How Important is a Good Monitor for Gaming?


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If you’ve made the plunge into PC gaming, you just decided to elevate your gaming experience higher than ever before. However, one thing you’ll need is a way to display your shiny new games. That’s where a gaming monitor comes in.

A gaming monitor is important since it allows you to play games at a higher resolution and frame rate. If you have an IPS, you’ll get excellent black levels and colors, giving you an overall better visual and gameplay experience.

Of course, it could be tempting to stick with the old monitor or tv you may have, especially if it still looks good. We’ll explain why a good quality gaming monitor is an investment worth making that can change the way you play and why it’s well worth the upgrade. 

Is a Gaming Monitor Worth It

First off, what makes a gaming monitor so special? The answer is right in the name; it’s built with gaming in mind. Watching a movie or a TV show is a very different experience from playing a game, and therefore a TV is built with very different expectations from a gaming monitor.

The difference between a gaming monitor and a regular one is that gaming monitors have certain advantages and features that prioritize pushing games as far as they can go to let the gamer have the best possible playing experience. 

What to Look for in a Gaming Monitor 

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Gaming monitors have certain advantages and features that prioritize pushing games as far as they can go to let the gamer have the best possible playing experience. 

Here are a few things to look for in a monitor

  • Refresh rate. This is better recognized as frame rate, or how many frames appear per second when playing games. A high refresh rate monitor will let you play games at a higher frame rate. 
  • Resolution. This is how your screen will look, measuring the number of pixels on your screen. A high-resolution monitor will display more pixels and thus, support games that run at higher resolutions. 
  • Screen. One aspect that many don’t consider is the type of screen the monitor is built out of. LCD panels are popular, but even similar screens can have differences like build materials

By considering these factors when shopping for a gaming monitor, you’ll notice a huge difference in how your games look and how they play. 

What’s an IPS? 

IPS is a type of monitor or display that is similar to LED but has its own unique perks that make it a good choice for gaming monitors. 

Some of the advantages of IPS are color accuracy and consistency. You’ll see colors exactly the way they’re meant to be displayed without any external processing, which means you’ll have a vibrant image that shows you what the game needs you to see. 

While an IPS display might be expensive, you’ll find that the cost is worth it in the long run. An IPS display isn’t as susceptible to issues like burn in, which could be a problem on a tv display. 

Why Refresh Rate is Important 

You definitely want to look for a high refresh rate if you play games like shooters or competitive multiplayer games. 

With a high frame rate, you can play games in industry standards like 60 FPS, and if your computer is powerful enough, you could even push that to 120 FPS.

As games get better, you’ll want to future proof yourself with a monitor capable of displaying higher frame rates. The standard used to be 30 FPS, but nowadays, that number has grown, and will continue to grow in the future. 

Keep Your Resolution as High as Possible

If you want your games to look good, then get a monitor that supports high resolution. Currently, most games support high resolutions like:

  • 1080p
  • 1440p
  • 4K

If you’re shopping for a new monitor, you might as well go as high as you can so that you can play games in their greatest fidelity. Nowadays, almost every game can crank its resolution up to much higher than before. 

A high-resolution monitor is better suited for gaming than a high-resolution tv because the refresh rate isn’t compromised to achieve a higher resolution. With a tv, you’ll have to make concessions that you wouldn’t if you went for a monitor. 

What Monitor Should You Go For

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What is a good monitor for you? That depends on what you play and how. Each monitor on the market has strengths that some would find more valuable than others, like beefier refresh rates or higher resolutions. 

Some of the brands to consider are Acer, Alienware, and LG. These are all great companies that have years of experience in the display marketplace;

  • Acer Nitro XV272U. This is a 27-inch monitor with a resolution of 1440p and a refresh rate of 144hz. It features customizable visual modes and profiles
  • LG Ultra Gear is a 27-inch monitor with a high res IPS display. It runs a 1440p display and 144hz Refresh Rate and is HDR10 compatible. 
  • The Alienware 25 is a 24.5 inch monitor with resolution support upto 1080p, and a refresh rate of 240hz. It also features a unique venting design that allows for better air flow and cooling

However, the important things to look for are what matters the most to you. Do you want to play games as smoothly as possible? Go for a better refresh rate. Do you want to play games that look as good as they can? Go with a high resolution. 

Why Gaming Monitors are the Right Choice

If you invest in a gaming monitor, you’re likely to have a substantially better experience than if you had just stuck with a regular tv. These displays are vital because they put the gaming experience first and foremost above all else. After all, why go cheap on the one device you’ll be looking at the most? If you want to take your games to the next level, you need to start with a top-quality monitor.

John Hammer

Hi i'm John Hammer, Founder and Author of Gizbuyer Guide. Ever since the original Xbox, PlayStation, and iPhone I've purchased and worked on all kinds of consumer tech products, gaming gadgets and operating system softwares. To this day my curiosity has never left, and my aim is to guide and share my knowledge on technology as I continue to experience the latest of the consumer electronics industry.

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