For gamers looking to get the most performance for their money, the trick to finding the right gaming monitor is getting sufficient performance, display area, contrast and color to play games at an affordable price without sacrificing too much in other areas. Here's our expert advice on what to consider to get the most gaming monitor for your money.
Size
All else being equal, if you've got the space and budget, bigger is almost always better. Screen size labeling is based on the diagonal measurement: That made it easy to compare monitor sizes when almost every screen had the same aspect ratio -- essentially the proportions of the screen rectangle, which is the ratio of horizontal to vertical pixels. Wide and ultrawide screens on desktops and newer ratios on laptops (such as 3:2 or 16:10) make cross-size comparisons a little more difficult. You may need to factor in the aspect ratios your favorite games support. If they only offer 16:9 options, configuring them for a widescreen 21:9, 24:10 or 32:9 monitor can be annoying and frustrating; you may also be able to save some money.
If you remember your geometry and algebra, you can calculate the width and height of the display if you also know the aspect ratio. (Because width/height = aspect ratio and width² + height² = diagonal²) The further from 1:1 the aspect ratio is, the wider the screen and more of it will be out to the sides -- and therefore in your peripheral vision if you're sitting close. It will also let you figure out the physical dimensions of the screen, most notably the width, to ensure it will fit in the allotted space.
DPI Calculator can do the math for you, but keep in mind that the numbers only represent the panel size, not the size of the display, which includes bezels and the mount. Nor does it take into account curved displays, which tend to have smaller horizontal dimensions than their flat-screen equivalent.
Resolution
Resolution, the number of vertical by horizontal pixels that comprise the image, is inextricable from screen size when you're choosing a monitor. What you really want to optimize is pixel density, the number of pixels per inch the screen can display, because that's what primarily determines how sharp the screen looks as well as how big elements of the interface, such as icons and text, can appear. If you're gaming with a controller at distances further than you'd be sitting at a desk, it can be critical. For instance, I've discovered that I can't read the text well enough to even make it through a tutorial in 1440p on a 32-inch monitor from more than about 4 feet away.
Standard resolutions with a 16:9 aspect ratio include 4K UHD (3,840x2,160 pixels), QHD (Quad HD, 2,560x1,440 pixels) and FHD (Full HD, 1,920x1,080 pixels): You're better off looking at the numbers than the alphabet soup because when you get to variations like UWQHD they can get mind-bogglingly ambiguous. When you see references to "1080p" or "1440p," it's shorthand for the vertical resolution. Examples of widescreen resolutions, which you'll tend to see in 34-inch and larger curved displays, include 3,440x1,440 pixels (21:9) and 5,120x1,440 pixels (32:9).
On a 27-inch display, 1,920x1,080 has a pixel density of 81.59 ppi. On a 24-inch display, 1080p works out to 91.79 ppi. Because a higher density is better (up to a point), FHD will look better on the smaller screen. This also depends on your vision: For me, too low a resolution and I can see the pixel grid and at slightly better than that I see nothing but jaggies on small serif type. So "optimal" really depends on what you're looking at and personal preference. My preference for working, highly detailed sims, games with a lot of text and so on is at least 100ppi; if you're moving so fast there's no time to stop and shoot the flowers, you can probably drop to as low as 90ppi. Once again, the DPI Calculator can do the math for you. (A related spec is dot pitch, the size of the space between the center of the pixels, which is just the inverse of pixel density. For that, smaller is better.)
Because of the way Windows (and MacOS) works, you're always better off with the highest resolution possible: You can always change the settings to make things that are too small on a high-res screen larger and change settings to increase frame rates, but you can't make things that are too large on a low-res screen bigger.
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