Understanding Display Specs: Complete Technical Guide
Monitor specs can be overwhelming. This guide explains every specification in plain English, what the numbers actually mean, and which specs matter most for your needs.
1 Resolution & PPI (Pixels Per Inch)
📐 What is Resolution?
Resolution is the number of pixels on your screen, expressed as width × height (e.g., 1920×1080). More pixels = sharper image, but requires more GPU power.
| Name | Resolution | Total Pixels | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full HD (1080p) | 1920 × 1080 | 2.1M pixels | Budget gaming, 24" |
| QHD/1440p | 2560 × 1440 | 3.7M pixels | Gaming/productivity, 27" |
| 4K/UHD | 3840 × 2160 | 8.3M pixels | Creative work, 32"+ |
| Ultrawide QHD | 3440 × 1440 | 5.0M pixels | Immersive gaming, 34" |
| 5K | 5120 × 2880 | 14.7M pixels | Professional design, 27" |
🔍 PPI Matters More Than Resolution
PPI (Pixels Per Inch) is the actual pixel density - how tightly packed pixels are. Same resolution on different screen sizes = different sharpness.
💡 Sweet Spot: 100-140 PPI
Below 90 PPI, individual pixels become visible. Above 140 PPI, text may appear too small without scaling.
2 Panel Type (IPS / VA / TN / OLED)
Panel type determines fundamental characteristics like colors, viewing angles, response time, and contrast. This is the most important spec - it affects everything.
🎨 IPS (In-Plane Switching)
Best for: Color accuracy, wide viewing angles
✅ Pros:
- • Excellent color accuracy (100% sRGB typical)
- • Wide viewing angles (178°)
- • Best for photo/video editing
- • Consistent colors at any angle
❌ Cons:
- • IPS glow (corner light bleed)
- • Lower contrast (1000:1 typical)
- • Slower response time (4-8ms)
- • Higher price
Recommended for: Designers, photographers, content creators, general productivity
🌓 VA (Vertical Alignment)
Best for: Contrast, deep blacks, media consumption
✅ Pros:
- • High contrast (3000:1 to 6000:1)
- • Deep blacks, excellent for movies
- • No IPS glow
- • Affordable
❌ Cons:
- • Narrow viewing angles
- • Color shift at angles
- • Slower response time (5-12ms)
- • Smearing in dark scenes
Recommended for: Movie/TV watching, single-user gaming, dark room setups
⚡ TN (Twisted Nematic)
Best for: Competitive gaming, fastest response
✅ Pros:
- • Fastest response time (1-2ms true)
- • Highest refresh rates (360-540Hz)
- • Lowest input lag
- • Cheapest option
❌ Cons:
- • Poor color accuracy
- • Terrible viewing angles
- • Low contrast (600-800:1)
- • Washed out colors
Recommended for: Esports players (CS:GO, Valorant), budget builds - NOT for creative work
✨ OLED (Organic LED)
Best for: Image quality perfection, premium users
✅ Pros:
- • Infinite contrast (true blacks)
- • Perfect colors & viewing angles
- • Ultra-fast response (<0.1ms)
- • Best HDR performance
❌ Cons:
- • Burn-in risk (permanent)
- • Very expensive ($800-2000+)
- • Lower peak brightness (vs LCD)
- • Text fringing (RWBG subpixels)
⚠️ Burn-in Warning
OLED monitors can develop permanent burn-in from static UI elements (taskbar, desktop icons). Use screensavers and hide taskbar. Not recommended for productivity (coding, office work).
Recommended for: Enthusiast gamers, media professionals with varied content - NOT for static desktop use
3 Refresh Rate (Hz)
⚡ What is Refresh Rate?
How many times per second your monitor can redraw the image. Measured in Hertz (Hz). 60Hz = 60 frames per second max, 144Hz = 144 fps max.
Higher refresh rate = smoother motion, lower input lag, better competitive gaming performance.
| Refresh Rate | Best For | Noticeable Benefit | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60Hz | Office work, casual use | Baseline - adequate | $ |
| 75Hz | Budget gaming | Slight improvement | $ |
| 144Hz | Gaming sweet spot | Very noticeable | $$ |
| 165-180Hz | Enthusiast gaming | Marginal over 144Hz | $$ |
| 240Hz | Competitive FPS | Professional edge | $$$ |
| 360-540Hz | Esports only | Diminishing returns | $$$$ |
💡 Do You Need High Refresh Rate?
60Hz is fine for:
Office work, photo editing, web browsing, single-player games
144Hz recommended for:
Any gaming, even casual. The smoothness is immediately noticeable.
240Hz+ only if:
You play competitive FPS (Valorant, CS:GO) at high level AND have GPU to push 240+ fps
⚠️ Important Notes
- • Your GPU must output enough FPS to match refresh rate
- • Use DisplayPort 1.4 for >60Hz (HDMI 2.0 limited to 144Hz @ 1080p)
- • Enable high refresh rate in Windows display settings manually
- • VRR (G-Sync/FreeSync) helps if fps fluctuates
4 Response Time (ms)
🏃 What is Response Time?
Time it takes for a pixel to change color, measured in milliseconds (ms). Lower = better (less ghosting/motion blur).
⚠️ Marketing Lies
Manufacturers advertise "1ms GTG" (Gray-to-Gray), which is measured under unrealistic conditions. Real-world response time is usually 2-4x higher.
🎯 What Response Time Do You Need?
< 5ms (Real): Excellent
No visible ghosting. Great for competitive gaming, fast-paced action.
5-8ms (Real): Good
Minimal ghosting. Fine for most gaming and general use.
8-12ms (Real): Acceptable
Noticeable ghosting in fast motion. Okay for slow-paced games, productivity.
> 12ms (Real): Poor
Significant ghosting. Not recommended for gaming.
💡 Test Response Time
Use our Response Time Test to see actual ghosting on your monitor. Marketing specs don't tell the whole story.
5 Brightness & HDR (nits)
Brightness is measured in nits (cd/m²). Higher = brighter screen, better for bright rooms and HDR.
- • 250-300 nits: Minimum for indoor use
- • 350-400 nits: Standard SDR brightness (recommended)
- • 400-600 nits: HDR400 (fake HDR, minimal benefit)
- • 600-1000 nits: HDR600/HDR1000 (real HDR, noticeable)
- • 1000+ nits: Premium OLED/Mini-LED (true HDR experience)
6 Contrast Ratio
Ratio between brightest white and darkest black. Higher = better image depth and perceived quality.
• IPS: 1000:1 (typical)
• TN: 600-800:1 (poor)
• VA: 3000-6000:1 (excellent)
• OLED: ∞:1 (infinite - true blacks)
7 Color Gamut & Accuracy
Color Gamut: Range of colors a monitor can display.
- • 100% sRGB: Minimum for accurate colors (web, gaming)
- • 95%+ DCI-P3: For HDR, video editing, photography
- • Adobe RGB: For print professionals only
Delta E < 2: Professional color accuracy (invisible color error)
8 Other Important Specs
🔌 Connectivity
HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4, USB-C with DP Alt Mode, USB hub
🔄 VRR (Variable Refresh Rate)
G-Sync / FreeSync - eliminates screen tearing
📐 Ergonomics
Height adjust, tilt, swivel, pivot (portrait mode)
🔊 Speakers
Usually terrible - buy external speakers
Test Your Monitor's Specs
Verify what you're actually getting with our professional testing tools.