The gaming world is packed with endless accessories, components and hardware in general. One of the key pieces when setting up a computer for gaming is the monitor. Although there are currently many monitors (IPS, AV, TN, OLED), the most common are those with IPS and TN technology. Once the resolution and the refresh rate have been chosen, the most important factor to enjoy a good gaming experience is the type of panel, and this time we will see the main differences between an IPS vs TN monitor .
Advantages and disadvantages of IPS monitors for gaming
IPS (I n-Plane Switching ) panels are today the most common panels in the world of computing. This is due not only to their low manufacturing cost, but also to the advantages they present over TN panels.
The most important advantage of IPS monitors has to do with depth and color reproduction. With a depth of up to 8 bits, IPS panels are capable of representing a much greater color gamut than TN panels . This also affects the purity of the blacks, resulting in significantly better image and quality at not necessarily high resolutions.
Another advantage that this type of panel presents has to do with the viewing angles. As a general rule, any IPS monitor supports up to 178º on the horizontal where the image does not lose color or brightness. But all that glitters is not gold.
The main disadvantage of IPS panels is based on the physical frequency limit that the matrix is able to offer, which translates into lower Hertz (Hz) , an essential factor when playing online games related to shooter. . To date, in fact, no IPS LCD panel is capable of offering 240 Hz, but 144 Hz. It is also worth mentioning the response time when processing a certain image, which usually ranges between 4 and 5 ms.
Advantages and disadvantages of TN monitors for gaming
On the other side of the ring we find TN (Twisted Nematic) panels, a type of panel with many more years behind it than IPS panels and whose main advantage is in response time. A response time that generally starts at just 1 ms .
This is especially useful for games where speed is the key to winning the game or fighting enemies. Added to this is the ability of the TN panel arrays to reproduce images at high frequencies, which can reach a chilling 240 Hz without the need to increase the budget significantly.
As for the disadvantages of TN monitors, these are based on the poor reproduction and depth of color when representing a certain range of colors . With a depth of just 6 bits, the color spectrum is limited to just 260,000. This directly affects the viewing angles, which distort the brightness and colors of the image when we use the monitor from an angle that goes beyond 90º.
So which monitor is best for gaming?
By features and capabilities, TN monitors are better monitors for gaming only if our use is limited to games. In the event that we demand tasks related to the editing or reproduction of video and images in programs such as Photoshop or Premiere, it is best to opt for an IPS panel to obtain a range of colors as faithful as possible to reality.
LG 38GL950G, with 1 ms response and 144 Hz.
We can also opt for IPS monitors such as the LG 38GL950G that reach 144 Hz in frequency and 1 ms in response time without sacrificing aspects such as color reproduction or viewing angles.