When you’re committed to playing video games for hours at a time, you want them to be as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. That’s why gaming monitors are so important. These screens provide gamers with images that look sharp enough to see everything clearly, while also providing the right color balance and contrast ratio in order to make those same visuals pop even more. In other words - they’re vital if you want your game of choice to feel immersive and realistic. Fortunately, choosing the right gaming monitor is easy when you know what kind of features and characteristics to look for. This article will help you understand all the basics so that you can confidently choose the best gaming monitor for your needs.
| Product | Description | Pros | Cons | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acer Predator X25 | Cheap | 360Hz | 5/5 | |
| ASUS ROG Swift PG259QN | Cheap | 360Hz | 5/5 | |
| AOC AG254FG | Cheap | 360Hz | 5/5 | |
| Acer Nitro XV252QF | Cheap 390Hz | 390Hz | 5/5 | |
| BenQ ZOWIE XL2546 | Most used monitor with 240Hz and DyAc | Good colors, DyAc | 4/5 |
When choosing the best gaming monitor for your setup, there are a few key features you’ll want to keep an eye out for. First and foremost, you’ll want to ensure that the monitor you choose has a resolution high enough to support the games you like to play. 1920 x 1080 is a sweet spot for most games, but 4K monitors are quickly becoming more affordable and are a great way to future-proof your system. Next, you’ll want to make sure that the gaming monitor you buy has a display size that’s suitable for your setup. For example, if you have a mid-sized desk and sit far enough back that you have trouble viewing the monitor without leaning closer, you might want to go with a larger screen size such as 27 or 34 inches.
You can’t pick the perfect gaming monitor for everyone, but we’ve done our best to highlight a few key models that should fit most needs. If you’re looking for the best gaming monitor overall, the Alienware AW2521H definitely stands as king. This 24-inch Full-HD monitor is equipped with a normal 1920 x 1080 resolution that makes every pixel look sharp, and it has a refresh rate of 360Hz to reduce motion blur and get even smoother gameplay. Additionally, it has a true 10-bit display capable of displaying 99% of the colours that come out of a normal-quality 8-bit source. If you mostly play games at a resolution of 1080p or lower, this is an excellent option. It’s expensive, but if you have the budget, you won’t find a better overall monitor.
Before we get into the nitty-gritty of specific features, it’s important to understand the main differences between gaming monitor types. First and foremost, most monitors have either an evolutionary or evolutionary-like panel. On the evolutionary side, you’ll find TN panels, which are known for poor colour accuracy. On the evolutionary-like side, you’ll find IPS panels, which are known for great colour accuracy and a wide viewing angle. There are other differences between gaming monitor types, but those are the two you’ll want to focus on most.
Now that you know what you’re looking for in a gaming monitor, let’s talk key features to consider when buying a monitor. The first and most obvious thing you’ll want to consider is the screen size. If you sit far enough back on your couch that you can’t see the monitor without leaning in, you might want to consider getting a larger screen size. A 27-inch monitor is a good option if you have a mid-sized desk or sit about 5 feet back from your couch. A 34-inch monitor is a great option if you have a large desk or sit about 10 feet back from your couch. Next, you’ll want to consider the screen resolution. 4K monitors are awesome and becoming more affordable with each passing year, but they’re also not affordable for everyone. That said, you’ll want to make sure that a 4K gaming monitor is high enough resolution to support your games. If not, go ahead and save some money. On the other hand, a 1080p gaming monitor is cheap and provides excellent image quality. The same goes for refresh rate; you’ll want a gaming monitor with a refresh rate of at least 60Hz. Ideally, you’ll want a 120Hz or higher refresh rate, but 120Hz monitors are generally more expensive than 60Hz models, so keep that in mind.
Before we wrap things up, let’s briefly talk about some additional differences between gaming monitor types. First, let’s talk about TN panels. These panels are notorious for producing images with poor colour accuracy that aren’t very accurate to begin with. On the other hand, they’re also known for having fast response times and being able to display images that are very sharp. IPS panels, on the other hand, are flexible and great at showing accurate colours; they’re known for having slower response times and being able to display images that are sharp but not as sharp as TN panels.
When you’re committed to playing video games for hours at a time, you want them to be as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. That’s why gaming monitors are so important. These screens provide gamers with images that look sharp enough to see everything clearly, while also providing the right color balance and contrast ratio in order to make those same visuals pop even more. In other words - they’re vital if you want your game of choice to feel immersive and realistic. Fortunately, choosing the right gaming monitor is easy when you know what kind of features and characteristics to look for. This article will help you understand all the basics so that you can confidently choose the best gaming monitor for your needs.