Which monitor to get. What are the monitor diagonals? What monitor size is suitable for work and home?

In 2017-2018, the market offers us a huge selection of monitors. The most popular monitors among gamers are those with 24-27 screen diagonals. The best (according to gamers and experts) popular gaming monitors are presented in our rating.

How to choose the best gaming monitor?

A good gaming monitor should be fast. At the same time, as indicators of its speed, it is customary to consider the response time and display delay (Input Lag).

Response time tells how many milliseconds it takes for a pixel to change in brightness, and can use a variety of measurement techniques. For manufacturers, the most pleasant version of the Gray to Gray (GtG) indicator is when the time is calculated by reducing the brightness of gray from 90% to 10%. The "slowest" rating for switching is Black-White-Black (BWB or BtB). Visually, a long response time appears as a trail behind a fast moving object. TN matrices have the best values; MVA/IPS monitors are two times slower. At present, a certain physical limit has already been reached and further reduction of response time is possible, mainly due to clever technical tricks.

Display delay occurs during signal processing by the electronic circuits of the monitor. It is believed that 10 ms for Input Lag is excellent; up to 30 ms - normal; more than fifty is already bad.

Almost every gamer has encountered "sagging" FPS in complex (in a graphical sense) scenes, i.e. reducing the speed of frame-by-frame image formation by the video card. On the other hand, many LCD monitors We still haven’t gotten rid of such an atavism as a fixed screen refresh rate. As a result of uncoordinated actions of these two nodes, the picture will be drawn either with a duplicate frame (friezes) or with a “jump” to a new one (gaps). For devices of this type this problem is unsolvable in principle, but with an increase in the refresh rate, the smoothness of the displayed image definitely increases. Today, the most “advanced” are 240 Hz monitors. True, you still need to see their advantage over 144-Hz ones.

A couple of years ago, major video card manufacturers began promoting the idea with controlled refresh rate. Actually, its basis is laid in the VESA standard for the DisplayPort interface itself and it is called Adaptive-Sync. The respective technologies from both companies manipulate certain parameters of the DP stream, and the monitor is guided by them to synchronize the output. Of course, if he is “trained” to do it. The trouble is that AMD and NVidia went their separate ways. The first decided to negotiate with component manufacturers to support their scalers (scaling units) with the open FreeSync specification. The latter preferred to keep the situation under control and supply everyone with their own modules of a similar purpose, but for G-Sync technology. Naturally, not for free. This is why monitors with proprietary scalers from NVidia are more expensive, and users, when choosing the second component of the video path, are forced to start from an existing device.

As for such characteristics as screen diagonal, aspect ratio or supported resolution - it depends on taste and color... Moreover, if the wallets are different. But we tried to cover as fully as possible all the most popular categories of gaming-class monitors.

In recent years, the concept of a “gaming monitor” has clearly ingrained itself in the minds of consumers, something that the marketing departments of manufacturing companies have been striving for for so long. Now, few people think that for decades (!) we have been playing with models with not the fastest matrices, with a standard vertical scan frequency of 60 Hz and without any additional technologies that improve the perception of the gameplay. And most importantly, almost no one complained.

Coming to the store in 2018 (or choosing on their own on the Internet) and setting the task of choosing a display with an eye to frequent online battles, many refuse to consider models with a frequency of less than 100 Hz, even if the previous monitor was not very fast and Everything seemed to be completely and completely satisfactory, but now there was simply an opportunity to buy something new. It is easy to understand such buyers, because progress does not stand still, the visual difference between 60 and 120 Hz is confirmed by almost all users, and therefore, if you have the financial opportunity, it is a sin to refuse the modern benefits of the IT industry.

Questions when choosing such monitors often end up universal solutions, perhaps, arises somewhat more than when selecting displays with characteristics that are less exciting to the consciousness of the majority of the public. To simplify this task and help you spend significantly less of your precious time, we decided to talk about the main criteria for choosing (in a fairly brief form) gaming models and give specific examples of the optimal, in our opinion, options available for sale.

Where to start

First of all, as when making a purchase of any other equipment, you need to clearly define your budget: plan the amount with which you are willing to part with relatively easily, and set the maximum bar to which you are willing to rise if necessary - in order to get the best of the most suitable for your needs. Without this, the selection process can drag on for a long time, and if you add to this the constant expectation of what the manufacturers will present in a month/quarter/six months, then even for a year or two, or even ad infinitum.

Here we note the following: practice shows that most of the new on the monitor market is well-forgotten old in a new “wrapper”, and for real and serious improvements, manufacturers initially ask too much. Thus, in most cases, you should focus on time-tested technologies or be prepared to overpay for newness and additional features/features.

At the second stage, you should decide whether the new monitor will be the only one on your desktop, used to perform a variety of tasks, or whether it will become a second one and will be used exclusively for games without serious demands on picture quality - the type of monitor that is suitable for you greatly depends on this. matrices. There are often cases when a person is professionally engaged in photography, video or graphics, but does not deny himself the pleasure of spending a couple of hours playing the game and wants to get a high-quality device “for everything at once.” Then the choice is sharply limited and simplified. The same is true if the buyer simply needs the fastest monitor on the market, and he is ready to turn a blind eye to all its shortcomings, even if there are a lot of these shortcomings.

Next, we immediately move on to the technical aspects of choice, not forgetting that in this material we will consider only the segment of real “gaming monitors,” which can only include models with a vertical scan frequency of 100 Hz and higher. We know that many manufacturers are trying to classify models with 60-75 Hz into this class, but let this remain on their conscience, because with the same success almost all solutions released over the past 10-15 years could be called “gaming”. the only difference is the support for adaptive synchronization systems, which remove tearing and some jerkiness in the picture, but are not able to increase the smoothness of what is happening on the screen while maintaining the already familiar vertical scan frequency.

What are the characteristics and what do they affect?

Diagonal and aspect ratio

Diagonal and aspect ratio are characteristics that, oddly enough, have some dependence on each other. On the market of modern gaming (!) monitors with high frequency scanning, you can find models of two main formats (16:9 and 21:9) and a couple of virtually exclusive monitors with non-standard ratios 32:9 and 32:10.

For models with a 16:9 aspect ratio that we are all familiar with, the screen diagonal starts from 23.5 inches and ends at the level of 32-inch solutions. Fast 21:9 “cinema” displays are limited to 34-35 inches diagonally, while ultra-wide ones are offered in sizes of 43 and 49 inches. The choice here can be based both on personal experience (for example, your monitor has become small over time and you want a bigger one), as well as on the physical ability to place a large display on the table, work tasks, area of interest, distance from the eyes to the surface of the screen, and, of course, visual acuity - so that you can do without the still somewhat problematic Windows scaling system.

When choosing a diagonal, the rules are simple:

the worse the vision, the larger the screen diagonal can (but should not) be;
The longer the working distance, the larger the screen you can afford without creating unnecessary problems.

Both rules also work in the opposite direction (good vision and short working distance), but, unfortunately, we cannot give exact examples of the relationship between screen size and comfortable distance to the eyes.

As for the advice in various sources about a comfortable distance to the screen being 1.5-2 times its diagonal (for a 24-inch monitor this is 92-122 cm), one can only be surprised and ask the authors of such advice whether they often They see on sale tables with a depth of more than 60-70 cm and how many monitors on the market are there with a stand that allows you to place the screen almost at the very edge of the table. In addition, such advice does not seem to take into account visual acuity, which not everyone can boast of.

When choosing an aspect ratio, things are a little more complicated. Here you need to decide what you want to get. Often watch films shot in the correct “cinema” format 2.35:1/2.4:1, prefer to simultaneously see the windows of three or more applications on the screen, do photo processing and retouching, video editing, and in modern (this is important!) games, would you mind expanding your field of view? In this case, we strongly recommend choosing among large 21:9 models and, perhaps, considering monitors in 32:9 and 32:10 formats, which are essentially a “glue together” of two 27-inch Full HD (49-inch option) or two 24-inch WUXGA (43-inch model).

Are you not bothered by the black bars on the sides and in general do you like to watch movies, series and TV shows on a large TV, prefer to keep everything in sight, like to play old games and don’t see anything wrong with constantly switching between several applications? If the answer is positive, forget about everything except standard 16:9 format models - even if they are not the future, they will be afloat for a very long time. This option is also suitable if you simply have no desire to get used to something new, and you call everything that differs from 16:9 television a “tank gap”, as was the case 10 years ago with the first models Full HD standard.

