Finding the Perfect Gaming Monitor

Hard core computer gamers know that buying a monitor is more than just walking into a store and selecting the biggest display there is.  Because a monitor is so important to gaming (it is, after all, the window that allows the player into the world of the game he or she is playing), gamers will want to take a little extra time in deciding which monitor to purchase.

LCD screens are highly sought after by gamers because they are brighter than the traditional CRT monitors (the big boxy ones).  They often product much better colors and have more saturated images.  However, LCD screens have what is referred to as their native resolutions, or the resolutions that the monitor is specifically built around.  If you set your graphics card to one of these resolutions, you’ll see some amazing results as far as clarity, brightness, and contract.  If you set your resolution for anything other than a native resolution, the graphics may not be quite as good. 

When you’re looking at which LCD or LCD TV screen to purchase, there are some things to take into consideration.  In addition to the native resolution, you’ll want to take a look at the response time.  This is the time it takes for a pixel to go from off to on to off again.  This gives you a rough idea of just how quickly the image on your screen will refresh.  However, take note here that pixels are rarely fully on or fully off.  Most switch between colors, and this switching actually takes longer than it does for a pixel to turn completely on or off.  Because the manufacturer specifications are for pixels going completely on or off, this number shouldn’t be taken as a firm response rate.  However, generally, a monitor with a lower response time is going to be better than one with a larger number.

Likewise, other numbers on the specs are to be taken with a slight grain of salt.  Most of them, such as the contrast and brightness level, are like the response time—they’re usually represent the time it takes to go from full black to full white, and most games rarely do that.  Take this into account when comparing stats.

Comparing numbers is a good way of getting an idea of which monitor is the best, even if the numbers should be taken with a grain of salt.  However, there are some monitors that are specifically designed for gamers in mind.  Be sure to check and see which monitors were created with gamers in mind when you’re shopping.  Note that some monitors are specifically for graphics programs.  Note that these are different from game-focused monitors because they’re designed to show clear graphics that don’t rapidly change.  The graphics in a video game change very frequently, so you need a monitor that has a better response time than graphics-focused monitors usually have.

Basically, if you’re shopping for a gaming monitor, check the following: is the monitor designed with gamers in mind?  Is the native resolution a resolution that works with the games you’ll mostly be playing?  And finally, once you’ve narrowed down your choices, check the monitor stats to see which one is the best.