monitor buying help

**SourceSkills** · 10-17-12, 11:37 PM

well maybe i will just get one of each lol. one for beautiful media and one for smooth gaming. now how to get some money. i take donations :P or better yet my fee is probably lower than anyone you know LOL.

**HeavyG** · 10-20-12, 10:18 AM

Originally Posted by RhysJD3

Two distinct markets. It's like talking about a Cadillac SUV and asking how it's performance is to a Porsche sports car. IPS is image quality (photo editing, video...) and 120 hz 2 ms is for no lag response time for FPS gaming or that sort.

Some may notice the difference, but I sure don't. My IPS is fine when it comes to "lag response time". There might be a difference, but the loss in image quality (and lower resolution) to the 120Hz/2 MS TN panels is enough to make me run away from them FAST.

Now, I will say that TN panels are absolutely great for the money... like that 27" monitor I sold to Gumby a while back, I think brand new it was like $300 or in that price range, for a 2MS 27" screen. It made a great gaming monitor, but I wanted a bit more, and I had the money to spend, so I went with the Dell IPS.

**SourceSkills** · 10-20-12, 10:52 AM

Originally Posted by HeavyG

Some may notice the difference, but I sure don't. My IPS is fine when it comes to "lag response time". There might be a difference, but the loss in image quality (and lower resolution) to the 120Hz/2 MS TN panels is enough to make me run away from them FAST.

Now, I will say that TN panels are absolutely great for the money... like that 27" monitor I sold to Gumby a while back, I think brand new it was like $300 or in that price range, for a 2MS 27" screen. It made a great gaming monitor, but I wanted a bit more, and I had the money to spend, so I went with the Dell IPS.

You get the same res as an IPS. True it might look better but the 120 hz at 2 ms really shines in FPS games the most. But you really need one in front of you to really see the difference.

**HeavyG** · 10-20-12, 04:57 PM

Originally Posted by SourceSkills

You get the same res as an IPS. True it might look better but the 120 hz at 2 ms really shines in FPS games the most. But you really need one in front of you to really see the difference.

My IPS is 2560x1440. I don't believe there is a 2MS panel that supports that res out there, especially at 120Hz, but I could be wrong. Hell, I don't even think there is a 120Hz panel out there that supports 2560x1440 yet, except for some questionable off brands from overseas.

Here are the 27" 120Hz monitors available on Newegg.com.
Newegg.com - Computer Hardware, Monitors, LCD Monitors, 120Hz, 27"

They are all 1920x1080 resolution (2,073,600 pixels), which if my math is correct, my Dell U2711 monitor at 2560x1440 resolution (3,686,400 pixels) monitor has 78% more pixels than any of those 2MS 120Hz screens.

Those extra 1.6 MILLION pixels make a huge difference when it comes to clarity. The more pixels, the finer the detail. Add the superior viewing angles and available colors on the IPS panel, and it almost makes the quality of picture being delivered to your eyes a no contest.

Again, this is my preference. Many on here swear by the 120Hz panels because of "smoothness", but my hardware has me at a good enough plateau for smoothness, leaving my preference for the highest quality and best overall experience with my games (and other applications). Keep in mind that I work from home and use my monitor about 10-12 hours/day.

I also argue that those that would go for the lower resolution 120Hz panels probably don't have the hardware horsepower to even run games at 2560x1440 resolution on high detail. SLI/Crossfire is your friend at resolutions this high.