Let's touch on the topic of curved screens a little. Of course, the fashion for them continues, but the pace of production of such models has slowed down, manufacturers are no longer so zealous in demonstrating the need to “bend” panels, because for large and, especially, wide matrices, this feature has become the norm, which is not surprising at all as much as it was a couple of years ago back. Without it, color rendition at the edges of the screen will differ more from the central zone, monitors will take up more work space, and users will have to turn their heads more often. Working on such models in CAD programs and doing 3D modeling is not the most comfortable and enjoyable pastime. It is difficult to get used to not noticing curved lines (which should be straight), but with a strong desire it is quite possible. If your field of activity does not involve working with such software, then there is no need to worry again - take it and don’t think about it. This also applies to small Curved displays. In them, the curvature of the panel is a tribute to fashion and an attempt to slightly improve the stability of the image over the entire area of the matrix.

Working resolution

Depending on the selected screen diagonal and aspect ratio, you may be left with several options for working resolution, or you may be limited to one single option.

Among Full HD gaming models there are models from 23.5 to 32 inches, UFHD (2560x1080 pixels) - only 34 inches, WQHD live in the segment of 23.8-31.5-inch solutions, UWQHD will captivate you with a diagonal of 34-35 inches, and high-speed 4K can now only be found among 27-inch monitors.

The higher the screen resolution, the higher the pixel density (ppi) level, which directly affects the clarity of the picture. The difference is quite clearly visible when placing models with different ppi levels next to each other, it catches your eye when moving from a model with a low ppi to a solution with a high one, but quickly disappears if the distance to the screen is quite large and simply over time - a habit develops . We won’t talk about the need to buy models with high screen resolutions, because many are still satisfied with large Full HD models with “fat pixels,” so this point is very individual. However, if finances and eyesight allow, then it is better to give preference to models with increased pixel density.

The second reason to consider high-resolution models is the desire to see more on the screen without having to scroll and expand tabs. Of course, the size of the working elements and text will be smaller (when comparing models with the same diagonal), but the quality of the details will be high. Work will become more comfortable, and productivity will increase. In the case of games, the difference will be determined more by the aspect ratio than by the working resolution. The only thing you can count on when increasing it is a reduction in the size of some interface elements, graphic blocks and text. But how important this is for the player is a big question!

The third and most important point for those who like to play is the difference in the load on the computing components of the system. This most affects the graphics subsystem during complex calculations. And if for games Full resolution HD with medium graphics settings can now be enough Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti (and GTX 1060 for high settings quality, and with a margin for several more years), then for WQHD it is better to look towards the GTX 1070 and 1070 Ti, for UWQHD (3440×1440) - to the GTX 1080 and 1080 Ti, and for comfortable gaming in 4K it is advisable to put money aside on cards new generation - and then you won’t have to think about replacing it in the next 1-2 years (if you’re very lucky). However, if stable 30-40 fps is enough for you or you agree to medium and low graphics settings, then the list suitable options can be safely expanded.

Separately, I would like to touch on the topic of purchasing a monitor with a high resolution and its further use at lower values. The option, of course, is appropriate when your new video card has not yet arrived from the store, but, from our point of view, it’s still not worth doing this “permanently”. This defeats the whole point of purchasing an expensive display: the clarity and quality of the picture decreases due to the use of interpolation algorithms. In some models this mode works better, in others worse, but it will definitely not be possible to achieve the same quality as with the “native” resolution.

Types of matrices: advantages and disadvantages

Some 3-4 years ago, only models with TN+Film matrices could be classified as real gaming monitors, but they fundamentally did not suit those who wanted to get universal device- not only fast, but also with accurate color reproduction, stable picture and good viewing angles. After the appearance of the first 120 Hz TNs, we had to wait more than 5 years, but now you can find a fast monitor for every taste and budget on sale.

Let us highlight the main advantages and disadvantages of each type of matrix found in gaming models.

TN+Film:

+ high availability (with rare exceptions)
+ maximum speed response and options with the highest vertical frequency (200-240 Hz)
− poor viewing angles, low picture stability
− banding, image posterization
− pronounced “crystalline effect” (not always, but often)

*VA-type (SVA, MVA, AMVA):

+ deep black (with rare exceptions)
+ invisible "crystalline effect"
average viewing angles and picture stability
banding, bad gradients (not always, but often)
− Black-Crush effect
− slowest response speed (especially on dark transitions)

IPS-type (IPS, AHVA, PLS):

+ high response speed (in most cases)
+ almost indistinguishable “crystalline effect”
+ good viewing angles and picture stability
+ high-quality gradients and no banding
− the most expensive, all other things being equal (diagonal, resolution, frequency)

You may be surprised not to find such terms as “backlight uniformity” and “Glow effect” in the lists, but there is a simple explanation for this: absolutely everything modern matrices any type can demonstrate both good and poor illumination uniformity; both a strongly pronounced “glow” and a weakly noticeable one. There are no more leaders and outsiders. It is necessary to consider and evaluate not the type of panel, but the specific model of the matrix installed in the monitor.

Response speed, scan frequency, black frame insertion

The fastest, all other things being equal, are still the TN+Film solutions. They are followed by IPS-type, and all *VA-models receive bronze. It’s definitely not worth relying on the response time figures indicated by manufacturers in the technical specifications - this is just a profanation. The measurement techniques used, which evaluate 1-2 possible color transitions, have never given an idea of the speed of the display, since in real use there are tens of thousands of possible transitions, and they all differ in time, sometimes by several times.

You should focus exclusively on direct comparisons of models (put them side by side and run the same test), instrumental measurements and photographic evidence (not the most accurate method, but better than nothing). You will be amazed to see how different different models with the same stated GtG (Gray to Gray) time can differ.

From response time directlyThe clarity of moving elements/objects on the screen and the length of the cables depend(remains of the image from the previous frame). The lower it is, the higher the monitor speed and the clearer the dynamic image.

In numbers, the maximum time for any color transition should not exceed the time allowed by the monitor for one frame (1000 ms / 60 Hz = 16.66 ms or 1000 ms / 144 Hz = 6.94 ms, etc.). The greater the discrepancy, the stronger the plumes. The desire to level out this discrepancy will certainly lead you to the most worthy representatives of the TN+Film camp or to big expenses when purchasing top-end IPS solutions.

Vertical scan frequency is the second important parameter by which you should select a monitor and on which it depends visual smoothness of what is happening on the screen. Some of the readers will exclaim: “Why is this not the first most important parameter?” We answer: if the matrix is slow, then a high scanning frequency is useful, but not much. You will be annoyed by the length of the cables, and the whole point of purchasing such a gaming monitor, frankly speaking, is lost.

Decide on what you need maximum frequency Vertical scanning is as easy as shelling pears. If you are interested in e-sports, participate in professional tournaments, and the main disciplines are games where high speed and reaction time are extremely important, then you should take a closer look at TN+Film with a frequency of 180 to 240 Hz. Do you love playing something similar, but at an amateur level? Then choose models with a frequency of about 120-144 Hz. Gaming is taking up less and less time in your life and you just want to increase the fluidity of what's happening on your screen? In this case, you can easily drop to the level of 100-120 Hz and not feel discomfort for many years.

For some of their models, manufacturers provide a special backlight operating mode with the so-called “black frame insertion” (ULMB, ELMB, etc.). When activated, the backlight switches to pulse mode and works synchronously with the screen refresh rate, synchronizing the output frame rate. CRT monitors work on the same principle.

As a result, we see only the final frames without a transition stage: the clarity of objects in the frame increases “to the skies”, there are no discernible trails (with rare exceptions). The disadvantage of such backlight operating modes is the increased strain on the eyes, and at a low frequency, it is likely that some users will even be able to detect an unpleasant flicker. In addition, there are some limitations: the frequency at which the ULMB/ELMB mode can operate often does not exceed 120-144 Hz, and collaboration cannot be paired with active G-Sync or FreeSync.

On the other hand, if the monitor is initially very fast (this mainly applies to TN+Film models with a frequency of 180-240 Hz), then there is no point in modes with the insertion of a “black frame”. The visual difference turns out to be not so big as to further strain our visual apparatus.

Adaptive synchronization technologies (G-Sync, FreeSync)

As an additional bonus for players, monitor manufacturers use adaptive synchronization technologies: and , each of which we learned in detail earlier. The main task of both is to synchronize the frame generation rate produced by the GPU with the screen refresh rate, eliminating horizontal image tearing and providing a smoother picture compared to the usual V-Sync. The difference between the proposals of the two sworn competitors lies in the operating frequency range (G-Sync has a wider one), image output latency (FreeSync usually has less) and, of course, work with GPUs of certain models. In addition, the operation of this technology for the “green” ones is ensured by a special hardware module, which must be used in the monitor, which leads to a significant increase in the cost of the finished product. Add to this Nvidia's license fees (royals), and we get a clear answer to the question of why it is so expensive.

