With the advent of 4K gaming, accessible graphics cards and beautifully rendered games, large gaming monitors have seen somewhat of a renaissance in the market with gamers looking to get more out of their rig.
Screens over 27”, once a high value item, have come to a far more accessible price with the influx of manufacturers like ACER, BENQ and Asus producing options for all types of users from gamers and editors to designers and creatives.
But how big should you go when it comes to large gaming monitors, what are the advantages of these mammoth screens, do you need 4K and most importantly how can you get the best kit for your money?
We spoke with monitor expert, Nick Walter from ACER to run us through the key considerations when looking for a big screen gaming monitor.
First off, let’s hit the basics; Why buy a monitor over 27?
The first understanding for any consumer should be, “what’s my application, and how is it going to be used”. Which monitor is going to serve you the best? Are you using it for general multimedia applications, video, CAD or gaming? Monitors can be better suited for different experiences so getting the best value isn’t always the only consideration
When you go over 27” you need to determine what panel type is key. However in general with screen sizes over 27” you get more pixels in the screen, more pixels = better experience.
For gamers what are the advantages in performance of a large monitor?
Large screens have more pixels so resolution types such as 2K (e.g. 2560 x 1440) or 4K (e.g. 3840 x 2160) will provide much more detail than lower resolution / smaller screens. The more detail you have the more accurate you will be with whatever game is being played. You also have the ability to ‘see more’ in the detail which will only help identify enemies, hidden doorways, etc.
Predator gaming models for example, incorporate NVIDIA G-sync technology so a monitor with this technology will reduce tearing and blurring effects. The overall effect is better gameplay and a higher quality view.
Ok so I’m looking to buy a large gaming monitor, what are my key considerations?
Consider the type of game you play and your gaming set-up (e.g. graphics card). As such the type of game you play should influence the type of panel you buy.
If you need detail in abundance then you need a 4K panel. If you want detail and colour accuracy then a 4K IPS panel is for you.
If you are playing action games such as shoot ‘em ups online it’s all about beating your competitor by a split second you should focus on response time and refresh rate so a panel that incorporates a 1ms response and 144Hz should be for you.
If you’re looking for full immersion, we can now go even further with curved-screen technology that will plunge the user into an immersive experience,
Got my size and format, how much is going to cost?
For large format monitors you can easily step up and down in value when it comes to features vs price. For a fantastic entry into 27” gaming with 1ms and 144Hz you should expect to pay circa £300 which would be a TN panel and a resolution of 1920×1080.
When you step up to 2K resolution (2560×1440) you can expect to pay a further £150 on top of that.
When you incorporate IPS technology which provides better colour accuracy with the 2K resolution, 1ms and 144Hz add about another £100. When you also consider the graphics card you are using you should aim for the best match so its NVIDIA then buy a NVIDIA G-Sync enabled monitor and if its AMD then buy an AMD Freesync enabled monitor.
Any technical points I need to look out for like panel type, functions etc…?
Consider your requirements and your set-up. Do you want 4K? If yes, then you will need a display port connection for example. There are many considerations when buying a large screen monitor so consider what you want. Colour performance, speed, colour accuracy, graphics card. Most important consider the game you play. Action and motor sport games for example will benefit from immersive curved displays. Where as straight-up map or strategy games will benefit from a large single screen with ultra-high definition.
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