best lcd panel technology pricelist

Do you know how many monitors exist out there? There are so many! They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and prices. Some are great for gaming, but some are built for consuming media. Others are built for professional work or creative types. One monitor will have a feature like a super high refresh rate but sacrifice pixel resolution to save on cost. Another monitor will use a cheap panel to get fast response times but sacrifices color accuracy. If you want to get everything, you"re probably going to have to pay out the nose for it.

But, above all, ask yourself how much you want to spend. There are a lot of great monitor deals out there, but the features on these monitors vary widely. We"ve got budget screens and fancy displays with curves and 4K resolution. All of them are on sale, although some of the best monitors have high prices even when discounted.

Can"t go wrong with an IPS panel for color accuracy. Plus you get 1080p pixel resolution and a 165Hz refresh rate, which is well above average and great for gaming. With a 1ms response time and 350 nits of brightness, the image quality is good, too.

The IPS panel has a 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution, a refresh rate that can be overclocked up to 170Hz, and a response time up to 0.5ms. Includes AMD FreeSync tech as well.

One of the best discounts here as this monitor has never gone this low before, and it was selling for $400 as early as mid July. The specs include a 1440p pixel resolution, a wonderful 165Hz refresh rate, and a 1ms response time all on an IPS panel. It even has a USB-C port, making this a great monitor for a laptop or tablet.

Not a bad way to go if you"re looking for 4K resolutions at less than $4k prices. This is a great monitor for watching media, streaming shows, and things like that. The 60Hz refresh rate and slow response time probably aren"t great for gaming, but the IPS panel with its color accuracy and viewing angles make up for that.

This screen includes a 16:9 aspect ratio with a 1440p pixel resolution, a 144Hz refresh rate, and a 1ms response time. Has an IPS panel and AMD FreeSync tech, although it is Nvidia G-Sync compatible as well.

Use code GW4BXA898 to take $100 off the price and get it at an all new low. Get a 32-inch screen with 1440p pixel resolution, a refresh rate that can reach 170Hz overclocked, and a 1ms response time all on an IPS panel with AMD FreeSync Premium. It also includes a USB hub with three USB-A 3.0 ports and a USB-C port.

At this price point you"re getting well-rounded monitors that are great for just about everything. With the 4K resolution, everything from the games you play to the movies you binge will look sharp. Plus it has a 144Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time. The display also includes a Fast IPS panel, 400 nits of brightness, and a USB hub.

One of Dell"s best monitors. The display includes a 3840 x 1600 pixel resolution, a 144Hz refresh rate, and a 1ms response time. It also has a curve for better immersion, and the 38 inches to work with means this can be your primary screen.

The best cheap monitors offer a gorgeous picture experience — without the bank account-burning price tag. They also serve up impressive displays, decent brightness, accurate colors, VESA-mount compatibility, and more. You shouldn"t have to shell out heaps of dollars just to snag the best cheap monitor for yourself, right?

However, finding the best cheap monitors isn"t easy, whether you"re looking for a gaming monitor or a work-from-home display. There are somany aspects to consider, including brightness, color quality, resolution, size, refresh rates and more! Taking all of these factors into consideration, we rounded up a list of the best cheap monitors you can buy.

The best cheap monitor is the Acer R240HY bidx monitor. The Acer R240HY bidx monitor has an Amazon review rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars for a good reason. Its slim-bezel design that Acer calls "zero frame" gives you an incredible, immersive viewing experience.

The Acer R240HY bidx monitor is also the best cheap monitor for productivity users who need a monitor for office use. Another reason this monitor is on the top of our list? It has embedded Acer Flicker-less technology, which, of course, prevents pesky screen flickering on the panel. The Acer R240HY bidx monitor also has a zippy 4ms response time for its low price point. The monitor comes with 1080p, 23.8-inch, IPS display.

The Acer R240HY bidx monitor can also tilt from -5 degrees to 15 degrees, allowing you to choose the best and most convenient visual angle for entertainment, office productivity and more.

The Acer R240HY bidx monitor has a 4.7 out of 5-star rating on Amazon(opens in new tab), which is pretty darn close to perfection if you ask us! This 23.8-inch stunner is one of the best monitors of 2022 because of its ultra-slim bezels and sleek design, gorgeous, vivid colors and wide viewing angles.

The 24-inch ViewSonic VP2458 Professional is the best cheap monitor for users seeking a monitor with vivid and accurate color. This ViewSonic color has a Delta E score that is less than 2 — the closer to zero, the better. Delta-E tells you how accurate the colors on your monitor will be, so you can be rest assured than ViewSonic"s color accuracy will be satisfactory for your viewing pleasures. The ViewSonic monitor will likely appeal to graphic designers and other digital artists.

The Asus VS228H-P monitor is one of the best cheap monitors due to its bargain price, but it comes at the expense of screen size, offering a 22-inch screen with a basic TN panel.

The AOC C24G1 24-inch Curved Frameless Gaming Monitor is one of the best cheap monitors you can get with a high refresh rate of 144Hz. There"s a reason why it"s got an Amazon rating of 4.6 stars out of 5. Customers who"ve had the pleasure of taking this beautiful monitor home gush about its sharp, crisp visual quality -- it"s not as visually pleasing as a 4K monitor, of course, but the picture quality is impressive.

HP sells the Omen in several display sizes, but let"s zoom in on the HP Omen 24.5-inch model that you can snag for around $250(opens in new tab). What we love about the HP Omen as the best cheap monitor is that it has everything a gamer needs to have a satisfying, immersive gaming experience.

It has a super-fast response rate of 1ms, it has a 144Hz refresh rate and it has AMD FreeSync, which is a technology that reduces input lag, screen tears and monitor stutter so that you can sweep the leaderboards and dominate fast-paced gameplay.

This monitor has viewing angles of 178 degrees vertically and 178 degrees vertically. Its panel has an anti-glare coating and covers 84% of the color gamut. One downside, however, is that it"s not VESA mount compatible. However, it"s not the end of the world; you can always purchase a VESA adapter such as the Dell Monitor Arm/Mount VESA Adapter(opens in new tab) for $26.

