Gaming Monitors In Test 2020: The Best Models At A Glance

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Gaming Monitors In Test 2020: The Best Models At A Glance
Gaming Monitors In Test 2020: The Best Models At A Glance

Video: Gaming Monitors In Test 2020: The Best Models At A Glance

Video: Gaming Monitors In Test 2020: The Best Models At A Glance
Video: Best Gaming Monitors of 2020: 1440p, 4K, Ultrawide, 1080p and Budget Choices 2024, March
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Price-performance tip: LG UltraGear 27GL63T approx. 250 euros To Amazon
The all-rounder: LG UltraGear 27GL850-B approx. 500 euros To Amazon
The best 4K monitor: Acer Predator XB273KGP about 800 euros To Amazon
The best Ultrawide monitor: Samsung C49RG94SSU about 1,000 euros To Amazon

The price-performance tip: LG UltraGear 27GL63T

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The LG UltraGear 27GL63T offers an affordable entry into the world of gaming monitors. The 27-inch display has a Full HD resolution, the maximum refresh rate is 144 Hz, the response time is 1 ms. Thanks to Adaptive Sync, both Nvidia and AMD graphics cards benefit from synchronized frame rates, which, among other things, prevents unsightly tearing.

The only disadvantage is the relatively limited connection options, which are limited to an HDMI and DisplayPort slot. There was also no USB hub. All in all, this model nevertheless offers good basic equipment for just under 250 euros. The built-in IPS panel also ensures crisp colors and high viewing angle stability, but the response time and input lag are somewhat higher.

Note: If you want to achieve the advertised response time of 1 ms, you have to use overdrive, which leads to overshoot artifacts. We therefore recommend that the "Fast" variant is selected in the menu instead of the "Faster" option. So you avoid the so-called inverse ghosting, without causing excessive motion blur.

Advantages:

  • Low price
  • Adaptive sync support
  • Extremely short response time

Disadvantage:

  • Operation in the fastest mode leads to ghosting
  • Limited connectivity
LG 27GL63T (27 inch)
LG 27GL63T (27 inch)

LG 27GL63T (27 inch)

Now from € 245.74 at Amazon price comparison price can now be higher. Price from 2020-26-07 11:44 p.m.

The all-rounder: LG UltraGear 27GL850-B

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The LG UltraGear 27GL850-B is a true all-rounder. This gaming monitor with QHD resolution has a 27-inch nano-IPS panel and also an HDR10 certification, whereby you shouldn't expect too much from the HDR mode in this price range. It also covers 98 percent of the DCI-P3 color space and the 144 Hz refresh rate makes it ideal for shooters or the like.

But that's not all: The monitor is officially "G-Sync Compatible", so owners of both Nvidia and AMD graphics cards can look forward to synchronized frame rates. The main argument in favor of buying the LG UltraGear 27GL850-B is its extremely short response time. That would not be a special feature in itself, if it were not an IPS panel in this case, which normally has to deal with exactly this problem.

Note: If you want to achieve the advertised response time of 1 ms, you have to use overdrive, which leads to overshoot artifacts. We therefore recommend that the "Fast" variant is selected in the menu instead of the "Faster" option. So you avoid the so-called inverse ghosting, without causing excessive motion blur.

Advantages:

  • Outstanding price performance
  • Adaptive sync support
  • Integrated USB hub
  • Low response time

Disadvantage:

  • HDR can only be used to a limited extent
  • Operation in the fastest mode leads to ghosting
LG 27GL850-B (27 inch)
LG 27GL850-B (27 inch)

LG 27GL850-B (27 inch)

Now from € 477.71 at Amazon price comparison price can be higher now. Price from 2020-26-07 11:33 p.m.

The best 4K monitor: Acer Predator XB273KGP

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The Acer Predator XB273KGP really has it all. This is not least due to the proud price, for which you could theoretically assemble a complete gaming computer. But its features leave nothing to be desired: 4K resolution, IPS panel, 144 Hz refresh rate and G-Sync support.

Overall, this is a really successful overall package. The built-in IPS panel ensures high viewing angle stability and strong colors including HDR functionality. The whole thing is then supplemented with the short response time of theoretically 1 ms, which is to be made possible by using the "Visual Response Boost" (VRB). Unfortunately, this feature cannot be used in tandem with FreeSync.

