What is Monitor Response Time and Why Does It Matter?

what is response time

If you are a gamer, graphic designer or have to deal with GPU, more often than not you might have questioned yourself, what monitor response time is and why it matters in the first place. 

Chances are you already have a smooth performing monitor at your desk because; this is what experts and professionals opt for. And knowing about technology like QHD resolution and eye care are more obvious than that of internal functionality that ultimately helps in fluid-like graphics.

However do you really know what response time is in the display monitor and how it contributes to those fast-paced media and gaming. Well, in this article we shall especially dig out about the very question and find more insights.

Response Time

So the response time, as the name is indicating, is that particular amount of time which the pixel takes to change its current into another. To make things easy and understandable, experts have symbolized response time in milliseconds (ms). Usually the monitor response time is measured by shifting its color from one shade of black to white then back to the black, or more commonly as GtG gray to gray.   

This way you get to receive the most rapid, smooth and exact color and image performance on screen which is all done if the response time is just-right. If you are using the regular LCD monitor that is dedicated for PC work, browsing, making assignments etc. the response time is under ten milliseconds (10 ms). However, depending upon the core requirement, working or gaming demand, you can also opt for the super-efficient response time such as one millisecond 1ms.

Response time actually aims to go through the wider color spectrum of hues, however , keeping the start and end point super smooth and fine so that the human eye or the user do not see the lag on screen during color shift. Hence the final result becomes more natural and contemporary. Low response time is considered as ideal since there is considerably less motion blur and screen ghosting that is a major concern for gamers.

Response Time Test

If you want to test whether or not your monitor response time fits to the game you intend to play, it’s better to test it by oscilloscope methods or a photo sensor method. This response time tells instantly about the result. For that, attach the custom made photo sensor device and  by the brightness  changes you will know the response time performance, moreover you will also require the software for helpful assessment that initiates color change.

Why does response time matters?

You might have heard gamers talking about response time and refresh rate however it is not something that only gamers would need. Basically response time matters a great deal for fast-paced media be it competitive games or movies and videos like mentioned above it is the time in which monitor changes its color from one gray value to another hence when you watch movies or streaming only  the importance of response time greatly amplifies.

Optimal visuals performance

One of the first reasons why response time matters is its best optimal visual quality. Response time matters a lot when it comes to smoother picture and image performance on screen. By cutting back the delay on screen, the response time adds to the visuals quality followed by no ghosting or image trailing.

Makes gaming natural

Response time for gamers comes as a major parameter to help in achieving victory. For playing competitive gaming to have 1ms response time makes sense. The monitor that walks in accordance with the GPU ultimately outputs the best way for visual quality. 

For perfect color shift response time for fast-paced gaming comes as a rescue approach. Mainly TN or twisted Nematic penal have the lowest possible response time with 1ms which makes it an ideal gaming and graphical user’s preference. After that the low possible response time is of IPS panel with better viewing angle then TN. IPS features 180-degree viewing angles

Conclusion

Getting the best gaming monitor comes with plenty of parameters that you need to prefer including response time, refresh rate and more points that keep screen tearing under control

However it is not always worth finding the low response time monitor if you are not into competitive gaming or in other graphical work that demand precise pixel color shift. Overall low response time is recommence if you want to keep streaming, gaming and other media related tasks super-efficient and incredibly worthwhile.


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Jennifer Scott
By Jennifer Scott

I am a PC gamer and a geek. I have always been interested in computers and loved to take them apart and put them back together. I studied computer hardware engineering at MIT and now work as a computer engineer. I am the chief editor at PCGEARGUNT, where I unbox and review all the latest gadgets. My goal is to help people make informed decisions about the products they buy.



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