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The Best 27 inch Gaming Monitor - BenQ XL2720Z vs AOC I2757FH vs ASUS VS278Q-P vs LG 27EA33V vs Samsung S27B750V

Updated on September 14, 2014

Big Gaming Monitors but Not Huge

If you are a serious game player, you definitely want the best gaming monitor. A decent gaming monitor size is 27 inch, which allows fast signal processing and the feel of being in real situation, because it makes you turn your head during the game.

Why not buying bigger screens? Simple, because the bigger the screen the bigger the pixel's size, and the more lag while playing. If you need a bigger screen just use multiple smaller screens, more about this later in the page.

AOC I2757FH - LED-Monitor

AOC monitors are renowned for their reliability and quality, and they have a great history on the market. The AOC I2757FH is an IPS monitor, which generally have a higher display lag, however, this one has a very low lag, this being the reason we included it in our selection.

AOC 57 LED series I2757FH - LED-Monitor - 68.6cm/27"
AOC 57 LED series I2757FH - LED-Monitor - 68.6cm/27"
Technical DataScreen size: 27"Native Resolution: 1920x1080Display Colours: 16.7MInput connector: Analog, HDMI2Viewing Angle: 178/178Response Time: 5ms
 
ASUS VG248QE
ASUS VG248QE

What Are We Looking for In a Gaming Monitor?

When you buy a gaming monitor you have to look at the general features/specifications of a monitor, and the specifications useful while playing games.

General specifications:

  • The video interface, most of the monitors today come with HDMI, or HDMI and DVI.
  • Widescreen or square, most of them are widescreen, and the only "tall" screens on the market are the 19" monitors, but you will need four of them to cover the same area as a 27" one.
  • Size of the screen, (diagonal), is very important, you need to choose either a large monitor, or multiple smaller screens.
  • The PC interface can be adjusted with adapters, but we all know that an adapter looks ugly, and you want to eliminate any adapters to make sure you have the best performance. Make sure you match the monitor with your graphic card; many monitors come with an analog VGA connector and an HDMI one.
  • Price is certainly a factor to take in consideration, but if you are like me, you will sacrifice other budgets for you gaming system.

Gaming Related Specifications:

  • Resolution is probably not the most important factor, any gaming resolution above 1440x900 is decent, but a screen capable of higher resolutions, will react faster at lower resolutions; (this, of course, considering you have a great graphic card.)
  • Display lag Display lag is a parameter that refers to the delay introduced by monitor's processing unit to display images on the screen. To not be confounded with input lag, which is the total delay between the action on the input device, (mouse, console, keyboard), and the moment the image is displayed. Display lag is not something that is disclosed by manufacturers, and it is mostly discovered by users. More about display lag here.
  • Gaming mode option. The gaming mode doesn't looks nice for your daily applications, while you are not playing, but things change dramatically when playing a game. The image enhancements that modern monitors are capable of, are not that important while in gaming mode. In gaming mode much of the processing needed for these enhancements is reduced, (motion interpolation, backlight dimming, dynamic contrast, 3D, enhanced sharpness, and others). This in turn improves the speed, and decrease the display lag. Many of these enhancements can be turned off from the monitor's controls, but not all monitors have menus to allow disabling these.
  • Response time. Many times the response time is associated with the display lag, which is wrong. A fast response time doesn't necessarily translates in low display lag. Response time is the amount of time it takes for a pixel to go from one state/color to another, and back to the initial value. The display lag happens before changing the pixel. High response times can create ghosting, or blur patterns around moving objects.
  • Refresh Rate is the the number of frames that can be displayed in a second by your monitor. This is an important parameter for gaming. The old CRT monitors had refresh rates above 120 Hz, and it was an absolute need for both gaming and non gaming applications, with lower refresh rates the screen was flickering. The new lcd monitors don't flicker at low refresh rates, because the technology is different, but with movement at high speeds, fluidity in movement and transitions is better at higher refresh rates. Some modern flat panel monitors are capable of displaying at 120 Hz, which is great for the game's fluidity.
  • V-Sync V-Sync is the technology that makes your graphic card synchronize with the refresh rate of your screen. It will reduce the tear during games, but sometimes it will cause stuttering, or latency.
  • G-Sync is the new technology perfected by Nvidia, which allows a perfect synchronization between what your GPU outputs, and what the screen renders. The technology is aimed specifically at the gaming market, and it requires both a special card, (Nvidia), and a G-Sync enabled monitor. This is probably one of the greatest developments in the gaming monitors market, and it will be available on the market at the end of Q2 beginning of Q3 in 2014, that means right about now. Nvidia made available for enthusiasts the option to customize their monitor with the new technology, for more information check this page.

TheASUS VG248QE is the monitor that can be modified to support the G-Sync technology. The model at the link will be eventually upgraded to G-sync, check the page for more updates. Note that this monitor is just 24".

