If you are a passionate gamer, you know that what display you are using is crucial for having a great experience. And the panel of your display is one of the most important characteristics when choosing the best screen. TN, IPS, or VA is the best for gaming? The truth is that each of them is perfect for different types of gaming. Let’s dig deeper into that and see all the details for each panel type.
Types of panels
In this article, we will focus on the following three types of panels:
- Twisted nematic — We will refer to it as a TN panel. This is the oldest LCD panel type, but still a great choice;
- In-plane switching — We will refer to it as an IPS panel. You might have seen this as PLS (plane-to-line switching) or AHVA (advanced hyper viewing angle);
- Vertical alignment – We will refer to it as a VA panel. In other places, you might see it as SVA (super vertical alignment) or AMVA (advanced multi-domain vertical alignment).
The name of each panel refers to the alignment of molecules within the LCD and how they react when voltage is applied. LCD stands for liquid crystal display, and all displays from this type use voltage to change the alignment of the molecules in them in order to work. How this is done, however, is the thing that determines the image quality and the response time.
Like every product, each type of panel has its pros and cons. When you are on the look for a new display, you need to first determine for what purpose you need it, and this can help you narrow your choice for panel type.
Twisted nematic panels
When flat monitors began to be mass-produced, TN panels were the first ones. With the help of this technology, the colossal cathode ray tubes weren’t needed anymore, and the manufacturers were still able to produce enough pieces.Â
TN panels are definitely better than the old bulky ones, but they still have some flaws. Perhaps the main one is the limited viewing angles on the vertical axis. You might have noticed that the colors on your display can change drastically depending on where you are looking at them.
This is because TN panels are not famous for their color reproduction. Most displays using this panel cannot even show 24-bit true colors — they just simulate the real shades. For games where very vivid coloring is crucial, TN monitors are not the best because you might experience color banding and weird contrast ratios. All this is because the color gamut that this panel type can display is not that vast.
Nowadays, of course, there are very high-end TN displays that are performing better in this aspect but still can’t be compared to the other panel technologies. Actions like photo editing, design work, or gaming will not be as easy and pleasant as they can be.Â
The main benefit of TN panels is that they are not as expensive as others. And if you need your display only for work, then this is a perfect choice – cheaper and still great for that purpose. Another advantage is the low input lag which is typically around one millisecond. And the refresh rate of up to 240 Hz is not something to neglect. Those two features make this panel type an attractive option for multiplayer gaming.
In-Plane Switching panels
When people started to notice the flows in TN panels and technology could advance further, the IPS panels were introduced. Something that they immediately helped with was color reproduction. The viewing angles flaws were also highly improved.
The viewing angles of IPS displays are much much better than TNs. If you have an IPS screen, you won’t have the issue of changing colors if you look at your display from different angles. Even the black color is reproduced very well. In TN panels, the black seemed a bit washed out. However, the contrast ratios weren’t improved that much, which is still not perfect for gamers who want excellent image quality.Â
Most IPS displays have the same refresh rates of 240 Hz as TN ones. When it comes to the input lag up until a couple of years ago, IPS were underperforming compared to TN panels. But recently managed to catch up, and now they also offer an input lag of one millisecond.
The IPS panel is perfect if you want great colors from all angles. They are more expensive but will guarantee you a better gaming experience. However, something that is an issue for some people is the so-called IPS glow. This means that you can see the backlight from some extreme viewing angles.
Vertical Alignment panels
Some people say that the VA panels somehow compromise the best of TN and IPS ones. They offer excellent contrast ratios, but the viewing angles’ performance is not the best.
VA panels can have a contrast ratio of even 6000:1 when the IPS monitors have only 1000:1. But IPS screens still are the leaders in viewing angles performance. However, VA is way better than TNs, and you also won’t get the IPS glow.
Something that TNs are better at is the response times. With VA ones, you will never have a one-millisecond response rate, making it not a good solution for competitive gamers playing many multiplayer games.
However, VA panels are the best in color reproduction because they can usually cover all the sRGB spectrum. So, those screens are the perfect choice for general use and single-player gamers.
Overview
TN panels are great for gaming. Indeed you might not benefit from great colors, but the response time is fantastic for multiplayer games. Also, those are the most affordable gaming displays there are.
IPS panels are also excellent for gaming because they offer you a better color pallet and better viewing angles. So, this makes it a great choice for games with really vivid colors that don’t need a fast response time. The input lag of IPS screens is not that good.Â
VA panels can offer you a better color pallet than TNs and faster response times than IPS. So, this is why they are somewhere in between the two other types. But in general, IPS and VA panels are very similar when it comes to technological functionalities. However, the price of VAs is higher.
Final thoughts
Depending on what you would like to play, you can choose the perfect panel type for yourself. Of course, your budget will be a factor in determining which one you will be able to get. Research for the best monitors from each type and make your choice.
