Expert Consulted: Adrian Gardiner. Years of experience buying both computers and computer parts for my own new customer builds has given me useful experience. In this article, I’ll be sharing my knowledge to cover the best monitor size for gaming.
Selecting the best monitor size for gaming is crucial for a great gaming experience, and there are a number of considerations to be taken into account before buying one. Certain games may be better suited to certain screen sizes.
So, which is the best monitor size for computer gaming?
The best display size for gaming will depend on personal choice and gaming setup. For immersive story driven experiences like RPG games, 27-32″ screens provide a good balance of size and detail. For competitive gaming like FPS games, a smaller 24-25″ display is better for quicker eye movement enabling you to respond and move faster.
To help you understand the various commonly used terms when describing computer monitors and what you need to look out for, the rest of my article goes into more detail for you.
The Best Monitor Size for Gaming
Before selecting the best monitor size for gaming, it helps to understand some of the key technical terms you’re likely to encounter when shopping for monitors. In the next few sections, I’ve covered the most common terms used.
Pixels – What are they?
A pixel (refers to an element of a picture) is a very small dot on a computer display, not usually visible, that when combined with many other pixels, forms the pictures and videos that you see on screen. If you get really close up to your TV screen, for example, you can sometimes see individual pixels.
Each pixel is capable of showing a different color and/or level of brightness. The more pixels, the more detailed and clearer the image.
Operating on its own, each pixel enables the creation of all the different colors and shades on a display, and by tweaking the intensity of each pixel’s red, green, and blue (RGB) channels, many different colors can be seen.
The number of pixels is often used to define the resolution, and for computer screens are expressed like 1920 x 1080, which equals 2.1 megapixels.
High-resolution screens simply have many more pixels to create a better, sharper, and clearer display.
Pixel Density
Pixel density, also called pixels per inch (PPI), describes how closely packed the pixels are on a screen, measuring the number of pixels within a specific area of the display (usually measured in inches). The pixel density directly affects the level of detail and sharpness visible on the screen.
When pixel density is higher, there are more pixels per inch, resulting in more accurate and smooth rendering of images, text, and graphics. In simpler terms, higher pixel density means crisper and more detailed imagery on the screen.
Screen Resolution
As I mentioned earlier, PC display resolution is the number of pixels shown on your screen, and this, in turn, is what affects the level of detail that you see. This resolution is designated by two numbers (like 1920 x 1080) that cover the number of pixels both horizontally and vertically.
The greater the resolution, the greater the number of pixels and, consequently, the higher the detail shown.
Commonly Used Display Monitor Resolutions
Here are the most likely display monitor resolutions you’ll see when researching computer monitors. There are higher resolutions, but these are not currently used by the mainstream marketplace.
| HD (High Definition) 720p (1280 x 720) | Most commonly used for low-end monitors and smaller screens, HD provides a reasonable level of detail and is suitable for everyday tasks, including web browsing and video playback, for example. |
| Full HD 1080p (1920 x 1080) | Full HD is pretty much the main standard now for most current computer monitors, offering better and clearer image quality, which makes it perfect for general computing, gaming, and multimedia usage. |
| Quad HD (2K) 1440p (2560 x 1440) | Quad HD or 2K provides even higher pixel density and sharper detail compared to 1080p and is often the top choice for gamers, content creators, and professionals who need this better detail than 2K provides for tasks like photo editing or video production. |
| Ultra HD (4K) (3840 x 2160 or 4096 x 2160) | 4K resolution, or Ultra HD (UHD), has four times the pixel count of 1080p. This resolution delivers amazing clarity and detail, making it perfect for professional applications, media editing, and immersive gaming experiences. You’ll often see this on bigger displays and high-end monitors. |
It’s important to note that higher resolutions require more powerful graphics power (i.e., a bigger and better graphics card) to drive the increased number of pixels effectively.
Additionally, the size of the monitor plays a significant role in determining the perceived benefits of higher resolutions.
Aspect Ratio
Aspect ratio is a way to describe the shape of a screen or image by comparing its width to its height.
The most common aspect ratios used in screens today are 16:9 and 21:9.
The rectangular 16:9 aspect ratio is commonly found in TVs, computer monitors, and smartphones and is great for showing videos and pictures.
The 21:9 aspect ratio is even wider and more panoramic and can be found in special UltraWide computer monitors and gaming displays to give a more immersive experience with a wider view.
Why is Aspect Ratio Important?
The aspect ratio is important because it affects how things look on a screen. If the aspect ratio of the content doesn’t match the screen’s aspect ratio, you might see black bars at the top, bottom, or sides of the screen.
For example, if you watch a movie with a wide aspect ratio on a regular screen, you’ll see black bars to keep the original shape of the movie.
The choice of aspect ratio depends on what you’re using the screen for and the type of content you’re displaying.
A wide aspect ratio is good for watching movies and playing games, while a different aspect ratio might be better for professional work or specific needs.
When you choose a screen or create visual content, it’s important to consider the aspect ratio to make sure it looks good and works well with what you want to do.
Refresh Rate
Refresh rate is how often a gaming monitor updates the displayed image, so 100 Hz would mean a new image is displayed 100 times a second.
The most common refresh rate in use is usually 60Hz, but higher rates like 144Hz, 240Hz, or now increasingly 360Hz available on high-end monitors provide smoother motion and enhance the gaming experience by reducing blur.