In turn, FreeSync is the marketing name for the Adaptive-Sync technology introduced in the DisplayPort 1.2 standard specification and its subsequent versions. Manufacturers who want to support AMD can absolutely legally and free of charge release a monitor with FreeSync “on board”, which we are seeing more and more often: approximately 80% of displays with an adaptive synchronization system support FreeSync, although so far all buyers and users of Nvidia video cards still the majority, which is at least proven by the statistics of the Steam service.

It is worth noting AMD technology LFC(Low Framerate Compensation), part of the FreeSync complex. It expands the refresh rate range of the screen and increases the smoothness of the gameplay at frequencies up to 30 frames per second. The effectiveness of this method of influence is still questionable for many, since at 30 fps or less in any case it is difficult to imagine smooth and comfortable gameplay.

Nvidia has software technology in its chest Fast-Sync, hidden deep in the driver settings and is a direct alternative to V-Sync. It appeared not so long ago, and therefore many users are not even aware of its existence.

It does not require special monitors to operate; it works on absolutely any model (even with declared FreeSync support). The main thing is that your system has an installed video card with an Nvidia GPU, preferably one of two last generations, And new version drivers.

Conventional vertical synchronization V-Sync allows you to deal with tearing relatively effectively, but it has significant disadvantages: input lag and fps limitation. Fast-Sync also eliminates frame tearing and micro-lag, but there is no increase in input lag that negatively affects the gameplay. Comparing with G-Sync, we can note the high-quality work of Fast-Sync at very high fps levels (100 and above), but if the frame level fluctuates in a wide range (for example, from 40 to more than 100 fps), then the hardware solution turns out to be more effective. But, as you already understand, you will have to pay a lot for this.

By the way, if you have an Nvidia video card, and your financial capabilities do not allow you to purchase a monitor with a G-Sync module, do not be upset - feel free to buy any other one, including the one with the declared AMD support FreeSync, because this feature will not hinder you in any way. The same can be said for users of AMD video cards: if it turns out that the monitor you like is aimed more at fans of “green” games, then this should not affect your choice in any way. Yes, in both cases you will be left without hardware adaptive synchronization systems, but all the other advantages of the monitor will not go away.

Connection interfaces

You’re unlikely to choose a gaming monitor based on the available connection interfaces, but we couldn’t ignore this speaker in the technical specifications. At the moment, all fast monitors are required to be equipped with modern ports DisplayPort and HDMI. They said goodbye to DVI-D and, especially, D-Sub a long time ago.

For DP, the minimum is version 1.2 with support for high refresh rates at resolutions from Full HD to UWQHD and adaptive synchronization technologies. It is DP that is the main interface for gaming models. Video cards starting from Nvidia GTX 960 and AMD Radeon RX 380 are capable of squeezing a stable maximum scan frequency from modern monitors. Earlier solutions will introduce restrictions at approximately 160-180 Hz for Full HD and 120 Hz for WQHD.

The latest version, DP 1.4, is relevant exclusively for high-speed UHD 4K models with a frequency of 120-144 Hz and full HDR support thanks to a multi-zone backlight system. For simpler models, DP 1.4 will not provide any advantages over the remaining most popular DP 1.2/1.2a.

The HDMI interface is in most cases installed by manufacturers to connect game consoles and third-party players. Its version 1.4/1.4b is only sufficient for medium-speed Full HD solutions (no higher than 144 Hz), and HDMI 2.0 will introduce restrictions in the form of a maximum of 144 Hz for WQHD and 100 Hz for UWQHD. Only AMD FreeSync adaptive synchronization technology can work with HDMI. Nvidia G-Sync requires DisplayPort 1.2 or higher.

One of the most modern connection options, USB Type-C, is starting to appear in more and more new products, but it should only be seen as a nice addition. Its capabilities are quite limited, so manufacturers are counting on 60-75 Hz, without support for any adaptive sync technology.

Additional "chips"

To attract buyers to their models, manufacturers hang a “ton of labels”, describing in vivid colors the advantages of certain software technologies, which often only spoil the final image on the screen.

When choosing, you should not focus on dozens of preset modes for games of different genres. Two, maximum three (including activated by default) of them will be enough for you, and functions like "black stabilizer"(to change visibility in deep shadows) during manual adjustment.

Sharpening “technologies” often turn out to be useless ( Super Sharpness, VividPixel, Clarity), working very rudely and negatively affecting the development small parts. Various systems a la Low Blue Light, which reduce the blue component of the spectrum, also turn out to be quite useless (but not for everyone). During their operation, the brightness of the backlight decreases, the color temperature drops to a level of 4000-5500 K, and the established gamma curves change in order to reduce the contrast of the image. Such global changes in the image on the screen sometimes lead to confusion and leave no desire to stop there. color mode. In addition, if you continue to sit at the monitor without taking proper breaks from work, then no additional presets will definitely help you - your eyes and head will continue to hurt.

Names of functions available for activation Low Input-lag or Extreme Low Input-lag sound attractive, but in reality they have little effect (and sometimes do not give at all), since the vast majority of gaming models have no additional settings There are no problems with this parameter, which is very demanding for advanced players.

An important positive feature of a modern monitor can be considered Flicker-free backlight(no flicker). The vast majority of gaming displays have it, but there are exceptions in which a hybrid system is used (flicker appears only in a certain range of brightness changes) or the flicker frequency is almost always at the level of 200-400 Hz, which can (but does not necessarily have to) lead to increased fatigue.

Another useful function (with some “buts”), according to the author, is an additional on-screen sight, which the monitor “draws” independently - strictly in the center of the screen. This is, of course, not the choice of the most honest players, but you will do anything to win. In this matter, we will probably do without advice.

HDR support- something that the newest models cannot do without. Here it is worth understanding the following: a real expansion of the dynamic range is possible only thanks to multi-zone backlighting, which is currently used only in the most expensive (more than 150 thousand rubles) gaming models. All other options are just names, even if the monitor has a color gamut wider than standard sRGB. Manufacturers provide support for EOTF gamma correction, which directly affects the gamma curves and final image contrast, but nothing fancy happens. You could do almost the same thing on your old monitors, simply by setting a different gamma mode (closer to the average value of 2.4) and increasing color saturation.

Complementing this list is the so-called "extended color gamut", on which manufacturers are increasingly betting. For games, it seems to us, this is not bad at all, but for lovers of everything bright, contrasting, rich - it’s just what the doctor ordered. If you are buying a universal monitor for which you plan to work with color, then you should give preference to models with a more familiar color gamut at the sRGB level. Focus on what has been promoted for about the last two years DCI-P3 This should only be done if you are creating video content that you plan to display on large TV screens in the future.

Optimal models

Once you have decided on the characteristics that are most suitable for you, you can move on to the next stage - actually choosing a new monitor. In this section, the author tried to highlight the optimal, in his opinion, models, most of which he was lucky enough to work closely with. Some of them, without a doubt, can be called the best in their segments, while others are simply “good”, suitable in the absence of the opportunity to get something better. However, we will try to do without giving out such loud and not so loud titles, simply directing your thoughts in the right direction. For convenience, we will do this primarily based on the working resolution of the monitors, and we will start with the Full HD standard that is familiar to many.

Full HD (1920×1080)

BenQ Zowie XL2411P

If you just want to get a fast and cheapest monitor, preference should be given to the model. There is nothing superfluous in the monitor (even FreeSync support), but thanks to it you can decide whether you are ready for modern TN+Film displays or whether it is better to immediately start searching among *VA models (IPS, we remind you, are not represented in this class).

Just one of these options - affordable, small and for lovers of *VA technology. Considering its cost, many expectations will be met, but in terms of speed, this model will in any case be worse than the above-mentioned BenQ and all analogues on TN+Film.

Asus PG258Q

The fastest, highest quality and smallest Full HD monitor om for less than 30 thousand rubles can be called with FreeSync support. This is a 24.5-inch solution with a TN+Film matrix and a frequency of 240 Hz, capable of meeting high level games of its owner. If you are interested in similar solutions, but with G-Sync, then the choice will be between and. The main difference, as always, is in price and design. There is no clear winner among them.

