Finding Your Monitor's Response Time: Measuring In Milliseconds

If you're looking to get the best performance from your gaming PC, you'll need to know how to find out your monitor's response time, measured in milliseconds (ms). The fastest response time on a monitor is currently 1 millisecond. Fast in monitor terms refers to each display's refresh rate and response time. Refresh rates run up to 240Hz, meaning your game's imagery will be displayed at 240 frames per second. Display response times are crucial in determining whether a monitor's refresh rate looks good, as they measure how quickly colours can shift.

Check monitor specifications online

There are several ways to check your monitor specifications online. Knowing the specifications of your monitor can help you determine its applicability to the task at hand.

Firstly, you need to find the brand and model of your monitor. The monitor brand or manufacturer is usually printed on the bottom of the screen or on the bezel. If there is not enough space on the bezel, the brand name or logo may be behind the screen. You can also find the brand name and model number on the monitor's packaging.

Once you have the brand and model, you can search for the specifications online. Open a web browser and enter your monitor manufacturer and model number into a search engine. This should bring up the page for your monitor, where you can find the specifications. If this does not work, navigate to the website of the manufacturer and enter your monitor model number into the search field or browse the product categories to find your specific monitor.

Another way to find monitor specifications is to use third-party software such as Belarc Advisor or Monitorinfoview. These programs can provide you with information about your monitor and other system details.

Additionally, you can find some basic specifications printed on the back of your monitor, such as the refresh rate, screen resolution, screen size, and power consumption.

Finally, if you have a Windows operating system, you can find monitor specifications in the advanced display settings. Go to Settings > System > Display > Advanced Display Settings, and you will find information such as the connected GPU, display resolution, and refresh rate.

Compare LCD and LED technology

To find out a monitor's response time in milliseconds, you can look up the specifications of your monitor online.

Now, here's a comparison of LCD and LED technology:

LCD stands for "liquid crystal display", while LED stands for "light-emitting diode". The main difference between the two lies in their backlighting technology. LCD monitors use cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) for backlighting, while LED monitors use light-emitting diodes for backlighting. All LED monitors are a type of LCD monitor, with "LED monitor" being shorthand for "LED-backlit LCD monitor".

LCD technology uses liquid crystals, which are substances with properties of both liquids and solids, to create images on a screen. When an electric current is applied, the liquid crystals align to allow or block light, forming images. LCD screens also use colour filters to create a full-colour image. LCD monitors are thinner and more energy-efficient than older CRT monitors, and they offer good colour reproduction and brightness.

LED monitors, on the other hand, use an array of semiconductor light-emitting diodes to produce light. Each diode emits light when a current passes through it, eliminating the need for a separate light source. This results in several advantages over LCDs, including lower power consumption, higher brightness, superior contrast ratios, and thinner displays with better picture quality. LED displays also tend to have wider colour gamuts, which further enhances image quality.

In terms of lifespan, LED displays last longer, with an average lifespan of around 100,000 hours compared to 50,000 hours for LCDs. LED monitors also offer wider viewing angles, making them a better choice for gaming, graphic design, or video editing. However, LCD monitors are generally more affordable, making them a good option for budget-conscious consumers.

While LED displays offer improved performance, LCD displays have some advantages in certain situations. LCD monitors often feature matte screens, which reduce glare in bright environments. They also tend to have more uniform backlighting, and some users find that they emit less blue light, potentially reducing eye strain.

In summary, LED displays offer improved image quality, energy efficiency, and lifespan compared to LCD displays. However, LCD displays have the advantage of being more affordable and offering features that reduce glare and eye strain. When choosing between the two, consider factors such as purpose, budget, energy efficiency, picture quality, and screen size to determine which technology best suits your needs.

Understand panel types

Understanding the different panel types available is crucial when choosing a monitor that suits your needs. Here is an overview of the four main panel types: TN, VA, IPS, and OLED.

TN Panels (Twisted Nematic)

TN panels are the most common and affordable type of LCD panels. They offer high responsiveness, with pixels changing state quickly to make moving images appear smoother. TN panels have improved over time, but image performance is still considered a relative weakness, with restricted viewing angles and colour accuracy issues. TN panels are a poor choice for colour-critical work such as design and photography.

VA Panels (Vertical Alignment)

VA panels offer improved viewing angles and colour reproduction compared to TN panels. They are known for their ability to block light from the backlight when it's not needed, resulting in deeper blacks and higher contrast ratios. VA panels are a good choice for movie lovers and general-purpose work. However, they have slower pixel response times, which can lead to blurring and trailing issues.

