best lcd panel type for gaming quotation

Your gaming monitor is one of the most important parts of your PC, and a big part of that is down to the type of panel it uses to display all those lovely polygons. You"ve probably seen lots of different monitor panel types crop up in a gaming screen"s specs sheet, too: words like TN, IPS and VA. But what do they actually mean, and how do they affect the quality of your gaming monitor? Well, as you"ve probably guessed from the title up top there, I"m going to tell you everything you need to know about all the different gaming monitor panel types, including their strengths, weaknesses and which one you should look to buy if you want the best possible image quality.

Now, I"m going to warn you - most of what you"ll read below is all going to be pretty general. Not all panel types behave the same way, for example, and there will always be some that outperform the rest. That"s why it"s still important to read proper reviews of gaming monitors so you can get an accurate picture of how a monitor"s panel type stacks up against the rest.

I"m also not going to spend ages talking about the exact chemical structure of every single type of sub-pixel, because, well, there are plenty of other people who have done that already. If you"re after that kind of detail, I"d suggest heading over to the folks at TFT Central. Instead, I"m going to be concentrating on what you actually need to know about gaming monitor panel types, such as how their various characteristics affect their performance, and how you can avoid falling into monitor misery by making sure you know exactly what specs sheets are talking about when they start throwing a million acronyms at you. So let"s get to it.

Let"s start with one of the most common monitor panel types available today: TN, or Twisted Nematic. TN panels are what you"ll find in most gaming monitors these days, especially ones with high refresh rates and those geared toward competitive esports and the like.

The good: That"s because they"re a) generally quite cheap to make and b) have the fastest response times out of all the different panel types. This means there"s less lag between you clicking your mouse or tapping your keyboard and that action being translated onscreen, making them ideal for twitchy shooters and games that need fast reaction times.

There are other benefits to having a fast response time as well. These include less blurring and ghosting when fast moving objects appear onscreen, which in turn leads to a clearer, crisper image. Indeed, some gaming monitors boast their response times are as low as just 1ms sometimes, but the key thing to watch out for are the words that come after it, such as "black-to-black" or "grey-to-grey" (which is often abbreviated to GTG).

Black-to-black is the standard response time measurement and refers to the amount of time it takes for a pixel to change from black to white to black again. It"s the fastest change possible in a monitor, and is generally regarded as the monitor"s best and more accurate response time.

The problem is that this kind of transition doesn"t often happen in everyday practice - especially not when playing games. Instead, most pixels are showing colour, which is why some manufacturers quote a grey-to-grey response time instead. However, this can mean different things depending on different manufacturers, as it all depends on what shade of grey they take as their starting point. Lighter greys will transition to white faster than darker greys, for example, and so a GTG figure won"t necessarily be the same for every pixel. As a result, GTG times are more of a rough guide to a monitor"s response time rather than a definite fact.

Over the years, other technologies have come along to try and improve a monitor"s GTG response time, or help correct the effects of having slightly slower response times. Some monitors, for instance, have an Overdrive feature, which is designed to make pixels change states much faster by applying a higher voltage to them. This can often dramatically improve a monitor"s GTG response times in particular, and if you see a very fast one quoted on the box, it"s almost certainly been achieved using some sort of Overdrive feature.

The bad: Alas, the disadvantage of picking a TN panel is that they generally don"t have the best colour accuracy and they also have quite narrow viewing angles. The former isn"t the case for every TN screen - those certified by Nvidia for use in their G-Sync gaming monitors, for instance, have to meet rigorous colour accuracy standards - but I"ve seen plenty of non-G-Sync screens that barely cover 85% of the standard sRGB colour gamut, which means washed out colours and generally not very rich and vibrant images.

IPS monitors, on the other hand, are all about colour accuracy. Largely made by LG, there have actually been lots of different types of IPS panel that have emerged over the years as varying manufacturers tried their hand at matching the quality of LG"s panels, leading to dozens of different variations and combinations of acronyms. These days, though, most manufacturers (especially gaming ones) just tend to say they"re IPS as opposed a specific variant.

Unless, that is, it"s an AHVA, or Advanced Hyper-Viewing Angle, panel. Despite sounding like a VA panel (our third main panel type, which you"ll find more on below), AHVA is actually another type of IPS panel produced by AU Optronics and offers pretty much identical performance to a classic LG IPS panel.

The good: As I just mentioned, IPS panels generally have pretty great colour accuracy (I normally expect an sRGB coverage score of around 96% here) and wide viewing angles, making them better suited to colour intensive work and tasks like photo and video editing. This is true across all types of IPS panel, and their superior viewing angles (often quoted as 178 / 178 degrees) means you don"t get that nasty colour or contrast shift when you"re looking at the screen from a funny angle.

The bad: Unfortunately, their response times are often slower than TN panels, although these have become a lot better in recent years. Personally, I"ve never had any problems with latency when playing games on this type of screen, and for me, image quality is a lot more important than a couple of millisecond"s difference in overall response time.

They can also be more expensive to produce than TN panels, which, combined with their slower response times, is another reason why you don"t tend to see them a lot in displays designed primarily for gaming.

Finally, there"s the VA, or Vertical Alignment panel. Much like IPS, there are dozens of different types of VA panel, but the main ones we need to concern ourselves with are MVA (multi-domain vertical alignment) and AMVA (advanced MVA).

MVA panels were first designed to sit in the middle of TN and IPS displays, offering better viewing angles than TN screens and higher contrast ratios and deeper blacks than IPS. However, their colour accuracy isn"t quite as good as IPS, and they don"t have very fast response times, either.

AMVA, on the other hand (not to be confused with the IPS-like AHVA panel tech described above) builds on that even further, improving the panel"s colour accuracy while still maintaining those ultra high contrast ratios and deep blacks. Its viewing angles still aren"t quite as wide as IPS displays, though, and its response times are still a bit slower as well. However, through the use of features like a monitor"s Overdrive function, VA response times are now much faster than they used to be, making them a much more common occurrence in gaming screens, especially when it comes to curved or ultrawide displays.

The good: As a result, VA monitors can sort of be viewed as the ultimate compromise screen. The key advantages are their best in class black levels and their superior contrast ratios, and compared to TN panels, they also have better viewing angles and higher colour accuracy.