When shopping for a fast and affordable 27-inch display, you'll likely come across a new . This solution has all the shortcomings of TN+Film, but for 26 thousand rubles you will get a fairly large 240 Hz monitor with FreeSync support, which, in the aggregate, has no competitors at the moment.

LG 27GK750F

Looking for a similar monitor, but with G-Sync? Alas, you will have to drop to 144 Hz and pay about 8-10 thousand rubles more for the Acer Predator XB271HAb. Is the TN+Film matrix annoying again? Then the only more or less decent option is *VA, for which you won’t have to overpay much.

The latest innovations in the Full HD segment are 32-inch *VA models - solutions, frankly speaking, are very much for everyone. They are all as similar as possible, and therefore you just have to focus on design and price. We can include the most successful monitors, but be prepared to encounter the most “fat” pixels and not the best viewing angles.

UFHD (2560×1080)

This class of monitors is becoming less and less popular every year, but there is still demand. Buyers are concerned about large grains and limited choice. The most affordable member of this family of gaming displays is its pioneer with AMD FreeSync support. The solution is not the fastest or most trouble-free, so if you can pay extra, you should pay attention to the new and improved one with Nvidia G-Sync on board. There is no big point in overpaying for similar Acer Predator Z35, unless you are not satisfied with the appearance and quality of the “Korean” finish.

Dell Alienware AW3418HW

A separate line should be noted for the only representative of the 30-inch UFHD models - with the Tobii Eye Tracker eye tracking function, but without G-Sync. The model will be of interest primarily to those for whom 34-35-inch giants are simply not suitable in size.

WQHD (2560×1440)

The Iiyama company relatively recently made a gift to fans of the WQHD standard and fast gaming monitors with its . The solution is sold for 30-32 thousand rubles, is equipped with an already proven TN+Film matrix and offers FreeSync support. If there is some distrust in this brand, then everything is the same, but in a different wrapper I am ready to offer an old one, which has fallen greatly in price since its release. The best, not only in the opinion of the author, is with support for Nvidia G-Sync and ULMB backlight mode - for advanced players with powerful GPU-based PCs GeForce series this is perhaps the best choice. We would not give preference to similar 23.8-inch WQHD models: everything on the screen will be small and it will be necessary to activate the Windows scaling system, which is not the most trouble-free.

Iiyama G-Master GB2760QSU

*VA solutions will provide greater on-screen image stability, better viewing angles, and often (but not always) the backlight uniformity associated with these panels, coupled with a deep black field. At the same time, the best and optimal solution in the camp of 27-inch monitors is. It will not captivate you with the same response speed as the options on TN+Film, and some may be bothered by the peculiarities of font design, but, nevertheless, it will provide a completely different user experience, after which they leave TN.

Now let's move on to 27-inch IPS. The undisputed leader of the segment continues to rule here thanks to its competent pricing policy company and quality stability over the past 2 years. The monitor will please not only excellent color rendering and a stable picture, but also a very high panel speed. Those who are not satisfied with their appearance Acer models, can safely look at its main and more expensive competitor Asus ROG Swift PG279Q. It doesn’t have any significant advantages, just a different – more modern and stylish – design.

LG 32GK850G

Quite high-quality WQHD displays with a screen diagonal of 31.5-32 inches include the AOC AG322QCX (the first monitor released in this segment). An alternative to them are new products from LG: tested by reviewers with Nvidia G-Sync and the just presented 32GK850F with support for AMD FreeSync 2 and pseudo-HDR. Another important difference between both models and solutions from AOC and Samsung is a flat matrix with less problematic elaboration of fonts and small elements.

UWQHD (3440×1440)

If Nvidia G-Sync support is not important to you, then you can start getting acquainted with the class of fast UWQHD displays with excellent time-tested solutions from Samsung: and. The models differ slightly in price, matrix used (*VA 1500R with QD-LED backlight and *VA 1800R with W-LED) and design. Making a choice is quite easy: if unusually saturated/rich colors and a larger bending radius are not intimidating, then a model with QD-LED will be the best choice.

Samsung C34F791WQI

The next level is IPS solutions with a vertical scanning frequency of 100 Hz. Here you should choose from and Dell Alienware AW3418DW. These manufacturers have different warranty policies (Dell, in case of a defect, a courier arrives immediately with a new copy), the appearance is very different, and the factory settings are poor, but with Acer it is easy to change it for the better without full calibration. The built-in acoustic system of an Alienware monitor is unlikely to be a determining factor, but the quality of workmanship and the rigor of a competitor can put an end to the choice.

UHD 4K (3860x2160)

4K models with high vertical scanning frequency can be treated differently. Some have been waiting for them like manna from heaven, while others believe (and performance tests confirm this) that there is no point in them and will not be until GPU manufacturers raise the bar for the speed of their graphic solutions 2-3 times from current figures.

Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ

At the time of writing this material, the choice of fast 4K models is scarce and is represented by two 27-inch monitors with a frequency of 144 Hz: Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ and Acer Predator X27. There was no fundamental difference between them (except for the design, materials used and external lighting systems), their capabilities are identical, but the price is very different: the Acer solution is almost 50 thousand rubles cheaper. It is quite possible that soon the difference will not be so significant, but you will still have to choose based on your liking for a particular brand or appearance. All that remains is to save up 180-220 thousand rubles, having previously acquired a PC of no less value.

Conclusion

Choosing a gaming monitor is not at all the same as choosing a new one motherboard, RAM, cooler, video card or even photo/video camera. Here it will not be enough to study the technical specifications and colorful pictures on the Internet. It will be difficult for many to clearly decide and be confident in their choice, and if there is no experience working with models of different classes and levels, then it will be completely impossible to do this without going to an offline store. Not everyone can afford to buy a “pig in a poke,” both from a financial point of view (suddenly there will be no opportunity to return the product you don’t like) and from the point of view of time costs.

On average, a new monitor is purchased for the next 5-7 years of service, and many would like to make the most correct choice. Doing it based solely on outside reviews and advice would be a mistake, since there are a lot of variables that depend on your individual characteristics(eg visual acuity), preferences and working conditions.

The big advantage of the full-fledged gaming solutions segment is the relatively large number models, which will make it easier to search and quickly exclude unsuitable options from the list. You won’t have to sort through a couple of hundred commercially available displays, which will save your time and nerve cells, and the above tips, we hope, will be a good assistant in solving the task in a short time.

When working at a computer, it is important to have not only a fast system unit, but also a good monitor. Today we’ll talk about how to choose a monitor for a computer, which one is quite suitable for work, and which one you can safely buy for games, based on parameters such as diagonal size, matrix type, contrast and brightness optimal for the eyes, resolution and response time.

The quality of the image, and therefore the comfort when working and simply surfing the Internet, depends on the monitor.

Monitor selection - size

First, you need to decide on the size of the monitor. The defining indicator is the length of the diagonal, measured in inches.

The most popular diagonal sizes today are 21.5, 23, 27 and 35 inches. There are several more intermediate sizes, but we won’t talk about them. As for size, everyone should choose a monitor based on their preferences.

The optimal monitor size for work is 21-23 inches, for games 27 inches and above.

Permission

The resolution of modern monitors ranges from Full HD to 2K, 4K and 8K. This parameter directly affects the clarity of the picture, and is measured by the total number of pixels (dots) horizontally and vertically.

Full HD– the current minimum resolution for a high-quality monitor has parameters of 1920*1080 pixels.

When choosing a monitor for gaming and looking at options with 4K resolution, it’s worth asking yourself whether your video card can handle it? The price of such monitors is quite high, and if you buy it without considering the characteristics of the video card, you can waste your money.

Resolution and size are obvious parameters, and you probably know about them, but a monitor has equally significant characteristics that you should pay attention to, and it is important to understand what they mean. About such parameters below...

Backlight brightness

The backlight brightness parameter is measured in candelas per square meter (cd/m2). We won’t talk about what a candela is and how this unit of measurement came about; you can easily find this information by using the search.

The fact is that liquid crystals themselves do not emit light, therefore, in order to see the picture, we need backlighting; without it, monitors would simply be black, as if they were turned off. Accordingly, the higher this characteristic is, the brighter the picture we can get.

A good, and we would say the minimum indicator for a good monitor is 300 cd/m2.

It is worth remembering that this parameter must be considered in conjunction with another equally tricky thing, contrast.

Contrast

Contrast is the ratio of levels white, to the black level, i.e. How many times is the white dot lighter than the black dot?

This is a very important parameter, although marketers make the choice a little more difficult for us by coming up with the concept of “dynamic contrast”. This figure can reach 100,000,000:1. But what is it?

