Why it’s important to pick the right monitor

Since the monitor plays a pivotal role in your computer experience, it is always worth investing in the best specification that your budget allows. This is because monitor technology does not evolve as fast as many PC components, so you may only change your monitor once every three or four PC upgrades. That is not to say you will change your entire PC three or four times, as you may only upgrade the graphics card to get an uplift in performance, however you need to make sure any benefit from such an upgrade will be reflected on the monitor.

Types of Monitor & Uses

The array of monitors available on the market is vast and their descriptions are full of acronyms, abbreviations and numbers. This guide will help you understand all their meanings, but here are a few basic pointers that can be applied to get a general steer on what features to look out for in a monitor description depending on what you use case.

Primary Use Size Resolution Aspect Ratio Refresh Rate Response Time Colour Range Recommended Mid-Range Panel Technology Recommended High-End Panel Technology
Gaming 5 4 5 5 5 4 IPS IPS / OLED
General Home / Office 2 2 2 3 1 1 IPS IPS
Professional Graphics 4 5 4 3 3 5 IPS IPS / OLED
Professional Video 4 5 4 3 1 5 IPS IPS / OLED

Key: 1 = Lower priority | 5 = Higher priority

Use the tabs below to see what specifications we recommend for gaming or general home/office use. For professional graphics or video workflows, read our dedicated professional monitor buyers guide for further guidance.

Recommended gaming monitor specifications

Gaming PC and monitor set up in an RGB-lit room
Specification Standard Performance Premium
Size ~24in ~27in ≥30in
Resolution 1,920 x 1,080 (FullHD) 2,560 x 1,440 (QHD) 3,440 x 1,440 (UW-QHD) / 3,840 x 2,160 (4K)
Aspect Ratio 16:9 16:9 21:9 / 16:9
Refresh Rate* ≥144Hz ≥144Hz ≥144Hz
Response Time ≤1ms ≤1ms ≤1ms
Panel Technology* IPS IPS IPS / OLED
Where to buy Shop 1080p gaming monitors Shop 1440p gaming monitors

Shop ultra-wide gaming monitors

Shop 4K gaming monitors

* for esports look for a 240Hz or higher refresh rate TN panel.

If you want to dig deeper into any of these specifications and other features, we recommend exploring the rest of the buyer’s guide to understand more about the different features.

Recommended general home / office monitor specifications

Desktop monitor on a home office desk in the evening
Specification Standard Premium
Size ~24in ~27in
Resolution 1,920 x 1,080 (FullHD) 2,560 x 1,440 (QHD)
Aspect Ratio 16:9 16:9
Refresh Rate ≥60Hz ≥60Hz
Panel Technology IPS IPS
Connectivity HDMI / DisplayPort HDMI / DisplayPort / USB-C
Ergonomics Adjustable tilt Adjustable tilt & height
Where to buy Shop 1080p home / office monitors Shop 1440p home / office monitors

If you want to dig deeper into any of these specifications and other features, we recommend exploring the rest of the buyer’s guide to understand more about the different features.

Primary Considerations

Explore the four main monitor specifications in further detail.

Monitor Size

As highlighted in the table above, the size of the monitor has a large part to play depending on what you are using the monitor for. Monitor sizes are usually shown in inches and are measured on the diagonal from bottom left to top right. Common sizes used in many home or office environments range from 19in to 25in, professional users working with video or graphics should opt for 27in and above to have a larger viewing area and greater image detail, while gamers should go for as large a monitor as possible, as this will provide better peripheral vision in games, particularly in first-person shooters.

It is also worth mentioning that aspect ratio plays a role in screen size, however we’ll cover that in another tab in this section.

Diagram showing how monitor size is measured diagonally

Resolution

Whilst it’s true that a larger screen will give a larger image and provide more space to have more applications open at once, the screen resolution has to be sufficiently high to ensure the larger image remains sharp. Resolution is the number of pixels (the tiny dots that make up the image) that the screen possesses – it is shown as a number for screen length and a number for screen height. The most popular resolutions are listed below by their commonly used names with the number of pixels, aspect ratio and recommended screen size required to result in a good image.

Although a higher resolution implies a larger screen it is not always a hard and fast rule. The FullHD, QHD (Quad HD) and 4K / UHD (Ultra HD) resolutions all work out to be a 16:9 aspect ratio, but the UW-QHD (Ultra Wide HD) has a 21:9 aspect ratio (more on this in the next tab). These 21:9 monitors are the same height as a regular 16:9 monitor but much wider, with a higher horizontal pixel count increasing its resolution.