The bad: However, while VA might rectify some of the weaknesses you"ll find in TN screens, they"re still not as colour accurate as IPS panels, and their narrower viewing angles also can"t compete with their IPS rivals, either. Their main weakness, however, is their slow response time, which is generally said to be the slowest of the three main panel types. As I said, steps have been taken to try and mitigate this when it comes to putting a VA panel inside a gaming monitor, but if your gaming library consists solely of competitive shooters and the like, then you"re probably better off looking elsewhere.

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The best gaming monitor will probably outlive your PC"s other components, and as a window to your gaming experience it"s one peripheral to avoid compromising too much on. Cyber Monday gaming monitor(opens in new tab) deals are available now, so it"s a good time to go display shopping.

To get the most for your money, you want to match your monitor choice with your PC specs. A 4K monitor with a high refresh rate would be overkill if your rig is only packing a GTX 1060. If you"ve had the cash to drop on an Nvidia RTX 4090(opens in new tab) or a high-end AMD RX 6000(opens in new tab) series GPU, you can take your pick of 4K panels. Those sitting somewhere in the mid-range of things—with, say, an RTX 2070 Super—are better off looking at 1440p displays. Even high-end PC owners might consider skipping 4K, though: 1440p is the sweet spot right now.

For the competitive gamer who values speed above all else, check out our list of high refresh rate monitors(opens in new tab) , which run at 240Hz and even 360Hz. I"ve been constantly testing gaming monitors through my career and have made sure that only the best for each budget have crept onto this guide. It"s extensive, but there are a whole lotta gaming monitors out there, and plenty deserve your attention. This list is updated frequently as newer models pass the rigorous PC Gamer testing ringer.

Why you can trust PC GamerOur expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

OLED has truly arrived on PC, and in ultrawide format no less. Alienware"s 34 QD-OLED is one of very few gaming monitors to receive such a stellar score from us, and it"s no surprise. Dell has nailed the OLED panel in this screen and it"s absolutely gorgeous for PC gaming. Although this monitor isn’t perfect, it is dramatically better than any LCD-based monitor by several gaming-critical metrics. And it’s a genuine thrill to use.

What that 34-inch, 21:9 panel can deliver in either of its HDR modes—HDR 400 True Black or HDR Peak 1000—is nothing short of exceptional. The 3440 x 1440 native resolution image it produces across that gentle 1800R curve is punchy and vibrant. With 99.3% coverage of the demanding DCI-P3 color space and fully 1,000 nits brightness, it makes a good go, though that brightness level can only be achieved on a small portion of the panel.

Still, there’s so much depth, saturation, and clarity to the in-game image thanks to that per-pixel lighting, but this OLED screen needs to be in HDR mode to do its thing. And that applies to SDR content, too. HDR Peak 1000 mode enables that maximum 1,000 nit performance in small areas of the panel but actually looks less vibrant and punchy most of the time.

HDR 400 True Black mode generally gives the best results, after you jump into the Windows Display Settings menu and crank the SDR brightness up, it looks much more zingy.If you"re going to hook your PC up to a high-end gaming monitor, we recommend it be this one.

Burn-in is the great fear and that leads to a few quirks. For starters, you’ll occasionally notice the entire image shifting by a pixel or two. The panel is actually overprovisioned with pixels by about 20 in both axes, providing plenty of leeway. It’s a little like the overprovisioning of memory cells in an SSD and it allows Alienware to prevent static elements from “burning” into the display over time.

While we didn’t sense any subjective issue with this 175Hz monitor, there’s little doubt that if your gaming fun and success hinges on having the lowest possible latency, there are faster screens available. You can only achieve the full 175Hz with the single DisplayPort input, too. The Alienware 34 QD-OLED"s response time is absurdly quick at 0.1ms, however, and it cruised through our monitor testing suite. You really notice that speed in-game, too.

There"s no HDMI 2.1 on this panel, however. So it"s probably not the best fit for console gaming as a result. But this is PC Gamer, and if you"re going to hook your PC up to a high-end gaming monitor, we recommend it be this one.

4K gaming is a premium endeavor. You need a colossal amount of rendering power to hit decent frame rates at such a high resolution. But if you"re rocking a top-shelf graphics card, like an RTX 3080(opens in new tab) or RX 6800 XT(opens in new tab) then this dream can be a reality.

The LG UltraGear is the first 4K, Nano IPS, gaming monitor with 1ms response times, that"ll properly show off your superpowered GPU. Coming in with Nvidia G-Sync and AMD’s FreeSync adaptive refresh compatibility, this slick slim-bezel design even offers LG’s Sphere Lighting 2.0 RGB visual theatrics.

While it does suffer from a little characteristic IPS glow, it appears mostly at the screen extremities when you’re spying darker game scenes. This isn"t an issue most of the time, but the HDR is a little disappointing as, frankly, 16 edge-lit local dimming zones do not a true HDR panel make.The color fidelity of the NanoIPS panel is outstanding.

What is most impressive, however, is the Nano IPS tech that offers a wider color gamut and stellar viewing angles. And the color fidelity of the NanoIPS panel is outstanding.

The LG UltraGear 27GN950-B bags you a terrific panel with exquisite IPS image quality. Despite the lesser HDR capabilities, it also nets beautiful colors and contrast for your games too. G-Sync offers stable pictures and smoothness, and the speedy refresh rate and response times back this up too.

The G27Q proves that you don"t need to spend a fortune for a decent IPS 1440p display. At around $330, Gigabyte"s 27-incher packs in plenty of sought-after features, but more importantly, it provides rich color and smooth gameplay.

As a flat, 27-inch display with a design that wouldn"t stand out in an office environment, it looks pretty pedestrian. But it"s actually one of the best gaming monitors I"ve had the pleasure of using. Not only does it have a gorgeous, vibrant IPS panel, with 8-bit color with 92% DCI-P3 coverage, it"s also HDR capable.

As someone who loves visual fidelity, I appreciate this resolution for clarity and performance. Even the humble GTX 1660 Super in my desktop is comfortably driving games at 60FPS at high settings. If you spend all your time playing CS:GO or Valorant, then the 144Hz refresh could hold you back a bit, but that 1ms response time sure helps.

