Monitor specs have become convoluted in a good way with the growth of the industry as it became more mainstream. We now have a terribly good mix of options, from the budget-friendly to the sophisticated with infinite contrast and nearly zero response time. That diverse mix of monitor specs is good for gamers and enthusiasts, but it can be daunting to choose one.
2023 also became more complicated with the proliferation of OLED gaming monitors, which have been anticipated for quite a while. They offer more or less the same refresh rates as the regular panels, but they bring better imaging characteristics at a higher price. Monitor specs are in non-stop development and innovation, so there’s bound to be more.
Monitor Specs – Key Ingredients for a Successful Monitor Upgrade
Here are the most important monitor specs you have to understand and look out for when shopping for a monitor. Ensuring that you select the right display for your setup and needs is essential in maximizing your hard-earned cash.
Refresh Rate
A display’s refresh rate is arguably one of the most scrutinized monitor specs simply because it’s very important for gaming. It defines how many times a screen refreshes the image per second. It contributes to smoother motion handling and reduced blurring, and it even helps how a monitor can feel when it comes to responsiveness.
Gaming displays typically start at 144Hz now, but we have monstrous 540Hz monitors that are designed for E-Sports. Choosing which one to buy is heavily dependent on your system and choice of games. It scales with your GPU’s power, so the high-output models will almost always need a more expensive card, plentiful RAM, and a robust CPU.
The games you play are also a significant factor in choosing a monitor’s refresh rate. Immersive titles like Cyberpunk 2077 are best played on a high-resolution 144Hz display since you won’t get crazy framerates on it, even if you have the most powerful GPU. On the other hand, E-Sports games like CSGO or Valorant are best paired with a high-refresh model like the 500Hz-capable Alienware AW2524H for improved smoothness, responsiveness, and blur reduction.
Resolution
A panel’s resolution is also one of the monitor specs that affect performance and pricing for the different models. Its usually composed of two numbers derived from the horizontal and vertical pixel count on the screen. Displays will look sharper and clearer the higher you go, but it also means that you will need more GPU horsepower if you also want high refresh rate.s
The three mainstream categories are Full HD or 1920 x 1080, Quad HD or 2560 x 1440, and 4K UHD at 3840 x 2160. However, there are special models out there like the ultrawide variants which usually have nearly or twice the horizontal pixel count. The original 16:9 resolutions above are widely preferred, but unique combinations like a 5120 x 1440 Dual QHD pattern are popular for immersion and multitasking.
Response Time
Response Time is often misinterpreted as the “input lag” of the monitor, especially since manufacturers plaster it on gaming monitor packaging. It’s also widely used to describe how fast a monitor will be, but that is not the entire picture. It is different from input lag, which represents the time between a signal sent from a point of control like a mouse, the processing duration, and the actual registration on the display.
What response time really means is the time between each pixel’s transitions from white to black or gray to gray. What it truly affects is the motion clarity of a monitor instead of the signal delay between your input command and its registry on the screen. So, in practice, a 1ms gaming monitor will look smoother and clearer during fast-paced transitions than an 8ms prosumer monitor.
Panel Type
Choosing the right panel type is equally important now since each one has its own pros and cons. The most common types for 2023 are IPS and VA, with OLED technology hot on their trail. Fast IPS, which is widely available now, is the most popular for high-refresh-rate models since they are capable of better color, viewing angles, and response times.
Conversely, VA is known for its excellent contrast, but it has a slower pixel response time in exchange for that. OLED panel takes all aspects of the two and spectacularly combines them. You get near-instantaneous pixel response times, richer color, and infinite contrast. Each pixel on an OLED panel can dim or brighten by themselves, so they don’t need WLED backlights like the other two.
However, OLEDs are typically more expensive than VA or IPS models simply because they are harder to make. You get what you pay for, but it is at the point where we still can’t consider it as a panel type for the masses. IPS is your bet for fast-paced games, while VA is best for immersive titles like single-player games whenever OLED pricing is out of range.
TN panels used to be popular for fast-paced play, but they have since fallen off when Fast IPS emerged in the market. The latter isn’t as fast in response time measurement, but its color quality and viewing angles have won the gamers over. So far, BenQ/Zowie has been the only brand to develop a TN-based competitive gaming monitor in the form of the XL2566K.
Editor’s Note: Understanding monitor specs is crucial in making your gaming monitor shopping experience smooth and accurate. Choosing and buying the right panel for your gaming needs and habits is something that’s overlooked most of the time. Some end up returning their products or spending more if it is not done right the first time around.
There is more than meets the eye with these monitors, plus there are more aspects to consider in determining which monitor specs are the best for you. However, we presented the baseline here to make it easier, and anything beyond these characteristics can be left up to personal preferences. However, please feel free to shoot us a message if you have questions or would like a recommendation that is based on your budget, system specs, and gaming needs.
Paolo is a gaming veteran from the golden days of Doom and Warcraft. Since junior high, he has been building gaming systems for family, friends, and colleagues. High-performance monitors are one of his fixations; he believes that every citizen’s right to enjoy one. He has gone through several pieces of hardware in pursuit of every bit of performance gain, much to the dismay of his wallet. He has also spent half a decade researching, reviewing, and writing about these products and now has over 1400 articles about the best gaming tech under his belt.
Leave a Reply