IPS vs TN vs VA: Which is the Best Monitor Panel?

areejs12 (25)in #computers • 6 years ago

You’re in the market for a monitor and you’re suddenly confronted with a whole bunch of acronyms affixed to otherwise similar monitors, with similar resolutions, screen sizes, and prices. What the heck do they mean? Do you need an IPS display, a TN panel, or a VA panel? Is there a right option? The answer is complicated. Let’s find out more:
What are these exactly?

All three of these are different flavors of LCD monitors. They’re built using fundamentally similar technology–this isn’t the difference between LCD and OLED. All three have advantages and substantial weakness. This means that they are ideal for different use cases. You’ll want to know these as a gamer to identify what’s right for you.

TN Panels

TN is short for “twisted nematic,” referring to the LCD substrate that’s used in this type of display. TN panels are a very mature technology and are the cheapest kind of LCD display to produce. This means that you’ll get TN panels for a given screen size/resolution at a lower price than other options.

TN panels aren’t just cheap. They tend to have lower response times than other monitor types. This makes them exceptionally well-suited for low-latency use cases like eSports gaming. As a result, many eSports-oriented high-refresh rate monitors utilize TN technology.
TN vs IPS

There are notable downsides, though. For starters, viewing angles are terrible. Even if you look at a TN panel from its exact center, you’ll experience picture quality degradation at the edges. Poor viewing angles mean that color is only accurately reproduced at the very center of the panel, from your perspective. Some TN panels have better viewing angles than others, but almost all are beaten by even budget VA and IPS sets in this respect.

Another thing? Color reproduction is poor on TN panels. Colors, in general, appear washed-out. But what’s most noticeable is the poor contrast levels. In poorly-illuminated scenes, black appears grey. All in all, we find TN panels hard to recommend anymore. If you want an eSports panel, but can’t afford a high-performance IPS, a TN panel might be right for you. Otherwise, look elsewhere.