The SE2416HX is the best cheap monitor from Dell. It has an attractive price for a 24-inch display. Viewing angles are quite good; thanks to an IPS panel. Its color accuracy is solid (0.11) -- if not the best we’ve seen -- and its 108% of the sRGB color gamut is in the middle of the pack.

In this price range, expect screens that are less than 30 inches and have 1080p (1920 x 1080) resolution, but not higher. Some of the budget monitors we looked at use IPS display technology, but the majority use the older TN panels, which often suffer from narrower viewing angles and less accurate color. You’ll also give up conveniences like built-in USB connections, faster refresh rates and height-adjustable stands.

There are four main types of panels: TN, IPS, VA and OLED. TN and VA panels are usually the least expensive. On the plus side, TN panels feature decent response times and low input lag, but tend to offer not-so-great color richness and viewing angles. VA panels offer better contrast and vibrant colors, but typically are not recommended for budget gamers (TN may be a better choice for response rates, but you"ll have to sacrifice image quality). IPS offers better image quality than TN and VA panels, but the response time may be subpar for a gamer. IPS panels are best for creators (e.g. video editors, image editors) seeking the best cheap monitor. OLED is the priciest option -- you likely won"t find this premium panel on a cheap monitor.

As we count down to Black Friday, the flood of early Black Friday monitor deals are starting to trickle out, meaning that now is a great time to buy if you"re in the market for a new monitor and you don"t want to wait. Everything from the best gaming monitors to the best 4K monitors with high refresh rates are going to see some great discounts in the coming weeks, so definitely dig into the best PC displays out there and get a sense of what you want so you can find the best deal for your needs at a great price.

Finding the best monitor is getting harder and harder these days thanks to all the plethora of options out there. Whether you"re looking for a cheap display or an extra panel for work, whether you"re looking for a gaming monitor or an ultrasharp display with great color coverage for creative content work.

Fortunately, we here at Techradar do a lot of work with all kinds of displays over the years so we know how the best monitors are an essential component of any PC, especially the best computer setups for work and playing the best PC games, whatever the case may be.

So whether you"re looking for the best 5K and 8K monitors for creative work or the best cheap gaming monitor deals for some casual esports, we"ve tried and reviewed just about all of them. To help you find out which monitor is best for you, we"ve written up a guide for how to pick the best monitor to help you find what you"re looking for, no matter what your need or budget might be.

So from the best 144Hz 4K monitors to the best monitors for video editing, we"ve broken down our top picks of the year so far and compiled them in this handy guide to make your buying decision easier than ever. We"ve even included our price comparison tool to help you find the best monitor deals no matter what kind of monitor you"re in the market for.

Now that the best PCs can handle 4K easier than ever before, the best 4K monitors are all over the place. That’s why BenQ released the PD3200U, a massive 32-inch Ultra HD display, as part of its Designer Monitor range. 3D designers particularly love this display, thanks to the factory-calibrated color accuracy and CAD/CAM mode. Marketed to creatives and professionals, BenQ has designed, seemingly by mistake, a panel that gamers will enjoy as well, making it one of the best monitors all-around – so long as they can find the space for it on their desks.

Ultrawide monitors have been around for a while: they’ve constantly made it on folks’ the best monitors list for a few years now, in fact. These wide monitors are lifesavers when it comes to productivity, and they’re only increasing in popularity. The Asus Designo Curve MX38VC, however, takes it to the next level.

We don’t usually run into technology that’s so far ahead of the curve that we’re left dumbfounded, which is why the Dell UltraSharp UP3218K has impressed us even more. Finding one of the best monitors that can reach the raw gorgeousness this one can should be next to impossible. It’s not just the resolution, either.

Dell went so far as to ensure that the build quality and color reproduction are the best in the business as well. The Dell UltraSharp UP3218K is aimed at professionals, obviously, so if that sounds like it’s made for you, it’s probably the best monitor you’ll ever find.

If you’re looking for a first-rate 1440p monitor with HDR for multimedia and gaming, then the BenQ EX3203R might be the display for you. One of the best monitors this 2022, this one’s noteworthy as it offers a ton of high-end features in a product that is very reasonably priced. Sure, 32 inches might sound like a bit much for a monitor, but the 1800R curvature on this BenQ panel means that it’s easy to use, both for productivity, as well as for immersion in your games and media.

If you’re searching for a gaming monitor with a super-wide 1440p resolution, incredibly fast response time of 1ms, a viewing angle of 178 degrees and a quick refresh rate, then the MSI Optix MPG341CQR is something you should consider. If not for those, then perhaps for the fact that MSI has decided to go with a VA panel, as opposed to IPS, giving it more contrast and punchier colors. A few bonuses are included, as well: snazzy “Mystic Light” RGD LEDs, USB-C connectivity, an integrated camera and a competitive price.

We review monitors based on a number of factors including price, design, and performance. We consider the size of each display, as well as the number and type of ports on each monitor to determine who each display would benefit most. Each monitor is used in a variety of scenarios, so we use it for work, media consumption and gaming to test what it’s best suited to.

Among the best brands in this regard are Dell, Alienware, BenQ, Acer, LG, Samsung, HP, Lenovo, and Asus, but they are by no means the only ones.Which monitor quality is best?Well, this really depends on a couple of factors, but first and foremost is your use case.

If you"re just a typical PC gamer looking for the best image quality, getting a 4K monitor with 144Hz refresh is going to make your games look fantastic. If you"re an esports competitor (or want to be someday), then the only thing that matters is pixel response and refresh rate. Even a 1080p resolution is acceptable so long as it has at least 1ms pixel response or lower. The refresh on 1080p monitors can go as high as 360Hz or even higher with the very latest monitors coming onto the market.

If you"re on a high-end gaming desktop with the best graphics card on the market, then a 4K monitor or even an 8K display might be more of what you"re looking for. 4K monitors are only just now starting to get higher refresh rates like 120Hz and 144Hz, so these are definitely the 4K panels that you need to keep an eye out for.What is best screen size for 4K?Depending on how far away from the screen you are, there will be a point where it just doesn"t benefit you to upgrade to a new monitor with a higher resolution.