The Gigabyte G27Q handles gaming with aplomb thanks to adaptive sync via AMD FreeSync Premium. It"s also G-Sync Compatible so whether you are team Green or Red, the G27Q plays nice. I didn"t have an AMD GPU to test but I did use an Nvidia-powered desktop and laptop. Neither had any problems running games with G-Sync enabled.

It"s a bit of a plain Jane compared to other more pricey options, but it packs plenty of useful features designed to enhance your gaming pleasure.It"s also G-Sync Compatible so whether you are team Green or Red, the G27Q plays nice.

It gets eye-searingly bright thanks to its VESA Display HDR 400 Certification, but in gaming, sunny skies and other bright spots tend to blow out and lose definition at max brightness. Dark areas also sometimes get crushed.

Connection-wise, you"re looking at two HDMI 2.0 ports and a DisplayPort 1.2, along with a pair of USB 3.0 Type-A downstream ports and one USB 3.0 Type-B. Oh, and it also comes with a pair of 2W speakers integrated into the monitor.

Much like the mystical ways of the Force, PC gaming is all about balance. There"s little point weighting your system too heavily in one direction without paying attention to the whole package. Why bother pairing your RTX 3080 Ti with a 60Hz 1080p screen? Likewise, why spend big on a 4K monitor when you"re only sporting a Radeon RX 6600?

The classic 27-inch Dell S2722DGM marries that screen real estate with a 2560 x 1440 native resolution, which gives you a great pixel pitch for fine detail. At 1440p it"s also a decent resolution for getting high frame rates without the GPU demands of a 4K display. It"s also capable of delivering that resolution at 165Hz, which is appreciated.

At 2ms GtG response, it"s just a hair behind the 1ms and 0.5ms ratings of the best IPS panels, so you"re covered when it comes to speed. That said, you can find quicker panels if you really want to chase speed. This VA panel does have a high contrast ratio, at least, given the technology"s inherent strong contrast.This Dell monitor is most importantly available at a great price.

As for picture quality, the Dell S2722DGM is a reasonably punchy and vibrant monitor considering it"s a pure SDR panel. The strong inherent contrast certainly helps with that, ensuring you don"t feel short-changed running games like Cyberpunk 2077, which support HDR, in SDR mode.

We"d steer clear of MPRT mode, which hammers the panel"s brightness and vibrancy. "Extreme" mode, which is rated at 2ms, does suffer from a whiff of overshoot, but that"s only just visible in-game, while "Super fast" resolves the overshoot but allows just a little smearing of darker tones.

USB Type-C connectivity doesn"t feature. But the dual HDMI and a single DisplayPort connections are just fine, even if the HDMI ports top out at 144Hz rather than 165Hz.

This Dell monitor is most importantly available at a great price. Dell delivers high-quality gaming panels, with all the features you need and a few extraneous ones to bump up the price. And that makes it one of the best gaming monitors for most PC gamers today.

Refresh rate, resolution, black levels, panel size: pick two. That"s been the PC monitor buyer"s dilemma for several years now, since we collectively realised that yes, playing at a higher refresh rate does actually make you better at Counter-Strike. MSI"s latest panel, bearing the catchy moniker Oculux NXG253R, aims to at least address the most common tradeoff in modern gaming panels: refresh rate for colour quality.

Whereas the majority of high refresh rate panels are VA or TN screens with limited viewing angle and shallow colours, MSI"s latest is built around an IPS panel, with all the inky blacks and rich colours that technology brings with it. Traditionally IPS has been slower to the party since it"s costlier to manufacture high refresh rate panels, but evidently enough of us are sold on 120Hz and beyond.360Hz does look and feel smoother than 120Hz.

Way beyond, in fact. This is the first 360Hz monitor I"ve played on, and I must admit to being sceptical about whatever marginal gains I might see in performance. 60Hz to 120Hz is transformative, but 120Hz to 360Hz? Surely one"s gaming performance doesn"t increase exponentially. And don"t eyes only see 60 fps anyway?

It turns out that while that performance gain might not exist on a linear curve, 360Hz does look and feel smoother than 120Hz, and the decreased ghosting of any targets in your shooter of choice does make them that bit easier to connect with. If your aspirations for online competition are pretty serious, that"s really all you need to know.

This being an IPS panel with typically darker blacks, it definitely looks more vivid in-game than even a good TN screen, and the colours hold up at any viewing angle. You"ve got a few preset brightness and color balance modes to cycle between on the OSD, arranged by genre. FPS is super-bright and saturated, racing is a bit more subdued by contrast. Out of the box, the default colour and brightness settings are easy on the eye and really sell the IPS benefit.

G-Sync itself is present here too, and although that won"t be a big deal to competitive players due to the miniscule latency increase it adds to the signal chain, for the rest of us dropping this much on a 1080p monitor, it sweetens the deal. Whether or not it actually feels smoother than 300+ fps of non-v-synced gameplay is really in the eye of the beholder, but it has always been, and remains, a useful tool in one"s armoury for those slower games, the Fallout 4s and Cyberpunks, who need all the help they can get to smooth it all out.

The Oculux NXG253R"s mandate is sound, then, but there are still compromises made in this pricey 1080p monitor in order to optimise esports performance. The most obvious are the screen size and resolution, 24.5-inch and 1080p respectively. You could certainly argue that nobody"s getting 360 fps at 4K in… well, anything outside of CS:GO or MOBAs, and quite rightly so. But spending this much on a monitor that won"t even give you 1440p feels like a serious tradeoff, and that resolution dictates a smaller panel size. Nobody wants to see the individual pixels at 1080p on a 32-inch screen.

There"s a real performance benefit here, and a sheer enjoyment multiplier. You just have to make peace with the idea of buying into a piece of specialist equipment, not an all-rounder.

We"d all love to have a thousand bucks burning a hole in our back pockets to blow on a new gaming monitor. But back in the real world, the Dell S3222DGM wants a crack at the kind of budget most of us actually have.

