TN vs IPS vs VA – which is the best panel type for gaming?

We're here to answer the big questions surrounding the three major panel types in today's displays - TN vs VA vs IPS

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When it comes to buying gaming monitors (or monitors, in general), chances are that you will be debating which panel is the best – TN vs IPS vs VA. Now, as is the case with most products, the right choice will depend on your requirements, preferences, and budget. 

While you may have heard that TN panels offer the most responsive experience, improvements made in both IPS and VA reduce the gap exponentially. Of course, this adds to the confusion, which is why our experts have put together a guide on this subject. 

Furthermore, with a ton of conflicting opinions on which panel type is actually the best, we’re here to settle the debate once and for all. So, whether you’re a gamer, content creator, or someone who wants an all-around value-for-money option, this guide will lay to rest the main differences when comparing TN vs IPS vs VA.

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TN panel monitors – what are they, and how do they work?

TN (Twisted Nematic) panels were once considered the most popular panel type when it came to gaming. They offered the fastest response times when compared to IPS and VA panels, making them the key choice for gamers. Better yet, TN monitors are cheaper to manufacture, meaning retail prices are much lower than those of VA and IPS.

Whether you are going for a new 4K gaming monitor or a fast 144Hz/ 240Hz refresh rate monitor, you will always find a more affordable TN option. Just because a TN monitor has limited viewing angles and generally worse color reproduction, it doesn’t mean it can’t be good for gaming. If money is no object and you have a fairly powerful PC that is capable of 4K gaming in max settings, it would make little sense to opt for a TN monitor when IPS can bring more vibrancy and immersion to your overall experience. That being said, for those who love to play competitively, there is still room for the TN monitor.

Here are some examples of monitors with TN panels –

IPS panel monitors – what are they, and how do they work?

IPS (In-Plane Switching) panels are the stand-out performers when it comes to viewing angles, color reproduction, vibrancy, and general image quality. This makes them the best for photo editing, video editing, and general content creation. Having said that, they don’t perform that well when it comes to producing deep, inky blacks – a crown that is held by VA (or OLED) panels.

In the past, IPS displays were considered much less responsive than their TN counterparts, offering high response times across the board. While this can still technically be true, huge improvements have been made to IPS displays in the last couple of years, with some of the market’s leading 360Hz gaming monitors featuring IPS panel technology.

Remember, though, while IPS panels have increased in both speed and response, they haven’t reduced in price. Instead, IPS panels feature better color reproduction and response and are the market’s most expensive.

To give you a better idea, here are some IPS gaming monitors –

VA panel monitors – what are they, and how do they work?

VA (vertical alignment) panels are designed to sit somewhere between TN and IPS technology, featuring better colors than TN and faster response times/refresh rates than IPS. However, thanks to improvements made in VA panels as well, we are finding numerous high refresh rate VA monitors in abundance – especially in the ultrawide monitor sector.

In general, they have better viewing angles, darker blacks, and a higher contrast ratio than both IPS and TN panels. Whereas IPS panels offer around 1000:1 contrast, VA offers 3000:1 – mainly thanks to the inky blacks they tend to produce.

Of course, there are visual artifacts to be found in all three panel types, but we’ll touch upon that in more detail shortly.

For your reference, here are some of the best VA panel monitors –

TN vs IPS vs VA – what is the difference?

Even today, people struggle to choose between IPS vs VA vs TN panel technology – even more so now, all three can theoretically offer up similar levels of speed. For that reason, we have compiled all the differences between TN vs IPS vs VA monitors below, allowing you to decipher which panel type is best for your needs.

Feature	TN	IPS	VA
Refresh rate	High	High	Medium
Response time	1ms or less	1ms to 4ms	4ms or more
Viewing angles	Narrow	Wide	Wide
Color accuracy	Low	High	Medium

The same can be explained a little better with this visual-

With the major differences covered, let’s talk more about the factors that make each of the monitor’s differences better for certain tasks over others.

Refresh rate

Now, usually, all three panel types are used in gaming monitors, so the refresh rates are high enough to be used for gaming. However, here’s a quick comparison –

• TN – Has high refresh rates, like 240Hz and above, which makes them suitable for gaming
• IPS – Has high refresh rates, much like IPS, 240Hz or more
• VA – Has moderate refresh rates, like 144Hz, which can be used for gaming. Some newer VA panels have higher refresh rates, too.

