If you spend a lot of time in front of a screen, whether gaming, working, or watching movies, it’s important to make the best choice when buying one. Investing in a high-quality monitor will go a long way in enhancing your gaming experience and will help relieve eye strain.
Many gamers debate about whether they should buy an LCD or LED monitor for gaming. Some people might think that the two monitors are the same, but there are some differences between them.
LCD Vs LED Monitors: What sets them apart? Which one should you go for?
If you’re still confused, here’s a comprehensive guide to help you make an informed decision.
Contents
What is an LCD monitor?
A Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) monitor comes with a layer of liquid held between two pieces of polarized glass. The LCD monitor doesn’t produce its own light. The electric current aligns the crystals in the liquid layer, which blocks or allows light, depending on the color it’s supposed to display.
There are three main panel types of LCD monitors, each having some perks and drawbacks: TN, VA, and IPS.
- TN (Twisted Nematic) Panels: This panel type is mostly found in budget monitors. They have a 1ms response time, making them a great choice for fast-paced games. However, they have fewer viable viewing angles and poorer color contrast compared to other panel types.
- IPS (In-Plane Switching Panels): IPS is well-known for its wide viewing angles and great color accuracy. These panels have a response time of between 4 to 8ms. This is an ideal choice for professionals and designers who need precise colors.
- VA (Vertical Alignment, panels): VA panels fall between IPS and TN panels in terms of viewing angles and color accuracy. However, the response times aren’t as good as with TN.
Pros of an LCD Monitor
- Extremely high resolutions: LCDs come with every resolution possible. From 720p for plasma displays to 100p for cable displays.
- Awesome picture: The pictures produced by an LCD display cannot be beaten. These screens use LED lighting to allow a more daylight-looking effect.
- Energy-efficient: LCDs are among the greenest options on the planet. They use less energy and seem to be doing so well. If you want an environmentally friendly option, go for an LCD monitor.
Cons of an LCD monitor
- Limited viewing angle: Although LCDs are getting better with time, they have a limited viewing angle. If you’re not sitting in front of the screen, it can be hard to see.
What is an LED monitor?
A LED monitor uses LEDs to light up the screen. The alignment of the LEDs behind the screen varies, a monitor can have either edge lighting, or full-array LED backlighting. Some high-end monitors have mini-LEDs, which give finer lighting control.
Monitors with edge lighting have LEDs around the monitor’s perimeter, and light is spread with a sheet of plastic to distribute light evenly. A monitor with full-array lighting comes with diodes evenly distributed behind the monitor, providing even lighting across the screen.
Pros of LED monitor
- Thin and lightweight
- Energy-efficient
- Fast response time
- No heat generated
- High contrast
- Long lifespan
- Consistent brightness
Cons of LED Monitor
- Expensive, but the cheaper maintenance costs and total lifespan balance this out.
- Some edge-lit LED monitors are hard to see at certain viewing angles.
LCD vs. LED: Backlighting
Although both displays use liquid crystals to create images, the backlights are different. An LCD monitor uses fluorescent backlights, while an LED monitor uses light-emitting diodes for backlights. LED displays have higher picture quality, but they have different backlight configurations. Some backlight configurations have better images than others.
LCD vs. LED: Design
LED technology allows LED panels to fit together seamlessly and can be used to make displays fit in any space. LCD panels take a tiled approach, meaning that the screens are jutted against one another. LED monitors are customizable and can be adjusted according to your height, sitting position, and optimal viewing angles.
LCD Vs LED Monitors: Pricing
LED panels have better and newer technology, making them more expensive than LCD displays. However, this is only when you consider the purchase cost. If you consider factors like maintenance and lifespan, an LED display is much cheaper than an LCD one in the long run.
LCD vs. LED: Which is better overall?
Undoubtedly, LED wins the battle with LCD. This is because LED displays have tons of advantages in all the factors that matter when buying a monitor, except the price. With an LED display, you will enjoy superior picture quality, cheaper maintenance, and better viewing angles.
LCD vs. LED: Which is better for gaming?
Refresh rate, image quality, and response times are the most important for gaming. When gaming, you will want clear images as you face your enemies, even those hiding in dark corners. So, when choosing an LED or LCD monitor, LED wins on all counts by a huge margin.
FAQs
What Is Full-Array LED?
Full-array LED refers to particular Sony monitors. With an LED light, the pixels are either backlit or edge-lit. Therefore, the lights behind the screen light up all the pixels in your monitor at once. However, the Full-Array feature lights each pixel individually.
Final Thoughts
LED is usually referred to as a third-generation display. It meets the preferences and demands of the new generation and is more attractive. If you’re choosing between LCD and LED, LED is a better option, thanks to its sleek and elegant design, crisp and clear images, and reduced eye strain.