General Considerations for buying a Monitor for Gaming

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SilentDoh!

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I am looking for a new monitor for my gaming pc I have two 23" acer lcd monitors which I have never really been happy with the quality of them. I want to move to one display something between 28 to 32".Right now my gaming rig has a Radeon 4870 x2 that has worked really well for me I mostly play GTA4, Fallout New Vegas, and the various Battlefield games. I do plan on getting BF3 when it comes out. I watch Netflix, dvd, I want to watch Blu rays on it. My budget for the display is $500 or preferably less.

What specs are important for a good display that would be mostly for gaming?
Thank you for your imput.
 
120hz monitors are where its at, especially if your focus is FPS.

Be warned they are all TN. When your gaming you don't really notice TN flaws though. If you are, gaming is no longer the hobby for you.
 
What are you currently unhappy about with your monitors? Different types of display solutions address different issues and are stronger in some areas while being weaker in others. The importance of various characteristics of a display have different weight to different individuals, so there isn't really a one size fits all answer.

If you want a screen of that size and for it to double for video given your budget, consider looking at TVs such as the Sony 32ex400, LG 32LD450 and Samsung 32C550, not just computer monitors.
 
I'd go with the TV option - if you sit a bit farther away from your monitor like on a couch or something to chill out and watch netflix - the bigger screen, better colors and better viewing angles will be appreciated. Yeah the 120hz is good for FPS IF you have a very powerful system or like 3d.. But that's a pretty small subset of gaming.
 
SilentDoh! said:
I am looking for a new monitor for my gaming pc I have two 23" acer lcd monitors which I have never really been happy with the quality of them. I want to move to one display something between 28 to 32".Right now my gaming rig has a Radeon 4870 x2 that has worked really well for me I mostly play GTA4, Fallout New Vegas, and the various Battlefield games. I do plan on getting BF3 when it comes out. I watch Netflix, dvd, I want to watch Blu rays on it. My budget for the display is $500 or preferably less.

What specs are important for a good display that would be mostly for gaming?
Thank you for your imput.
Click to expand...

There are many specs that are important for gaming and video. It depends on what positions you take on these and what games you prefer.

So we have responsiveness, colour shift, contrast, resolution and image accuracy.

I do not recommend TN monitors as it is an ancient and poorly performing technology. IPS is rightfully becoming quite popular, so that even Asus is releasing IPS products. My current favourite is the C-PVA EV2333W.

It is quite unfortunate that all of the criteria above (apart from resolution) are not described by the manufacturer or retailer. This is where customers are well served to do some research.
 
Inu said:
120hz monitors are where its at, especially if your focus is FPS.

Be warned they are all TN. When your gaming you don't really notice TN flaws though. If you are, gaming is no longer the hobby for you.
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What does TN stand for?

One thing I don't like is the screen feels kinda small now and 2 the acer x233 has a lot of wash out from the back light.

Ok, if I get a tv now we are talking about a gaming mode right? So what are good specs for gaming mode?

What does IPS stand for and how does it differ from TN?

In these catagories what kind of numbers do YOU look for when buying a monitor and why? responsiveness, colour shift, contrast, resolution and image accuracy.

There are so many different things to look for I just don't know what is important for what I want.
 
SilentDoh! said:
What does TN stand for?

One thing I don't like is the screen feels kinda small now and 2 the acer x233 has a lot of wash out from the back light.

Ok, if I get a tv now we are talking about a gaming mode right? So what are good specs for gaming mode?

What does IPS stand for and how does it differ from TN?

In these catagories what kind of numbers do YOU look for when buying a monitor and why? responsiveness, colour shift, contrast, resolution and image accuracy.

There are so many different things to look for I just don't know what is important for what I want.
Click to expand...

Twisted nematic, vertical alignment and in-plane switching are modes of driving liquid crystals in a display, and govern how they behave, such as in viewing angle, contrast and response time.

TN is the original LC mode and can be found in devices from calculators to monitors. It has major colour shift and viewing angle deficits. MVA and IPS modes were developed to provide high image quality.

