Is 8 ms response time good enough for gaming?

[Guest]

I've read that 5 ms should be the minimum for gaming to avoid ghosting. Is this true?

I decided to buy Dell LED LCD monitor with IPS technology, but I can't seem to find one with <8 ms response time and decent price. Is 8 ms good enough for gaming?

The ones that caught my eye are U2212HM ($225), U2312HM ($255) and U2412M ($335).

I managed to find some LG monitor with IPS technology and 5 ms response time, but supposedly it has some ghosting problems which is a big deal because I mostly use computer for gaming and movies.

Which monitor brands are reliable nowadays? I currently have Samsung SyncMaster T200 and I can't say that I'm too happy with it. Has Samsung changed (for the better) in last 3 or so years?

Is there any other brand or particular model that you would recommend for gaming?

Thanks for help.

 

[skaz]

To answer your title, yes 8 ms is fine. If the human eye/brain would notice a 3 ms difference is the question. I find reading reviews and personal experience of monitors is a better way to judge if it fits the needs of what your looking for. Manufactures measure their monitors response time a little differently and it makes it hard to use that as a spec to compare models with.


heres a video of the u2412m vs a crt - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tX6Wau5K6mw

You can notice slight ghosting but overall the response time itself seems good when compared to the quickness of a CRT.

 

[Guest]

Honestly, I don't see any ghosting in that video, at least nothing like what you could see in videos if you searched for "lcd ghosting" on YouTube. But those are usually blatant examples on big HDTVs.

Anyway, I've read that human eye can't really tell the difference below 12 ms, I just want to make sure.

I'll read up some reviews and try to decide for myself, U2312HM seems like the best option, especially for that price. However, if someone has another recommendation, I'd be glad to hear it.

 

[Guest]

Here's a review I found: Link

And it says about gaming:

If you consider yourself a professional gamer or even a demanding gamer you probably already have either a CRT or 120 Hz LCD monitor. Dell U2312HM is not a 120 Hz gaming monitor and it never claims to take on the fastest LCD monitors today. And no, it is not nearly as fast as 120 Hz TN based monitors.

Instead I compared U2312HM to a few other IPS and VA based monitors such as the Dell U2412M and an Eizo monitor. Dell U2312HM is faster than the competition and even faster than 24” U2412M. I noticed slightly less blurring on fast motion but more importantly, U2312HM has less overdrive trailing – not significantly, but it is a visible difference when doing a side-by-side test.

I cannot recommend U2312HM as a thoroughbred gaming monitor but for most gaming it is adequate. It is also one of the faster IPS monitors on the market today, faster than Dell’s own 24” U2412M model. 120 Hz is still the preferred choice for demanding gamers.

I'm not a professional gamer and I'm not sure what he means by "demanding" gamer. I usually play FPS games like Team Fortress 2, Killing Floor, Left 4 Dead 2 and Day of Defeat: Source, but I'm a casual gamer and I don't play competitively. I guess 8 ms wouldn't be a problem for me.

I'd appreciate some first hand experiences on this.

 

[Guest]

Anyone?

 

[jaguarskx]

It all boils down to preference. For the average gamer 8ms response times should really be bothersome. All LCD monitors display some level of ghosting, but the lower the response times the less chances of seeing ghosting. However, response time is not an absolute number and it only represents how fast the monitor will response under ideal conditions. Response time is based on the lowest amount of time it takes a pixel to change from one color tone to another. It isn't really scientific and it also throws out the highest response time numbers. In the end it is mostly driven by marketing.

Since you are a "casual gamer", playing games on a monitor with 8ms response times should not be a big deal. I game on a 6ms response time H-IPS monitor made by NEC (far more expensive than the Dell). While it is rated 2ms faster than an 8ms monitor, I would expect overall performance should be virtually the same. I have seen ghosting effects in games, but as I stated before, it is a limitation of all LCD monitors. Even fast TN panel monitors.


The following is another review of the Dell U2313HM with a more expansive section regarding ghosting in the "Responsiveness and Gaming" section of the review.

http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/dell_u2312hm.htm

The responsiveness of the U2312HM should be perfectly fine for most moderate to high gaming and shows a nice low level of motion blur assuming you leave the OD control turned on.

They also have reviews of the other Dell monitors you've mentioned.

 

[hang-the-9]

I use an older (few years old) high-end NEC IPS monitor, I think it has a 12ms refresh rate. Don't have any issues with any game I played on it. 8ms should be fine unless you sit there starring 3 inches from the screen waiting for a microsecond where something jumps a bit on the screen.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for replies guys.

Jaguarskx, that is one extremely detailed review and after reading sections about gaming and movies, I think it will satisfy my demands.

I'm getting U2312HM as soon as I have enough money.