Typically, 32 inches is considered the best monitor size since this is the size where a person sitting about 3 feet away from a screen will be able to see the difference between 4K and 1440p. The difference isn"t going to be huge, but it will be there.

Modern computer monitors can fluctuate wildly when it comes to price, with some models as cheap as $50 and others costing $1000 or more. In the past, the first computer with a screen was astronomically expensive, but thankfully monitor technology become more accessible, bringing the price down throughout the decades. The average computer monitor costs around $200 – $300. There are some features and functionalities that can severely impact the price so be sure to do some research so you make sure you’re getting the best cheap monitor if you have a lower budget.

Generally speaking, LCD displays are the cheapest type of modern computer monitor. LED displays, which are based on the same technology as their LCD cousins, tend to be slightly more expensive while OLED displays are the most expensive of all. The latter being due to the high-priced components that make up the OLED technology.

The overall size of a computer monitor, and its width, can impact the overall price. Typically, ultrawide monitors and displays that are larger than 34-inches tend to be on the expensive side. This price continues to increase as the monitor size increases. Get the size that may cater better to your needs if you need the monitor for a specific task, like the best size monitor for gaming should help make your gameplay more efficient. Ultrawide monitors and larger-than-average monitors can significantly increase the viewing angle, which can be a useful benefit.

Picking a monitor may feel more like art than science, but the technology behind the screen isn"t hard to understand. Learning about those technologies is key to navigating the minefield of marketing buzzwords separating you from your next monitor.

Our guide to the best monitors for PC gaming explains why those monitors are ideal for playing games at high resolutions and high framerates, but it doesn’t dig deep into the details of monitor technology. That’s what this guide is for: it breaks down what you need to know about modern displays: resolutions, aspect ratios, refresh rates, and the differences between panel types like IPS, VA, and TN.

While you might be inclined to go after the highest pixel count you can find or afford, this isn"t always the best strategy for finding an optimal display. Higher resolutions offer greater detail but require faster graphics cards for gaming purposes, and Windows" DPI scaling still isn"t perfect. How you use your PC as well as your hardware will help determine the ideal resolution and size for your next display.

LCD displays have a native resolution, and running games (or the desktop) below that resolution degrades image quality due to the scaling process of enlarging the image. Using lower resolution modes isn"t really a substitute for picking the right number of pixels in the first place.

These days, any new desktop or laptop display with a native resolution below 1080p (1920x1080) is best avoided. 1080p has become the de facto standard for most PCs, with games and movies targeting the resolution. It"s a good compromise that delivers reasonably sharp image quality at 24 inches and below, and you can still get excellent gaming performance even with modest hardware.

1440p has become our recommendation as the best overall option. It"s great for office work, professional work, and gaming. You can still get higher refresh rate 144Hz panels (see below), plus G-Sync or FreeSync, and you can run at 100 percent scaling in Windows. For gaming purposes, however, you"ll want at least a GTX 1070/RTX 2060 or RX Vega 56 (or equivalent) graphics card.

The most common and least expensive LCD panels are based on TN, or Twisted Nematic designs. Since TN screens are made on a vast scale and have been around a long time, they are very affordable. Online retailers stock an abundance of attractive 27-inch 1080p monitors(opens in new tab) with reasonable features starting at just $150. The price is nice, but the pixel density isn’t—and neither are the color quality or viewing angles, TN’s greatest weaknesses.

All TFT LCDs work by passing light, such as an LED, through a pair of polarized screens, a color filter, and liquid crystals that twist when current is applied to them. The more current applied, the more the liquid crystals twist and block light. Precise adjustments allow virtually any color or shade to be reproduced, but TN implementations have some limits.

Each pixel in an LCD display is made of red, green and blue subpixels. Colors are made by mixing varying brightness levels for these pixels, resulting in a perceived solid color to the user. The problem with TN is its widespread adoption of a 6-bit per channel model, instead of the 8-bit per channel used in better displays.

TN compensates for this shortcoming via FRC (Frame Rate Control), a pixel trick that uses alternating colors to produce a perceived third, but it"s a poor substitute for proper 24-bit color reproduction. When combined with the inversion and washout that comes from narrow viewing angles, TN"s elderly status in the LCD display world becomes clear.

IPS, short for In-Plane-Switching, was designed to overcome TN"s shortcomings as a display technology. IPS screens also use liquid crystals, polarized filters, and transmitters, but the arrangement is different, with the crystals aligned for better color visibility and less light distortion. Additionally, IPS panels typically use 8-bit depth per color instead of TN"s 6-bit, resulting in a full 256 shades to draw upon for each color.

The differences are pretty dramatic. While TN displays wash out at shallow angles and never truly "pop" with color no matter how well they are calibrated, IPS panels have rich, bright colors that don"t fade or shift when viewed from the sides. Moreover, pressing a finger on an IPS screen doesn"t cause trailing distortions, making them especially useful for touchscreen applications.

While touted as the high end display technology of choice by giants such as Apple, the truth is that IPS screens still have drawbacks. Due to their more complex construction and the additional transmitters and lighting required for each pixel, IPS screens cost more than their TN counterparts. Thankfully, over the past few years, the popularity of no-frills import IPS monitors from Asia has helped drive down prices and force bigger monitor brands to sell more reasonably priced IPS displays.

The complexity introduces additional overhead that reduces panel responsiveness. Most IPS displays clock in a few milliseconds slower than TN panels, with the best models managing 5ms grey-to-grey, and the more common 8ms panels can have noticeable blurring in gaming. Most IPS displays use a 60Hz refresh rate, though the best gaming displays now utilize IPS panels with 144Hz refresh rates, and a price to match.

A lot of research has been done with IPS and many variants exist, including Samsung"s popular PLS panels and AU Optronics AHVA (Advanced Hyper-Viewing Angle). The differences amount to subtle manufacturer variations or generational improvements on the technology, which has been around since 1996.