Response time

When it comes to gaming, a lower response time can help pixels transition from one color to another faster, which results in smoother pictures. Usually, TN panels offer the fastest response times, which is crucial while playing fast-paced competitive shooters. 

Meanwhile, IPS panels also offer a low response time, but they might not be as fast as TN panels. Overall, IPS monitors try to strike a balance between responsiveness and other factors like color accuracy and viewing angles. 

Compared to these two, VA panels generally have a slower response time. This is because VA panels put emphasis on other factors such as HDR, contrast, and color accuracy. However, some newer VA panels are improving their responsiveness. 

Viewing angles

TN monitors have poor viewing angles compared to IPS monitors. They just can’t compete with their IPS and VA counterparts. You’ll also notice that colors change when viewed from both sides and from above or below.

IPS monitors have wider viewing angles. Colors don’t shift like with TN panels, where the colors can look washed out if you aren’t directly in front of the screen.

VA monitors also have a wider viewing angle compared to TN monitors but they still struggle to compete with IPS monitors. Colors change a bit when viewed from different angles, but it is less noticeable than with TN.

Contrast

As far as contrast is concerned, there is only one winner – VA. VA is by far the best panel type for wide contrast ratio, even to this day.

TN and IPS offer a contrast that resides within the 1000:1 ratio. By contrast (mind the pun), VA destroys both other panel technologies, offering up 3000:1 respectively.

Having said that, VA doesn’t come close to OLED monitors when we talk about contrast – with the organic light-emitting diode featuring infinite contrast thanks to its ability to individually illuminate pixels.

Color production

TN monitors can’t compete with IPS and VA monitors when it comes to the quality of color reproduced.

IPS and VA monitors have better control and precision that allow them to deliver a more accurate color than TN monitors. That being said, IPS monitors far exceed the color accuracy of VA panels today, with some high-end QD (Quantum Dot) IPS monitors featuring TV-level accuracy and gamut.

That being said, VA panels still offer a decent color experience, with many modern manufacturers pre-calibrating their panels to an average DeltaE of <2.

Price

Price is an interesting talking point when it comes to panel type – and a discussion that has, once again, changed dramatically over the years. That being said, of the panel types available, TN is still the cheapest to manufacture – and by a considerable margin.

Due to the impressive nature of both VA and IPS panels, monitors that utilize them reside at the higher end of the price spectrum. Of course, panel type is just one feature that goes into the overall cost of a monitor; however, on average, IPS panels are still the most expensive.

With new technologies being developed all the time, the impact panel type has on the monitor’s price continues to reduce. The likes of mini-LED backlight technology, high 8K resolutions, and 360Hz+ refresh rates have a much bigger impact on price. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best panel type for gaming?

As mentioned in the guide above, the right panel type for you will depend on your requirements, preferences, and budget. But to give you an idea about what gaming might look like on different panels, here’s a brief – 

• TN panel – This panel offers the fastest response times and high refresh rates. However, it has narrow viewing angles, and the color accuracy is usually low. 
• IPS panel – This panel type strikes a good balance between response times, refresh rates, and color accuracy and has wide viewing angles, which makes them versatile.
• VA panel – This type of panel has high contrast and color accuracy, but it compromises a little on response times and refresh rates.

Should you buy an IPS, VA, or TN monitor?

These rival panel technologies all have their pros and cons. TN monitors have generally been left behind if you’re looking for a modern, high-end option, but they still offer great value for money for gaming. IPS panels are generally the go-to for gaming these days, though, especially if you want accurate colors and wide viewing angles for immersive gameplay.

VA panels are also a great pick thanks to their excellent contrast ratio – perfect for HDR content. This is why this panel type can also be commonly found in TVs. Additionally, they won’t be as costly as an IPS monitor, but the response times can be slower on average.

Conclusion

Whether it’s a TN, IPS, or VA panel, choosing the right monitor shouldn’t be based on what most people are using. The monitor you go for needs to meet your personal criteria and do the games you play justice.

With all the differences discussed, it’s clear that IPS gaming monitors are the best of the best, with fast responsive specifications, wider viewing angles, and brilliant color reproduction. Despite TN once holding the crown for gamers needing high responsiveness, that isn’t really the case anymore. That said, you can still pick up a speedy TN panel, and it won’t cost you nearly as much as the alternatives. However, if you do content creation, image editing, graphics design, and video production, an IPS monitor is still the best choice to go for.