If you are a hardcore gamer and want to take your gaming experience to a new level, then picking a monitor with a low response time and higher refresh rate is something that you need to look out for.
But what is a good response time? Is 7ms response time good for gaming? If these types of questions are wandering in your mind, then you have come to the right place. Because in this article, we will break down everything that you will need to know about response time and how it affects gaming.
So, let’s dive into the details without further ado, shall we?
What is the Response time of a Monitor?
In general terms, response time is the time that a monitor takes to switch from a single color to another single color. Meaning it refers to the time when one pixel changes its color. You can also label the response time as the required time for one pixel to turn from black to white and from white to black again. Time here is calculated in milliseconds as the period of color change is very small.
That being said, the lower the response time, the better the picture and motion quality will be. This is extremely helpful for gaming purposes as you will be able to see images clearly without facing any motion blur. If you are a competitive gamer, the lower the response time, the better your efficiency.
The Benefits of Low Response Time
There are quite a few advantages you will experience if you have a low response time on your monitor. If you are a competitive gamer, you know that fast reactions are the key to success. Sometimes that delay of 1 frame can cost you a match, especially when there are a lot of particles showing on your monitor, which can trigger motion blur and cost you some valuable time.
But having a monitor with a low response time can help with this issue. As you monitor will provide display output with a meager amount of disturbance.
The benefits of low response time from a gaming perspective are:
- Faster image processing to reduce blur
- It makes taking long-range shots much easier
- It is an excellent counter for players who try to use peeker’s advantage
- Rendering and graphics quality over long distances improves drastically
Do You Need Low Response Time Monitor?
Now, at this point, we all know that a low response monitor can improve your gaming performance, especially in esports and in first-person shooters. That being said, do you need super low response time, or is 7ms response time good for gaming?
This depends on what type of game you are going to play and whether or not it actually requires you to go for a low response time. In most cases, you won’t notice the response time of your monitor when you are playing games. But if you do a little research, you can find it out.
So, in general, you won’t notice a low response time unless your previous monitor has a very high response time, like 15 to 20ms.
That being said, if you want to become a competitive gamer, then the lower the response time in your monitor is the better. But if you play more casual games like third-person RPG and more casual games, you won’t be able to notice or take advantage of the low response time.
Therefore, we suggest that you only go for a low response time monitor (lower than 7ms) if you want to join in the competitive world of gaming and become the best of the best in the esports world.
How Good is 7ms Response Time?
Generally, 7ms response time is excellent for casual competitive gaming. Meaning, it is not up to the standards that the best of bests demand, but it is decent enough to get the job done. So, is 7ms response time good for gaming?
Well, in most cases, you won’t be able to notice the difference from 7ms to 2ms. Many gamers had claimed that they hadn’t seen any differences when they moved from 2ms to 7ms. Also, if you go for a 7ms monitor, you will find it much cheaper than the ‘Gaming’ monitors that offer 2 to 1ms response time.
You won’t face any trouble watching videos and rendering graphics with your 7ms monitor. A 7ms monitor is great for gaming, but it needs to be paired up with a reasonable refresh rate, low latency, and a great panel.
So, to sum it up, 7ms response time is okay but not great. It is undoubtedly better than the 10-12ms response time cheaper monitor offers. But if the 7ms response time comes with a reasonable refresh rate, then it can fill your need for competitive gaming without any problems.
What Makes a Monitor Good for Gaming?
Now, you can’t answer ‘Is 7ms response time good for gaming’ without looking at a few more factors that make a monitor good for gaming.
Apart from a low response rate, the factors that decide whether or not you will have a pleasant experience with a monitor. Because, even if your monitor’s response time is excellent, if the other factors aren’t decent enough, the low response rate won’t matter much.
Here are the factors that decide how good a monitor is for gaming:
Refresh Rate
The monitor’s refresh rate stands for the number of times the monitor can draw a completely new image per second. So, in simple terms, refresh rate is the number of times your screen or display will refresh in one second.
The refresh rate of a monitor is measured in Hertz or Hz. So, a 60 Hz refresh rate monitor means it will refresh the image 60 times every second.
A monitor with a 60 Hz refresh rate is regarded as a bare minimum for gaming. If you have a response rate of 7ms and a refresh rate of 60 Hz, then your gaming experience will be okay but not the best.
We prefer the 144hz refresh rate to be a good pair up with a 7ms response time. You can also find higher refresh rates like 240 Hz or even 360 Hz, but to enjoy these refresh rates properly, you’ll have to turn the monitor’s response time much lower.
Resolution
If you want to enjoy higher graphics quality, then having at least 1080p Full HD resolution is a must. For competitive gamers, 1080p (1920*1080) is still the best option as these displays come with higher refresh rates with reasonable pricing.
If you want a more prominent display, a 2k resolution (2560*1440) is recommended. If you’re going to enjoy the graphical details in the game, then 2k can be a solid option paired with your 7ms response time monitor.
Panel
There are three types of monitor panels out there:
1. IPS or In-Plane Switching Panel
If you want the best picture quality, IPS panels are the way to go. This panel type is very popular among video editors and designers as they provide the most color-accurate pictures. If you are a fan of AAA game titles, this type of panel will be the best choice. A monitor paired with an IPS panel and 7ms response time can also provide a great experience in esports titles.
2. TN or Twisted Nematic Panel
This panel type focuses more on performance than color accuracy and picture quality. If you are looking for a high-performing monitor but are ready to face ghosting and other issues, you can opt for this panel. We recommend this type of panel to hardcore esports players who just want the performance.
3. VA or Vertical Alignment Panel
VA panels consist of both good performance and color accuracy. It doesn’t offer the same picture quality as an IPS panel but isn’t half bad. The performance is also outstanding. So, in general, it is just a mix of IPS and TN panels. And there are quite a few 7ms VA monitors out there that can rival even the best of the best.
Internet Connection
It doesn’t matter how good your monitor is or how low your response time is if you don’t have a steady internet connection because the pixels will not load if your connection is slow, or you face a high ping and packet loss problem.
Even one millisecond can become the deciding factor between winning and losing in the competitive gaming scene. So, don’t blame 7ms response time if your internet is slow.
PC Components to Back Your Monitor Up
Last but not least, if your pc doesn’t have the necessary component to push higher picture quality and game performance, then having a top-of-the-line monitor won’t do much good.
Because you won’t be able to reach the standard where the unique features of your monitor come to play, if your hardware is not up to the task, you shouldn’t blame it on the response time.
Final Thoughts
So, to answer the question, “Is 7ms response time good for gaming?’ yes, it is a good option for gamers who wants to get the job done. It is not the best option but not the worst either. If you can pair it up with a reasonable refresh rate, a decent panel, and have the hardware to back it up, you will have an enjoyable experience in your gaming sessions.