In between the high speed of TN and the color richness of IPS sits a compromise technology, the VA, or Vertically Aligned, panel. VA and its variants (PVA and MVA, but not AHVA) normally take the IPS approach with 8-bit color depth per channel and a crystal design that reproduces rich colors but retains some of the low latency and high refresh speed of TN. The result is a display that"s theoretically almost as colorful as IPS and almost as fast as TN.

VA panels have a few unique qualities, both positive and negative. They have superior contrast to both IPS and TN screens, often reaching a static 5000:1 ratio, and produce better black levels as a result. Advanced VA variants, such as the MVA panel used by Eizo in the Foris FG2421, support 120Hz officially and offer pixel latencies on par or better than IPS.

The flood of innovation in the display market shows no signs of abating, with TVs on one side and smartphones on the other driving new technologies such as curved screens and desktop-grade OLED panels that promise speeds, contrast and color beyond anything seen so far.

Most standard TFT-LCDs support a refresh rate of 60Hz, which means the screen is redrawn 60 times each second. While 60Hz may be sufficient for many desktop applications, higher refresh rates are desirable since they provide a smoother experience moving windows, watching video, and especially when gaming.

One method popular in gaming monitors is the inclusion of a strobed backlight, which disrupts eye tracking blur by cutting off the backlight for an instant, creating a CRT-like stable image. A strobed 120Hz display is more blur-free than a non-strobed 144Hz panel, but flickering the backlight understandably cuts down on the overall brightness of the image. Users with sensitive eyes can suffer from eyestrain and headaches induced from the flicker as well.

Action gamers looking for competition-level, frame-accurate inputs are best served by displays with minimal onscreen menus, little to no post-processing of images, and just a single port or two. This insures the video signal spends as little time bouncing around the monitor"s scaling and processing hardware as possible and gets displayed without delay.

If you"re in the market for a new gaming monitor, you"re going to brush up against three distinct types of displays that all come with their own pros and cons. We"re here to break down exactly what you need to know about TN, IPS, and VA panels and help you make the right choice for your exact gaming needs.

There are three display panel types that cover most gaming monitors (cutting-edge technology like mini-LED and OLED are coming, but we won"t cover that here). TN (twisted nematic), IPS (in-plane switching), and VA (vertical alignment) all use the same technology at their core--molecules that react according to different voltages to move and produce an image--but their differences and evolutions have made each one good for specific use cases.

TN panels have the worst viewing angles of the three, with colors able to drastically shift from even slight angles off the center of the display. TN also has the worst color coverage, with the inability to show a high color depth and producing noticeable banding due to interpolation. Contrast ratios are also poor, with the overall image looking washed out compared to IPS and VA.

So, if TN is this poor, why is it still on the market? For one, TN panels are incredibly cheap, which is why you"ll often find them in budget gaming monitors that can still deliver a good, if not great, image. TN is also still the fastest panel type on the market, with pixel response times (the time it takes for a pixel to change color) as fast as 1ms. While IPS and VA panels have managed to get there, they often make use of methods that lead to other issues (such as smearing or inverted ghosting), which keeps TN panels relevant for speed.

For that reason, TN panels are ideal for competitive gaming, especially in the realm of esports where response time is much more important than image quality. If you"re primarily playing Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Fortnite, or Call of Duty: Warzone, you"ll probably benefit the most from a TN monitor if all you care about is securing those wins. Plus, you"ll save a bunch of money in the process.

In the past, one of the biggest compromises you had to make with IPS displays was pixel response time and refresh rate, but as the technology has evolved it has managed to shake these off. You can now find IPS displays with refresh rates well into the 240Hz range, with response times matching that of the 1ms on TN. You"ll pay a premium for that, with most high-end displays on the market featuring these specs, but it"s also possible to enjoy some of the benefits with cheaper IPS products. You might get a response time closer to 4ms and maybe a limited refresh rate ranging from 60-144Hz, but if you care about what your games look like then it"s a massive step up from TN.

One big disadvantage across the board with IPS panels are their poor contrast ratios, making them worse options for dark rooms than VA. It can make dark areas in games look more milky grey than black, made worse by the uneven backlighting that can be viewed at different angles (also known as IPS glow). The color reproduction is still the best it can be on an IPS display, but if you mostly play games at night or in a dim room, you might want to consider a VA panel.

Speaking of VA (vertical alignment) panels, there"s a reason the majority of LCD TVs use this panel type. It"s the jack-of-all-trades panel, with better color reproduction than TN panels as well as a much better contrast ratio compared to IPS. VA panels, depending on the overall display specs, can also be cheaper than IPS panels in most cases, occupying a good middle ground between performance and price that is difficult to argue against.

One area where VA truly excels is contrast. It"s a night-and-day difference compared to IPS, with VA panels able to produce far inkier blacks and really accentuate dark areas in games, especially when you"re playing in a dim environment. This is one of the strongest reasons for owning a VA panel, especially if the "IPS glow" really bothers you. You do, however, lose out on the wider viewing angles that IPS offers.

One issue with VA is its response times, like IPS. It can reach 1ms in very specific cases, but this often leads to a lot of smearing or inverse ghosting (where ghost trails behind shifting pixels have colors inverted), which make the gains moot. On average, a VA panel will have worse smearing at the same pixel response times when compared to an IPS panel, primarily down to how the vertical alignment of the molecules in the display function. It"s something you might notice when playing at very high refresh rates and in fast-paced games, but it"s also something that a lot of people don"t have an issue with at all.

If getting the fastest response times and highest frame rates possible is crucial to your gaming, there"s no question that a TN panel is still your best option. Competitive gamers who benefit from the fractions of a second that a pixel can take to update will find no corners cut on any TN panel out there, and they"ll benefit from the high refresh rates most offer.

Similarly, if you"re on a very tight budget and you"re looking for the right monitor to accompany a machine built for games like League of Legends, Dota 2, or Fortnite, then choosing a TN panel could help you put more money toward the hardware that powers your games instead. You"ll be missing out on the better color reproduction that TN lacks, but if you"re just planning to play games casually and not take in their sights, then you can save yourself a lot of money.