It is also worth mentioning that the higher resolution of the monitor, the more powerful the graphics card needs to be to maintain a smooth frame rate in games and content creation applications. Read our NVIDIA GeForce buyers guide and AMD Radeon buyers guide for recommendations on what resolution is most suitable for gaming for specific graphics cards.

Common Name FullHD QHD UW-QHD 4K / UHD DQHD 8K
Resolution 1920 x 1080 2560 x 1440 3440 x 1440 3840 x 2160 5120 x 1440 7680 x 4320
Aspect Ratio 16:9 16:9 21:9 16:9 32:9 16:9
Recommended Size Up to 25″ 27″+ 28″+ 28″+ 40″+ 40″+

Aspect Ratio

The aspect ratio refers to the difference between the screen width and height, and gives a representation of the screen shape. Older monitors tended to have a 4:3 aspect ratio, but now the most common is 16:9. Ultra-wide monitors with 21:9 and even 32:9 aspect ratios are becoming more common especially with content creators, allowing you to view multiple windows side by side, without bezel interruptions by the traditional method of two side-by-side monitors.

4:3 16:9 21:9 32:9
4:3 aspect ratio diagram 16:9 aspect ratio diagram 21:9 aspect ratio diagram 32:9 aspect ratio diagram
Game view compared across different monitor aspect ratios

Ultra-Wide

Another scenario where an ultra-wide monitor is beneficial is gaming as the extra viewing area provides a more immersive experience. This is particularly apparent in first person shooters and flight sims as the wider screen allows for greater perception of your surroundings and possible danger.

Panel Type

There are four panel technologies to choose from. Twisted Nematic (TN), In-Plane Switching (IPS), Vertical Alignment (VA) and Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) - all of which exhibit different characteristics making some panel types better suited for specific uses.

TN IPS VA OLED
Twisted Nematic panels used to be a popular budget option, but have been largely replaced by IPS and VA panels. The exception to this is esports, where the extremely high refresh rate of TN panels still has a role to play. In-Plane Switching panels cost more than a TN-based equivalent, but they have vastly superior viewing angles than TN. This means you can view IPS panels from wider angles and still get accurate colour reproduction. IPS panels make an ideal choice for applications requiring good colour reproduction and a wide gamut. Vertical Alignment panels monitors offer a feature set and price somewhere in between TN and IPS panels. For instance, they offer good colours and contrast, but aren’t quite as adept at handling fast movement as IPS, especially with dark objects. Organic Light Emitting Diode is the newest type of panel. OLED differs from the other three types by illuminating each pixel independently, rather than using a shared backlight behind the whole panel. OLED panels can produce sharper colours and higher contrast than the other types, but consume more power and cost the most.
Smooth colour gradient produced by IPS, VA and OLED panels

The cheapest panels are TN-panels, which suffer from colour banding (see right), with more expensive IPS, VA and OLED panels (see left) offering a much smoother colour gradient.

You may also see some panels referred to as Mini-LED. This isn’t technically a panel type, but instead refers to backlight technology used by some high-end IPS and VA panels. Mini-LED differs from traditional backlighting techniques, dividing the screen in multiple zones, each of which can be illuminated or dimmed independently. Mini-LED improves detail in the brightest and darkest scenes, especially with HDR content. Overall, OLED still provides the best image quality, although Mini-LED IPS or VA can be better in particularly bright rooms.

The table below highlights the primary differences between the four panel types. However, it’s important to note that individual monitors have specific characteristics, especially when it comes to things such as brightness.

  TN IPS VA OLED
Best for Esports General, gaming, professional video and graphics General, gaming High-end gaming, professional video and graphics
Contrast / blacks 1 2 4 5
Colour & view angles 1 4 3 5
Motion handling 5 4 3 5
Cost £ ££ ££ ££££

Key: 1 = Worst | 5 = Best

It is also worth noting that various monitor manufacturers refer to these four types using slightly differing names too, so you may see terms such as Nano-IPS, AH-IPS, MVA, AMVA+, WOLED and QD-OLED to name just a few. This is just their own branding and the monitor panels will still fall into one of these four types.

