The Ultimate Guide to Buying the Perfect Gaming Monitor

Boy playing game on PC

If you’re shopping for a new gaming monitor to add to your setup. All the technical specifications and options may become overwhelming. If you’re just going in blind, it can be a confusing, even frustrating process. So it’s important to prepare beforehand by doing your research. To get you started, we’ve put together a few pieces of basic information and things to look for. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about buying the perfect gaming monitor!

Consider Size

When you’re shopping for a gaming monitor, consider how much space you have to work with in your setup. It may be tempting to go for that top-of-the-line ultrawide monitor. But it doesn’t matter how nice your monitor is if it won’t fit in your setup space. If you’re looking for a solid middle ground between being large enough for a clear image and small enough to be practical, we recommend a 24” monitor.

Consider Display Type

Man is playing a game on gaming monitor

Next, while shopping for a gaming monitor, you’ll generally encounter three common display types: LCD, LED, and OLED. LCDs are generally the cheapest. But they also have the weakest quality, LEDs are a solid, versatile middle ground, and OLEDs provide cutting-edge quality, but also have some of the highest price tags. Each of them are equally viable options. If you’re planning to play games that are known for their graphics, you may want to opt for a more expensive OLED monitor.

In addition, keep in mind that each of these displays emits blue light, which can cause eye strain if used extensively. To prevent this, be sure to invest in a protective light-blocking film as well as your monitor!

Pay Attention to Refresh Rate

Gaming setup

Finally, pay attention to the advertised refresh rate. The refresh rate is usually measured in hertz, (hz) and determines the number of frames per second, or FPS, your monitor will be able to display. While a high FPS may not matter for all games, if you’re into high-octane, fast-paced games, especially on a competitive level, it’s worth splurging on a 144hz monitor.

Looking for more great tech tips and recommendations? Visit us at DirectNine today!

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