When it comes to gaming, the monitor is one of the most important components of the computer that you should pay attention to, and of course, be careful when purchasing!

What good is the performance of the processor and graphics card if the game is not displayed correctly and, most importantly, quickly on the screen?

But when you start searching for the ideal monitor, you might get confused by the terms of the panels, TN, VA, and IPS. That's why below we will see what each type of panel is and its advantages and disadvantages.

TN (Twisted Nematic):

The oldest type of panel on the list, it was the top choice for gaming for many years. They are cheap to produce, which means more affordable monitor models, and achieve the lowest response times, even below 1ms.

And while the contrast of TN panels ranges at satisfactory levels, the same does not apply to color reproduction, as it has, being an older technology, the lowest performance in this area.

The best choice for fast FPS competitive games.

VA (Vertical Alignment):

VA panels came a bit later than TN, as an alternative (and slightly more expensive) option to offer improvements in certain areas. But not without some cost.

The significant improvement in color reproduction and the high contrast for the most incredible blacks you will find on a computer screen (among TN, VS, and IPS at least) translate to somewhat higher response times, usually around 4-5 ms. If you can live with that and are not a highly competitive gamer, it is an excellent choice. Of course, technology is advancing, and now in some more expensive models, the response times rival those of TN!

If you want a screen that performs well in all types of gaming but also allows you to watch movies and series, then you want a screen with a VA panel.

IPS (In-Plane Switching):

The newest of the three technologies, IPS panel screens offer the best color reproduction, with vibrancy and image quality. This is why they are preferred by those involved in content creation, photo, and video editing. 

Previously, they were quite expensive, but now they are available at more reasonable levels, depending on the features of course. They have also become faster, with response times of 1-2ms and refresh rates up to 240Hz. 

However, IPS panels lose quite a bit in black contrast compared to VA panels, but it is by no means bad.