IPS vs. TN vs. VA – Which Display Type is the Best?

Nothing’s more confusing than having to choose from the different panel types for your gaming display – especially when all of them have quite similar features and deliver amazing results.

However, you still have to get down to pick one out of all the leading display types. So all you need to look at that very moment is an expert review on all of them. In a similar context, here we have included this comprehensive guide on IPS vs. TN vs. VA, in order to help you out in your choice.

That said, here, we’ll be digging deep into what actually makes these various display types different from each other. Similarly, we’d highlight several aspects of these panels such as screen resolution, response time, color resolution, etc.

On that note, let’s get straight to it:

IPS vs. TN vs. VA: What’s the Difference?

Prior to comparing and contrasting the panel types, it would be better to include a brief introduction of them, in which all the basics would be mentioned.

Having said that, let’s have a look at that:

IPS Panel Type

First and foremost, we have the most popular kind of display technology here, which is none other than the IPS. The abbreviation for IPS is In-Plane Switching. Besides, these monitors are largely known for their exceptional color performance.

With that being said, IPS display types offer wide viewing angles. Besides, with IPS panels, you get to have full 178/178 viewing angle, which simply means that you can view things almost sideways.

VA Panel Type

Next off, we have the VA panel type which is also one of the best quality panel types that you can choose as your gaming display. Apart from that, VA stands for Vertical Alignment, which simply refers to the alignment of molecules within LCD.

Having said that, the VA panel types are considered best for gaming as they provide amazing color contrast ratios that deliver vivid graphic quality. However, the response time of these panels might not be as good as its rivals.

TN Panel Type

Lastly, another amazing display technology shows up on the list, which is none other than the TN (twisted-nematic) panel type. For the most part, this panel type is considered the most high-end option among its competitors.

This is for the reason that they deliver the swiftest responsiveness, with up to 1 ms of pixel update response time. In addition to that, this is probably the only panel type to date that goes up to 240 Hz of FPS rate.

Having said that, as for the viewing angles, the TN display technology offers 170/178 viewing angles. This means that, from the wide-angle view, you’d face a slight color shift or image fade with a TN panel. Other than that, these are considered the best, overall.

So:

Now that we have discussed the basic introduction of the features of all the three main types considered, it’s high time that we get down to compare and contrast the three, so that, you’d be able to select any one out of these panel types.

That being said, let’s get down to it:

IPS vs. VA vs. TN: Which One to Choose?

All three different panels are types of LCD monitor technology. Apart from that, LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display. Besides, these panels are lit by LED backlights normally.

With that being mentioned, the following is the list of specifications that’d help you differentiate among them:

Contrast Ratio

First things first, considering the contrast ratios of all the three major LCD panel types, we get to know the following important facts:

IPS panels feature a contrast ratio that ranges from 700:1 – 1500:1. That’s pretty much considered good enough overall and provides better performance than TN panels as well.

That being said, the TN panel type introduces a contrast ratio of typically around 600:1 – 1200:1 range. This is considered to be the worst contrast ratio so far as they aren’t able to produce black as deep as VA vs. IPS.

Now last but not least, the VA panels tend to raise the bar high in this regard – as they feature a usual contrast ratio of above 2500:1. That being said, newer monitors go as high as 5000:1 – 6000:1 as well.

Hence conclusively, VA panels take the lead here due to their exceptional contrast ratio. So if you want to have a monitor to use in a dark room, then make sure to prefer the VA panel for gaming.

Brightness

In the case of VA vs. IPS TV or even gaming monitor, the factor of brightness is considerable. However, since TN panels are not as popular as they were once, therefore, its limitation regarding this technology is merely due to their market and not the technological aspect.

With that being said, the VA vs. IPS text sharpness thus gets enhanced – thanks to its vibrant bright images. Moreover, they are considered best for gaming as well in this regard.

Viewing Angles

Viewing angles of all of these panel types are different and hence the color accuracy gets altered due to this reason. With that being said, the IPS panels allow wider viewing angles than the other two, which feature the same precision from sideways as well.

However, this has the worst-case scenario with the TN panel type. Therefore, in the case of IPS vs. TN for gaming, the former tends to be more favorable than the latter.

FAQs

Conclusion

So the bottom line with regards to IPS vs. TN vs. VA is that the IPS panels are considered the most commonly used panel type overall. However, the VA panels offer a much better contrast ratio and thus are preferable for gaming – especially in a dark environment. Lastly, TN panel types are high-end, therefore, you have to make quite a big investment to get these.