It"s a 32-inch beast with a VA panel running at up to 165Hz and delivering 2,560 by 1,440 pixels. Yup, the tried and tested 1440p resolution, the sweet spot for real-world gaming according to many, the perfect balance between performance and visual detail. The catch is all that normally applies to 27-inch models. 32 inches? That makes for a pretty big panel for 1440p in terms of pixel density.

Where the low pixel density hurts most is actually in Windows. If you like crisp fonts and lots of desktop real estate, this isn’t the monitor for you. For everyone else, well, it comes down to the value proposition. There are faster monitors. There are monitors with superior IPS-powered image quality. There are monitors with all kinds of HDR support not found here. And others with far more pixels or more dramatic aspect ratios.

This is a gaming-centric monitor without any HDR support but based on VA panel technology. So, the peak brightness is 350 nits, static contrast is about as good as it gets at 3,000:1, and there"s official AMD FreeSync Premium certification.Rounding out the basics is a gentle 1800R panel curve.

Rounding out the basics is a gentle 1800R panel curve. It"s a slightly odd, though not actually unique, feature for this class of display. Curvature is a more obvious and natural fit for ultrawide displays. On a conventional 16:9 panel? We still need a little convincing.

Dell quotes 8ms gray-to-gray in "fast" mode, 4ms gray-to-gray in "super fast", 2ms gray-to-gray in "extreme", and finally, and somewhat confusingly, 1ms gray-to-gray in "MPRT" mode. The "MPRT" setting is, for us, a non-starter since it crushes brightness so comprehensively. "Super fast" it is, then, and the result is good but not absolutely great response with no overshoot. Pretty much what you’d expect given the 4ms rating for "super fast".

But add in the 165Hz refresh and you have a pretty convincing monitor for response-critical online shooters. To be sure, if that is your number one priority, you’d be better off with a higher-refresh 1080p IPS monitor with faster response. If you want a larger panel like this, 4K isn’t an all-around win. It comes with a huge additional GPU load and that in turn requires mega-investment levels in a good graphics card

It"s worth remembering that pricing for this class of display—a 32-inch 165Hz 1440p panel—extends all the way up to $800 in the Corsair Xeneon 32QHD165(opens in new tab). So, while the Dell S3222DGM isn"t all that exciting from a technical point of view, for the money, it"s pretty convincing.

The Pixio PX277 Prime is about as barebones as it comes in regards to gaming monitors. Designed with a sci-fi theme in mind, the base is sharp-looking, and a lot of thought certainly went into the thing"s build quality. The thin bezel is always a plus in our book, too.

Here, this 27-inch panel provides frames at a stable 165Hz refresh rate, not the speediest but certainly workable for competitive gaming. The 1ms grey-to-grey response time doesn"t hurt for gaming either. As a FreeSync certified monitor, AMD users can be sure of a tear-free gaming experience.

At 1440p you get a good pixel density for the size of the monitor, and the image is pretty sharp to boot. The screen itself is advertised as anti-glare and we"re seen that it holds its own in most brightly lit environments, though doesn"t do so well in dim spaces.A great entry-level option for those looking for a larger screen.

The biggest selling point of the PX277 Prime, though, is its low price point. A great entry-level option for those looking for a larger screen with a high refresh rate and don"t want to be left totally broke.

While the build quality isn"t as robust as a higher-spec screen, the Pixio panel is perfect for the budget gamer who doesn"t mind missing out on some of the bells and whistles of a higher-end monitor but is keen on top performance.

We"re finally in an era of gaming where an affordable 4K monitor and a fast 4K monitor are one and the same. You could still buy a lower resolution panel for a whole lot less, but as the Gigabyte M32UC proves you can get a whole lot of screen for what feels like a fair price.

You can find this monitor going for as low as $600, which is an awfully competitive price tag for a speedy 4K gaming monitor at this size. Gigabyte has figured out a heady blend of features for that sort of money too, with two HDMI 2.1 ports, 1ms MPRT, FreeSync Premium Pro, and even a USB 3.2 hub.

The M32UC runs at a perfectly reasonable 144Hz out of the box—and you"ll need a powerful graphics card to make the most of that at 4K. However, if you hook this monitor up via DisplayPort 1.4 you can also overclock the panel via the OSD. That bumps the refresh rate up to 160Hz, and while that"s probably excessive for most, if you"re going big with the rest of your rig (or plan to pick up a powerful next-gen GPU sometime in the future) then it"s a decent option to have at the ready.Fine details are well preserved and this panel doesn"t struggle with saturation.

But something to consider with the M32UC"s blend of resolution and refresh rate is that even a high-end GPU won"t always make the most of it. That"s what makes the M32UC"s FreeSync capabilities so crucially important. Keeping this panel in sync with your graphics card when it"s underthe max refresh rate of the screen, as it is likely going to be at times, prevents a whole lot of screen tearing.

It should come as no surprise that the 32-inch panel running at 4K results in a stunningly crisp image while gaming. I"ve been playing arguably too much Destiny 2 right now and the M32UC is a stunning way to experience the game. Fine details are well preserved and this panel doesn"t struggle with saturation, which makes for a luscious and vibrant image.

The M32U also offers a DisplayHDR 400 rating on the box, though I wouldn"t consider it for its HDR capabilities. It"s lacking much of what"s required of a true HDR monitor, such as a higher brightness and local dimming. You also have to look past what is otherwise a fairly bland outer shell on the Gigabyte.

In terms of value for money, Gigabyte has hit the nail on the head with the M32UC. If you look around for competition with similar specs at around the same price, you"ll often only find other Gigabyte models coming close, including a handful of often discounted Aorus models. That makes the M32UC a great choice if you"re planning ahead for a next-gen 4K-capable gaming PC or if you already have a high-end GPU but are not yet making the most of it.

If your mantra for displays is "go big or go home," Acer hears you, and its Predator X38 is a massive 38-inch curved screen that looks stunning. It features a not-quite-4K QHD ultrawide panel with a 3840x1600 resolution. With an aspect ratio of 24:9, the IPS panel looks great, and the size means you have a lot of screen real estate for gaming.

It’s curved a little, with a relatively relaxed 2300R bend, and comes with a sturdy, pre-fitted big metal stand—one that tilts back a full 35 degrees, exposing its display and power ports underneath for effortless, no-fumble plugging in.