Dynamic contrast is also the ratio of the white level to the black level, but to the black level at minimum backlight, and to the white level at maximum backlight.

By and large, this parameter is absolutely meaningless, because why do we need to know how many times brighter the monitor is on than when it is off? Although it can be used as a source of lighting in the house in the form of a light bulb, but why?

Therefore, do not be distracted by this parameter, but when buying a monitor, look for an indicator, namely static contrast, i.e. at the same backlight level.

Why is contrast important to consider in conjunction with brightness? Let us explain, when shooting a monitor with a video camera, one monitor may look faded, while the other may look rich and contrasty.

We have three monitors in front of us, the middle one is working at the limit of its capacity, i.e. This is its normal contrast, at maximum brightness, and in reality, it appears a bit dark.

That is, everything that is in the shadows merges into a single dark spot, and when playing games, if the actions take place at night or in poorly lit rooms, it is very difficult to see anything.

If you try to correct this situation, for example, with drivers or settings, then yes, the shadows can be “stretched out”, they will look normal, but then all the light areas will begin to merge.

This happens because, despite good contrast indicators, the monitor has reached its maximum brightness, and this cannot be corrected.

If a monitor has, say, a brightness of 200 cd/m2 with a contrast of 600:1, then looking at such a monitor, it will seem that the screen is covered with a cloudy film, and although the color rendition will be good, it will be inconvenient to read texts and play.

Conclusion: The brightness level in the monitor should be at least 300 cd/m2 with a static contrast ratio of 900 to 1000:1.

Response time

Another important parameter is response time. Usually in the specifications it is indicated as Grey-to-Grey (GtG), this is the time during which a pixel can change brightness gray from 10% to 90%.

There is another indicator Black-to-White (BtW), the time during which a pixel can turn from a completely off, black state to its maximum brightness, that is, white.

And one more parameter Black-White-Black (BWB or BtB), the time during which the pixel goes from off to white and then off again.

In general, manufacturers specify Grey-to-Grey response times. Nowadays most monitors have between 5 and 7 milliseconds. And most of us won't notice any difference at all. On old monitors, this indicator was 10, 15 and even 25 milliseconds, and there was a trail behind all moving objects on the screen, this was especially noticeable when the mouse cursor moved across the screen.

Advanced gamers prefer monitors with a response time of 1 to 4 milliseconds, but they are more expensive, and in our opinion, this is not necessary, since it is difficult to notice such a small difference.

Matrix

Finally, we come directly to the monitor matrix. In simple words, this is the thing that forms the picture.

There are several types of matrices, but they have one base, liquid crystals, i.e. TFT displays, differing in the technologies used.

TFT TN matrix– the oldest technology and appeared to replace SRT monitors, i.e. monitors with beam tube.

Pros- cheap price and fast time response (1-4 ms).

Cons– poor viewing angle. As soon as you deviate a little vertically or horizontally, changing the viewing angle, the image on the screen becomes dark, the contrast changes, etc.

TFT AH-IPS matrix – replaced TN technology. Everyone is probably familiar with it; all modern phones, including budget ones, have an IPS display.

Pros– good viewing angles, almost 180 degrees. No matter what angle you look at, the picture remains virtually unchanged.

Cons– price. IPS panels are significantly more expensive than TN, but this is understandable. Previously, the price gap was generally catastrophic, but now it has become acceptable.

Previously, IPS panels suffered from very long response times, but with the development of technology, the figure is 2-5 ms.

TFT MVA matrix– was invented as an alternative to the then expensive IPS panels. Accordingly, several goals were pursued: to reduce the price and reduce the response time (5 ms). Currently, VA matrices have better contrast and better color rendition before IPS, and they cost either the same or cheaper.

Pros– good contrast and richness of color, price.

Cons– at a higher angle, the picture becomes slightly yellowish and slightly less contrasting.

There are gaming VA matrices with a response time of 2 and even 1 millisecond.

Conclusion: We consider monitors with TFT MVA matrix to be a very good and correct choice. These are the most universal monitors, and they are cheaper in price than IPS, and the contrast and brightness are at the same level. Suitable for working with documents, graphics, games, watching movies.

Video on choosing a monitor

When you come to the store, having previously studied a bunch of forums and read reviews, you roughly understand that you need to definitely use the following software:

When buying a monitor, take with you a flash drive with a program called "TFT monitor test"(weighs about 250Kb). The program will allow you to check your monitor for dead pixels, backlight uniformity, and much more.

Let us remind you that the presence of 1 to 5 dead pixels is not a warranty case, and exchanging the purchased monitor may be problematic. Therefore, it would be nice to have this program at hand.

Take with you photographs or screenshots from games that you know what they look like, so it will be easier for you to evaluate the quality of the monitor, since your eyes already know these images.

Play around with the monitor menu to adjust brightness and contrast.

Check the package contents, many monitors only come with a VGA cable, but it would be nice to have HDMI outputs and DisplayPort.

I hope we didn’t miss anything and you have an idea of how to choose the right monitor for your computer. Otherwise, write your comments and questions in the comments, we will try to answer. We specifically did not cover the topic of studio monitors, or as they are also called, monitors for designers, since professionals are busy with what they need.

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Good day, dear readers!

Today there will be an article from an already proven series with the label “selection criteria”, where the most detailed stories are constantly being written about how to choose this or that component of your computer or the peripherals around it. As many remember, there were optional articles there, and much more.

Today we will talk about choosing such a seemingly simple thing as a monitor. Simple because almost everyone, except professionals in certain fields, buys a monitor based on the principle of “the cheapest” or the one that “shows the best” in the store (the fact that sellers deliberately set the color rendering settings worse on some monitors, and better on others , is usually not taken into account). This approach somewhat upsets me, because it is the monitor that is responsible for the richness, brightness, contrast and liveliness of the picture in your games, films, photographs, and just on the desktop. And for the “lifespan” too... :)

So... Let's go. I hope that this material will be useful to many and will open their eyes to a number of useful and important nuances.

General concept, rules and essence

Let's start, traditionally, with a short dive into the theory (where would we be without it, dear) of image formation and displaying it on a PC monitor. I don’t know if you remember, but not so long ago (some 5-7 years ago) so-called cube monitors with a cathode ray tube were in vogue (by the way, they are still in use for some categories of users), which took the first step in the field of visual display of information from computer video subsystems.

The principle of image formation in such CRT-monitors was as follows: there was a sealed flask with evacuated air, the front (facing the viewer) part of which was coated on the inside with phosphor - a special substance capable of emitting light when fast electrons hit it.

Sets of phosphor dots were arranged in triangular... triads. The triad formed a pixel - a point, from a set of which the image was formed.

Note:
The phosphor was applied in the form of sets of dots of three primary colors - red, green and blue ( ). These colors are called primary because their combinations (in various proportions) can represent almost any color in the spectrum.

On the opposite side of the tube there were three (according to the number of primary colors) electron guns. All three guns are “aimed” at the same pixel, but each of them emits a stream of electrons towards “its own” phosphor point.

In order for the electrons to reach the screen unhindered, air was pumped out of the tube, and a high electrical voltage was created between the guns and the screen, accelerating the electrons.

In front of the screen, in the path of the electrons, a mask was placed - a thin metal plate with a large number of holes located opposite the phosphor points (see image).

The mask ensured the hit electron rays only into the phosphor dots of the corresponding color. A monitor deflection system was put on the part of the flask where the electron guns were located, which forced the electron beam to pass through all the pixels one by one, line by line, from top to bottom, then return to the beginning top line etc. (see image).

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Then the monitor was connected to a graphics accelerator (video card), a digital signal from the computer was supplied, which was converted to analog using a digital-to-analog converter ( DAC), installed on the video card, and only then did we see “pictures on the box” :). In a nutshell, I think it’s clear, let’s move on.

Nowadays it is increasingly rare to find this echo of the past - CRT-monitors, because the latter have already been practically replaced by monitors based on... liquid crystals ( LCD). Liquid crystals are called so for a reason - this is a special state of organic substances in which they have fluidity and the ability to form spatial structures similar to crystalline ones. Liquid crystals can change their structure and light-optical properties under the influence of electrical voltage (see image).

IN LCD-monitors mainly use active matrices , which are a transparent screen made of thin film transistors (TFT – Thin Film Transistor), which is why they are also called TFT-monitors (transflective). The screen of such monitors is divided into independent cells (pixels), each of which consists of four parts (for three primary colors and one backup) and is controlled by its own transistor. Backlight in in this case carried out using lamps located behind the screen (since there is no phosphor). When voltage is applied, the crystals in the cell align in a certain way, blocking the light from the lamp and creating a point of a certain color and brightness on the screen.