If single-player games are mostly what you use your PC for and you"re strictly keeping it for recreational use, then it"s difficult to argue against a VA panel. It"s a considerable step up from TN and will let you enjoy your games with visuals as their designers intended. The deep blacks will let you immerse yourself in moody atmospheres, while the cheaper prices could afford you the ability to get a bigger monitor with a decently high refresh rate.

VA panels also give you a lot of range to stretch your budget, whether you"re just looking for a slightly-above-average display or one to really bring out the best in your hardware. From 1080p to 4K, it"s easy to find a great VA-equipped display that won"t break the bank or go ultra-premium with one of Samsung"s top-of-the-line products. The company"s latest G7 (or Odyssey G9, if you have the space and the money for it) feature outstanding HDR support, incredible contrast, and great color, if you"re willing to invest in their high price points.

If you"re looking for a monitor that can do it all, there"s nothing beating out an IPS panel. Many new monitors feature the more advanced fast IPS panels, which remove many of the compromises you used to have to make with regards to pixel response times and high refresh rates.

The viewing angles, the color reproduction, and the overall experience of an IPS panel just can"t be beat right now, making it the perfect accompaniment to a high-powered gaming PC, console, or workstation. They"re accurate enough for some professional work, whether you"re color-correcting photos or videos, and fast enough to keep up with your favorite competitive games or engrossing single-player adventures.

IPS panels are also ideal for local multiplayer gaming with their wide viewing angles, but these come at the cost of good contrast ratios and potential backlight bleeding. If you"re only planning to play games in a dark environment, a VA might be better suited to your needs. But if you"re looking for a panel with the fewest compromises, it"s hard to argue against IPS.

We"ve highlighted some of our favorite monitors with each display panel type above, but if you"re looking for more options for well-priced displays, check out our guide to the best cheap gaming monitors on the market right now as well as the best monitors for PS5 and Xbox Series X. If monitors are just too small, we also have recommendations for the best 4K TVs for PS5 and Xbox Series X, some of which can also work well for PC gaming. If you’re looking for some more information on the types of monitors out there, we’ve got a list of the differences between LCD and LED Monitors. Let us know what your favorite displays are in the comments below.

Most modern computer monitors, and even televisions, have an edge-lit LCD display that’s fundamentally similar to the first such displays sold decades ago, but that’s not where the future is headed. The twin threats of Mini-LED and OLED want to conquer the world of PC displays for themselves.

Wyatt points to this as a key advantage. The best HDR standards call for up to 10,000 nits of brightness. Current consumer Mini-LED displays don’t achieve this, but it’s possible future displays will.

And Micro-LED, which uses individual LEDs as per-pixel lighting elements, can reach even greater heights. Wyatt says his company’s VividColor NanoBright technology will be capable of reaching up to one million nits.

The advantages of OLED add up to superior contrast and depth. You’ve likely noticed this when viewing an OLED television at your local retailer. High-quality content has an almost three-dimensional look, as if the display is not a flat panel but a window into another world.

Mini-LED improves on traditional edge-lit LCD displays by improving the backlight. The LCD panel itself, however, is much the same as before and retains some flaws common to the technology.

Display quality can shift significantly depending on viewing angle, and significant blur will be visible when displaying fast motion. Both problems are inherent to LCD technology. The liquid crystals do not block light uniformly, so the image looks different from different angles, and require a few milliseconds to respond to a charge, causing blur or ghosting in rapidly changing images.

OLED is different from LCD technology. There’s no liquid crystals to twist or move. Each pixel is an organic element that creates its own light when a charge is applied. The light is emitted in a relatively uniform pattern and can turn on or off extremely quickly, removing the viewing angle and motion performance issues of LCD entirely.

The last few points—contrast, black levels, viewing angles, and response times—highlight the strengths of OLED technology. But, OLED has a weakness: durability.

This problem is most often discussed in the context of burn-in or image retention. Burn-in happens when specific pixels on an OLED panel degrade differently from those around them, creating a persistent shadow in the image.

You might decide the risk is worth the reward. But if you want a display that you’ll use all day, day after day, for a decade or more, OLED isn’t the best choice. The burn-in is real.

This explanation is backed up by the hardware you can buy today. OLED panels are available at reasonable prices in notebooks like the Dell XPS 13 and Samsung Galaxy Book Pro. OLED panels for monitors, on the other hand, are so expensive most manufacturers don’t even bother. The LG UltraFine 32EP950, which briefly went on sale this summer, retailed for $3,999.99.

This advantage will likely continue in the near future. OLED pricing is reliant on availability of OLED panels, which are not as widely produced as LCD panels. Companies looking to build Mini-LED displays can design the backlight somewhat independently of the LCD panel and choose panels as needed based on the panel’s capabilities and pricing.

OLED’s big break may come with the introduction of new fabs. Young says they will “lower costs significantly for 10-inch to 32-inch panels, giving OLED fabs the same flexibility as G8.5 LCD fabs, meaning the ability to target multiple applications from a single fab.” The first of these new fabs should start producing panels by 2024.

Affordable OLED seems alluring, but Wyatt champions a different approach. He believes the Micro-LED technology championed by Pixel Display will meld the strengths of LCD and OLED while ditching the weaknesses of both.

However, Micro-LED is a technology more relevant to the latter half of this decade. The more immediate fight will see OLED attempt to improve brightness and durability while Mini-LED pursues increasingly sophisticated backlights to mimic the contrast of OLED.

The benefits of using LED TVs are minimal energy consumption, a long-lasting backlight with pictures being bright. IPS displays offer more image accuracy and have better color reproduction in small viewing angles. In short, LEDs are cheaper, though the advantage of an IPS screen is better picture quality. Having said that, Samsung"s Quantum Dot technology could boast of dramatically enhanced color compared to IPS panels.

Before we look at the detailed comparisons of these panel technologies, which of the two is better for gamers? And this earlier post will take care of your business side of things!

