1ms vs 4ms Monitors — Here’s Everything You Need to Know

A monitor can be used for a wide range of tasks. You might use it for watching movies, working at the office, preparing student projects, and editing photos. For these purposes, the response time does not matter, so you rarely look for it.

However, when it comes to gaming, response time becomes a decisive factor in the choice of a monitor. The reason is that response time does not affect other tasks significantly as it ranges only in milliseconds. Generally, monitors have a response time from 1ms to 10ms.

So, if you are too wondering what response time actually is and how much will it affect your gaming experience then you have come to just the right place. We will provide you with everything you need in this guide: 1ms vs 4ms response time.

What is Response Time?

It isn’t something that you can notice by running manual tests on your monitor. If you want to test the response time of your monitor, either you are gonna need third-party software, or you will have to read the specs behind the box in which your monitor arrived.

Well, basically, the response time is the time in which a pixel on your monitor changes from one color to another. It is usually measured from a gray-to-gray scale, and ranges from 1ms to 10ms, with 1ms being the highest.

Higher response time reduces the ghosting, blurring, and lag from your games providing you a competitive edge in gaming. Even if by milliseconds, you will be able to stay ahead of your competition and dominate in the gaming world.

Why Do I Need Faster Response Time?

If you are going to use the monitor for professional purposes or general entertainment then you can overlook the response time factor and just purchase whichever monitor that suits your purposes.

However, for gamers, the response time is the elixir of life. Every portion of the second matters when the chaos is unleashed and you are on the edge to find and kill enemies on the battleground.

Good gaming monitors have response times between 0.5 to 1ms. The response time provides you with instant pixel transitioning, leaving no room for lag or motion blur. Hence, your gaming experience will be perfectly smooth.

As the response time ranges from 1ms to 10ms, many monitors in the market offer a slower response time. Generally, IPS monitors have a 4ms response time, which might not seem much of a difference to you.

Think of it like this, the 4ms response time is 4 times the response time of a good gaming monitor. So, the responsiveness of your games will be 4 times slower which will introduce you to the pain of ghosting and blurring in the games.

Are there any backdrops of having a Faster Response Time Monitors?

When you look at 1ms vs 4ms monitors differences, there are some which delineate the flaws of a monitor with a faster response time.

Color reproduction, color accuracy, image processing, and higher contrast are some of the factors you are letting go of in pursuit of higher response time.

So, while the monitor will be quite beneficial in its gaming performance, you might not be able to achieve efficient results for watching movies, editing, and surfing the internet.

How is Response Time affected by Panel Type?

The responsiveness or response time of your monitor is highly dependent on the type of panel your monitor has. The panel type is crucial in determining which type of monitor you should buy. So, you can consider it an interrelated factor. Continue Reading: IPS vs. TN vs. VA

First, let’s take a look at three-panel types.

The Twisted Nematic or TN panels are the fastest offerings you 0.5ms to 1ms response time. These panels are cheap and best suited for the gaming experience. However, their color reproduction is very low and doesn’t offer vibrant colors.

Then comes the In-Plane Switching or IPS panels, which have above average responsiveness and offer brilliant color accuracy. These panels offer the most versatile functionality in monitors and have tons of interesting features. They are also expensive.

What both IPS panels and TN panels lack is a high contrast ratio, which is provided by the Vertical Alignment or VA panels. These panels have fast responsiveness and contrast, but lack in terms of color reproduction.

For gaming, any of the above monitors can serve effectively, if they are enhanced with the right technology. There are many IPS and VA panels that are modified to provide a 1ms response time. So, their combined effect is magnificent.

Advance Technologies that Enhance the Monitor’s Efficiency

The Nano-IPS technology, Quantum-Dot technology, and OLED displays upgrade the traditional panels and bring the gifts of the future to you. They cover the backdrops and flaws of these panels to provide you with perfect gaming performance.

As compared to 4ms response time monitors, you can go with 1ms response time Nano-IPS monitors that provide you the high color reproduction, wide color spectrum coverage, and faster response time.

You can find similar features in a VA panel monitor which comes with Quantum-Dot technology. The monitor will offer the best contrast, combined with vivid colors and fast responsiveness.

Other Factors You Can Consider in a Gaming Monitor

Gaming does not depend on only response time, there are plenty of other factors as well that beg your consideration. So, let’s take a quick look at them.

Refresh Rate

The refresh rate is responsible for frame transitioning and provides you with smooth gaming visuals. So, a higher refresh rate will mean less screen tearing, stutter, and more fluid gameplay.

The refresh rate combines with the response time to deliver the fastest gaming visuals and provide you with the best gaming experience.

Screen Size and Resolution

Screen size and resolution are also important factors for gaming. They determine the type of monitor setup you will be going for. These two factors are mainly determined by your budget.

So, if you have got a good budget, you can go with a higher screen size and resolution. Higher-resolution offers more pixel density and color reproduction which enhances the realistic visuals in the gameplay.

Eye Care Technology

Regardless of 1ms vs 4ms response time difference in monitors, eye care technology is a must-have factor. If you are a gamer, then you will be spending most of your day in front of the monitor.

So, the last thing you need is getting an eye strain or fatigue after playing games for longer hours. So, you must always consider having advanced eye-care technology integrated into the monitor.

Frequently Asked Questions