Optimise your gaming setup – Monitor Buyer’s Guide
Not sure on what to look for in a monitor? Wanting to optimise your gaming setup with a new monitor? We will go over all the technical specs of a monitor to help you decide how to pick your perfect monitor. We will discuss differences on refresh rate, response time, panel technology, resolution, and more in this article.
🔹 Introduction
A gaming monitor is one of the most crucial components of a gaming setup. Whether you’re a competitive esports player, a casual gamer, or a content creator, your choice of monitor will impact performance, visual clarity, and response times.
This guide breaks down every technical aspect of gaming monitors and explains the importance and impact to your gameplay.
🔑 Key Factors to Consider
Screen Size & Aspect Ratio – How Big Should You Go?
| Screen Size | Explanation |
|---|---|
| 24-inch | Best for FPS gaming & esports (higher pixel density & eye tracking). Less distance for your eye to cover, and also ensures everything is in your immediate field of view. 1080p looks sharper due to a tighter pixel pitch and ensures visuals are crisp without requiring upscaling or anti aliasing, reducing input lag. Generally cost less, but easier to push higher frame rates in competitive shooters. |
| 27-inch | Balanced for gaming & productivity. 1440p (QHD) resolution is the standard here. Expect to see sharper visuals than 1080p and a slightly larger display without increasing excessive eye movement. Still allows for good reaction times and can improve game visibility. 1440p will require more graphics card power than at 1080p to maintain those high frame rates. |
| 32-inch | Ideal for immersive gaming & ultra-wide resolutions. Ideally 4k (UHD). This is great for immersive RPGs, strategy games and cinematic experiences. You’ll expect to see stunning visuals, although you may need scaling for readable text in certain apps. |
| 34-inch UltraWide | Great for sim racing, MMOs, multitasking. Ultrawide (21:9). Even more screen space which can help in strategy and flight sims. Having a screen of this size can help with situational awareness in racing games and flight sims. Will require a higher end graphics card to push smooth frame rates at high resolutions. |
| 42-48 inch | OLED gaming & living room setups. Super Ultrawide (32:9). Great for sim racing and productivity. Not recommended for shooters. Expect great cinematics with a monitor of this size. |
🔹 Aspect Ratio Considerations
- 16:9 → The standard for most games and competitive play.
- 21:9 (Ultrawide) → Expands FOV in supported games, but not all titles are optimized.
- 32:9 (Super Ultrawide) → Useful for sim racing & productivity but not great for FPS gaming.
🖥 Resolution At a glance. Does 4K Make Sense for Gaming?
| Resolution | Pixel Density |
|---|---|
| 1080p (FHD) | Best for high refresh rate esports gaming (240Hz+ optimized) |
| 1440p (QHD) | Sweet spot for sharp visuals & high refresh rates |
| 4K (UHD) | Requires powerful GPUs but ideal for immersive gaming |
| 8K | Overkill for gaming, but exists for future-proofing |
🔹 Choosing the Right Resolution
- For Competitive FPS: Stick to 1080p or 1440p with 240Hz+ refresh rates.
- For Casual & AAA Titles: 1440p or 4K offers better visuals.
- For Sim Racing or MMOs: Ultrawide (3440×1440 or 5120×1440) is immersive.
⚡ Refresh Rate – Does More Hz Always Mean Better?
| Refresh Rate | Typical Use |
|---|---|
| 60Hz | Casual gaming, RPGs, non-competitive titles |
| 120Hz | Console gaming (PS5, Xbox Series X) |
| 144Hz | Minimum standard for smooth PC gaming |
| 165Hz-240Hz | Best for fast-paced FPS (Valorant, CS2, Apex) |
| 360Hz+ | Elite esports performance |
🔹 What benefits will I see between each refresh rate and are they worth it?!
Upgrading from 60Hz – > 120Hz>
- The jump from 60Hz to 120Hz will be one of the most noticeable improvements to your gaming session.
- Less input lag: Actions will be more instantaneous which will be extremely noticeable in fast paced games like Call of Duty.
- Motion Clarity: objects in motion will appear sharper with much less ghosting.
- This is a game changer and the biggest upgrade you could make to your system. At a bare minimum 120Hz is recommended for competitive gaming as it will provide you with a noticeable advantage in FPS, Battle Royale and Fighting Games.
Upgrading from 120Hz -> 144Hz
- You’ll still feel a worthy upgrade in this bracket. Aiming will feel snappier and much easier to control making your gaming experience feel much smoother.
- Slight reduction here in input lag. You’ll have a ~1-2ms increase
- Transitions will appear more fluid in high speed games such as racing and shooting games.
- It’s still an upgrade you will notice and recommended for if you’re looking to take gaming to the next level.
Upgrading 144Hz -> 165Hz
- Reduced ghosting making objects in motion look clearer.
- Improvement to tracking moving targets, which is crucial when optimising your setup for shooters.
- Further reduction in input lag (~0.5ms improvement). May be unoticeable for casual players, but the completive audience will notice the competitive edge provided.
