Measured in milliseconds (or simply "ms"), this figure represents how quickly the monitor in question can go from gray-to-gray, as calculated and tested by the manufacturer. Just what are response times, refresh rates, FreeSync, G-Sync, and IPS and TN technologies? Keep reading.
There's a lot of jargon when it comes to picking out monitors. The resolution, response time, refresh rates, and other features are worth considering as factors. If you own a powerful card, have experienced stable frames in 1080p, or have a new NVIDIA GTX card on order, 1440p is an option that shouldn't provide many issues.
When looking at new monitors, you'll need to work out your available budget on not only the display but also the necessary computing power to be able to push all the pixels out. It all boils down to personal preference, budget, and available computing power.
But if you haven't the space to upgrade to a larger display or simply don't feel the need to do so, your 21-inch Full HD setup is more than capable of immersing you into the numerous virtual worlds available for purchase today. It's also possible to look into SLI and multiple-card configurations when considering moving into the Ultra HD (4K) market. You need to consider response time, resolution, refresh rates, and sync tech. And 100 FPS at maximum detail on 1440p would be better than 20 FPS on 4K. Remember, you need to aim for high frame rates as well as pumping up graphics options and increasing the resolution to enhance your gaming experience. Even NVIDIA's new RTX 2080 Ti can struggle with powering content to a display at 4K. We're not talking just high-end specifications, but absolute beastly setups. This is an incredibly demanding format and should only be deployed if you have sufficient graphics power. The 4K resolution is a whole different ballgame. Going for one with a higher refresh rate will also enable your graphics card to refresh the image on-screen at faster rates to help eliminate blurring and tearing with fast-moving content. If you consistently surpass the barrier of your monitor's refresh rate (60Hz being the norm or 60 frames per second), then the leap to a 1440p monitor may be an ideal enhancement to your experience.Īlso, check benchmarks from reputable sources to see how your graphics card and setup could handle the extra demand.
Seeing how your PC handles games at 1080p would be a reliable way to estimate just how 1440p will go down. Latest AMD and NVIDIA GPUs will be able to handle gaming at 1440p (as well as 1080p) and even support VR. 1440p is becoming more popular as consumers upgrade to more powerful hardware at affordable prices. Grabbing a sweet deal on a new 27-inch (or above) monitor for your gaming den will be an ideal investment, allowing you to choose a screen that offers an increased refresh rate and higher resolution. Again, this is only if your graphics card and accompanying components can muster up enough power. An example display could be a 1440p unit with a refresh rate of 144Hz, which will enable you to enjoy smooth gameplay at a higher resolution than Full HD. Most 1080p screens are 60Hz, while more expensive 120Hz screens can output 120 frames every second. Higher frame rates are better if your monitor can handle it. We want to be aiming for a steady 60 frames per second (FPS) as an absolute minimum for smooth gameplay. As noted above, it depends on what your PC can handle. It doubles the horizontal and vertical resolution, so you can begin to understand just what's being asked of your graphics card when you throw an intensive application or game into the mix - four times the pixels.
Here are the resolutions we'll be working with when selecting a new monitor (or TV if you wish to get into couch gaming): 1440p and 4K are slowly acquiring market share, but often require the best graphics card options. 1080p is the most popular configuration used today. One of the major factors to consider when choosing a new display is the resolution.