As a result of all this, you and I see the resulting image.

Note:
U LCD-monitors do not have the concept of frame scanning as such (as is the case with CRT-monitor). Dot on the screen LCD- the monitor glows all the time while voltage is applied to it, and does not light up every time a beam of electrons hits it.

So, we figured out that a monitor is nothing more than a device that receives a digital/analog signal from a video adapter and converts it into graphic images understandable to a PC user. Of course, like any complex electronic device the monitor has its own technical passport or technical specifications, which every self-respecting user is simply obliged to study before purchasing.

Selection based on characteristics and what they are

I think that some of you, after making a purchase (especially if you made it based on the advice of a sales consultant), have a feeling that can be described with the words: “In my opinion, I went crazy and overpaid”, “Something is wrong with me.” then they slipped it in,” “Didn’t they deceive me?” etc. etc. This does not necessarily apply computer equipment, it can be “household goods”, and household goods, and anything else. This feeling arises mainly due to the fact that you come to the store for the first time to buy a product, look at its variety (which makes your eyes dazzle), walk smartly between the counters (tormented by vague doubts about what it is all about) choose), without knowing anything at all about the product, and you also try to buy it, listening to the salesman who is hooked on your ears.

As a result, having received a couple of tips from a consultant in a language unfamiliar to you (such as “Yes, the prositron scan here is amazing and the bipolarity of liquid organic crystals is 13% higher than that of other models...”), who only got a job here a week ago, you With a sense of accomplishment, you go to the checkout, pay and receive the coveted box. It seems that everything is done, but for some reason you did not receive proper satisfaction from the process of purchasing/selecting/analyzing a product, because you reduced your participation in this process to a minimum.

Of course, I don’t argue, there are competent specialists, good stores with quality goods, etc., but for the most part (and based on extensive personal experience) the process is set up this way. So, in order not to buy goods according to the “pig in a poke” principle (and to know that you really have acquired a quality item), you need to take the responsibility of purchasing upon yourself, armed with just the appropriate knowledge.

Note:
When you come to the store, remember that, often, you have point of sale different goals: yours is to buy a high-quality and affordable item, and the store’s is to sell the best expensive model and close the monthly sales plan... at least by a third :)

However, enough chatter, let’s begin to translate our task into something more significant, namely, the practice of selection, the main characteristics and nuances that you need to pay attention to when buying a monitor.

Task in progress

It is not without reason that we decided to describe this parameter first, because... To understand what technical parameters a monitor should have, you need to decide and answer the question: “Why do we actually need it and what tasks will it perform?”

He can perform a lot of tasks simultaneously at a good ideological and artistic level, or, relatively speaking, just one at a semi-professional level. What do I mean? For example, you can choose an everyday monitor that will, at an average level, implement everything at once: computer games, movies, photos, etc. Or you can opt for professional solution, which is more expensive, but at the same time copes with the assigned tasks much more powerfully, such as, for example, the closest and highest quality color rendition for photographs or images.

So, decide on the type of monitor:

Designer. For a designer, the main criteria will always be high-quality color rendering, ample opportunities monitor settings, as well as screen size (diagonal);
Game. Avid gamers have their own requirements - screen size, fast response time and high dynamic contrast. For complete immersion, it would be useful to support a full 3D-volume;
Casual and homey. The home user is so...homey. He needs a beautiful case and a large screen;
Home cinema. Film lovers also have their own needs - high resolution with aspect ratio ( 16:9 ) with support Full HD, as well as large viewing angles (so you can watch movies with friends) and other additional options;
Office monitor. Office monitor... As management chooses, in short :)

However, this is a somewhat arbitrary gradation, so let’s move on.

Matrix type

Basic monitor parameter that affects the quality (contrast, brightness, color rendition, viewing angles, etc.) of the picture - matrix type. Currently there are more 10 subtypes matrices produced by manufacturers, however, in order not to get confused in the intricacies of abbreviations and “complicated” names, I will give the most general and specific types of matrices that can be found on the store shelves of our vast country and what can be offered to our inexperienced user.

TN. This is the cheapest and most popular type of matrix used in most monitors in the low and mid-price range. It is characterized by relatively low response time (which, in general, has long become just marketing) and energy consumption. Among the shortcomings, the most significant are inaccurate color rendition (due to the use of only 6 -bit for each color channel, and the missing shades are obtained in different ways mixing available), low contrast (as a rule, manufacturers try to compensate for this programmatically, which can be even worse than just leaving it as is) and relatively small viewing angles (especially vertical). One of the advantages, as already mentioned, is the price, because even for a large diagonal you can pay mere pennies.

Each manufacturer has its own image enhancement functions/technologies, so it is advisable to study them before going to the store, because they can be useful. Although I would recommend relying on technical specifications rather than software gadgets.

Response time

Once very important indicator for players and film buffs (in office work this characteristic is not so important), because it is responsible for the smooth reproduction of pictures in dynamic scenes. In general (according to science), this is the interval (measured in ms) necessary for the cell LCD-the matrix changed its brightness from one given value to another, but in simple terms, the parameter is responsible for the market so that fast moving objects do not leave artifacts in the form of trails on the screen and the image itself does not seem blurred. The indicator works on the principle “the lower, the better!” Here, one might say, monitors with TN-matrix. Actually, for this reason, all gaming monitors and stereoscopic 3D-monitors with shutter glasses are built on this matrix.

Due to fast switching of every pixel of the screen, even the most dynamic scenes of any game will be displayed as accurately as possible, without causing discomfort.

Note:
There are two parameters in response time. One of them is - GTG(Grey To Grey) - i.e. the time of transition from gray to gray with the pixel turned off, i.e. This parameter shows the response time of the pixel to turn on and off. From a practical point of view, this parameter does not play a special role, but only shows the reaction to turning on the matrix.
There is another parameter, namely BTW(Black To White), i.e. the time until the white value is completely achieved from a completely black pixel color. This is an important characteristic for monitors used in conjunction with dynamic images and sudden color changes. If the response speed is insufficient, the edges of the moving image blur, blend, and even blink.
So there you go! Some manufacturers (and sellers) use tricky designations and set the response time to GTG-parameter, which creates confusion and puts in a favorable light the models that need to be sold against the background of competitors, although in fact the picture looks different. So look at the response time BTW, not GTG- so you will have an idea which model is really better.
In particular, you can take a monitor in which this parameter can be switched - this way you will have the opportunity to choose what is closer to you, the clarity of the image or its slight blurriness (I love blurriness).

Although the "leader's jersey" has the shortest response time TN-panels thanks various technologies, For example, " Overdrive"(response time compensation) and the final transition to full-fledged 8 -bits encoding color in each channel, monitors with IPS- the matrix came close in terms of this indicator to TN-kam, and some models (for example, a series IPS 6 from LG) are already giving their once fast brothers a head start.

Of course, they are still in massive demand among buyers. TN-matrices, however, are increasingly gaining momentum and IPS-models, which is good news, because they are really more pleasing to the eye, especially from the point of view of color rendition.

Resolution, as well as viewing angles and type of matrix coating

When looking at a computer display, the first thing that catches your eye is its size and screen format. Aspect refers to the aspect ratio of the screen. It is now becoming more and more standard 16:9 and it is this wide format that allows you to watch movies comfortably and with taste, as well as without black fields at the top and bottom of the display or cropping of the image on the sides.

Equally important, of course, is the monitor resolution parameter. It usually looks like 1920x1080 or 2560x1440, which denotes the number of dots vertically to the number of dots horizontally. The higher the resolution, the more information can be displayed on the monitor.

Note:
Monitors belonging to adjacent categories in terms of screen size often have the same resolution (for example, 20 - And 22- inch displays same resolution 1680x1050 points). In such cases, the only advantage that a larger model has is a larger picture. The image size in pixels of the larger display is no larger than the size of the smaller one. However, on a monitor with a larger diagonal, the picture will be less clear due to the larger pixel size (called grain).

It is also worth distinguishing between monitor resolution (indicated in dots, for example, 1920x1080) and screen size, i.e. diagonal length (indicated in inches, for example, 24” ).

Note:
There is such a thing as visible part monitor, which is usually smaller than the declared screen size (for example, diagonal 24” , and the visible part is 23.6 "), so keep that in mind. If you want to fully enjoy the colorful action Full HD monitor, you shouldn’t take a smaller diagonal 24 inches, because the quality of a widescreen picture can only be assessed starting from this diagonal.

