Tips For Buying a Sim Racing Monitor

Even if many components presently include the term “gaming” in their name, this does not imply that they are more competent to be classified as such. In the case of a gaming monitor, however, a user must consider a number of factors while selecting a model. All of them will be summarized in this post. And why they matter when choosing one model over another.

Gaming displays have always been a distinct breed from the rest of our computer hardware. As a result, there is no such thing as a “gaming motherboard.” And a graphics card is always going to be gaming, depending on the series you buy. Adding an RGB LED series to a component does not automatically transform it into a “gaming” component. Also, we should consider the qualities of the desktop we require before purchasing a gaming monitor.

A gaming monitor, on the other hand, must meet a number of specifications that set it apart from other monitors.

RESOLUTION

Two of the first things to consider when purchasing a new gaming monitor are its size and resolution.

The monitor’s size is usually the first thing to consider. It’s critical that the monitor sits properly on your desk and isn’t excessively large. The physical size of the monitor is significant because we should constantly gaze at it from the front. However, it is customary to select a monitor that is as large as possible (and that you can afford, of course).

On the market are monitors with diagonal screens ranging from 19 to 43 inches. The most popular sizes among consumers, however, are 24 and 27 inches. Ultra widescreen displays, on the other hand, are the equivalent of having two normal monitors side by side.

After we’ve determined on a size that we think is appropriate, we’ll need to decide on a resolution. In this case, the screen resolution must be compatible with our graphics card’s capabilities. No matter how much we cut the degree of detail, a very basic graphics card will not be able to play games at 4K resolution. Of course, the same goes for the other way around. We will be squandering our money if we have a powerful graphics card and purchase a monitor with a 720p resolution.

The following are the most common monitor resolutions:

• 1280 x 720 pixels (720p) for the lower end.
• 1920 x 1080 pixels (1080p) for the mid-range.
• 2560 x 1440 pixels (1440p) for the high end of the entry range.
• 3840 x 2160 pixels (4K) for the highest end.

8K resolution in monitors is not yet widespread and there are no gaming monitors that use it. Nor are there graphics cards that can play games smoothly in 8K.

INPUTS & REFRESH RATE

Almost all modern models, on the whole, feature one or more HDMI video inputs. The D-Sub15 (VGA) connector is also used by some very low-end displays. A gaming monitor might also have a DisplayPort and/or USB C port. The former, particularly if the monitor uses Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) technology. This is a feature that most gaming monitors have.

A monitor’s refresh rate can also be used to distinguish between a true gaming monitor and a non-gaming monitor. A vertical refresh rate of 60 Hz is standard on most displays. Today, gaming monitors with refresh rates ranging from 75 to 240 Hz are available. 144 Hz is the most common refresh rate for gaming monitors, with 240 Hz reserved for elite gamers that require such a high refresh rate in their setups.

VRR

As we have already mentioned in the previous section, variable image refresh technologies synchronize the FPS rendered by the graphics card with those represented on the screen. This provides better image quality on the screen, and is capable of eliminating image tearing. And, with this, the gaming experience is improved.

Now, this gaming experience is also going to depend a lot on the graphics card we have in our personal computer. If our model is not capable of giving more than 30 FPS at the resolution of the monitor, no matter how hard we try, the gaming experience will not be good.

There are two types of VRR technologies on the market: AMD FreeSync and NVIDIA G-SYNC. AMD FreeSync is the most widespread, since it is a free technology, which does not require the payment of licenses for the monitor to use it. Just the opposite of the NVIDIA version.

Until recently, in order to use each of these technologies, the user had to have a graphics card from the corresponding company. That is, to use AMD FreeSync the user had to have an AMD Radeon graphics card. And similar in the case of NVIDIA G-SYNC.

This created a situation where the cheapest gaming monitors were used with the least used/powerful graphics cards. Recently, however, NVIDIA made their drivers for their graphics cards compatible, so that they could be used with AMD FreeSync technology monitors.

Also VRR has an impact on the input lag of the monitor. Thus, the higher the monitor refresh rate, the lower the input lag of the monitor. In other words, the faster the changes in the user’s movements are registered on the screen. And, therefore, greater precision when playing.

PANEL TYPE AND RESPONSE TIME

There are currently three types of panel in use for a gaming monitor, each with its own advantages and disadvantages:

• TN panels: they tend to have the worst image quality but usually have the fastest response times. In fact, they tend to be widely used in gaming monitors with very high vertical refresh rates
• VA panels: They are much better than TN panels. They support better color reproduction and achieve excellent black levels and contrast.
• IPS panels: Outperform VA panels in color quality and accuracy, but contrast levels are significantly lower
• OLED panels: These new panels are very new to the market. They are far superior in image quality characteristics to the previous three models. However, the problem of burn-in of displays using them has not yet been completely solved

The response time of the gaming monitor matrix is usually another aspect that the user should be aware of. A gaming monitor must have the shortest response time. Currently, the fastest monitors are those that mount TN matrices, which are around 1 ms. Then, VA panels are usually around 4 ms, as well as IPS panels. Although for the latter, techniques have been developed that allow this time to be reduced to 1 ms.

Even so, the OLED panels are the best, with a response time of only 0.01 ms. It is true that there are users who are able to detect differences between the response times of different types of panels. But, in the end, it all has to do with the type of gamer you are: if you are a professional gamer, you will want to have the lowest response time; if you are a casual gamer, between 4 and 6 ms is a good figure for your gaming monitor.

See you on the track!