view as compared to standard widescreen monitors but they do take up more space.

Panel Technology

While there are different display panel technologies that are used, each has its positives and negatives:

  • Twisted Nematic (TN): Popular and cheapest in the market due to their quick pixel responses and refresh rates, but prone to color shifting when viewed at various angles.
  • Vertical Alignment (VA): Known for high contrast ratio and robust colors but may produce a noticeable ghosting effect, reducing performance in gaming.
  • In-Plane Switching (IPS): Provides the best overall color quality and wide viewing angles but cannot match the response rate of TN panels and are subject to motion artifacts.

Pixel Response & Refresh Rate

As gaming monitors generally have a faster pixel response and a high refresh rate, they are often measured by how fast the pixel transitions from grey to another color. A low pixel response can help eliminate moving images and improve overall image quality. A grey to grey response of 2 milliseconds or less is best, but even a 4 millisecond grey to grey response is typically acceptable for gaming.

As for refresh rate, this measures how long it takes for the entire screen to redraw itself, commonly in Hertz (Hz). Most LCD monitors are equipped with 60Hz refresh rates. Monitors with 120Hz or higher refresh rates may reduce image blur and eliminate tearing due to their fast image refresh times. Technologies like G-Sync and FreeSync also allow for improved screen refresh rate control upon the GPU, which results in a smoother gaming experience with decreased input lag. However, G-Sync and FreeSync monitors require a compatible graphics card with a Display Port 1.2 output.

Latency Explained

When considering the responsiveness of a monitor, input lag is crucial. It refers to the delay between the graphics card sending a frame to the monitor and the monitor displaying that frame. Input lag is commonly measured in milliseconds. Some higher-end screens may use internal scalers to handle non-native resolutions, which can add significant input lag. Manufacturers may provide a dedicated mode to bypass much of the signal processing, sometimes labeled as a ‘game preset’ or ‘instant’ mode.

Conclusion

As always, CoRE Educational is here to advise and help with all gaming needs. Please feel free to get in touch at 0330 22 35 229 or email me, Abbygail, at abbygail@coreeducational.org.uk.