Viewing angles are almost everyone's stumbling block LCD-monitors, which manifests itself in image deterioration when looking at the screen at an angle: contrast drops and color accuracy decreases. Good viewing angles, allowing you to use the monitor without any restrictions - 165-175 degrees vertically and the same number horizontally. So, carefully walk around the monitor before purchasing in order to evaluate its viewing angles on the spot.

It is worth keeping in mind that here manufacturers also use a certain technical trick, inflating this figure. Special tests (we will talk about one of these at the end of the article) and independent tests will help you get an objective assessment. For clarity, we present an image obtained from different viewing angles for TN-matrices ( 1 ) And PVA (2 ) (see image).

As a small conclusion, let's say that for IPS-matrices are characterized by wide viewing angles without image distortion both vertically and horizontally, V.A.-matrices have average viewing angles and TN-matrices are trailing in the very tail.

Also, when purchasing, you should pay attention to the type of coating of the monitor matrix: glossy or matte. The first gives colors saturation and deeper contrast, but glares in bright light and reflects almost everything that is in front of the screen, the second solves the problem of glare, but the colors do not look as vibrant.

Brightness and Contrast

Brightness characterizes the intensity of the screen's glow and is measured in candelas per square meter ( cd/sq.m). If the brightness characteristic is not high enough, then it will be uncomfortable to work with such a monitor in strong lighting conditions (for comfortable work with text, the brightness of the monitor should be at least 75-80 cd/sq. m, and for watching movies, sometimes the higher the brightness, the better). A monitor with excessive brightness will not harm your eyes (you can lower it in the settings), but increasing the brightness beyond the maximum will not work.

Contrast is defined as the ratio of the brightness of white on the screen to the brightness of black and is written as a proportion (for example, 500:1 or 3000:1 ). In other words, it is the ratio of illuminances or brightnesses of the lightest part and the darkest part of the image. High Contrast makes the image more “tangible” and “alive”. The minimum recommended contrast level for a home monitor is 500:1 .

Note:
As an example: for a display whose maximum and minimum brightness are equal 400.5 cd/sq.m And 0.5 cd/sq.m accordingly, the contrast is equal to ( 400.5 - 0.5 )/0.5 = 800:1 . This characteristic is important for displaying halftones and is most relevant for professional monitors, but it is also important for ordinary users. There is such a thing as dynamic contrast - it is a “synthetic” characteristic, because automatically adjusts to the output image.
Typically, manufacturers also use some tricks and indicate dynamic contrast (or dynamic contrast) on monitors. ACM - Adaptive Contrast Management), which is orders of magnitude larger than the static (For example, static 1000:1 , dynamic 50000:1 ). You need to understand that the dynamic contrast mode is suitable mainly for films and computer games, in daily work this is not such an important parameter. And in general, dynamic contrast is a kind of... perversion, because the picture does not always look the way it should be, but on the contrary, oversaturated, and not always adequately.

The image below shows all three characteristics at once: brightness ( 1 ), static ( 2 ) and dynamic contrast ( 3 ), so pay attention to the box and passport of the monitor in order to choose a model based on its real characteristics, and not those indicated by someone out there somewhere.

In general, the brightness can be adjusted not only through the options on the monitor, but also through the brightness of the backlight - this is a fairly simple and high-quality way to increase the quality of halftone transmission during everyday work.

Backlight types and 3D monitors

Nowadays there are quite a large number of monitors on the market with backlighting or fluorescent lamps (CCFL), or from LEDs ( LED). Backlight CCFL has a number of disadvantages:

High power consumption;
Limited service life;
Large lamp sizes;
Harm to the environment during production.

Because of this, monitors with such backlighting are gradually disappearing, giving way to modern technology LED. Thanks to this type of backlight, dynamic contrast appeared, i.e. To display darker tones, the backlight becomes less bright, and vice versa (see image).

Also when using LED backlight The overall power consumption of the monitor is reduced, which, given the constant rise in electricity prices, can be a very beneficial advantage. In the production of LEDs, no harmful or harmful substances are used. environment mercury, so you can read monitors with LED-lighting is more environmentally friendly.

Note:
There are monitors on sale with Super LED- backlit, they are less power hungry compared to their younger brothers without a console Super.

There are, of course, disadvantages that are worth mentioning:

Fatigue of visual receptors (with prolonged sitting it can dry out the eyes);
Over time, the light/brightness characteristics of the diodes change, and each one is different, so the image may “float”;
Cheap LEDs give off a cold blue tint, which can cause color rendition to be distorted.

We're done with the lighting.

Now let's move on to the newfangled 3 D-monitors. As already mentioned, monitors with TN- matrix allows you to display stereo 3D-images. For implementation 3D-functions, the highest quality method of playback at the moment was chosen 3D-content - shutter glasses and a monitor with a high refresh rate. With this method of display, the picture does not lose clarity, because each eye sees the entire picture in full, and not half, as on monitors with polarizing matrices.

Thus, in order to immerse yourself in a virtual 3D reality, it is enough to have a monitor with a frequency on hand 120 Hz, shutter or polarized glasses and the video content itself (and not necessarily in 3D, the monitor is capable on our own convert 2D-3D image).

If you decide to please yourself (or your child) 3D-monitor, then you need to pay attention to the following points:

Is the monitor certified by the company? NVIDIA for support NVIDIA 3D Vision– the most popular and stable shutter technology, with which in stereoscopic mode 3D you can play several hundred computer games. The certificate guarantees you stable operation of the monitor when using this technology and will absolutely be able to fully work with video cards and stereo glasses NVIDIA.
The brightness of the matrix is an important parameter for 120 Hz 3D monitor, since shutter glasses, although they “wink” quite quickly, still darken the picture, so the higher the brightness of the monitor, the better. Matrix brightness 3D-the monitor should be in order 400-500 cd/sq.m.

Now that we’ve sorted that out, let’s summarize something and move on.

So, we have already become acquainted with quite a large number of parameters that modern monitors have. As a way to “settle” this information, I offer the following summary table (clickable), which I advise you to always keep in mind before purchasing in a store.

Memorize it (like a multiplication table) or print it out, and you will notice that the search circle the desired monitor will immediately narrow down to a very modest one.

Interfaces

Note:
When choosing a monitor with the most popular resolution at the moment 1920x1080 You need to pay attention to the fact that there is at least one digital interface, because when connected via VGA, even if there is an adapter on the other end of the wire DVI-VGA And DVI- video card connector, the picture will be somewhat blurry. Additionally, if you purchased a monitor that supports stereo 3D, then when connected to VGA get 3D- the effect will not work. Interface DisplayPort required to connect more than two monitors.

In addition to the connection connectors, it may also be useful USB HUB, built into the monitor (for those who like to connect peripheral devices, as well as flash drives for transferring small files). Some monitors are “mini-computers” and allow you to play music or photos from flash drives connected to them, and some can even surf the Internet if connected.

Monitor design, other beauties and conveniences

There is probably nothing more to say about the characteristics of the screen (except for minor conventions), so let’s touch on such an important aesthetic aspect as the design of the monitor. After all, you see, a piece of plastic 24 inches should please you not only with its characteristics, but also with its appearance.

When choosing a monitor, of course, you need to pay attention to some features of its design, thanks to which it can become not only more attractive in appearance, but also much more functional. This may include:

Built-in/external power supply. Monitors with built-in power supply ( 2 ) is usually thicker than similar models with an external power supply ( 1 ).

Availability of speakers/headphone jack, USB-hub, additional connector HDMI(for connecting the latest generation game consoles).

Touch/mechanical control buttons. It’s just like in a car, some people like an automatic, while others only want a manual.

Possibility of wall mounting (using standard mount) VESA) and rotation capabilities: pivot(this is the ability to rotate the screen around an axis perpendicular to the screen plane and passing through the intersection point of its diagonals), height, tilt, left-right rotation ( swivel).

Case thickness.

A monitor stand that houses the various video inputs so that connected cables no longer hang behind the monitor, but are hidden behind the stand.

Wireless auto discovery function ( Auto Wireless Detection) – the ability to connect the monitor wirelessly to a computer or laptop at a distance of up to 10 meters (you just need to bring the laptop to the monitor, and it will automatically be added as an additional display, it’s just some kind of magic :)).

Manufacturer
I don’t know if you remember, but before (years 5-10 ago) monitors from Samsung(by the way, one of these mastodons is still standing and pulling its weight well). So, a lot has changed during this time, but Samsung is still (ahead of the rest :)) considered one of the best monitor manufacturers and always receives high user ratings from all over the globe.