You can see an example of a novice interacting with a cheap IPS and a cheap TN display here, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjmCKbhARJg
 
Thank you for the link I did not know that. What would be consider a good contrast ratio and response time for a new monitor these days. WHat is decent for gaming and what would be considered high end?
 
SilentDoh! said:
Thank you for the link I did not know that. What would be consider a good contrast ratio and response time for a new monitor these days. WHat is decent for gaming and what would be considered high end?
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It depends on what you are doing. There are monitors with 3000:1 actual contrast, which is comparable to some plasma contrasts, but they have a slower reaction time and more colour shift compared to 800~1000:1 IPS. Perhaps you could state what you find to be wrong with your Acers.
 
You quotedd the post where I explained what I didn't like about the acers earlier in the thread. Like I said before they feel small and in certain situations they get a washed out look from the back lihgt. Like I said I watch movies but mosly play first person shooters. I want as good gaming experience I have been happy with the 4870 x2 and think that my monitors need to be upgraded. Its difficult to figure out what is a good monitor for gaming because all the manufacturers use diferent terms to describe the specs of thier products. Also there are a lot of different specs you have to consider when buying a monitor for gaming.Thats why I am asking the forums for thier opions.
 
SilentDoh! said:
You quotedd the post where I explained what I didn't like about the acers earlier in the thread. Like I said before they feel small and in certain situations they get a washed out look from the back lihgt. Like I said I watch movies but mosly play first person shooters. I want as good gaming experience I have been happy with the 4870 x2 and think that my monitors need to be upgraded. Its difficult to figure out what is a good monitor for gaming because all the manufacturers use diferent terms to describe the specs of thier products. Also there are a lot of different specs you have to consider when buying a monitor for gaming.Thats why I am asking the forums for thier opions.
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Coming from those monitors and not noticing the ghosting, but instead noticing the backlight bleed, means I'd probably reccomend a good IPS. Follow my thread, I'm in the same dilemma as you right now! lol
 
Is there any brand of IPS monitors that are better than others? I play FPS and would like to find a monitor that has a good compromise of resolution and performance.I don't have a fixed distance I have to sit from the monitor so that can very.
 
Highjacking this thread a bit, but for 90% gaming on pc and 10% whatever computer use, what is the best computer monitor for ~250 is or less?
 
Ok i went to Micro Center today and looked at the VX2739wm.
http://www.viewsonic.com/products/desktop-monitors/lcd/x-series/vx2739wm.htm They didn't have any games running on it but I watched some video and the picture looks really nice the specs are pretty good to.

What does this mean "Contrast Ratio1200:1 (typ); 100,000:1 (dynamic)" Whats the difference between typlcal and dynamic?

I think 27' is a good size for me is there any other 27' monitors I should compare to this one?

I just found this one VX2753mh-LED
http://www.viewsonic.com/products/desktop-monitors/vx2753mh-led.htm
 
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SilentDoh! said:
Thank you for the link I did not know that. What would be consider a good contrast ratio and response time for a new monitor these days. WHat is decent for gaming and what would be considered high end?
Click to expand...


The specs are mostly numbers without meaning.
You can tell if a monitor has an IPS/VA panel or TN by looking at the viewing angles, that's about it.

There are no monitors with really good black levels except the ones with Samsung's 23-inch cPVA and Benq/AOU's MVA-equivalent.
Found in these monitors
Samsung F2380, 2333T
Eizo EV2333, (Foris) FS2331

Benq EW2420/EW2420 /2430
Benq BL2400
Benq EW2730

They have around 3000 to 1 in contrast.
No other PC monitors get past 1100-1200:1

Unless you're really sensitive, there are no slow monitors with lots of ghosting.
 
The EW2730 sounds like a really awesome monitor but I wonder how it'll look and I wonder why BenQ hasn't released any updates on it
 
I like fps games, so I'm still on a 20" CRT. I don't really see any alternative as of yet.
 