Advantages:

  • 4K resolution possible with up to 144 Hz
  • G-Sync support
  • Integrated USB hub
  • Low response time

Disadvantage:

  • HDR can only be used to a limited extent
  • High price
Acer Predator XB273KGP (27 inch)
Acer Predator XB273KGP (27 inch)

Acer Predator XB273KGP (27 inch)

Now from € 807.39 at Amazon price comparison price can now be higher. Price from 2020-27-07 01:36 a.m.

The best ultrawide monitor: Samsung C49RG94SSU

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What primarily sets the Samsung C49RG94SSU apart from the competition mentioned so far is its range. In this case, the Ultrawide monitor does without the conventional 16: 9 aspect ratio and instead uses the 32: 9 format. This means that the 49-inch model is effectively the size of two 27-inch monitors. The resulting resolution of 5120 x 1440 pixels thus moves between that of a QHD and 4K monitor.

The built-in VA panel provides the necessary viewing angle stability as well as an accurate color representation, which can be increased again if necessary by the HDR-1000 functionality. The maximum refresh rate for this model is 120 Hz. FreeSync is also available.

Overall, the monitor was quite convincing in our test, but you should also make sure that there is enough space on the desk beforehand. If this screen size is a bit too much, you can use the somewhat more compact 21: 9 format as an alternative to the Alienware AW3418DW.

Advantages:

  • Increased immersion
  • High ergonomics thanks to the curved screen
  • Refresh rate of up to 120 Hz
  • FreeSync support
  • HDR 1000
  • Integrated USB hub

Disadvantage:

  • High price
  • Takes up a lot of space on the desk
  • Connections on the back are difficult to reach
Samsung C49RG94SSU (49 inch)
Samsung C49RG94SSU (49 inch)

Samsung C49RG94SSU (49 inch)

Now from € 948.62 at Amazon price comparison price can now be higher. Price from 2020-26-07 11:51 p.m.

So it was tested

When it comes to gaming monitors, the choice today is almost endless. As if the decision was not already difficult enough, manufacturers advertise with a variety of special functions that are supposed to make gamers' hearts beat faster. Some of them make sense, others just gimmicks. Ultimately, it depends on your needs and, above all, your wallet.

In our selection, we therefore consciously considered models that cover different price segments. So that we can give you the best possible overview, we have based not only our own experience but also user ratings and external test institutions.

Buying a monitor: What should I watch out for?

Response time, contrast & input lag

With a flat screen monitor you were well prepared for the next LAN party. With the boom in LCD technology, however, certain dark sides came to light, which posed a problem especially for gamers: ghosting (moving pictures), washed-out black, which could at best go through as dark gray, and so-called "image enhancement" functions that led to massive Input lag resulted.

LCD vs. OLED: which is really better? - TECH facts

Fortunately, you don't have to worry anymore nowadays if you buy the monitor from a well-known manufacturer. Even cheap monitors fall below a response time of 6 ms and come up with a static contrast value of over 1000: 1.

Refresh rate: 60, 144 or 240 Hz?

The first important question that players should ask themselves when buying a new gaming monitor: Which refresh rate (Hz) do I need? This decision in turn depends on how many frames per second (FPS) you would ideally like to play with. The fact is that games appear much more fluid to the human eye the more FPS are currently displayed.

So what does the refresh rate have to do with the FPS? Quite simply, let's take a monitor with 60 Hz: This can easily display up to 60 frames per second. If the FPS of the respective game is now significantly below or above the refresh rate of the monitor, there may be stutters or unsightly artifacts (tearing).

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Before making your decision, you should also consider the performance of your computer and the type of games you mainly play. Shooters, especially in the field of e-sports, benefit the most from increased frame rates. These are often graphically less demanding titles that easily break the magic limit of 144 FPS even with average hardware. In such a case, a correspondingly fast monitor with 144 Hz or even 240 Hz is definitely worthwhile.

G-Sync and FreeSync: a must or just gimmick?