- Something to bare in mind when purchasing a monitor of this level, is that you’ll need a graphics card capable of pushing out these FPS numbers to match the monitor refresh rate making the upgrade worth it.
Upgrading 165Hz -> 240Hz
- Expect to experience super smooth motion tracking which will make rapid turns and flick shots feel completely natural.
- Low motion blur, objects will remain sharper even when moving at high speeds.
- A further reduction in input lag (~3-5ms less than monitors in the 144Hz category)
- The absolute pro and competitive players out there will want a monitor like this. Tracking enemies and objects with a refresh rate this high will be even easier. There is a very clear advantage at this bracket over someone using a 120Hz monitor for example. If you’re looking at optimising your setup to it’s full potential, this is what you should be aiming for. You’ll need a graphics card capable of pushing these numbers.
Upgrading 240Hz -> 360Hz
- Zero motion blur – ideal for reaction based gaming
- Fastest response times at 1ms or low
- At the high level of eSports, every frame counts, so this is recommended for professional and competitive esport players.
- Big warning here: you will need a high end graphics card capable of sustaining 300+ FPS to make this a worth while purchase.
Summary of refresh rates:
- Higher refresh rates reduce motion blur & improve reaction time.
- 240Hz+ monitors provide diminishing returns unless you play at an ultra-high level.
- VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) (G-Sync/FreeSync) prevents screen tearing.
- Most players players (even competitive ones) won’t notice a difference above 240Hz.
⏳ Response Time – Eliminating Ghosting & Motion Blur
| Response Time (GtG) | Impact on Gaming |
|---|---|
| 5ms+ | Not suitable for competitive gaming. Suitable for casual use. |
| 3ms | Entry-level gaming monitors |
| 1ms (GtG) | Ideal for FPS and esports to give you the competitive edge |
| 0.1ms (OLED) | The fastest, expect to see no motion blur |
🔹 GtG vs. MPRT – What’s the Difference?
- GtG (Gray-to-Gray) – Measures pixel color transitions.
- MPRT (Moving Picture Response Time) – More accurate for motion clarity.
🚨 TN & IPS panels rely on GtG, while OLED uses MPRT for true motion clarity.
📺 Panel Types – TN vs. IPS vs. VA vs. OLED
| Panel Type | Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|---|
| TN (Twisted Nematic) | Fastest response time (1ms), high refresh rate | Poor colors, bad viewing angles |
| IPS (In-Plane Switching) | Great colors, viewing angles, 1ms-3ms response | More expensive, weaker contrast |
| VA (Vertical Alignment) | Best contrast (3000:1+), deep blacks | Slower response time (3ms-5ms) |
| OLED (Organic LED) | Infinite contrast, perfect blacks, 0.1ms response | Risk of burn-in, expensive |
🔹 Which Panel is Best for You?
- Esports & FPS: TN or Fast IPS.
- Casual & AAA Gaming: IPS or OLED for better colors.
- Cinematic or HDR Gaming: OLED or VA panels for deep blacks.
🔆 HDR & Peak Brightness – Is HDR Gaming Worth It?
| HDR Standard | Peak Brightness |
|---|---|
| HDR10 | Basic HDR (~400 nits) |
| HDR600 | Mid-range HDR (~600 nits) |
| HDR1000 | True HDR gaming (~1000 nits) |
| OLED HDR | Infinite contrast, but lower peak brightness |
🔹 Things to Consider:
- Most “HDR” gaming monitors are fake HDR unless they hit 1000+ nits.
- True HDR = Local dimming or OLED panels.
🖧 Connectivity & Ports
| Port | Refresh Rate Support |
|---|---|
| HDMI 2.0 | Max 1440p 144Hz / 4K 60Hz |
| HDMI 2.1 | Max 4K 144Hz, VRR (PS5, Xbox) |
| DisplayPort 1.4 | 4K 120Hz / 1440p 240Hz |
| USB-C (DP Alt Mode) | Can drive monitors via USB |
💡 For PC gamers, DisplayPort is best for high refresh rates.
🔋 VRR (G-Sync vs. FreeSync) – Why It Matters
What is VRR?
Variable Refresh Rate prevents screen tearing by matching FPS to refresh rate.
| Technology | Compatible GPUs |
|---|---|
| G-Sync (NVIDIA) | Works only with NVIDIA GPUs |
| FreeSync (AMD) | Works on AMD & some NVIDIA GPUs |
🚀 G-Sync Compatible monitors work with both AMD & NVIDIA cards providing a little more flexibility in your setup.
🎯 Final Recommendations
- For Esports & Competitive Gamers (CS2, Valorant, Apex) → 240Hz+ Fast IPS, 1ms, G-Sync, 1080p or 1440p.
- For AAA Gaming (Cyberpunk, Red Dead) → 1440p or 4K OLED, HDR1000, 120Hz+.
- For Sim Racing & RPGs → 34-inch Ultrawide, VA or OLED panel.
- For Console Gaming (PS5, Xbox) → 4K 120Hz HDMI 2.1 support.