Shop monitors by panel type

Shop TN Monitors Shop IPS Monitors Shop VA Monitors Shop OLED Monitors

Other Considerations

Now we’ve considered the main characteristics when choosing a monitor there are a number of other features to understand to get the perfect monitor.

There are many factors that ultimately affect the quality and sharpness of an image displayed on your monitor and we’re going to look at each of these in turn, but first we’ll start with a quick comparison of which ones are most important to consider depending on what you’ll be using the monitor for. The table rates these facets from 1 (least) to 5 (most) importance for different uses.

PRIMARY USE REFRESH RATE G-SYNC / FREESYNC RESPONSE TIME CONTRAST RATIO BRIGHTNESS
GAMING 5 4 5 5 4
GENERAL HOME OR OFFICE 1 1 1 3 2
PROFESSIONAL GRAPHICS 3 1 3 5 5
PROFESSIONAL VIDEO 3 1 3 5 5

Key: 1 = Least Important | 5 = Most Important

Refresh Rate

Refresh rate is the frequency at which the monitor redraws the image per second and is measured in hertz (Hz). A faster rate of refresh (higher Hz value) will make for a smoother experience, so is particularly important when gaming. Entry-level monitors typically have a refresh rate of 60Hz, whereas 120Hz is common now in mid-range screens. High-end monitors for gaming now have rates as high as 540Hz. It is also fair to say that a higher refresh is preferable when using any application as the smoother appearance reduces eye strain especially over longer periods of time using the monitor.

It is worth mentioning that although a high refresh rate is better for the resulting image, your experience will also be determined by the frame rate, the frequency at which the graphics card redraws the image per second which is measured in frames per second (fps). A frame is a single image and so frame rate determines how smoothly a moving image will ultimately appear. If the graphics card can only deliver 60fps and your monitor is 120Hz rated, you’ll only be using half its capability for smoothness. Transversely if you have a GPU capable of rendering at 120fps, but only a 60Hz monitor you’ll only half of the frames that the GPU is sending to the monitor. It is therefore recommended that you consider your monitor in conjunction with the capabilities of your graphics card - an increase in specification in only one of them may not result in any benefit.

NVIDIA G-SYNC LOGO AMD FreeSync Logo

NVIDIA G-SYNC and AMD FreeSync

NVIDIA G-SYNC and AMD FreeSync are similar technologies that are driven from the graphics card but have an impact on the monitor refresh rate. They each operate in a slightly different way but both have the same result in dynamically adapting the monitor refresh rate (Hz) to the GPUs frame rate (fps). This reduces tearing and ghosting, delivering a smoother experience.

Before comparison image shown on a dark grey background
No Screen Tearing
After comparison image shown on a Scan blue background
Screen Tearing

NVIDIA G-SYNC Pulsar

NVIDIA recently announced its latest generation G-Sync Pulsar. Aimed at the competitive esports market, Pulsar adds a strobing effect to the monitor backlight, effectively increasing the perceived frame rate up to as much as 1,000Hz. These videos explain in more depth how the new Pulsar technology works.

First video demonstration
Second video demonstration
Find out more

Response Time

Response time is the time it takes a pixel to shift from one colour to another. Usually, this is measured in terms of going from black to white to black again, and is given in terms of milliseconds (ms). Response time isn’t really a factor for general home or office use but does have significant impact when it comes to gaming. For games with fast moving action a low response time is key - under 5ms is good, 1ms is better. This will ensure image blurring is minimised and rapid action sequences remain sharp, so if gaming is a primary intended use for your monitor then look out for a 1ms response time listed in the specifications.

Before comparison image shown on a dark grey background
Greater than 1ms
After comparison image shown on a Scan blue background
Less than 1ms

Contrast Ratio

The contrast ratio is the difference between the darkest blacks and the brightest whites. Typically, computer monitors have a contrast ratio of about 1000:1, meaning that the brightest state a pixel can be in is 1000 times brighter than its dimmest state. As we’ve often seen in this guide, once again it is gaming that sees the greatest advantage from a higher contrast ratio so some high-end monitors offer a higher contrast ratio. It is also worth remembering that any ambient light falling on the screen will affect how the contrast looks, so placement of your screen is always important too.

Monitors with higher contrast ratios are available for professional uses, however they feature HDR technology discussed in the next tab.