One problem that high FPS numbers often entail is the aforementioned artifact formation - also called screen tearing. For a long time only the use of Vsync could help. Unfortunately, often at the expense of an increased input lag and overall less FPS. In the meantime, manufacturers such as Nvidia and AMD have developed their own solutions: G-Sync and FreeSync. Both technologies work in a similar way and ensure that the output images from the graphics card are synchronized with the refresh rate of the monitor.

Basically, it makes sense to choose a device with one of the technologies mentioned. The two standards are now relatively widespread, making monitors significantly more affordable. For a long time, G-Sync was only compatible with Nvidia graphics cards and FreeSync was therefore reserved for AMD cards. However, many monitors now have so-called "Adaptive Sync" and therefore support both standards.

Further to the topic: Using G-Sync and FreeSync on the monitor: How the technology works

TN, IPS or VA: Which panel would you like?

Regarding the built-in panel of a monitor, there is unfortunately no general answer as to which is the best. Each panel has its advantages and disadvantages that need to be weighed up. The following overview therefore shows the most important differences between Twisted Nemantic (TN), Vertical Alignment (VA) and In Plane Switching (IPS):

  • TN: Due to their design, these displays are still the cheapest and also have the shortest response time. But their image quality and viewing angle stability suffer.
  • IPS: Models with this panel, on the other hand, are pretty much the opposite. They shine with excellent image quality and viewing angle stability, but are significantly more expensive and have slower response times.
  • VA: These displays are a compromise between the two types mentioned above. The image quality is better than that of TN panels, but it does not come close to that of an IPS panel. The same applies to the response time, as this is shorter than that of IPS displays, but still does not match that of a fast TN panel.

Size, format and screen size

The size of the monitor is of course also a decisive factor. Since you usually sit very close to a monitor, you should think carefully about how big it should be. Current models have a screen diagonal between 24 and 27 inches, i.e. about 61 to 69 cm. If the monitor is too large, it may happen that the game is out of focus.

Also interesting: Gaming TV test 2020: The best 4K TVs for PS4, Xbox One and PC

In addition to the actual size, there are also different formats. The classic among them is still the 16: 9 format. In the meantime, however, increasingly more exotic formats such as 21: 9 or 32: 9 are becoming increasingly popular. Where previously several screens were necessary, a single screen in Ultrawide format is now sufficient to provide you with the same screen area.

Due to their enormous size, Ultrawide screens are often curved so that content fits more naturally into the human field of vision. This also ensures an increased immersion in games without having to look at unsightly screen edges. This resolution still has a catch: There are still a number of games that do not support the format. So this should be considered before making a purchase.

Resolution: 1080p, 1440p or 4K?

When deciding which resolution the gaming monitor should have, your computer and your future upgrade plans should decide. If your PC isn't powerful enough to play games in the monitor's native resolution, a low resolution screen may be a better choice.

Gaming monitor 4K 1440p FullHD
Gaming monitor 4K 1440p FullHD

Depending on how your graphics card and monitor handles the upscaling of games in Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels) to 4K (3840 x 2160 pixels), the image may be slightly washed out - the same also applies to the opposite way. For the best end result, it is therefore advisable to use the monitor's native resolution.

As far as screens with a resolution of 1440p (QHD) or 4K (UHD) are concerned, they are still a lot more expensive than variants with Full HD. It is therefore advisable to always make the question of the resolution dependent on your budget.

Which monitor is right for me?

By now it should have become clear how much a qualitative monitor is. So now it is time to decide on a model. Unfortunately, there is no universal formula for this, since the choice of a monitor strongly depends on your particular requirements. However, there are some scenarios in which certain monitors are more suitable than others.

Which monitor should I buy?

  • Do you mainly play shooters and maybe even competitively? In addition, the image quality is not as important to you as precise inputs and maximum FPS ? In this case, a monitor with a TN panel and a correspondingly high refresh rate of 144 Hz or more is suitable. Optionally, the monitor has G-Sync or FreeSync.
  • Are you looking for attractive graphics that immerse you completely in the game? Here you can either use a monitor in 4K resolution or a model in Ultrawide format. However, both options require a powerful graphics card due to the increased pixel density.
  • Do you prefer to grab your controller and then play comfortably from the bed or sofa ? If you have the appropriate budget, you can use a so-called "Big Format Gaming Display" (BFGD). Usually a corresponding gaming television would be significantly cheaper and almost as good.

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