The different panel types can be confusing for people who are looking to buy gaming monitors; let’s look at the pros and cons of each category.
So you want a new gaming monitor and you already know all the specifications it should have? Screen size, resolution, and of course, price range?
However, when you think it’s time to click “buy,” you remember that monitors have different panel types and that different manufacturing processes can have a significant impact.
What do you need? TN, VA, or IPS?
All modern monitors are based on TFT LCD (Thin Film Transistor) technology. TFT LCDs were first introduced in the 1950s and have improved significantly over the years. There are three main types of panels: “Twisted Nematic” (TN), which is also the oldest, “Vertical Alignment” (VA) and “In-Plane Switching” (IPS). Depending on your gaming habits and sometimes certain types of games, some manufacturing processes may be more suitable than others. You may like specific games or you may have no preference and a certain type of panel may be more suitable than others: let’s analyze their characteristics.
TN: first the speed, then the colors and angles, good black levels
Probably the oldest panels and considered by many to be true LCDs, TN panels are usually the cheapest panels. Their main advantage is the response time. Until recently, TN panels had a pixel refresh rate of 1 ms or more, making them a must-have for gaming. The same goes for the refresh rate, or number of frames per second (“Frames Per Second”, FPS). Only TN panels can reach a frequency of 240 Hz, the others max out at 150-200 Hz. Remember, if a monitor reacts too slowly, you will notice unpleasant ghosting, smearing and ghosting effects during gaming. Also, the lag and overall latency of the input signal increases with slower monitors. TN panels are still the fastest and are also known for their high black levels and rich details in dark areas. On the downside, TN panels only cover 100% of the standard RGB color gamut and rarely offer a contrast ratio higher than 1000:1. This is the smallest color space and limits the view. The biggest weakness of TN panels, however, is their limited viewing angles, which can be as low as 170/160 degrees. This means that looking at the screen from a greater angle will result in significant color shifts and a slight image fading effect. However, the washout effect that monitors experienced in years past has been largely compensated for in modern TN monitors.
Who is it for
With their still unmatched speeds, TN panels continue to be the best choice for gamers interested in split-second multiplayer modes. If you like shooters or fighting games and want to compete with other players, or if you simply want the highest refresh rate possible, TN monitors are for you. They may not offer the best image quality and color, but they will offer impressive display speeds.
VA: Great overall, best contrast but not the fastest
When vertical alignment panel technology first came along, LCDs began to offer better color and viewing angles. VA panels offer a much larger color gamut than TN and better contrast than all other LCDs. While not as fast as TN, VA panels have improved and now perform similarly to TN, typically offering 2-3ms response times and a 200Hz refresh rate. They go beyond the standard RGB color space, often have a wider Adobe RGB color gamut, and have wide 178/178 viewing angles. Since VA panels offer impressive contrast ratios (usually 3000:1 or higher), they are great for HDR content, which is why most TVs today use them.
Who is it for
All gamers!!!! VA panels are basically good for any game. They are the most versatile of the devices, so if you are a fan of multiple types of games, they are the right ones for you. They offer good performance and excellent image quality regardless of the game. This is not a bad thing.However, for the more competitive gamer who wants to win. VAs are not as fast as TNs, so if kill/die or win/lose is more important than contrast ratios, you should go with TNs. Otherwise, VAs are the best choice.
IPS: Better colors and viewing angles, slower speed and black level details
In-plane switching monitors have been very popular for their color performance. they are the only type that generally offers 95% or even 100% coverage of the DCI-P3, which is the widest color space currently available and the one used in digital cinema. Basic IPS models also offer 20-30% more color space than the best TNs. So, when it comes to color, IPS is unbeatable, although casual users may not notice much difference compared to other types, especially VAs. However, IPS panels tend to “dumb down” black levels to the max, which can reduce dark detail. VA and especially TN panels offer more accurate black levels, which is a common weakness of IPS. IPS panels offer wide viewing angles of 178/178. This means you can see images clearly from almost any angle. IPS provides the best viewing experience when you are in a group. If you are in a group and are looking at the same screen from different angles, IPS is the best option. The response times and refresh rates of IPS monitors have improved significantly in recent years. They can now compete with VA panels in terms of speed, although they still can’t keep up with TN. IPS panels can’t offer refresh rates much higher than 150-160Hz, so if you are looking for a monitor with a high refresh rate, you may want to look elsewhere. In terms of contrast ratio, IPS panels fall somewhere between TN and VA, which means they can display HDR content much better than TN. In addition to their wide color gamut, IPS displays are probably better at displaying HDR content than VA devices, but there’s a lot of debate on this front.
Who’s it for
Minor black level issues aside, IPS monitors are the best choice for gamers who like to see scenes clearly and immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the game. If you’re a graphics fan and want to see images as the artists intended, go for an IPS monitor. This means that gamers who are into role-playing games, third-person exploration, first-person adventure, and open-world games should go for IPS. None of these games require perfect resolution or millisecond responsiveness, and all benefit greatly from color fidelity. For LAN split-screen or just sharing content, there’s nothing better than IPS. If you’re at home with friends and want to share a gaming session, IPS panels are much better than TN and offer more consistent viewing angles than VA.