Before comparison image shown on a dark grey background
3000:1
After comparison image shown on a Scan blue background
1000:1

Colour Gamut

The colour gamut is the range of colours a monitor can display. This is important as it defines how true the colours of an image can be reproduced when transferred from one device (camera or scanner) to the computer screen. There are various standards that cover colour gamuts. The three standards frequently cited in relation to PC monitors are sRGB, Adobe RGB, and DCI-P3. The colour gamut defined by each standard is depicted as a triangle on a graph called the xy chromaticity diagram. These triangles show the peak RGB coordinates connected by straight lines. A larger area inside a triangle is desirable as it represents a screen capable of displaying more colours.

Diagram showing how monitor size is measured diagonally

Colour Gamut Standards

NNTSC is the colour gamut developed for the US television broadcast, whereas sRGB, Adobe RGB, REC.2020 and DCI-P3 are later gamuts used in professional graphics reproduction. Figures for colour gamut are displayed as a percentage followed by the standard it is based on. A higher percentage is better as it means the range of colours on offer is wider, so the image will be more life-like.

Standard Recommended Use
NTSC Analogue TV
sRGB Everyday applications
Adobe RGB Photo editing and print
REC.2020 Digital TV and home theatre
DCI-P3 Cinema, HDR content

Brightness

Brightness is the measurement of the amount of light the monitor screen produces. It is measured in nits or candelas per square meter (cd/m²) - one nit is equal to one cd/m². Typical brightness ratings range from 250 to 350 cd/m² for monitors that perform general-purpose tasks. The higher the brightness figure the more flexibility you have - if your monitor is in variable natural light then the ability to significantly adjust the screens brightness is a big advantage. Also, if you are positioned further away from the monitor or using a monitor outdoors then a greater level of brightness may be required.

HDR

Most monitors on the market are SDR (Standard Dynamic Range). HDR (High Dynamic Range) monitors take things a step further, displaying more detail in bright and dark scenes, alongside more intense colours. To make full use of HDR you need both an HDR monitor plus HDR content.

There are four main competing HDR standards, HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision and HLG, which have different pros and cons, but all specify a minimum 10-bit colour depth. VESA, the industry body behind many of other monitor industry standards has also published its own DisplayHDR standards as follows:

Before comparison image shown on a dark grey background
SDR
After comparison image shown on a Scan blue background
HDR
Standard Minimum Colour Depth Minimum Brightness (cd/m²) Range of Colour (DCI-P3) Dimming Technology Static Contrast Ratio Maximum Black Level Brightness (cd/m²) Panel Type
DisplayHDR 400 8-bit 400 90% Monitor 1,300 : 1 0.4 TN, IPS, VA
DisplayHDR 500 10-bit 500 95% Zones 7,000 : 1 0.1 TN, IPS, VA
DisplayHDR 600 10-bit 600 95% Zones 8,000 : 1 0.1 TN, IPS, VA
DisplayHDR 1000 10-bit 1000 95% Zones 30,000 : 1 0.05 TN, IPS, VA
DisplayHDR 1400 10-bit 1400 95% Zones 50,000 : 1 0.02 TN, IPS, VA
DisplayHDR True Black 400 10-bit 400 95% Per pixel N/A 0.0005 OLED
DisplayHDR True Black 500 10-bit 500 95% Per pixel N/A 0.0005 OLED
DisplayHDR True Black 600 10-bit 600 95% Per pixel N/A 0.0005 OLED
DisplayHDR True Black 1000 10-bit 1000 95% Per pixel N/A 0.0005 OLED

Monitor Calibration

Whether you’re creating documents for print, TV, film or a game its essential to know that what you see on your monitor is what end-users will also experience. To ensure this, professional monitors should be calibrated before use and every few months as monitor characteristics can drift over time.

Depending on the brand and model of monitor it may include integrated calibration capabilities. For instance, select Asus ProArt monitors include a motorised calibrator that can be programmed for different colour gamuts and scheduled to run on a regular basis. Alternatively, we stock Datacolor calibrators that connect to your workstation via USB and can be used to calibrate any monitor.

First feature image showing product detail
Second feature image showing product detail
Game view compared across different monitor aspect ratios

Monitors

Another option to consider when you’re decided to buy a very large monitor, especially one with a wide aspect ratio such as 21:9 and 32:9, is a curved monitor instead of a flat monitor.

Curved monitors have two main advantages. The most notable being that very large flat monitors distort text and graphics on the far left and right of the screen. In contrast, the subtly concave shape of curved monitors matches the shape of our eyes, so you get far less distortion. The other benefit is that you can view a curved monitor by moving your eyes rather than having to move your head, so they are more immersive and less tiring to use.