Although LED panels are excellent in competitive gaming, IPS gaming monitors have various tricks, like better image colors than other technologies, including TN and VA panels. If you want to play while getting the most accurate color depiction, choose IPS and make sure to go over our review of top-shelf 32"" gaming monitors, this affordable option from Dell, or these ones best suited for your Xbox One X.

LED and IPS monitors (see also QLED) have excellent attributes with disadvantages as well. Before looking at the differences of screens featuring the two technologies, here is a look at the LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) technologies and also a LED vs LCD comparison.

LED (Light Emitting Diode) is a type of backlight technology in which the pixels light up. Many people confuse the difference between LED and LCD displays.

An LED monitor is a type of LCD monitor, and while both utilize liquid crystals for picture formation, the difference lies in LEDs featuring a backlight.

Notably, some IPS displays incorporate LED technology. Some reasons why some brands produce IPS displays infused with LEDs are the resultant sleekness and compactness.

The benefit of using LED panel technology is how bright the displays are while still maintaining an efficient energy consumption lower than other screen technologies.

On the other hand, an LED monitor shows less reliability and accuracy in color contrast. You also get a limited viewing angle meaning that you"ll only get the best quality when sitting directly in front of the display.

If you need LCD monitors with a quick response time, consider an LED display panel using either VA or TN technology. Such an LCD screen typically offers a 1ms response time. However, remember that these monitors tend to have smaller viewing angles and inferior image quality than an IPS monitor. Regardless, you can still get a considerably good performance when planning quick-action games provided you sit directly in front of the screen. In that case, vertical monitors from this article may prove a viable option.

Below are some combinations of these two technologies:LCD monitors incorporating IPS panels and LED backlightLED-backlit with IPS panel or TN panel featuresIPS display featuring LCD or LED backlight technology

Although LED monitors provide brighter screens, their power consumption is much less than IPS panel technology. That explains why they are a favorite Liquid Crystals Display technology amongst those looking for affordable electronics.

Because IPS monitors take up much power, they release more heat than their LED alternatives. Despite LED display monitors providing bright pictures, they produce relatively less heat than monitors with IPS display technology.

The cost of a monitor using IPS screen technology is approximately $100 or more, depending on whether the panel infuses other technologies like a TN panel or another type of LCD.

While both offer superb monitor selections, the differences between IPS and LEDs make one a better option for you than the other. Apart from these two, there are other display types to choose from so it can be hard to decide which suits you best. Nonetheless, here are vital questions to answer before deciding.

When picking a monitor, it is essential to get one that aligns with your application. If you want a monitor for creative visual applications, go for an IPS monitor. This LCD panel allows you to sit at more diverse angles, get elaborate graphics, and features color accuracy.

If you want gaming monitors for fast-paced shooting games, LED monitors might be the ideal option to consider. Ideally, the type of LED monitor you pick should feature a TN panel to cater to the limited viewing angle and lower display quality. Other excellent options to consider are Organic Light-Emitting Diodes (OLED monitors), given their improved display quality over pure LED monitors.

When purchasing monitors, it"s wise to work with a realistic price range depending on the attributes expected. The more specs and panel combinations, the steeper the cost, irrespective of whether they are LED or IPS monitors. For example, monitors that include other Liquid Crystal Display panel types like VA and TN are typically pricier than pure IPS panels.

If you want value for your bucks" worth, consider getting LED monitors. Besides the availability of numerous LED monitors at budget prices like this S2318HN monitor by Dell, you are likely to have more attribute compatibility with them than with IPS technology.

Yes, they are less likely to cause eye strain than LEDs. With them, you get decent color representation and excellent contrast ratios. For these reasons, they minimize the effort your eyes take to decipher things. Some of these panels operate even at a refresh rate of 280Hz to reduce input lag and combat unpleasant screen effects like tearing that may lead to straining - click here for the best monitors for eye strain.

Both IPS and LEDs have critical upsides that might be key to your application. Irrespective of the technology you prefer, the trick is identifying which coincides best with what you envision for your monitor.

An LED monitor might be your go-to alternative if you want to spend less. Besides, you can pick from multiple options featuring LCD and TN panels to circumvent some shortcomings synonymous with LED displays. What"s more, their performance is more reliable.

Formerly known as video display units (VDUs), the earliest monitors first implemented lights for computer engineers to be able to monitor the power state of their components and know whether their devices were working properly or not. As technology has advanced, computer monitors have come a long way in relation to what they can display and how they go about doing so.

To put it simply, the monitor you need to purchase is reliant on what you will mainly be using your computer for, and this can be broken down into three overarching categories: general/business use, professional visuals, and gaming. Not every monitor is created equal, as certain physical features and integrated technologies on a certain product may provide the best results for running gaming applications as opposed to office tools or professional graphic-design/video-editing programs.

On the surface, screen size may seem to be the only difference between monitors besides brand. Before we get into everything that’s going on behind each display and what your PC may need in order to get the right results, it’s best to introduce the types of monitors as well as the various shapes and sizes they come in.

As will be covered in its own section below, gaming monitors may also include “adaptive syncing” technology that virtually eliminates tearing and stuttering by having the monitor match the refresh-rate of frames being pushed out by your graphics card.

Fairly new to the consumer market, the curved-screen craze that started around 2014 with Samsung and LG TVs has made its way to computer monitors. Just like ultrawide monitors, curved monitor displays have extended left-and-right width that curves in towards the viewer. Since its inception, the main purpose of this feature has been to provide more immersion. Ultimately, these monitors can present a higher sense of depth that traditional flat-panel displays cannot.

In a nutshell, high dynamic-range (HDR) content uses the latest color-range technology to simulate true-to-life colors on screen. First used within the field of photography, HDR tech revolves around improving contrast quality, producing darker blacks and purer whites. HDR monitors work great with both professional visual and high-quality gaming applications. Of course, your specs should be up to par and meet the latest minimum requirements for these applications—and to get truly high-speed gaming, you should try to find an HDR monitor with a low response time.

The differences between LCD and LED technology are huge factors in determining what works for your end-goal and budget, and they’re the most common acronyms you’ll come across on computer monitor product pages.

