DF: The Best PC Monitors For Gaming: 2020 Edition

polonyc2

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Digital Foundry's recommendations for the nine best monitors of 2020 so far...from value 1080p propositions to higher-end 1440p and 4K panels with deluxe features - even including HDR support to varying levels of quality...

 
LG27GL850

holt shit! They actually made an IPS that has 1ms gtg / 1440p and 144hz!?!


wow, now I want that
 
I just ordered the Asus VG27AQ, which is almost exactly the same as the LG 27GL850. rtings.com has them both neck and neck.

Too bad that B&H is backordered until June 1st. My old 24" 1080p IPS panel died this weekend.

Edit: B&H just sent me an email that the panel and my free screen wipe/towel shipped yesterday. Sweeeeet!
 
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They didn't. Any 1ms response time stuff is best case bullshit unless it is an OLED panel. See TFTCentral's review: https://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/lg_27gl850.htm#response_times

Wow, WTF is wrong with these companies dude. Fucking gotta dig through massive reviews to find out they are straight up bullshittting people.

Guess I’m sticking to my 2 27” dell gaming 144hz 1440p TN’s which I love

Would have loved for this tech to be legit for IPS panels but I guess we’re still not there yet
 
Wow, WTF is wrong with these companies dude. Fucking gotta dig through massive reviews to find out they are straight up bullshittting people.

Guess I’m sticking to my 2 27” dell gaming 144hz 1440p TN’s which I love

Would have loved for this tech to be legit for IPS panels but I guess we’re still not there yet
The actual response time is still damned good. An average of 4.8ms is nothing to sneeze at and fits well within the refresh window at 144 Hz.
 
The actual response time is still damned good. An average of 4.8ms is nothing to sneeze at and fits well within the refresh window at 144 Hz.

If I’m a competitive FPS shooter guy, and I buy this monitor and play side by side with my dell and can actually tell the difference that the LG is not as smooth/fast

that nice IPS from LG is getting tossed from the 2nd floor

but id love to own one if there was no difference while playing my usual games
 
If I’m a competitive FPS shooter guy, and I buy this monitor and play side by side with my dell and can actually tell the difference that the LG is not as smooth/fast

that nice IPS from LG is getting tossed from the 2nd floor

but id love to own one if there was no difference while playing my usual games
I can't imagine that you would notice. There is only one error anomaly that TFT Central noted and it would not be visible. Response time goes to motion clarity, and in general so long as the pixels change color before the next frame is presented there should be minimal ghosting.

I will not tell you how to spend your money, however. IPS image processing still adds input lag when compared to a TN and that can certainly still be noticeable at this level to twitch and pro gamers.
 
I can't imagine that you would notice. There is only one error anomaly that TFT Central noted and it would not be visible. Response time goes to motion clarity, and in general so long as the pixels change color before the next frame is presented there should be minimal ghosting.

I will not tell you how to spend your money, however. IPS image processing still adds input lag when compared to a TN and that can certainly still be noticeable at this level to twitch and pro gamers.

Until the tech is the same or better, I’ll be sticking with mine. There’s always a damn BUT :p

you would think after all these years they would have figured this out by now with IPS screens
 
Great selection of monitors. I have a Samsung curved 1440p 144hz freesync (Gsync enabled via control panel) montior currently, but I would like to add a second monitor possibly 4k 120hz or 144hz later this year when the news GPUs are released. I'm going to wait and see since I want the next gen GPUs to push 4k 120+ fps on Ultra.
 
you would think after all these years they would have figured this out by now with IPS screens
The tech has it's limitations; realistically, LCD panels are extremely poorly suited for high refresh, low persistence use cases. The examples available today are pushing things to the limit, not just technologically speaking, but also in terms of marketing ;).

OLED will be where it's at. The high margin stuff has been covered, and we're starting to see OLED panels come in laptops from many different companies. Desktops and small TVs are really the last bastion of LCDs due to the lower margins, on desktops due to numbers sold, and for smaller TVs the price people are actually willing to pay.
 
The tech has it's limitations; realistically, LCD panels are extremely poorly suited for high refresh, low persistence use cases. The examples available today are pushing things to the limit, not just technologically speaking, but also in terms of marketing ;).

OLED will be where it's at. The high margin stuff has been covered, and we're starting to see OLED panels come in laptops from many different companies. Desktops and small TVs are really the last bastion of LCDs due to the lower margins, on desktops due to numbers sold, and for smaller TVs the price people are actually willing to pay.

Yah I guess so. We don’t have any 27-32” OLED gaming monitors yet right? Im talking 144hz-240hz , 1ms gtg , 1440p /1080p
 
Yah I guess so. We don’t have any 27-32” OLED gaming monitors yet right? Im talking 144hz-240hz , 1ms gtg , 1440p /1080p
It's mostly, they need to make an OLED in that size, and simultaneously, not f'up the connectivity or QC etc. 32" 1440p 240Hz should be doable, for example, with HDMI 2.1 / DP 2.0 and upcoming GPUs.
 
It's mostly, they need to make an OLED in that size, and simultaneously, not f'up the connectivity or QC etc. 32" 1440p 240Hz should be doable, for example, with HDMI 2.1 / DP 2.0 and upcoming GPUs.

As amazing as a gaming oriented OLED @ 27 to 32" @ 240hz sounds, im assuming it would be insanely expensive.
 
As amazing as a gaming oriented OLED @ 27 to 32" @ 240hz sounds, im assuming it would be insanely expensive.
Not really?

Or well, it doesn't have to be. Biggest issue isn't the bill of materials, that's all readily available, but instead potential marketshare. And of course the first-mover dance of companies charging as much as possible when they're the only game in town, before competing models move in and race toward a more sustainable pricepoint.

But to put a ceiling on it: current OLEDs start at around US$1k for 55", supposing you don't buy an LG (who makes all of the panels) or a Sony that upcharges with an improved featureset. I think Philips has gotten into the game now at lower pricepoints, or it may have been Vizio.

In any case, such a monitor would likely sell for about the same price assuming some retail competition and decent production volume as probably a gaming and content creation monitor. LG may sell them themselves, or it may be Samsung or JOLED or a Chinese concern if they get their production up and running, or it may be the more traditional Taiwanese makers (ASUS, Acer, MSI) as well as the NA makers (Dell/Alienware, HP). Or both, who knows.

But essentially, once production volume in that class ramps up, prices should approach parity with higher-end LCDs pretty quickly.
 
I’m in the market for a new monitor myself and i’m having a hard time pulling the trigger. I have an old Dell 34 inch ultra wide that’s capped at 60 Hz and I’m looking for something to pair up this new 2070 video card I just got. I’m really looking for something with two USB upstream inputs so I can switch back-and-forth between my work laptop and my gaming desktop. That’s the hardest thing to find so far.

Any ideas?
 
I have the same monitor. I do believe the Alienware 34" that can do 120hz also can switch between machines since its a similar monitor to the Ultrawide we have.
 
I've been waiting for a good monitor that can deliver uber black. I mainly play single player games. Just like many movies, most of the great scenes or stories happen in the dark. I can't believe how that is still a niche market in 2020. I guess I have to wait for another decade for OLED in desktop size or some newer panels out there.
 
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