Monitor Stands

Depending on the size and shape of the monitor you choose there are several options when it comes to positioning your screen or screens. All monitors will come with a stand, cheaper ones may have a fixed stand offering no adjustment, whereas high-end monitor stands have height, tilt and swivel adjustable stands. Correct monitor positioning is critical so that you can maintain a healthy posture when sat at your desk using your computer. Some stands allow the screen to be rotated vertically - often seen when in use by programmers - to enable a taller but narrower view.

There is also the option to use monitor mounting arms instead of the supplied stand. This is of particular use where two or more screens are being used together and desk space is limited - we’ll discuss monitor mounting options further, towards the end of this guide.

Diagram showing how monitor size is measured diagonally

Inputs and outputs

Monitors usually have a number of interfaces available for you to connect them to your PC (or laptop if you’re using it as a second screen), and in this section we’ll look at each one you’re likely to find, some details about it and advise which one is best for given applications.

DisplayPort (DP)

DisplayPort is a combined audio and video option that offers up to 16K resolution at 60Hz. The main advantage of DisplayPort is the ability to output to multiple displays through Multi-Stream Transport (MST). You can do this by daisy-chaining compatible monitors over DisplayPort to your single DisplayPort output on your PC or laptop. You have to work within the bandwidth limitations of whichever DisplayPort specification you’re using, as the standard has evolved multiple times since its introduction in 2008. You can see this as a version number, with the table below showing the principle differences between recent versions of DisplayPort at 1440p and 4K, the most popular resolutions.

Diagram showing how monitor size is measured diagonally
DisplayPort Version 1.3 1.4 2.0 onwards
Maximum Refresh Rate at 1440p (uncompressed) 240Hz 240Hz 240Hz
Maximum Refresh Rate at 4K (compressed with DSC) N/A 240Hz 480Hz
Maximum Refresh Rate at 4K (uncompressed) 120Hz 120Hz 240Hz

HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface)

HDMI is a combined audio and video option that is also widely used by TVs, offering up to 10K resolution at 120Hz. You have to work within the bandwidth limitations of whichever HDMI specification you’re using, as the standard has evolved multiple times since its introduction in 2002. You can see this as a version number, with the table below showing the principle differences between the recent versions of DisplayPort at 1440p and 4K, the most popular resolutions.

Diagram showing how monitor size is measured diagonally
HDMI Version 1.3/1.4 2.0 2.1 onwards
Maximum Refresh Rate at 1440p 75Hz 144Hz 240Hz
Maximum Refresh Rate at 4K 30Hz 600Hz 120Hz

DVI

DVI stands for Digital Visual Interface, and is another common connection found on PC monitors. Things can become a little confusing when you consider there are several types of DVI. There is DVI-D (digital signal) and DVI-I (integrated analog and digital signal). Not only that, but both have single-link and dual-link versions. The differences between single-link and dual-link refer to how much bandwidth the cable can carry - single link supports 1200 resolution whilst dual link tops out at 1600. It also supports a FullHD (1080) resolution at 144Hz refresh rate - ideal for gaming.

DVI-D Single Link DVI-D Dual Link DVI-I Single Link DVI-I Dual Link

VGA

VGA is the oldest of the connections you may find - it stands for Video Graphics Array but can also be referred to as an RGB connection or D-Sub. While VGA can technically output to FullHD (1080p), the problem is that it’s an analog connection, as you push the resolution higher you get image degradation as the signal is converted from analog to digital. Unless you absolutely have to, use one of the newer connections instead of VGA

Diagram showing how monitor size is measured diagonally

USB

USB-C is the newest standard connector and is primarily, but not exclusively, seen on Apple monitors. It has the advantage of being able to not only output video, but also to transmit audio, data and power. This makes it an extremely versatile video cable. Furthermore the USB Type-C connector is a fully reversible plug and its cross-platform compatibility with new smartphones, tablet, laptops and computers, make it likely to get more widespread in the coming years.

Diagram showing how monitor size is measured diagonally

Monitor Accessories

As a buying guide for monitors, we’ve concentrated on image quality, but there are a number of additional options you may want.

Integrated speakers

When considering speakers for your PC, your choice will be driven very much by what you are using it for. For gaming or video work you will almost certainly want external PC speakers to get maximum sound immersion and quality. However, if you are a general home or office user, then inbuilt monitor speakers may be perfectly adequate. Though they won’t reproduce the best sound they do keep a desk uncluttered.

