While it can be really confusing to buy the right computer, what is more complicated than that is buying a gaming computer!
There is a lot to consider when you are setting your eyes to build your first gaming PC setup, more so to lay your hands on a proper gaming monitor.
Even if you have the latest GPU and the most advanced hardware, all of it will not make any sense if you do not have the right gaming monitor in your package. After all, it is the gaming visuals that make a game what it is!
There is a common perception among people that gaming monitors are expensive and they end up buying a general monitor in place of a specific gaming monitor.
Surprising as it may sound to many, all gaming monitors are not that expensive. Instead, you can easily find one just under $200 that provides just enough for a good gaming experience, given that you have a decent GPU.
Buying a Gaming Monitor—a comprehensive guide
There are broadly two different types of monitors in the market today-one that is used for work the other one that is used for playing games. If you are looking for a gaming monitor, this guide will help you make your decision.
Following are some of the factors that you must consider when buying a monitor, primarily for gaming.
- The refresh rate
A 144 Hz monitor is always a good choice when you are looking for a gaming monitor. 144hz mentioned here is actually the refresh rate which means that the monitor will redraw the picture 144 times per second on the screen as compared to the 60 times per second in other monitors. Since the monitor is redrawing the pictures faster, the gamer can witness any changes before the person who is viewing the same on a 60 Hz monitor.
Having a refresh rate like this also means, the gamer will experience a smoother image and will have much faster reaction times. And since the monitor has faster reaction times, the gamer can enjoy fast reaction as well.
A 144 Hz monitor will do justice to any fast paced game, anything lower than that will be disappointing and a compromise.
- Types of Panels
There are different types of panels that are used by the manufacturers of the monitors to power their screens. However, there are just two different panels that are worth discussing here–TN Panels and IPS panels. This is because only these two are related to a 144 Hz monitor.
- TN Panels
The TN Panels are the most common panels that are used in monitors. But now these panels are increasingly getting replaced by the IPS panels. Since TN Panels are built to give speed, these are a good choice for any gamer. The biggest advantage with TN Panels is their affordability. However, if money is not a problem with you and you want to get the best—you must choose the IPS Panels with 144 Hz refresh rate.
- IPS Panels
Even though IPS Panels are relatively new in the market, they have managed to make a place for themselves. They are gradually overtaking the entire monitor market and edging out the TN Panels. These definitely have better colors and viewing angles than the TN Panels. Since the IPS Panels are increasingly getting cheaper than what they used to be and are in the process of getting all the positives of TN Panels, it is assumed that they will completely displace their competition from the market.
Finally, it is you who has to decide what the best is for you! You need to figure out your budget and then prioritize both speed and colors over other features.
If you are seriously considering about taking up flying drones as a hobby, then you would want to buy a FPV monitor.
And if you are planning to take up drone photography as a hobby or even a career, then you positively need to have one.
Flying quadcopters – and drones in general can be a lot of fun. And if you want to share the fun with your friends then there’s no better way than having a monitor that shows real time footage of what the drone’s camera is viewing.
A FPV (first person view) monitor is a small, lightweight TV that lets you see what the quadcopter’s camera is viewing, letting you frame the shot pretty well.
One thing you would want to note, though, is to choose a model whose screen does not turn all blue when there’s static.
Here’s a detailed guide about buying the best FPV monitor you might want to look at. It covers pretty much everything you would want to look at while buying one – screen size, resolution, battery life, DVR, receivers, brightness, view angle, latency, price and more.
The guide can sure help you make a intelligent buying decision.
Most FPV monitors sport small, 7 inch screens that come equipped with a sun shade for use outdoors. But there are also serious hobbyists who use 50 inch LED TVs for FPV.
The rest use either monitors or FPV goggles. And speaking of googles, they are pretty good too. Goggles are for the more serious hobbyists and professionals and generally not used by those who are just getting started with the hobby.