With the release to market this year of the ASUS ROG Swift, you can even get an insane refresh rate of 500 Hz!! Expect to go broke buying it, though!
To achieve high refresh rates on a gaming monitor, you’ll need a well-specced gaming computer and/or decent graphics card (i.e., something like an RTX 3050 at the minimum) that can generate a high number of frames per second (FPS), a monitor designed for high refresh rates, and the use of the right display cables (i.e., DisplayPort) to handle the increased data transfer.
Response Time
A monitor’s response time refers to how quickly its pixels can change color. Lower response times mean less blurring and a smoother display, which is particularly important for fast games like racing or first-person shooters.
Most current gaming monitors have response times of around 1 ms, but the lower, the better, and I would recommend aiming for lower than 1 ms.
Computer Monitor Panel Types
The four most common types of computer monitor panels are TN, VA, IPS, and OLED.
TN (twisted nematic)
TN panels have fast response times (down to 1 ms), making them great for gaming, but have limited viewing angles (170 160 degrees) and color accuracy. These are good for high frame rates and fast-paced gaming environments like competitive multiplayer games.
IPS (In-Plane Switching)
IPS panels offer highly accurate colors and wide viewing angles and are great for tasks like photo editing and design. These panels are good for shared viewing by virtue of their wide viewing angles of 178/178 degrees. Great for those wanting to enjoy gaming visuals at their very best.
VA (vertical alignment)
An excellent all-rounder, VA panels provide excellent contrast ratios and color reproduction, making them popular for multimedia, but they can sometimes have slower response times, so perhaps not always the best for gaming when compared to the other options available.
OLED (organic light emitting diode)
These newer OLED monitors use a completely different approach to computer monitors and provide very deep levels of black, the best contrast, and the fastest response time by far, with some monitors offering a response time of as low as 0.03 ms.
Choosing the right panel will depend on your gaming needs. TN is good for gaming, IPS for accurate colors, VA for contrast, and OLED for the fastest response times.
The Best Monitor Size for Gaming – Key Factors to Consider
The computer monitor you need will depend on the following factors:
- What game do you want to play, i.e., story-driven RPG or competitive FPS games for example?
- What type of gaming PC do you have – in particular, what graphics card is fitted as you’ll need a powerful GPU to get the higher resolutions, particularly on a larger screen
- What space do you have on your desk (like for a larger monitor)? A 32″ monitor on the average sized desk will look massive, and you’ll probably need to sit back a bit to take it all in
- What budget constraints do you have? A bigger screen with high resolution not only costs more, but your PC will need a more capable graphics card coupled with a decent CPU, which again means a higher cost.
Screen Sizes
There isn’t a perfect, one-size-fits-all monitor, as different-sized monitors are better for different circumstances, as shown below. Not only that, but you have all the other considerations to take into account, such as refresh rate, response times, and panel types for example.
24 / 25” Best for FPS Games
For first-person shooter (FPS) type games, the best monitor would be one that didn’t mean you had to move your head around too much to take in what’s happening and the best size for this would be 24 or 25” screens running at 1080p.
It’s worth noting that 24” monitors are used most of the time for tournaments and professional gamers as they are the best for competitive gaming, are more affordable, and don’t take up too much space on a desk.
27 / 32” Best for RPG Games
Great for both gaming and general computer usage, this 27” screen size running at 1440p is probably the best all-round monitor. It still just about fits on the average desk without overpowering your set-up, and you can maintain your normal viewing distance without issue.
It’s also the very best screen size for those amazingly immersive, story-driven role-playing games (RPG) where you can just take in the beautifully created environments as you play.
I have 3 of these 27” (1440p) monitors running side by side, and they work brilliantly, both for gaming and for work purposes.
32-34” UltraWide Best for RPG and Racing Games
These monitors just further extend the impressive display characteristics of the 27 and 32” monitors by adding that little bit extra screen space to further enhance the gaming experience.
These UltraWide monitors are great with all games but excel particularly with racing games – just check first to make sure that your chosen game supports your monitor, as not all do.
Check to make sure your UltraWide monitor has a good response time of at least 1 ms as many are a lot slower – you want as low as possible for a good gaming experience.
Conclusion
In conclusion, you’ll find that different monitors are better for certain games, although the differences are not huge, and in the real world, all the monitor sizes will be great for pretty much any game.
A 24” 16:9 display running 1080p is the ideal ‘sweet spot’ for a gaming monitor because it does a great job in most situations and is an affordable, tried and tested option.
27 or 32” is also excellent but more expensive, and whilst brilliant for those stunningly beautiful RPG games, they’re not as good at competitive FPS games, which are better suited to 24 or 25” displays.
Whichever monitor you choose, ensure it has a fast response time of at least 1 ms or less to help keep track of your onscreen actions and a refresh rate of at least 100 Hz to help with gaming at a high FPS.
If you want to play games at high resolution (i.e., up to 4K), especially on a larger screen, ensure that your PC can handle the task with components that are designed for the task (i.e., a beefy CPU and GPU in particular).
Image Attribution and Licensing
Main Image: Custom created by me (Canva Pro)
#1: ‘Two Computer Flat Screens’ by XXSS IS BACK (Canva Pro)