Integrated camera

Having an integral camera within your monitor is another way to reduce additional devices and cabling around your desk. Although there isn’t a huge difference between monitor brands and the quality of their cameras, it may be worth looking for features such as compatibility with Microsoft Hello face recognition capability, and a sliding camera cover to guarantee privacy.

USB ports

Having additional USB ports on your monitor has a number of advantages - not least extra ports for connecting peripherals, such as a webcam if you don’t opt for an inbuilt one. Extra ports may be especially important if you are using the monitor to add to a laptop, where USB ports are always at a premium. It is worth noting to use the USB ports on the monitor there will need to be a USB connection back to the PC or laptop. The USB-C interface we spoke about earlier suits this scenario ideally due to the audio, video, data and power transmission capability.

Multiple monitors

We’ve mentioned using multiple monitors several times in this guide, and if you want to go down this route (as opposed to an ultra-wide single screen), then there are a few considerations. Firstly, how you plan to connect them to your computer - this can be done by daisy chaining them one to the other, so you only have a single connection to the PC (or laptop). Either DisplayPort or USB-C support this type of connectivity.

Alternatively you can use different ports on your graphics card(s).

Diagram showing how monitor size is measured diagonally

When using multiple monitors you naturally have additional cables in the form of video connectors and power cables, plus extra desk space taken up by several stands. It is therefore advisable to fit the monitors on mounting arms, as these not only keep desk space free, but allow some cable management too to keep things neat. The majority of monitors have standard mounting holes on the back of the screen casing to take a VESA bracket for mounting on a flexible arm, fixed stand or wall attachment.

It is worth pointing out too that VESA mounting arms can also be used for a single monitor too, either clamping to a desk, or attaching to a wall.

Diagram showing how monitor size is measured diagonally

Ready to buy?

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Shop ≤22in Monitors Shop 23-25in Monitors Shop 27in Monitors Shop ≥28in Monitors

Shop specialist monitors

Shop ≥4K Monitors Shop Curved Monitors Shop NVIDIA G-SYNC Monitors Shop AMD FreeSync Monitors Shop Professional Monitors Shop Monitor Accessories

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Frequently Asked Questions

The most important attributes to look out for a gaming monitor are at least 27in in size, 2,560 x 1,440 or higher resolution, 16:9 or 21:9 aspect ratio, at least 144Hz refresh rate and 5ms or less response time. In terms of panel type, an IPS monitor is the best place to start, or an OLED monitor if your budget is larger, buying you superior contrast and motion handling.

The most important attributes to look out for a professional graphics monitor are at least 27in in size, 2,560 x 1,440 or higher resolution, 16:9 or 21:9 aspect ratio, at least 60Hz refresh rate and 10ms or less response time. In terms of panel type, an IPS monitor is the best place to start, or an OLED monitor if your budget is larger, buying you superior contrast and motion handling. You should also make sure that monitor is 100% sRGB, 99% Adobe RGB and 95-99% DCI-P3 rated and supports colour calibration, ensuring consistent output for print and broadcast.

The most important attributes to look out for a professional video monitor are at least 27in in size, 2,560 x 1,440 or higher resolution, 16:9 or 21:9 aspect ratio, at least 60Hz refresh rate and 10ms or less response time. In terms of panel type, an IPS monitor is the best place to start, or an OLED monitor if your budget is larger, buying you superior contrast and motion handling. You should also make sure that monitor is 100% sRGB, 99% Adobe RGB and 95-99% DCI-P3 rated and supports colour calibration, ensuring consistent output for print and broadcast.

OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) is the most advanced panel technology, producing the best contrast, especially in dark scenes, excellent colour gamut and viewing angles. IPS (In-Plane Switching) is an older panel technology, delivering excellent image quality at a lower price than OLED.

IPS panels typically provide the best balance between image quality and cost, with VA panels coming a close second. TN panels are generally inferior, although they are good at handling fast motion so still fulfil a niche in esports. OLED panels provide the best image quality, but at the most expensive.

HDR monitors display more detail in bright and dark scenes, alongside more intense colours, but require HDR content, which includes many films and an increasing number of games. Unless you are creating HDR content it’s more of a luxury than a necessity. For gaming, we would prioritise other factors such as resolution, refresh rate and response.