BenQ 1ms Gaming Monitor

The XL2720Z from Benq is one of the best monitors for gamers. For the very competitive FPS gamers, accurate, fast response during play is the most important factor. A little ghosting can hinder your ability to spot enemies properly, and the input lag can make you lose a battle. This is where Benq steps in and make one of the best monitors on the market. It is a TN monitor, obviously, these having the lowest input lag. The features that makes the Benq XL2720Z one of the best gaming screens are:

  • Extra low display lag, almost inexistent
  • Motion Blur Reduction Technology
  • GROM, Gaming Refresh Rate Optimization Management
  • Low Blue Light - for the gamer's eye protection
  • Display Pilot feature
  • Gaming-comfort Flicker-free
  • Black eQualizer color engine
  • S Switch for Swift Control and Navigation with three buttons for your presets
  • Preset FPS modes with out of the box calibrations. You don't have to spend hours to find the perfect motor calibration, it's already done for you. You can even tweak that for your personal preference.
  • 1 ms GTG Response time

Samsung B750 Series S27B750V 27-Inch

The Samsung S27B750V is an elegant monitor, built on the TN technology, which makes it a very fast and responsive monitor, great for FPS games. It has built in, high quality, 5 Watt Samsung stereo speakers. The Samsung's innovations in the monitor, and TV technology are also part of this technology wonder, some of these are: Samsung MagicBright3, Samsung MagicColor, MagicTune, Mega Dynamic Contrast Ratio, Magic Angle, etc...

Samsung B750 Series S27B750V 27-Inch Screen LED-Lit Monitor
Samsung B750 Series S27B750V 27-Inch Screen LED-Lit Monitor
SpecsResponse time: 2ms GTGNative resolution: 1920x1080Viewing angle: 170/160Screen size: 27"Inputs: VGA, (Analog d-sub), 2xHDMIColors: 16.7M
 

Multiple Monitors Environment

Gaming with multiple monitors
Gaming with multiple monitors

If your game supports it, you can use a few monitors to assemble the scene. The advantage is that you can use a variety of smaller screens with lower display lag, and pay a decent price for the whole setup. Another advantage is that you can have big screens this way, imagine four 27 inch screens, or better yet, 6 of them stacked on two rows.

ASUS VS278Q-P 1ms 27 inch

The Asus VS series is the best seller on Amazon and that is for a reason. With a 1ms response time, there is no ghosting whatsoever. Automatically, we ask the question: "how about the input lag?". Because this is a TN monitor, the input lag is very low, making this a perfect screen for a gamer, with great colors, and amazing contrast. There is no bleeding around the edges, and no ghosting at all.The power brick is built in, yet the monitor is really slim. The VS series monitors are equipped with LEDs for brighter images. As with all TN monitors, from very large angles there is some image shifting, but it is very unlikely to reach those angles during a game.

ASUS VS278Q-P 27" Full HD 1920x1080 1ms DisplayPort HDMI VGA Monitor
ASUS VS278Q-P 27" Full HD 1920x1080 1ms DisplayPort HDMI VGA Monitor
Technical SpecificationsScreen Size: 27 inchResponse time: 1Ms Native Resolution : 1920x1080Pixel pitch: 0.311Display colors: 16.7MViewing angle 170/160Input ports: HDMI*2, D-Sub, Displayport
 

Gaming Monitors - IPS vs TN Technology

The new IPS monitors are great, the image is so much better than on the TN monitors, the colors and the contrast are better. But is the IPS monitor the best for gaming? Short answer is; no, and I'll show you why in a bit.

IPS is the acronym for In-Plane Switching, and it is not actually a new technology, it is just marketed more aggressively now. Here is an article that talks in detail about IPS. In the end the IPS monitor is just a TFT monitor. TN is the acronym for Twisted Nematic, and it is your regular monitor that you find everywhere. The average TN monitor is cheaper than the IPS equivalent. But the gaming ones are loaded with specific features to make gaming the best experience ever, so don't expect them to be cheap.

IPS monitors are great for regular applications, that don't involve a lot of movement. The colors on IPS monitors look better, the contract is crisper, color accuracy, great looking black, some of the best viewing angles, (178/178), and very little artifacts with images and movies.

The IPS panels are powered with 8b display technology, which makes the color more accurate than the 6 bit technology. TN monitors have faster response times, and they don't produce ghosts while gaming. However, viewing angles are not that great. This is not absolutely critical, because the horizontal viewing angles are not that bad, and the vertical viewing angle is not that obstructive during a game. The TN monitors are generally equipped with 6 bit technology, with some of the more recent ones upgraded to 8 bit technology.

LG 27EA33V 27-Inch LED Anti-Glare Monitor, Slim IPS-Panel

The LG 27EA33V is an IPS - LED technology monitor, and it is a great compromise between the TN monitors, which typically have lower display lag, and the IPS technology which offers amazing colors, and contrast. This monitor has a very decent input lag, for most gamers' standards it is great.

LG 27EA33V Black 27-Inch Widescreen LED Anti-Glare Monitor, 1080p Slim IPS-Panel, VGA, DVI, HDMI
LG 27EA33V Black 27-Inch Widescreen LED Anti-Glare Monitor, 1080p Slim IPS-Panel, VGA, DVI, HDMI
Technical SpecsScreen Size: 27"Technology: IPS - LEDResponse time: 5msViewing Angle: 178/178Display colors: 16.7MInput connector: Analog, DVI, HDMINative Resolution: 1920 x 1080
 

Ask me any questions, or anything that doesn't seem clear. I will reply with explanations. This helps me make this page better.

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