The display also features G-Sync technology with up to 175Hz variable refresh rates. That"s a huge boost over lower refresh rate curved gaming monitors, and Acer has overcome the big IPS downside of typically high response times, too. This beast has a 1ms GtG response, which is truly IPS coming of age and doing it all without the compromises of old.

Banding was pretty much non-existent and the backlighting was even, though with a faintly noticeable glow coming from the edges in dark scenes, but nothing to be troubled about and not noticeable at all while gaming.

Pushing the overclock to 175Hz yielded a perfect result with no ghosting visible. Small details like text were rock solid, too, with no shimmering. At such a huge resolution your graphics card will obviously be taxed in many games, and for me while testing this I generally left it at 144Hz, though for several days I used it on 175Hz for everything – including boring work, and it was rock solid and crisp all the time.

It"s a big, bold, and beautiful-looking display. If you"re looking for something to turn heads, this is one of the best widescreen gaming monitors out there.

It"s taller than the 27-inch 16:9 displays and nearly half again as wide, but the higher resolution means the dot pitch is slightly lower than, the lesser panels. And for games that properly support ultrawide resolutions, the surround effect of the XR382CQK is incredibly immersive—sitting at your desk, the 38-inch panel will fill your field of view.

The best just got a whole lot better. That’s surely a foregone conclusion for the new Samsung Odyssey Neo G9. After all, the original Odyssey G9 was already Samsung’s tip-top gaming monitor. Now it’s been given the one upgrade it really needed. Yup, the Neo G9 is packing a mini-LED backlight.

Out of the box, it looks identical to the old G9. Deep inside, however, the original G9’s single most obvious shortcoming has been addressed. And then some. The Neo G9 still has a fantastic VA panel. But its new backlight is what counts here—it offers far more than just edge-lit dimming.

It packs a cutting-edge mini-LED tech with no fewer than 2,048 zones. This thing is several orders of magnitude more sophisticated than before. As if that wasn’t enough, the Neo G9’s peak brightness has doubled to a retina-wrecking 2,000 nits. What a beast.

Visible halos around small, bright objects are the sort of issue you expect from full-array dimming. But the Neo G9 has its own, surprisingly crude, backlight-induced image quality issues. Admittedly, they’re most visible on the Windows desktop rather than in-game or watching video.Graphics-heavy titles such as Cyberpunk 2077 or Witcher III are what the G9 does best.

If you position a bright white window next to an all-black window, the adjacent edge of the former visibly dims. Or let’s say you move a small, bright object over a dark background. The same thing happens. The small, bright object dims. Even uglier, if something like a bright dialogue box pops up across the divide between light and dark elements, the result is a gradient of brightness across the box.

All this applies to both SDR and HDR modes and, on the Windows desktop, it’s all rather messy and distracting. Sure, this monitor isn’t designed for serious content creation or office work. But at this price point, it’s surely a serious flaw.

Still, that 1000R curve, huge 49-inch proportions, and relatively high resolution combine to deliver an experience that few, if any, screens can match. Graphics-heavy titles such as Cyberpunk 2077 or Witcher III are what the G9 does best. In that context, the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 delivers arguably the best visual experience on the PC today.

In practice, the Neo G9’s mini-LED creates as many problems as it solves. We also can’t help but observe that, at this price point, you have so many options. The most obvious alternative, perhaps, is a large-format 120Hz OLED TV with HDMI 2.1 connectivity.

Best gaming monitor FAQShould I go for an IPS, TN or VA panel?We would always recommend an IPS panel over TN(opens in new tab). The clarity of image, viewing angle, and color reproduction are far superior to the cheaper technology, but you"ll often find a faster TN for cheaper. The other alternative, less expensive than IPS and better than TN, is VA tech. The colors aren"t quite so hot, but the contrast performance is impressive.Should I go for a FreeSync or G-Sync monitor?In general, FreeSync monitors will be cheaper. It used to be the case that they would only work in combination with an AMD GPU. The same went for G-Sync monitors and Nvidia GPUs. Nowadays, though, it is possible to find G-Sync compatible FreeSync monitors(opens in new tab) if you"re intent on spending less.Should I buy a HDR monitor?With a High Dynamic Range monitor, you can take advantage of the ever-growing list of games and apps that feature HDR support. It offers more vibrant colors and greater contrast but is going to drive up the price a little. Windows" native HDR function also leaves a lot to be desired, and you may find you have to fiddle in the settings to get HDR looking like it should.What aspect ratio should I go for?Today"s movies and games are best enjoyed in a widescreen format at a 16:9 aspect ratio or above. In 4:3, those cinematic moments will look stunted with black strips along the top and bottom. There are a host of minute variations on each ratio, but at the end of the day choosing between these depends entirely on your personal preference.

The speed at which the screen refreshes. For example, 144Hz means the display refreshes 144 times a second. The higher the number, the smoother the screen will appear when you play games.

Graphics tech synchronizes a game"s framerate with your monitor"s refresh rate to help prevent screen tearing by syncing your GPU frame rate to the display"s maximum refresh rate. Turn V-Sync on in your games for a smoother experience, but you"ll lose information, so turn it off for fast-paced shooters (and live with the tearing). Useful if you have an older model display that can"t keep up with a new GPU.

The amount of time it takes a pixel to transition to a new color and back. Often referenced as G2G or Grey-to-Grey. Slow response times can lead to ghosting. A suitable range for a gaming monitor is between 1-4 milliseconds.

TN PanelsTwisted-nematic is the most common (and cheapest) gaming panel. TN panels tend to have poorer viewing angles and color reproduction but have higher refresh rates and response times.

IPSIn-plane switching, panels offer the best contrast and color despite having weaker blacks. IPS panels tend to be more expensive and have higher response times.

VAVertical Alignment panels provide good viewing angles and have better contrast than even IPS but are still slower than TN panels. They are often a compromise between a TN and IPS panel.

HDRHigh Dynamic Range. HDR provides a wider color range than normal SDR panels and offers increased brightness. The result is more vivid colors, deeper blacks, and a brighter picture.

