If you are looking for a new display device to replace your current model, you have probably seen the abbreviation LCD thrown around on various websites. But the question remains, what does LCD stand for? This article will discuss what an LCD is, compares LCD vs. LED Gaming Monitor, and provide essential information about the LCD you need to know.
Hopefully, you will come away from reading this article with a much better understanding of the pros and cons of an LCD.
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What is LCD?
LCD is short for liquid crystal display, a thin, flat display device, and the direct replacement for the CRT display that has fallen out of circulation.
An LCD monitor has a layer of liquid crystals locked between two sheets of polarized glass. Interestingly, an LCD monitor does not produce light itself. Instead, the electric current aligns the crystals within the sealed liquid layer. This action either allows or blocks light, depending on which color is meant to be displayed.
Types of LCD Monitors
In total, there are three-panel types of LCD monitors. Each type has its pros and cons.
1. Twisted Nematic Panels (TN): TN panels tend to be found in budget monitors. They offer a 1ms response time, which is ideal for fast-paced gaming. However, it provides fewer viewing angles while producing poor color contrast.
2. Vertical Alignment Panels (VA): VA panels offer slightly better color accuracy and viewing angles than TN monitors, but their response times are not as quick.
3. In-Plane Switching Panels (IPS): IPS is the best LCD monitor for color accuracy and wide-viewing angles. IPS monitors are preferred by designers and other professions where color accuracy is essential but not as popular with gamers, as the response times are between four to eight ms.
LCD Monitors
Advantages and Disadvantages of an LCD Monitor
Advantages
- Much cheaper than LED monitors.
- Extremely high resolutions.
- Energy-efficient.
Disadvantages
- Not as efficient as LED monitors.
- No local dimming options.
- Shorter life span and are hard to repair.
- Do not provide illumination as evenly as LED monitors.
- Limited viewing angles.
LED monitors
What is LED?
LED monitors utilize light-emitting diodes to brighten the monitor. In simple terms, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are tiny bulbs. How the LEDs are arranged behind the monitor varies for each model. Some feature full-array LED backlighting or LED edge lighting. While some of the best monitors use mini-LEDs, to offer even more precise light control.
Monitors that use full-array lighting contain evenly distributed diodes at the back of the monitor to provide even lighting across the screen.
Monitors that use edge lighting only contain LEDs around the edge of the monitor and spread light through a sheet of plastic to distribute it evenly. It is cheaper for manufacturers and much more common in budget monitors.
LED Monitors
Advantages and Disadvantages of an LED Monitor
Advantages
- Energy efficient & thin, and lightweight.
- Do generate heat.
- Fast response times.
- Provide high contrast.
- Consistent brightness.
- Long life span.
Disadvantages
- If your monitor is edge-lit, it can be tricky to view from particular angles. This issue is not essential if you view your monitor straight on.
- LED monitors are more expensive than LCD monitors but cheaper to maintain.
LCD vs. LED Gaming Monitor: Differences
| LCD | LED | |
| Efficiency | 🗸 | |
| Response Times | 🗸 | |
| Brightness | 🗸 | |
| Cost | 🗸 | |
| Weight | 🗸 | |
| Lifespan | 🗸 |
LED and LCD Monitors compared
Efficiency
Regarding efficiency, LED monitors, on the whole, are more efficient than LCD monitors. However, top-level LCD monitors do still offer good efficiency.
Response Times
In general, LED monitors to tend to have faster response times than LCD monitors. However, with higher-end LCD monitors explicitly designed for gaming, you can get some awe-inspiring response times that rival those in LED monitors.
Brightness
With regards to brightness, LED TV’s easily beat LCD TV’s. As discussed, LED monitors to use mini-bulbs across the entire screen to give users even more control over their brightness and image color.
The LED combination of single backlighting and pairing creates more precise, realistic, and transparent images than LCDs.
Gamer playing shooter online video game
Cost
As you would expect, LCD monitors are significantly cheaper than their LED counterparts. As LCD monitors are cheaper to create and use less expensive technical aspects, they are also more affordable for customers to purchase.