I guess I don't see why anyone would require 120+hz for FPS games unless they play professional, competitive Quake 3 Arena.... most FPS games seem just fine on a 60hz monitor. CRT's and TN panels just have way too many drawbacks IMO to be worth the higher refresh rates...
 
NukeDukem said:
I guess I don't see why anyone would require 120+hz for FPS games unless they play professional, competitive Quake 3 Arena.... most FPS games seem just fine on a 60hz monitor. CRT's and TN panels just have way too many drawbacks IMO to be worth the higher refresh rates...
Click to expand...

It's all about what is important to the person involved.
120Hz refresh is silky smooth, everything seem more responsive. For some this is everything. For others, that is not enough to over look the, easily noticeable PQ disparity between 120Hz TN panels and 60Hz IPS panels.
 
Ehhhh, personally I think all this 120Hz, -5ms input lag (it reads your mind!) etc etc... is way overblown.
There is a point where something is good enough for 99.9% of the population and IMO the vast majority of monitors currently on sale already fall under this blanket with regards to gaming. Unless you are truly a nationally ranked+ competitive FPS player you are unlikely to notice the difference. Further, if the OP already was one of those guys he would already know what to buy. ;)

For the OP I think something like a U2711 would be a good step forward. The only trouble is that quality 27" will not be found for sub $500 and you need way more then a 4870x2 to properly drive games at 2560.

As an aside, a long time ago, I had the pleasure of watching an elite (world ranked) quake 3 player completely smash people using a 1st gen iMac (25fps avg) complete with the 1 button puck mouse. He didn't complain, he just adjusted for the system and continued to dominate. Moral of the story; the player is way more important then the tools!
 
Chris F said:
Ehhhh, personally I think all this 120Hz, -5ms input lag (it reads your mind!) etc etc... is way overblown.
Click to expand...

I respectfully disagree. A simple test of strafing left and right quickly a few times while looking at say a wall, fence, vehicle, whatever and you will instantly see how inferior a 60hz LCD is compared to a 120hz. So if you don't care about clarity and prefer blur when gaming and also when your trying to pick someone off on the other side of the map while running and gunning then hats off to you. I'll stick to 120hz. ;)
 
Like a previous poster, I had a 21" CRT until very recently (in a dual monitor setup with an LCD for reading). Really, the only thing that was finally "good enough" to replace it as a primary gaming monitor was a 120hz LCD. If you are a core gamer, looking for a gaming display, accept no substitutes. Sadly there is no one monitor that does everything perfectly, but for gaming, 120hz is a beautiful thing.
 
Ive been playing through Thief Deadly Shadows lately and man it looks so much better on the Samsung 2333T (C-PVA) vs. my PX2370 TN panel.. The black levels of CPVA are vastly superior and make a big difference with games set in darker environments.
 
How does one get to the point they can be a nationally ranked FPS player without first investing in the technology. Also why can't an average person enjoy the same performance that the professionals enjoy? Don't you think the professionals have it for a reason? Don't all of us want to enjoy the same things if we can afford them?

They sell sports cars that can go 0-60 in under 4 seconds, should you say that no one should own those unless they are a professional racer? I mean clearly no one needs a nice car a ford focus would be good enough for just about everyone.

I do not nor will I ever game professionally but when I am not at work I do enjoy playing games and when I play them I want to play them as smooth as possible and the only way to do that is to have the FPS up really high over 100, and the only way to see that is if the monitor is capable. I personally will be buying a 120hz LCD soon to replace a CRT which has degraded past acceptable levels.

The problem with LCDs is so far there is no magic bullet you must choose picture or performance, that is what we are determining here. IMO go with performance and take a 120 hz LCD. If you want more info you are welcome to drop in my thread where I am trying to pick which one I will start with.

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1611687

Personally I have 3 LCDs in my house (not including laptops) and 4 CRTs 2 FW900s and 2 21" 3:4s and sorry but none of the LCDs can touch any of the CRTs. But I a going to give 120hz LCDs a try since on of my FW900s is now messed up.
 
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