Monitors’ response time in milliseconds represents the time that a monitor takes to change from one color to another. I believe you already knew that. So you went out to buy a gaming monitor with a low response time.
However, looking at the specs, the first question that came to your mind is, how good the 4ms response time will be? This is the most common scenario for new gamers. I was extremely concerned while buying my first gaming monitor.
Now, I have tested a lot of monitors with different response times for the competitive titles, and I own one as well. You will get all the information regarding the effectiveness of the 4ms response time in the monitor in this article.
Without wasting any time, let’s get started.
Is 4ms Response Time Good for Gaming?
Yes, 4ms is more than enough for the most competitive titles out there. Anything less than 5ms response time is considered ideal for gaming. A 4ms response time will give you a positive gaming experience though it is not the lowest response available for monitors.
Response time is measured in milliseconds, and a millisecond is one-thousandth of a second. So 4ms is four-thousandth of a second, which means the monitor takes 4 milliseconds to change a pixel from black to white. A monitor with a 4ms response time can change the pixels’ color 250 times per second.
Low response time is the crucial element of a gaming monitor. If you play some fast-paced action games on your system, you must need a monitor that can interact quickly. As a competitive gamer, I know the importance of every millisecond, and a 4ms response time is more than okay for me.
If you are thinking about buying a monitor with a 4ms response time, just go for it. You will achieve a superb gaming experience using any of the low response time monitors.
Why do you Need a Low Response time?
For competitive action gamers, every moment is like a life-and-death situation, and it depends on responsiveness. If the monitor isn’t fast enough, then the winning chance is going to fade away. That’s why low response time is a must for gamers.
Casual users who watch YouTube videos, surf the internet, edit photos, and keep notes, don’t need faster responsive displays. They don’t even realize there is a response lag on their monitors.
But, for gamers like us, response lag is like a nightmare. You need a faster monitor with a low response time for action shooters. You can easily see the glitches as every millisecond counts here.
Let me give you a proper example. If you and an enemy player start shooting at each other, in most cases, you will die first as you saw the enemy slightly later than him. Your slow responsive monitor is responsible for this incident. If you could see him a little earlier, then you might start firing earlier. As a result, you could’ve won the game.
That is why you must have a low response time monitor if you are a gamer.
1ms vs. 4ms: Which One is Good for Gaming?
Obviously, 1ms will be good for gaming. As 1ms is lower than 4ms, the display with a 1ms response time will change more colors per second than a 4ms monitor. Though the difference between 1ms and 4ms is very marginal, 1ms will always be better for gaming than 4ms. 
Here are some key differences between 1ms and 4ms response times:
- 1ms monitor will show a new color four times faster than a 4ms monitor.
- For lower response time than 4ms monitors, 1ms monitors will also produce low input lag.
- 4ms monitors are cheaper than 1ms monitors.
- 1ms will be more responsive than 4ms monitors.
What is the Optimal Response Time for Gaming Monitors?
There is no such measurement for optimal response time for monitors. The lower the response time, the greater the gaming experience will be. However, 5ms is considered the borderline, and anything less than 5ms is excellent for gaming.
Many people don’t know what will be the best monitors for gaming. They ended up buying higher response time monitors, and it hits them hard while gaming.
Technology has evolved a lot in the past decades. You can get monitors with a response time as low as 1ms, which is incredible. But it is not always necessary to get the 1ms monitors.
The difference between 1ms, 2ms, 3ms, 4ms, and 5ms is barely noticeable. You won’t be able to see the difference unless you are very used to playing on monitors with a low response time. In other words, if you have the inhumane super reflexes, you will be able to tell the difference between these marginal response times.
Obviously, the lower 1ms is the absolute best in terms of responsiveness. If you can afford any of them, then why should you choose anything over a 1ms monitor? However, you can experience awesome gaming experiences with slightly higher response times monitors. I recommend not going over 5ms response time.
Which Panels are Best Gaming Monitors?
There are three types of gaming monitors that you can buy: TN, IPS, and VA. TN or Twisted Nematic screen panels are the most responsive panels out there.
TN offers less colorful panels as most gamers prefer muted colors. It is the cheapest among the other two display types.
On the other hand, IPS or In-Plane Switching screens are quite expensive. These panels offer outstanding color accuracy. IPS panels are preferred mainly by photo/video editors and content creators.
But in recent years, IPS are getting cheaper and faster. You can buy IPS displays as you can get both low response and color accuracy at the same time.
VA or Vertical Alignment screen panels are new to the market. VA sits right between those two panels. It offers both responsiveness of TN panels and color accuracy of IPS panels.
Well, I will recommend the IPS panel if money isn’t a concern for you. But, TN and VA are some excellent choices if budget is your primary concern.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 4ms response time good for 144hz?
Yes, 4ms response time is pretty good for 144hz panels. It combines both fast and responsiveness in one place. So if 144hz is enough for you, then 4ms is the cherry on the top.
Is 4ms response time good for 240hz?
It is definitely not that great if you consider 240hz. 240hz is pretty darn fast. So the response time should be low as 1ms or 2ms. It is not unusable either, just a better response time is needed.
What is the quickest response time monitor?
A monitor’s fastest reaction time is 1 millisecond. This is the most advanced technology for gaming displays currently available. Right present, several manufacturers are offering fresh new 1ms reaction time monitors.
What is the best size monitor for gaming?
Many people believe that 27 inches is the ideal display size for gaming, and this is because most gaming monitors come in this size. There are monitors with 60Hz refresh rates and astonishing 300Hz refresh rates available. And those range from simple 1080p panels to high 8k resolutions.
Final Thoughts
There you go!
I hope you get all the information you were looking for from this article and it satisfies your thirst for knowledge.
I have given every possible information regarding the topic. If you need any further information, just let me know by writing in the comment sections.
Peace!