ResolutionThe number of pixels that make up a monitor"s display, measured by height and width. For example: 1920 x 1080 (aka 1080p), 2560 x 1440 (2K), and 3840 x 2160 (4K).Round up of today"s best deals

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If eyes are the windows to the soul, then a gaming monitor is the window to your rig. It doesn’t matter how beefy your GPU is if you have to watch it perform through the dinky little 720p monitor that came with your mom’s old pre-built.

It might seem superficial, but the monitor is considered by many to be the most critical peripheral for your computer. It is the single component through which you view all the inner workings of man’s most glorious machine… and also Fortnite.

Gaming monitors are designed to have a much faster line of communication with your graphics card. That’s important since the last thing you want is for your screen to start skipping any time you try to snap off a headshot.

Several factors go into choosing a monitor for gaming that might not apply to the average desktop user. You need to think about panel type, size, resolution, picture quality, refresh rate, response time, and of course, price.

Seem overwhelming? Don’t worry. We’ve composed this gaming monitor buying guide to help you sort through the deluge of options and find the screen that’s right for you.

Gaming monitors are defined by how they produce their images. LCD, or liquid crystal display, screens have all but dominated the market due to their beautifully clear images, their relative longevity, and their affordability.

I know, more abbreviations, cool,but choosing between them isn’t as scary as it sounds. Here’s a quick breakdown of the features of each display type to help you figure out the best gaming monitor specs for your needs.

TN, or twisted nematic panels – Generally have the fastest response times, highest refresh rates, and most affordable price points. They’re considered the best for PC gaming since they’re well-suited to keeping up with your graphics card. That said, they don’t produce the best quality image in terms of viewing angles and color reproduction.

IPS, or in-plane switching panels – These produce rich colors and wide viewing angles, and they gracefully walk the tightrope between quality and speed. Unfortunately, they tend to be the most expensive and don’t refresh as quickly as the TNs.

VA, or vertical alignment panels – These feature the best picture quality. They are known to have a ~3000:1 contrast ratio, near-perfect color reproduction, and the very best in viewing angles. Sadly, their high response times tend to make them more suited to photo editing and television than gaming.

There are exceptions to every rule that can’t be covered in one gaming monitor guide, and you should always check out the specifications on an individual monitor before ruling it out. Also, sales can help you snag a high-end TN or IPS monitor that would otherwise be prohibitively expensive.

Do you ever go to the grocery store because you’ve got a hankering for a box of delicious Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, only to notice that the store brand costs half as much? The store-brand may be cheaper, but the taste just isn’t the same.

The same is true in the electronics industry, and going with a reputable brand is a must. Here are a few of the more trustworthy ones to keep in mind when thinking about what to look for in a gaming monitor.

Asus – One of the most trusted names in PC components, Asus makes products that range from affordable low end to premium high end. It’s easy to find something from them that fits your specific needs since they have so manyto choose from. Not the cheapest, but reasonably priced.

Acer– Takes an “affordable doesn’t mean cheap” approach. This tech company enjoys making products that at or near equal in quality to their significantly pricier peers. They also have an extensive lineup of monitors in several categories. They’re recommended for anyone looking to get a little more bang for their buck.

AOC – Focuses on manufacturing widescreen monitors. Makes some of the best high-end, professional-grade models on the market. They’re a bit pricey, but fair considering the technology inside.

Who makes the best monitor in which category is always shifting as new products come out, but you can be fairly confident that it will be well-made if you choose one from any of the companies listed above.

1080p – This is the minimum standard to be considered “high definition.” It’s the resolution that most monitors and TVs have been using for more than a decade. Any modern computer with a dedicated graphics card should be able to play games at max settings at this resolution. You will see higher frame rates and less motion blur at the cost of sharpness and pixel density.

Resolution is also the point where you might want to consider the size of your monitor. A larger monitor will have more space between each pixel at a given resolution. 1080p might be great for a 24-inch display, but it will lose some of its luster on a 32-inch. You might consider splurging on a higher resolution for a larger monitor if your PC can handle it.

Color is trickier. Most gaming monitors don’t advertise color correctness on any kind of metric. It should be safe if they advertise 10-bit color or higher, but it’s best to check reviews just to be safe. This is particularly important if you’re also using your computer for graphic design, photo, or video editing.

The short answer is that the best refresh rate for gaming monitors is going to be the highest one available, aka 240Hz. But the best one for you might have more to do with what kind of graphics card you have, what resolution you’re gaming at, and your budget.

The faster, the better when it comes to the best response time for computer monitors. Response time is the amount of time it takes for your monitor’s pixels to change color. A 5ms response time means that it takes 1/200th of a second for a pixel to travel from white to black to white again. That’s sufficient for most gaming setups, but many newer panels are offering speeds as high as 0.5ms!

This is most people’s primary concern when thinking about what to look for in a gaming monitor. Costs are continually fluctuating and depend heavily on size, resolution, brand, and every other specification that we’ve discussed so far. The best monitors can go as low as $100 or as high as $4,000.

Consider waiting for a Black Friday or Cyber Monday sale if you’re reading this close to the holidays. You can also follow sites like Newegg.com and watch for exclusive deals and promotions. Apps like Honey can also be used to track items fluctuating in price around the web.

Decide on your budget, then prioritize based on the capabilities of your graphics card and the kinds of games that you intend to play. Think about what those games will demand and which monitor in your price range will best fit your needs.

While this generally depends on the quality of your graphics card and the kinds of games that you play, a 1440p TN monitor with a 144Hz refresh rate and at least a 5ms response time should offer enough screen-power for most gamers.

The monitor is an easy thing to overlook when thinking about all the components that go into a gaming PC, but it’s the part of the computer that you spend most of your time actually looking at. You deserve to have the right one for your needs.

Knowing what to look for in a gaming monitor can seem stressful, and we hope this guide eased the burden. With a good budget – and the knowledge of what you need and how to find it – you’ll be able to open a portal to all your gaming dreams. Good luck, gamers!

Whether to pick a VA (Vertical Alignment) panel or IPS (In-Plane Switching) panel depends on your intent. These two panels have two primary differences. VA offers a high contrast ratio with limited viewing angles, while IPS comes with a lower contrast but wider viewing angles.

Both these panels have their highs and letdowns. The most straightforward way to determine your pick is by deciding which attributes are the most important for you.