It means that LCD monitors perform slightly worse than LED monitors. But if you are working on a budget, an LCD monitor might be the right choice for you.
Weight
LCD monitor components are slightly cheaper to produce and also somewhat more significant than some of the mini-bulbs that are used in LED monitors. As a result, LCD monitors also tend to be slightly bulkier than LED monitors and therefore weigh more.
Young gamers are playing video games online.
LCD vs. LED Gaming Monitor: Which is Better?
Choosing the right gaming monitor for your needs is essential. It is easy to find LCD and LED monitors on the market, but which is the right choice for gaming?
Ultimately, it will come down to what your budget is, your personal preference, and the space you have available.
However, you should be aware of a few notable differences between the two monitors.
LED monitors to have faster response times, more contrast, and brighter images. On the flip side, LCD monitors tend to be cheaper.
LED gamers to prefer monitors due to these differences, but preferences vary based on the type of games users play and their play style.
The professional gamer playing online games
Considerations for buying monitors
Here are a few key elements you need to consider when buying your next monitor.
Sizing
Firstly, choose a monitor that is big enough to look at quickly, without squinting or hunching. Unless you only have a limited amount of space available, we would recommend you don’t choose anything smaller than 24 inches.
Resolution
When choosing your screen resolution, you should not go below 1080p. Otherwise, you will experience significant compression and a drop in detail. In modern times, 4k is the industry standard and the best balance between quality and cost. As 4k has become more widely available, it is much cheaper than a few years ago.
Screen Set Up
In recent times, curved monitors have become extremely popular, with users finding them easier to view without losing quality. However, curved monitors can leave images looking slightly distorted. If your screen monitor is 27 inches or more, you could consider a curved monitor, but a flatscreen might be more practical and economical.
There are also additional features to consider for your monitor, such as stand-alone or built-in speakers and whether it will be mounted or with a built-in stand.
FAQs About Gaming Monitors
Which Monitor Type is Best for My Eyes?
This choice will depend on what your current eye health is like. For example, if you have poor eyesight, you should choose a different LCD screen than someone with good vision. It would help if you also considered factors such as image quality, picture quality, brightness level, and individual pixels, as these aspects will all impact how much your eyes strain to see the screen.
Does color accuracy matter?
Color accuracy is essential as it will impact how you perceive the game or movie you are playing. Inaccurate colors, such as those with a yellow or blue tint, can make it difficult for you to immerse yourself in the media.
It doesn’t matter if you use curved monitors, wide viewing angles, or edge lighting. If the color accuracy is off, it will dampen your immersive experience.
What Is Full-Array LED?
Full-array LEDs tend to contain more bulbs compared to an edge-lit monitor. Due to the additional light source in these LED screens, this display technology produces more illumination, which makes the entire screen brighter.
Edge-lit LED backlights are placed around the edges of your edge-lit LED monitor. With full-array LED monitors, the backlighting bulbs are behind the screen, which is why this type of LED monitor is so popular as a game monitor.
Is LED or LCD better for gaming?
In general, LED monitors to possess a higher level of brightness, excellent contrast ratios, and faster response times but are more expensive.
LCD Displays are much cheaper but offer slower response times and lower brightness rates. Ultimately, the decision will depend on your preference, but LED technology tends to be preferred for high-performance gaming.
Summary
In summary, if money, size, and space are not an issue, then an LED monitor is the better option as a gaming monitor.
However, if you are working on a budget and can only afford to purchase a small LED monitor or a large LCD monitor, the choice becomes a little trickier.
Ultimately, the answer will come down to personal preferences and what you value as the most critical factors you deem non-negotiable in your ideal gaming monitor.
Whatever decision you make, select a monitor with a warranty so that if the screen is not to your liking or doesn’t suit your surroundings, you can quickly change it without spending more money. Be sure to check out our blog for other fun and helpful content!