Liquid-crystal display (LCD) technology was first on the scene for TVs but didn’t come to computer monitors until the mid-90s. The name comes from the fact that these displays have screens that consist of two pieces of glass that house liquid in between them. From there, the screen is divided into thousands upon thousands (sometimes millions) of rows and columns, better known as pixels (a term coined in the 1960s to abbreviate “picture element”).

Now, the hardware parts that push out the picture you see on your LCD-monitor screen are known as cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs). These lamps give your LCD monitor a lifespan of about 30,000 hours. Because the technology is older, these products are usually thicker and heavier. Few of them support resolutions above Full HD (1920×1080, width by height), and the color-contrast range may also be limited at times. If you’re concerned about your environmental footprint, the mercury pollution that these monitors may emit is something you will need to properly address at the end of the product’s lifecycle.

On the plus side, LCD displays come at a lower price point and do not suffer from burn-in, a negative effect that occurs if you leave your screen on and the last image displayed remains lightly on the screen—even when it’s turned off.

Technically, LED displays are also LCD monitors since they have the same liquid between their two-piece glass screens. The difference lies within the hardware that’s used to shoot out the image. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are used in place of a LCD display’s fluorescent lamps. Because of this, LED monitors are brighter and consume less power than LCD screens, ultimately boasting a lifespan of about 50,000 hours.

The technology for light-emitting diodes first came about in the early 1960s and were initially only able to produce red color. Of course the color capability of these diodes has evolved, but the efficiency and high level of performance has been consistent. On paper, LED monitors come at a higher price point because of their impressive color contrast and picture quality. If you’re looking for a screen to game on, you’ll have to go LED for the noticeably faster response time compared to LCD displays.

LED technology also makes the majority of these products thinner and lighter for quick and easy portability and installation. The one thing you’ll also have to look out for is that LED monitors have a higher risk of burn-in, so make sure to have a screensaver or turn them off when not in use.

Now that we’ve got an understanding of liquid-crystal displays and the two types of backlighting tech behind them, it’s time to get into the different panel types that LCD monitor screens have and how they relate to your computing needs. Just because certain panel types cost more than others does not mean that more expensive is generally better. It all comes down to which panel type’s features can best serve the tasks of general use, gaming, or professional video/image-editing applications, which will in term depend on color-reproduction technology, viewing angles, response times, and refresh rates.

If you’re a hardcore PC gamer, then twisted-nematic (TN) panels may be your first screen of choice. TN-panel computer monitors boast the highest refresh rates and fastest response times. Being one of the oldest display technologies, TN panels produce picture by utilizing translucent nematic liquid crystals within glass plates, a color filter and two lined filters (one vertical, the other horizontal). Due to the polarizing effect that occurs within TN panels, these types of monitors have the poorest color presentation and viewing angles. On the other hand, these displays are the most-affordable monitors, making them perfect for gamers who have already shelled out a lot of cash for their gaming battlestation.

Again, TN panels should be your panel of choice if you’re looking to get the highest performance from your gaming PC. As of writing, TN panels are the only types of monitors that can support a refresh rate of 240Hz, which means if your system and graphics card can generate and push out 240fps, the monitor in turn will match and refresh 240 frames per second, creating the fastest and smoothest visual gaming experience on the market.

Compared to TN panels, in-plane switching (IPS) panels house and emit the best viewing angles and most accurate colors. IPS panels were specifically designed to make up for the limitations of traditional TN panels. Perfect for graphic-design artists or cinematographers, IPS computer monitors have their inner crystal liquids adjust their alignment on a single plane (hence the name) to show accurate, true-to-life colors from any viewing angle.

Unfortunately nothing is truly perfect, as most entry-level IPS monitors do not have the same quick response times and refresh rates that TN-panel PC monitors have. Also, because of their high image-color quality and superior viewing experience, IPS monitors generally come at a higher price point than TN panels. Nevertheless, with the right adaptive-syncing technology (see G-SYNC and AMD FreeSync below) and computer specs, an IPS monitor could potentially be the best solution for great-looking, high-performance gaming.

Coming about in the 90s, vertical-alignment (VA) panels have their liquid crystal cells rest in a vertical position when the display is not in use—once voltage is applied to the display, the crystals shift to a horizontal orientation to let light, and ultimately your picture, through. Similar to IPS panels, VA computer monitors were made to provide an alternative option to the forerunner TN-panel monitors.

With decent refresh rates (not quite TN-level in most instances), VA monitors have better color contrast and image depth with their more versatile pixels. Having a higher bit depth means more colors can be used on each pixel. Though VA monitors have better viewing angles than TN panels (generally not as much as IPS), their slow response times make them better as a general-use device for home streaming or office-work applications.

Organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology, which is found on many recent televisions and smartphones, is currently in the works for computer monitors. OLED screen technology consists of carbon-based materials that emit light when powered with electricity. Overall, OLED displays do not require a backlight or filters to produce their colors and moving images. They are also great for manufacturers because they are easy to make and are physically light for easy exporting and delivery.

If you’re looking to game and get the best performance (graphics card output of frames per second & a monitor’s refresh rate) it needs to be noted that higher resolutions will require more graphics-processing power. Though 4K gaming is not impossible you’ll most likely need a system that runs and implements the power of two graphics cards to one display. If you’re on a budget or want the smoothest gaming experience, it’s best to stick to a resolution of 1920×1080 (maybe 2560×1440, depending on the capabilities of your PC’s components).

Being the only analog video connector of the four main types (the rest are digital), Video Graphics Array (VGA) cables are now considered legacy technology. In this day and age, you’ll really only need to use this port if you’re stuck with or need to access older display devices.

For some years now, games have implemented a selectable vertical-sync (V-Sync) feature that adjusts FPS and refresh rate but with the downside of increased input lag and FPS-performance dips. More recently though, the fine folks over at NVIDIA and AMD have developed a monitor-feature now known as “adaptive refresh technology” that properly addresses this age-old issue.