If your display serves diverse functions like competitive gaming (see this affordable Dell review), office work (see best monitors for trading here), photo and video editing (see the touch screen monitors review), programming, etc., it might be a bit challenging to decide. Fortunately, I will take you through what to expect from them, having tested various VA and IPS panels myself. Also, you can go through our earlier posts on various monitor types such as "best monitor with speakers" post, or "best monitor for CAD" article. Now, dive in!

Image quality is a broad topic that encompasses multiple details. I will focus on the colors that IPS and VA panels have, how the two panels contrast light and dark areas, and the viewing angle of the two panels.

I love IPS panels because they have one of the highest color gamut performances, much higher than VA panels. For this reason, IPS panels display a game"s graphics better than VA panels. These screens represent the graphics of your games more realistically and 40 inch 4K monitors are now top of the range.

An IPS gaming monitor provides wide viewing angles that offer sharp pictures even when sitting a bit far from your screen (see our Acer XR382CQK review). As I enjoy multiplayer games with pals, sitting away from the screen while getting a great picture quality is something I consider crucial in winning demanding titles.

What I enjoy more when using VA gaming monitors is the intensity of their contrast ratio. I love how defined the difference between dark and light areas is and how this may aid in the quick identification of situations that may jeopardize your winning chances.

Refresh rates denote the frequency at which your monitor photos change over time. The majority of gaming monitors (see these top picks) come with 75 or 144HZ refresh rates.

VA monitors may not offer you a TN panel"s performance as well. And while I may not like the average refresh rates of IPS monitors, VA panels are a bit more restrictive when it comes to supported games.

While low response times are common in IPS panels, most IPS gaming monitors have about four milliseconds. This level is not much of a problem for most games. However, I"m not too fond of it when playing racing and fast shooter games because of ghosting.

A VA panel is slightly slower than an IPS panel. Therefore, you will notice slightly more motion blur when playing your games. Like IPS panels, some options offer you a one-millisecond response time for image sharpness.

If you need a monitor with an amazing contrast ratio, look into VA panels. And with the provision of VA monitors with a slower response time, you can find screens that offer a good gaming experience in most games.

Different Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) panel types have their advantages and disadvantages, and selecting an IPS vs VA TV depends on what use you have in mind. So, which of these panels should you use for movies?

VA panels have better contrast ratios between the two panels. I like their deep blacks when watching movies in the dark. If you geek over late-night shows, go for VA as it provides more definition.

Unlike contrast and the viewing angle, the panel type doesn"t exclusively dictate a screen"s black uniformity. Regardless, most of the VA panels I use have better black uniformity between the two panels.

This doesn"t immediately paint VA panel TVs as the winner, and you may find a better-displaying IPS. Besides, you can enhance the screen"s uniformity using the dimming function.

Displays with great color accuracy and extensive coverage of wide color gamuts like DCI-P3 or Adobe sRGB are typically made using IPS panels. You don"t necessarily need to gaze directly at an IPS monitor in order to see realistic colors because IPS displays typically appear beautiful from wider angles as well.

VA panels have completely adequate color accuracy and coverage for the great majority of users, despite the fact that IPS is typically superior to VA in these areas. A VA monitor that only covers 90% of the DCI-P3 color space is actually a very good amount of coverage for games and content consumers, with the exception of professional picture and video editors.

LCD panels function using liquid crystals which, when charged with electricity, react and change location. Based on the position, the crystals display a particular color.

When IPS displays get charged, their crystals let light through by aligning horizontally. Without current, this vertical alignment (click here for best vertical monitors) efficiently bars light and offers deeper blacks.

PLS (Plane-to-Line Switching) is a type of IPS used on Samsung monitors (check out also Benq monitors) which perform similarly but with round-edged pixels. On the other hand, VA pixels appear like straight rectangles.

IPS panels have an RGB sub-pixel arrangement, whereas numerous VA panels feature a BGR layout. The sub-pixel layout doesn"t outrightly affect image quality, provided it"s not a PC monitor.

Some applications require an RGB arrangement. When I use a BRG VA panel in such cases, I see some slight blurriness on the text. However, adjusting my text scaling eases readability. Overall, RGB layouts don"t have this issue as much as BRG.

The majority of IPS panels offer viewing angles up to 178 degrees horizontally and vertically. Accordingly, if you"re viewing content off-center, you won"t notice much color shifting or a noticeable decrease in picture quality until you get to the very edges of the viewing angles.

Even though VA panels have improved significantly over the years in terms of viewing angles, they still fall short of IPS panels in some respects. When viewing content off-center, VA panels are often a little weaker in terms of color/contrast shifts. This is probably less of an issue for gamers, who are more likely to be seated directly in front of the monitor and not move around the monitor"s ideal viewing angle.

The first sets to feature a broad viewing angle got announced in 2018. Several pricey models also came out with this technology in 2020, for instance, the Sony X950H and the Samsung Q90/Q90T QLED (see our Quantum Dot vs IPS post).

While I love their recognizable improvement in viewing angles over pure VA TVs, they are still yet to achieve the level of performance you get with a pure IPS panel.

As they solve one problem, the upgraded VA panels present you with another issue. Options like the Sony X950H have noticeably lower contrast ratios than typical VA panels.

Nevertheless, I appreciate their native contrast still being higher than regular IPS panels. With their dimming feature, I still can get a deep black convenient for night movies.

Neither panel technology is inherently better because they have different functions. IPS displays are suitable for watching big games or a show across a wide sitting arrangement.

Selecting between the two panels means you"ll give up particular features. Depending on your movie needs, I believe you can decide which panel suits you.

You probably now know the most suitable panel to get, given the different specifications. As in most instances, the higher your budget (see the best budget picks), the better the panel. Here is a simple guide on the ideal panel depending on your usage:

Editing footage and pictures:IPS monitors are more favorable given their better color reproduction. Some VA panels offer wide color ranges, though they typically have motion blur

When most people go shopping for a gaming monitor, their primary concerns are resolution and refresh rate. Those are certainly important considerations, but if you’ve ever had to put up with dull colors, murky blacks or terrible viewing angles, you’ll understand that panel types are important too.

