Higher resolutions and lower refresh rates might be better for single player experiences.
Simulations and racing games might benefit from a curved or ultrawide display.
Buying a monitor for gaming can be tricky.
Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek
Manufacturers and retailers will try and pull you in various directions with features you may or may not need.
What Sort of Games Do You Play?
What you’re using your display for should guide any purchasing decision you make.
Consider what you’re used to playing and what you’re looking forward to playing in the future.
Let’s take a look at some of these factors in more detail.
Do You Need a High Refresh Rate?
Moving to 90 or 120Hz can yield a noticeable difference.
What Should the Native Resolution Be?
All display panels have a native resolution, which is the maximum resolution at which content should be displayed.
You should match your desired output resolution with your monitor’s native resolution.
Gaming at 4K is great provided your system can handle it.
1440p, also known asQHDor WQHD, is gaining popularity as a stop-gap between 1080p and 4K.
Gaming at 1440p is less demanding than 4K while providing a noticeable jump in quality over 1080p.
Lastly,upscaling solutions like NVIDIA’s DLSSandAMD’s FSRcan go a long way.
Most games now support this sort of technology, but your graphics card will also need to support it.
This is one example where picking a higher-resolution monitor might make sense.
What Kind of Panel Is Right for You?
There are two main technologies to pick from when selecting a monitor: LCD and OLED.
LCDs are much more common and use LED backlighting.
LCD technology is both affordable and adaptable and can be found in ultra-budget models or high-end $2,000 displays.
Their response times are also good.
Related:OLED Gaming Monitors Are Here, Is It Time To Upgrade?
VA (vertical alignment) panels offer the best image quality in terms ofcontrast ratio.
They’re a good choice if you want the best image at the cost of response times.
OLED displaysuse entirely different technology.
OLEDs typically offer excellent response times, but they’re also expensive.
OLED displays offer the highest quality image at a premium price point with a risk of image retention.
What About Curved and Ultrawide Monitors?
If you want to be immersed in your game, acurved monitormight be a good choice.
The higher the number, the more subtle the curve.
It’s worth seeing these models in person before settling on one.
These monitors are great are providing a more immersive experience.
When combined with theultrawide form factor, they create an ideal monitor for use in many simulation games.
On the other hand, some images can look distorted depending on your setup.
For example, two 1800R curved monitors will likely feel more comfortable compared with two 1000R curves.
How Important Is VRR?
Most monitors will come with AMD FreeSync compatibility in some form, withFreeSync Premium and Premium Prooffering additional benefits.
FreeSync monitors work with AMD, NVIDIA, and Intel GPUs.
NVIDIA also has VRR technology known as G-SYNC, which also enjoysgood compatibility with different GPUs.
How Should You Balance Your Monitor Budget?
Instead, use the guidance above to decide what’s most important to you.
Just consider how static elements on your desktop could contribute to burn-in.
Check outour list of top gaming monitorsfor some recommendations at every price point.
