A monitor is an essential component of a complete gaming PC. An average monitor may work for writing documents or browsing the internet. However, when it comes to gaming, you need a monitor made for gaming. A gaming monitor has all the necessary features that fulfill your gaming requirements.
Choosing the right gaming monitor that is a perfect match for your setup and budget can be a daunting task. There are so many options to choose from, with each one loaded with tons of features. Many people don’t even know if are a particular feature of a gaming monitor is actually necessary for them because of their technical names.
Here we aim to make this decision a lot easier for you. We have discussed all the necessary options that you should consider while getting a new monitor for gaming.
Refresh Rate
The refresh rate is one of the most significant features of a gaming monitor. A high refresh rate is also one of the most noticeable features of a gaming monitor. These days, the refresh rate that a gaming monitor can come with include 60Hz, 75Hz, 120Hz, 144Hz, 240Hz, and 360Hz.
What is Refresh Rate
The refresh rate of a monitor refers to the rate at which the monitor is able to make updates to the image displayed on the screen. In other words, it is the number of updated images that a monitor is able to push out and display on the screen per second. A 60Hz monitor will update the image 60 times every second, meaning that it will display a total of 60 updated images on the screen in one second.
Best Refresh Rate for Gaming
A high refresh rate is always better for gaming. Going from a low refresh rate monitor to a high refresh rate monitor will always result in an improvement in the in-game performance of a gamer. However, there is no point in getting a monitor with a refresh rate of 240Hz if your computer can only crank out 60 fps on the game you want to play.
Going from 60Hz to 120Hz or 144Hz will be a game-changer. It is also is why, at the moment, the sweet spot for gamers that care about maximum in-game performance is 144Hz. You may also notice a difference when going from 144Hz to 240Hz, but it won’t be as noticeable as going from 60Hz to 144Hz. For the budget gamers who want the highest framerate possible, we recommend the Asus TUF VG259QR.
While a high refresh rate is essential for gamers who play competitive games, casual gamers can get away with 60Hz. Casual gamers do not care about maximum in-game performance and prefer high graphics over a high framerate. These gamers can trade in the high refresh rate feature for graphical features like high resolution and high contrast.
Resolution
The resolution of a monitor is no less significant than its refresh rate when it comes to gaming. The most common types of resolutions that you can get in gaming monitors include High Definition or HD (1280 x 720 pixels aka 720p), Full HD or FHD (1920 x 1080 pixels aka 1080p), Quad HD (2560 x 1440 pixels aka 1440p), and Ultra HD or UHD (3840 x 2160 aka 4K).
What is Resolution
The display of any monitor comprises several million tiny dots called pixels. These pixels light up in specific brightness and colors at particular locations and make up a complete image. If you count the number of pixels along the length of a monitor and then count those along the width, you will get the resolution. For example, the FHD resolution or Full High Definition resolution represents 1920 by 1080 pixels.
Best Resolution for Gaming
Just like refresh rate, the higher you go in terms of resolution, the better it is. While a high refresh rate makes the image much smoother, a high resolution makes an image much clearer and crisper. However, running a game on a higher resolution requires some serious upgrades in processing power. Running a game on a resolution that your computer is not capable of handling will result in a significant framerate drop.
If you care most about your in-game performance, then 1080p is completely fine and, you should focus on the refresh rate. Some competitive gamers play games on 1440p as well however, that will cost a bit more. If you care about graphics only then we recommend getting at least a 1440p monitor if you can’t get a 4k monitor. However, we do not recommend going with a 720p monitor. The only time we may recommend the 720p resolution is for a laptop screen. The resolution also hugely depends on the size of your monitor, which we will be discussing below. For a gamer who wants to see the most beautiful image on their screen in a high resolution, we recommend the LG 27GN950-B.
Screen Size
When it comes to the size of your screen, bigger does not always necessarily mean better. If you are only focused on competitive games and want the optimal size, you can choose either the 24inch screen or the 27inch screen. Going above that may require you to sit a bit further. A large screen will also have larger pixels that are easily visible so you may need more resolution for a clear image.
Other Features
- Response Time: For competitive gaming, low response times are generally preferred. We recommend getting a monitor with a 1ms response time but, if you want more resolution or better image quality, you can go with 5ms.
- Free Sync G-Sync: These are sync technologies that allow the elimination of screen tearing without inducing unnecessary input lag.
- Design: While choosing a monitor you should also consider its design. Some monitors are too flashy while others are minimalistic.
- Screen Bezels: The bezels of a monitor are getting smaller and smaller but, they are much more expensive.
- RGB: While RGB does not have any effect on gaming performance, many gamers prefer them as they are aesthetically appealing.
In conclusion, deciding on a gaming monitor can be very easy if you know what you are looking for. For competitive gaming on a budget, 60Hz, 1ms response time and 1080p are the features to look for while spending a bit more can get you a 144Hz monitor. If you care about graphics only then you will easily be satisfied with 60Hz but, make sure that the monitor is at least 1440p.
With the monitor now done, if you are now on the lookout for which mouse and keyboard to get for your gaming setup, we have you covered. We have done complete guides on what type of keyboard and mouse are perfect for you. Click the links to find out more.