IPS Panels (In-Plane Switching)

IPS panels were designed to overcome the shortcomings of TN panels, offering better colour visibility and less light distortion. They provide rich, bright colours that don't fade or shift when viewed from different angles. IPS panels are ideal for colour-critical work and are commonly used by professionals in fields such as photography, design, and video editing. While IPS panels have traditionally been more expensive, the popularity of affordable import options has helped drive down prices.

OLED Panels (Organic Light-Emitting Diode)

OLED panels are a newer technology where each pixel is individually controlled, resulting in true blacks and more vibrant colours. OLED displays are typically more expensive than other panel types, but they offer superior speeds, contrast, and colour.

Look at screen size, aspect ratio, and resolution

When choosing a monitor, it's essential to consider the screen size, aspect ratio, and resolution to ensure you get the best viewing experience for your needs.

Screen Size

The size of a monitor is typically given as the diagonal measurement of its display area, usually in inches. Standard monitor sizes range from 19 inches to 34 inches, with some ultrawide models exceeding 40 inches. The most common monitor size is 24 inches, balancing screen real estate with desk space considerations. However, 27-inch monitors are gaining popularity for home and office use. When deciding on a monitor size, it's important to factor in your available desk space and intended use.

Aspect Ratio

The aspect ratio of a monitor describes the proportional relationship between its width and height. It is expressed as two numbers separated by a colon (x:y), where x represents the width and y the height. Common aspect ratios include 16:9, the most prevalent widescreen format, 16:10, which offers more vertical space, and 21:9, found in ultrawide monitors popular for gaming and productivity. The aspect ratio affects the overall display area, with wider ratios resulting in a smaller area for the same diagonal measurement.

Resolution

Screen resolution refers to the number of pixels a screen can display, measured by width and height. For example, a screen with 1920 pixels horizontally and 1080 pixels vertically has a resolution of 1920 x 1080, also known as Full HD. The resolution directly impacts image quality, with higher resolutions providing sharper images and more screen real estate. However, higher resolutions may require more powerful hardware to run effectively. It's worth noting that screen resolution is independent of screen size, as two screens of the same size can have different resolutions.

When choosing a monitor, it's crucial to consider the interplay between screen size, aspect ratio, and resolution. Larger monitors typically support higher resolutions, and higher resolutions are more beneficial on larger screens. Additionally, specific uses, such as gaming or graphic design, may dictate the optimal combination of these factors.

Consider monitor features and settings

When considering the responsiveness of a monitor, it's important to think about what the user feels when interacting with it as well as what they see. Input lag is the delay between the graphics card sending a frame to the monitor and the monitor displaying that frame. A lower input lag is better because it leads to a snappier feeling when you interact with the display using your mouse or other controller.

Monitors will process the image in various ways before outputting it – some models do this more extensively than others. Manufacturers will sometimes give PC monitors a dedicated mode that will bypass much of the signal processing, or a dedicated ‘low input lag’ setting that can be activated through the OSD (On Screen Display).

The refresh rate also has a significant bearing on how responsive a display looks and feels to the user. Traditionally, LCD monitors run at a refresh rate of 60Hz, which means that up to 60 discrete frames of information can be displayed every second with a 16.66ms ‘gap’ between frames. An increasing number of monitors now run in their native resolutions at a refresh rate of 120Hz or higher (e.g. 144Hz, 165Hz, 240Hz etc.). A 120Hz refresh rate allows the monitor to display twice as much information every second, outputting up to 120 discrete frames of information with an 8.33ms ‘gap’ between frames. The monitor also responds twice as frequently to user input updates, such as mouse movements, which when combined with relatively low input lag gives the user superior feedback and a much more ‘connected’ feel.

Variable refresh rate technologies such as Nvidia G-SYNC and AMD FreeSync dynamically adjust the refresh rate of the monitor to match the frame rate of a game or other content in real time. This helps to minimise latency and stuttering.

Another factor to consider is the use of a strobe backlight, which can be used to reduce motion blur. Strobe backlight technologies include Nvidia LightBoost, Samsung ‘Frame Sequential’, and settings from manufacturers such as Acer, AOC, LG, ASUS, Gigabyte, BenQ, Dell, Philips, HP, Corsair, and Cooler Master.

Frequently asked questions