There’s an almost overwhelming amount of options in the display market: OLED, MicroLED, and TN panel types just to name a few. But if you’re looking for a gaming monitor or simply don’t want to drain your bank account on a display, IPS and VA are generally the best choices. In-plane switching (or IPS) is an LCD-based technology that is used in just about every kind of display, whereas Vertical Alignment (or VA) is a more niche LCD technology used in gaming monitors, gaming TVs, and wide displays.

Although IPS is much more popular than VA and is often seen as the more premium option, both panel types have strengths and weaknesses that you should consider before you buy.

IPS panels have traditionally been used for making displays that have high color accuracy and large coverage of wide color gamuts like DCI-P3 or Adobe sRGB. Not only do IPS displays usually look good, but they also look good from wider angles, so you don’t need to look exactly head on at an IPS monitor to get accurate colors.

Although IPS is generally better than VA when it comes to color accuracy and coverage, VA panels have perfectly fine color accuracy and coverage for the vast majority of users. Only professional photo and video editors could really be disappointed with a VA monitor that only covers 90% of the DCI-P3 color space, which is actually a very good amount of coverage for gamers and content consumers.

Contrast ratio is a metric that measures how dark the color black is depicted on a display, measured as a ratio of x:1. The higher x is, the better. Although IPS is very good with color accuracy in general, it really struggles with making the color black, and even the best IPS monitors and TVs can only show a very dark grey rather than true black. Most IPS monitors are rated at a 1000:1 contrast ratio, which isn’t terrible but isn’t great either. Some monitors can get up to around 2000:1 however.

Response time is the amount of time it takes to fully refresh the display and show a new image. This is an area where both IPS and VA struggle, but nowadays very good IPS displays have overcome traditional issues with response times, and VA displays have not shown the same amount of progress. There is no standard that display manufacturers adhere to when it comes to measuring response time, but according to BenQ, which makes both IPS and VA monitors and TVs, IPS has a response time of 1-2ms whereas VA can only achieve 4-5ms. The specific values here aren’t important because this is a best-case scenario. What’s really important is that VA is much slower.

Although the best IPS panels beat the best VA panels when it comes to response time, there are plenty of IPS displays that have very bad response times. It’s also worth noting that response time only needs to be equal to the refresh rate of the monitor for there to be no smearing. On a 60Hz display, for instance, it takes 16.66ms to show a new image, so a response time of 1ms doesn’t really do much. Response time matters much more at higher refresh rates, and even at 144Hz a response time of around 7ms is sufficient to avoid ghosting.

While IPS displays are usually a safe recommendation for most people, sometimes there are very good reasons to buy VA monitors and TVs. VA has found its home in midrange gaming monitors, gaming TVs, and ultrawide displays, and many of the best gaming monitors use VA. If you’re shopping outside of these categories, however, you probably won’t have to worry about choosing between IPS and VA because VA is not very often used elsewhere.

AUO (AU Optrinics Corporation) in Taiwan. It was formed in 2001 by the merger of Acer Display Technology Inc. and Unipac Optoelectronics Corporation. It has G3.5 to G8.5 production lines.

BOE (Beijing Oriental Electronics Group Co., Ltd.) in China. The biggest LCD panel manufacturer in the world now. BOE has G4 (Chengdu), G5 (Beijing), G5.5 (Ordos), G6 (Hefei, Chengdu, Mianyang, Dalian), G8 (Beijing, Hefei, Chongqing), Fuqing, Dalian, Chongqing) and 10.5 (Hefei) production lines.

CSOT (China Star Optoelectronics Technology) in China. It was joint ventured by TCL and Shenzhen Government. It mainly focuses on TV and cell phone screens. It has G6 (Shenzhen), G8.5 (Shenzhen, Suzhou,Wuhan) and G11 (Shenzhen) production lines.

Giantplus Technology in China. In 2019, it was acquired by Toppan in Japan. Ortus Technology holds 53.1% Giantplus shares. Giantplus has a G3 and a G4 production lines.

Innolux Corp. in Taiwan. One of the daughter companies of Foxconn/Hon Hai. In 2010, it bought the then famous LCD manufacturer, ChiMei, then changed its name to Innolux. It has G7.5 production lines.

JDI (Japan Display Inc.) in Japan. Joint ventured by Sony, Hitachi and Toshiba in 2011. It mainly produces smaller size panels. JDI has G6 production line.

LG Philips Displays in Korea and China. It used to be the 2nd biggest TFT LCD manufacturer. LG also planned to stop production but delayed the plan after prices increased. LG has G7.5 and G8.5 (Guangzhou) production lines

Mantix Display Technology Co. Ltd. in China. Original Matix is the partner of CPT (Chunghwa Picture Tubes. After CPT filed bankruptcy in 2019, Mantix took over CPT G6 production line.

Samsung Display in Korea. It used to be the biggest TFT LCD manufacturer before it was dethroned by BOE in 2019. Because of tough competition, Samsung planned to stop production in 2021 but delayed because of price increases during the pandemic. Samsung has G7 and G8.5 production lines.

Sharp in Japan and China. The pioneer and queen of the LCD industry. Because of high cost and tough competition Sharp was acquired by Foxconn/Hon Hai in 2016. Sharp has G8, G8.5 (Suzhou), G10, G10.5 (Guangzhou) production lines.

If you are a big company with the LCD usage of corporations such as Apple or Amazon, there are worries of line-down situations. The most important thing is to secure LCD controllers instead of LCD panels. The reason is that the wafer shortage is more severe than LCD panels. You can contact the biggest LCD panel manufacturers like BOE or AUO to secure the panel use. Of course, you are still facing price hikes. Even TVs from Samsung, Sharp, Sony; and laptops from Lenovo and HP are increasing in price. The question is how high prices will go.

If you are a big company — but not as big as Apple and Amazon – securing LCD controllers is still the priority and setting up supply and pricing agreements with LCD vendors. It will be better to work with CTP (capacitive touch panel) and module integration manufacturers like Orient Display to get the best overall cost.

Panel manufacturers predict that LCD panel prices will start to soften by the end of 2021 and the current IC supply frenzy will cool down in the third or fourth quarter of 2022.