TN, or Twisted Nematic panels, are the oldest variety of LCD panels, but they’re still quite common even today. They’re cheap to produce, and they have very low input lag, which makes them appealing for gamers. They also support refresh rates of up to 240Hz, another plus for fast-paced environments.

The problem with TN panels is that they have very poor color reproduction. While modern TN panels are far better than earlier models, it’s still relatively rare to find a TN panel with close to full sRGB reproduction. Even if they do have good color reproduction when you’re looking at them straight on, their viewing angles are limited, and they look washed out when viewed from the sides.

If you’re on a budget, enjoy playing competitive shooters or strategy games where reaction times matter, a TN panel could be fine for you. But if you want something that doubles as a media player, the average TN monitor might disappoint.

Fortunately, our GFT27CXB monitor is far from “average.” We engineered our TN panel to do what most TN panels simply cannot: deliver stunningly accurate colors. And with its 99% sRGB gamut, colors are rich and vibrant. And it’s fully customizable, with space to store up to 3 unique user profiles. So you get amazing color. But you also get full HD resolution with lightning-fast speeds up to 240hz refresh rate and 1ms response times.

IPS, or In-Plane Switching, monitors are almost the exact opposite of TN panels. They offer much wider viewing angles than TN panels as well as better black reproduction. The trade-off is that they’re more expensive. They have a history of slower refresh rates, too, although that has been changing lately. Today’s IPS panels can reach max. refresh rates as high as 200-240Hz.

There are some IPS monitors with very good refresh rates and response times, but they’re on the pricier side. You can expect to pay more than $500 for an IPS monitor with a 1ms response time. If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly IPS monitor, then you’ll have to settle for response times of 4ms or slower. IPS panels are also prone to backlight issues. Color reproduction is better than on TN panels, even at extreme angles, but the backlight can sometimes be seen.

Our REAPER series monitor—starting with the RFI25CBA—has been designed to overcome this particular issue. It’s been engineered to reduce the amount of backlight bleed-through on its IPS panel. The monitor also features an MRPT Mode to produce extremely clear moving pictures with excellent color while significantly reducing backlight issues.

VA, or Vertical Alignment, panels are somewhere in between TN and IPS, offering the best of both worlds. This type of panel is common in TVs but is relatively uncommon for gaming monitors. TN panels offer very good contrast ratios, so you can expect vibrant colors and good color reproduction. They also offer good viewing angles, and while brightness may vary depending on the angle you’re looking at the screen from, they’re not susceptible to the backlight issues of IPS panels.

The downside of VA panels is that they have slower response times. As with IPS panels, newer models do have high refresh rates, but the slow response time means you may see ghosting or motion blur in fast-paced, competitive games. Fortunately, all VIOTEK monitors come with AdaptiveSync, which works with AMD® FreeSync® and NVIDIA® G-Sync™ technologies. AdaptiveSync eliminates image distortion (e.g., tearing, stuttering, ghosting and judder) and other glitches that can happen if the monitor’s refresh rate doesn’t match the frame rate of the computer’s GPU. The result is smoother action with clearer images.

There are benefits and downsides to each panel type, and there’s no one correct answer to the question of “which is best.” It depends on your budget, the type of games you enjoy playing, whether you prize response times over other features, and what else you do with the monitor.

If you’re a competitive gamer who wants the absolute best response time on a budget, TN panels will get the job done, but they may disappoint when you’re playing a heavily modded game of Skyrim and want to stop and enjoy the scenery. IPS panels can deliver a similar experience if you’re willing to spend a lot of money. But if you’re like most of us, you’d rather put that extra cash towards a slightly better GPU.

VA monitors are a great “Jack of all trades.” The NBV24CB2, for example, is a highly affordable 1080P monitor that offers a 75Hz refresh rate and AdaptiveSync technology—along with some other nice extras. Those extras include GAMEPLUS targeting crosshairs and FPS/RTS display modes to help give you the advantage while playing first-person shooter games. This monitor is ideal for gamers with mid-range systems. If you’re playing marathon sessions, the NBV24CB2 has a blue-light filter to help reduce eye strain. And there’s great color reproduction for watching videos.

Looking for something with a little more power? The GNV32CBO or GFV24CB are two 1080p monitors. These offer super-fast 165Hz refresh rates for pro-motion with reduced input lag. They’re also VA panels, delivering great color reproduction, AMD FreeSync to reduce image ghosting, and other game-friendly features.

With the right monitor, you can play for longer and enjoy a smoother and more responsive experience, whether that’s in an FPS, driving game, or RTS. These monitors are designed with gamers in mind and put you in control of every move. Check out Viotek’s selection of monitors today and find the best fit for your needs!

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CRTs can be abundant if you have good places in your local community to look, but they are getting trickier to track down each passing year. And while nothing’s stopping you from using a modern LCD for retro gaming, you may want to track down a square-shaped LCD (mostly 4:3 aspect ratio) so your classic content seems a bit more “at home” — avoiding those black bars.

So whether you’re looking for a cheap 4:3 LCD to use with your MiSTER FPGA setup, have a classic personal computer, or just want something for watching “full screen” video content or a emulation box to run on, I’m hoping this guide is helpful in your shopping.

Granted LCDs, especially older models, aren’t ideal for retro gaming compared to CRTs. LCDs often down’t have as deep of black colors and there is input lag involved among some other issues.

However, LCDs are easier to move around and store and use less electricity. And even though there are many die-hard CRT fans out there, there are also many long-time retro fans that have been using the recommended monitors below for a while and been happy with their performance. I’ve even quoted and handful of enthusiasts to give you a good perspective on these recommendations. And don’t forget, eventually LCDs might be much easier to find and purchase remotely then the CRTs counterparts.

Early LCD monitors may show a lack of technical maturity, however, near some of the later ones that we are focusing on have some decent IPS technology with reasonable color and response times.

Availability and practicality are the main reason for me rounding up this guide. I know many retro gamers will focus on hunting down and maintaining CRTs, but as time goes on, this is becoming much less practical for the average person.

In the end, I thought this would be a fun, lighthearted look at some options for those that are interested. If you have any commentary on the matter, please share your thoughts and suggestions in the comments section below. Just be respectful — not looking for CRT vs LCD wars