Other specs like snappy response times can even give you a competitive edge in fast-paced multiplayer games.
How Much Should a Gaming Monitor Cost?
What Size Should a Gaming Monitor Be?
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Before choosing a gaming monitor, measure your desk to see how much space you have.
Is it too big for your desk?
Can you comfortably see the whole thing without moving your head?
What Resolution Should a Gaming Monitor Be?
Ideally, you should be able to sit at a comfortable distance from your gaming monitorwithoutmaking out individual pixels.
If you have a powerfulgraphics cardor a current-generation console, prioritize 4K for the best quality picture.
An example of screen tearing in Monster Hunter World.
How Important Are Refresh Rate and Response Time?
Refresh raterefers to how fast the image displayed on a monitor is replaced with each subsequent frame.
Response time refers to how quickly the monitor can shift from showing one color to another.
When you look at the refresh rate of a gaming monitor, higher numbers are better.
Higher refresh rates result in the screen updating faster, resulting in smoother movement and action.
The bare minimum is 60Hz, the slowest refresh rate in a gaming monitor.
Look for a 120Hz or 144Hz monitor if you play fast-paced games and your graphics card can handle it.
Response time is the opposite, so you should look for a monitor with the lowest response time.
What Anti-Tearing Technology Do You Need?
Gaming monitors are available with two anti-tearing technologies:NVIDIA’s G-Sync, andAMD’s FreeSync.
Some monitors have both technologies and others only include one.
Both technologies do the same thing, allowing the graphics card to control the monitor’s refresh rate.
your setup’s graphics card should support the same anti-tearing technology as your monitor.
If your rig has an AMD graphics card that supports FreeSync, look for a monitor that supports FreeSync.
Don’t know what pop in of graphics card your box has?
Here’s how tocheck your graphics card on Windows 10andWindows 11.
What Inputs Does a Gaming Monitor Need?
The only two relevant inputs for a gaming monitor areHDMI and DisplayPort.
USB-C can also handle 4K at 120Hz, but few monitors support that.
DVI is also viable in some situations, but it’s limited to 1080p at 144Hz.
We recommend a 120Hz or higher refresh rate for fast-paced games.
Whats the Best Panel For a Gaming Monitor?
The panel is part of the gaming monitor that displays the image; many different technologies do this.
The two most common panels in gaming monitors areIPS(in-plane switching) and VA (vertical alignment).
Still, some higher-end gaming monitors are also available with OLED panels.
What Makes a Gaming Monitor Different?
The differences between gaming and regular monitors are sometimes subtle but can significantly impact gameplay experiences.
Who Should Buy a Gaming Monitor?
You don’tneeda gaming monitor to play most games, so not everyone should buy a gaming monitor.
For example, you might want insurance or an extended warranty for an especially high-end model.
Most gamers should focus on flat-panel monitors with standard resolutions like 1080p, 1440p, and 4K.
Curved monitors and ultra wides have their uses, but they also have drawbacks.
Ultrawide monitors provide a fantastic experience when supported, but they don’t have universal support.
In most cases, you’re better off just going with a bigger 16:9 gaming monitor for better compatibility.
Some gaming monitors advertise features like overdrive and motion blur reduction.
These can be helpful extras, but they aren’t the most important.
Overdrive can introduce inverse ghosting, where bright halos appear around moving objects if set too high.
This can help with eye strain.
Overdrive is a monitor feature that lowers response time to reduce ghosting.
FAQ
Use a clean, lint-free cloth to wipe down your monitor for minor smudges and dust.
For more intensive cleaning, use warm water.
Only dampen the cleaning cloth; do not put water directly on your monitor.
If the water alone doesn’t clean everything, use a small amount of mild detergent.
Plug the monitor back in and power it on only when completely dry.
Then, go toDisplay>Multiple Displaysto set up what will appear on which screen.