For those who have disliked since childhood Samsung, it is worth paying attention to such manufacturers as Acer, LG, Asus. These companies also (as well as Samsung) are very sensitive to the products they produce and extremely rarely allow themselves to release some low-quality monitor (however, even an old woman can fail :)). Well, in general, it’s worth saying that there is no “best” monitor manufacturer, because the model is always chosen (depending on the tasks and price restrictions), and not the manufacturer. For example, you may like the company's products Apple(including monitors), but you know that a monitor costing over 50 000 it will simply look ridiculous in your office and you need to choose something less pretentious.

In general, globally, when purchasing, it is advisable to initially, while still at home, decide on at least 2 manufacturers and choose a specific model from among them, because this way you will save a lot of free time.

Miscellaneous
And finally, I decided to tell you about a small useful utility that can help you an indispensable assistant in choosing the right monitor, its name is TFT-test. The utility is intended for testing (checking basic parameters) LCD-monitors and copes with it quite well. In addition, it supports the Russian language and is completely free. You can download this creation from the link, namely from here.

Note:
It is advisable, before buying a monitor in a store, to ask to run the selected model using this program (in some stores they do this for money, in some for free, in some, which is rare, they let you run it yourself) and evaluate its real technical parameters. In large retail networks They completely refuse to test the monitor and do not allow any extraneous manipulations at all (even in the presence of the seller). Here it is worth saying that it is better to bypass such points and not buy a “pig in a poke”, or choose a model in advance and then go buy where it is cheaper.

Actually, the utility is incredibly simple to learn, so just run it and run through all the tests (see image).

The program allows you to determine/evaluate:

Uniformity of matrix illumination and “broken” pixels (a black inactive dot that does not respond to changing images, ideally there should be none at all);
Readability of fonts;
Loops due to moving objects;
Step gradient to check matrix linearity and discreteness;
Legibility of details;
Much more.

It is advisable to pass all the tests of the program, evaluate the results obtained and only then make a decision.

So, if you have read to these lines, then it means that the article seemed interesting and educational to you, which cannot but please the author of these lines. Therefore, get ready for an additional bonus (for the most persistent :)).

Well, now we have come to the end of the article, and so that your head does not go spinning from so many technical parameters that influence the choice of a monitor, we will give a kind of general “squeeze” of everything that was said here and more. You can print it out and have it on hand when purchasing a monitor.

Give preference to the monitor that is most suitable for your goals and objectives;
Do not buy a cheap monitor: sooner or later, the low quality of the monitor will manifest itself in a noticeably reduced level of brightness, contrast, or the appearance of areas with “dead” pixels. The main thing in a monitor is not the size, but the quality of the image - the health of your eyes and the general fatigue of the body directly depend on it;
Select the monitor diagonal based on its placement on your desktop. Do not forget that the monitor should be located at a sufficient distance from the eyes (on average, at arm's length), which will create normal conditions for its use;
When choosing a monitor, be sure to make sure that it has a sufficient level of tilt and swivel adjustments. A plus will be the ability to raise and lower the monitor screen, which will allow you to choose its optimal placement and reduce tension in the neck muscles;
When choosing between a matte and glossy surface of the monitor screen, consider its location in relation to the window and the lighting in the room, since direct sunlight or lamp light makes its own adjustments;
If your activity involves the need for accurate color reproduction, the optimal choice would be a monitor built on a matrix IPS;
For those whose computer is intended for gaming purposes, but does not exclude working with photos and videos, the best option in terms of price-quality ratio is most likely monitors based on * V.A.-technologies;
If you need an inexpensive monitor and you are not demanding on technical parameters, the best and universal choice would be a monitor c TN- matrix, as inexpensive and practical;
All other things being equal, pay attention to additional image enhancement technologies, connectors, manufacturer, final delivery kit and warranty;
Before you finally settle on one or another monitor model, read what they write about it on the forums: perhaps you will change your mind and give preference to a more practical model;
Don't be fooled by super-duper-expensive models with big big signs like response 1 ms, Full HD, ultra-thin, etc. As a rule, this is pure marketing, and, often, you can find something of no less quality, but much cheaper. Rely on your knowledge, and not on advertising, the opinion of sellers, etc.

really

Ultra Electoronics

, - one of the oldest stores on the market, as the company exists somewhere around 20 years. Decent selection, average prices and one of the most convenient sites. Overall a pleasure to work with.

The choice, traditionally, is yours. Of course, there are all kinds Yandex.Market“No one has canceled them, but of the good stores I would recommend these, and not some MVideo and other large networks (which are often not only expensive, but defective in terms of quality of service, warranty work, etc.).

Afterword

In a nutshell, something like this. I hope that this material was useful and interesting for you.

As always, if you have any questions, additions, thanks or feedback, please write in the comments to this post. We'll be glad to listen.

P.S.: Thanks to team member 25 KADR for the existence of this article

January's CES in Las Vegas not only unveiled several new monitors, but more importantly, some exciting new technology. One of them is HDR, which promises brighter and richer images in games. And this is not just some “eye-catching” preset in the monitor settings. HDR support must also be provided on the video card side, and the game itself must be initially developed taking into account the requirements of this technology. Also recently, the HDMI 2.1 specification was released with more comprehensive HDR support.

In connection with this innovation, AMD announced that in 2017 the second version of its FreeSync technology will be released, which, like NVIDIA G-SYNC, allows you to synchronize the output of frames by the video card and the refresh rate of the monitor image.

But let’s return from the forefront of monitor manufacturing to slightly more mundane things. What should you look for when buying a gaming monitor right now?

Diagonal

The time when the average user was happy about buying a 17-inch monitor is long gone. Long gone. Now, unless you live in a monitor box, you should choose a device with a diagonal larger than 20 inches. It’s better to have 24 or 27 at once. And if you have extra money, then you can find a use for them - in recent years the market has become full of monitors larger than 30 inches. The problem is that everything is quite individual. For some, playing or working on a 30-plus-inch monitor will seem as comfortable as sitting in the first row of a movie theater and constantly turning your head to see everything. In addition, if the most ordinary 24-inch monitor will cost you 7 thousand rubles, then the entry-level 31.5-inch monitor will cost you 20 thousand.

31.5" monitor

Permission

Although resolution can be accurately measured, this parameter is also a matter of taste. In addition, as with displays from any other category of devices, when choosing a resolution you need to start from the screen diagonal. For example, the most common Full HD today will look frankly soapy on a 27-inch monitor. But for some people it’s already “norm”.

4K monitors, curiously, appeared before the average gaming computer could run games with a decent number of frames per second at this resolution. Now even NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 is able to show 40 FPS at 2560x1440 pixels. Therefore, nowadays it’s worth buying a Full HD monitor for a gaming computer only if you are really strapped for money.

Even a mid-level video card can handle WQHD

Even 4K monitors are now suitable not only for static pictures and watching videos. Thanks to top-end NVIDA and AMD video cards, it became possible to play quite decently at 3840x2160. Some Battlefield 1 in this resolution looks simply magical.

G-SYNC/FreeSync

Refresh rate

144 Hz or 60 Hz? If you have the opportunity to get a monitor with a higher refresh rate, then you should definitely take advantage of this opportunity. Once you've played with this for a while, you won't want to go back to a standard refresh rate display. The reason is very simple: in dynamic games and films, the frame change becomes very smooth, which is much more pleasing to the eye.

Which monitor to get. What are the monitor diagonals? What monitor size is suitable for work and home?

How to choose the best gaming monitor?

Where to start

What are the characteristics and what do they affect?

Diagonal and aspect ratio

Working resolution

Types of matrices: advantages and disadvantages

Response speed, scan frequency, black frame insertion

Adaptive synchronization technologies (G-Sync, FreeSync)

Connection interfaces

Additional "chips"

Optimal models

Full HD (1920×1080)

UFHD (2560×1080)

WQHD (2560×1440)

UWQHD (3440×1440)

UHD 4K (3860x2160)

Other solutions

Conclusion

Monitor selection - size

Permission

Backlight brightness

Contrast

Response time

Matrix

Video on choosing a monitor

General concept, rules and essence

Selection based on characteristics and what they are

Task in progress

Matrix type

Response time

Resolution, as well as viewing angles and type of matrix coating

Brightness and Contrast

Backlight types and 3D monitors

Interfaces

Monitor design, other beauties and conveniences

Afterword

Diagonal

Permission

G-SYNC/FreeSync

Refresh rate