Key Takeaways
– Consider panel type: IPS and VA panels are popular for gamers, each with their own benefits, while OLED panels offer great quality but come with a higher price tag and screen burn-in risks.
– Don’t be swayed by gimmicks: Fancy marketing terms and AI features may sound appealing, but focus on important monitor features like ports and speakers instead. Don’t spend big on novelties that may become irrelevant in the future.
– Pay attention to HDR: Not all HDR monitors are equal, so look for local dimming, high contrast ratio, and good peak brightness for a satisfying HDR experience. Consider QD-OLED monitors for better HDR performance.
– Remember to choose a monitor that complements your gaming rig: Avoid pairing a powerful GPU with a basic monitor or splurging on a high-resolution monitor with an underpowered graphics card.
When you start looking for a new gaming monitor, you’ll soon realize there are more than a handful of possibilities that stand out. Granted, it’s great to have options that let you pick and choose features, but an over-abundance only makes things complicated. It’s easy to get lost in all the options out there and get fixated on things that don’t matter as much. Therefore, it’s important to understand exactly what you need in order to avoid some common mistakes that can make you end up with the wrong product.
Ignoring the panel type
IPS vs VA vs TN vs OLED
There are various types of panels that go into the monitors that are available in 2024. You get to pick between TN, VA, IPS, and OLED, each with its own pros and cons. You might be tempted to pick a TN panel, since they support the highest refresh rate, but they don’t particularly excel in other areas like color reproduction and contrast ratios. That leaves you with IPS and VA, which are two of the most popular panel types in use today, and also a variety of OLEDs that are slowly creeping into the mainstream.
IPS panels are suitable for most gamers, and they’re widely popular due to superior image quality, responsiveness, and viewing angles. VA panels, on the other hand, are good for those who play in dark or dim lighting, as they have great contrast and don’t suffer from backlight bleeding issues like IPS. OLED panels are great overall, but they’re a bit on the expensive side, and you also have to worry about screen burn-in issues. Long story short, there’s no such thing as a “best panel type” that suits everyone, so it’s important to consider your use case and choose accordingly.
Falling for gimmicks
Do you really need AI to help you play games?
Most manufacturers tend to blow up basic features and try to pass them along to the consumer with fancy marketing terms that make you want to grab them. I can’t help but bring up the MEG 321URX QD-OLED that MSI recently demoed at CES 2024, which supposedly comes with AI to help you play games like League of Legends. This particular display makes use of an on-board AI accelerator that analyzes the mini-map to anticipate incoming opponents and puts an icon on your screen, letting you know where they’re coming from. I don’t know about you, but that sounds extremely distracting to me and also borderline unfair to others playing against you. Do you really need AI or an external program (read: a hack) to play a game?
We don’t even know how well this flavor of AI works at the moment and whether it’ll be relevant in a few years’ time, but it’s probably smarter to focus on more important features of the monitor instead of spending big bucks on novelties like this. I’m reminded of a wave of 3D Vision monitors that hit the shelves a few years ago that are completely irrelevant now. I’d recommend focusing on aspects of a monitor like the ports selection and the kind of speakers it brings to the table.
Not paying attention to HDR
Not all HDR monitors are made equal
A good HDR experience on gaming monitors is hard to come by, and the ones that deliver a great experience often cost a lot of money. Even if you find a good HDR monitor with a solid DisplayHDR certification, there are a few more things you ought to pay attention to in order to have a satisfying experience:
– Local dimming: The more local dimming zones, the more dynamic the visuals.
– High contrast ratio: Choose monitors that have greater contrast for a better HDR experience.
– Good peak brightness: High contrast ratios and high peak brightness go hand-in-hand.
Don’t make the mistake of simply falling for DisplayHDR certification; pay attention to the specifications mentioned above as well. If you can’t find something that fits your budget, it’s better to stick with a regular SDR monitor or to just keep your expectations in check when it comes to HDR performance.
You might want to look at the new crop of QD-OLED monitors if you’re really interested in HDR. Having experienced a QD-OLED panel before, I believe they’re better suited for HDR than most other panel types.
Failing to consider the rig
A monitor is merely an extension of your PC
Last but certainly not the least, it’s important to keep your gaming rig in mind and pick a monitor accordingly. I’ve seen folks who spend thousands of dollars on building a PC only to pair it with a mediocre 1080p panel. I’ve also seen people spend all their money buying a fancy monitor to pair with a GPU that’s barely sufficient to push 1440p gaming. Keep in mind that a monitor is an extension of your PC, and it should ideally complement it in a way that amplifies your gaming experience. It does you no good to pair, say, an RTX 4070 Ti or an RTX 4080 Super with a basic 1080p monitor. Doing so pushes you into a CPU bottleneck, and you won’t get the desired performance in games despite having a beefy GPU.
Similarly, there’s no point splurging on a fancy ultrawide monitor if you have an aging graphics card that’s barely able to push games at a normal resolution. Now’s the time to evaluate all the components and peripherals in your setup and determine what’s next in line for an update.
Closing thoughts
There’s no shortage of gaming monitors on the market, but not all of them are worth considering or are capable of delivering a good experience for you. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the options and features, but it’s important to look at the basics and get the right product instead of falling for a fad or a gimmick. It’s equally important to understand what works best for you so that you don’t end up with something that’s not optimal for your setup. The sooner you realize there’s more to buying a gaming monitor than simply checking out the specs sheet and obsessing over a trendy feature or two, the happier you’ll be.
Analyst comment
This news can be considered as neutral for the market. Analysts predict that the demand for gaming monitors will continue to rise, with a focus on panel type, avoiding gimmicky features, paying attention to HDR, and choosing a monitor that complements the gaming rig. Consumers are advised to make informed decisions based on their specific needs and avoid common mistakes while purchasing gaming monitors.
