When gamers think of the components most critical to the gaming experience, most gamers don't think of monitors. But monitors are in fact crucial to gaming. High-color, sharp monitors can improve gaming greatly, and the three monitors listed here are among the best for gamers.
When most people think of upgrading the graphics on their desktop computer, they think about buying a new video card. But graphics quality isn't just about the piece of hardware inside your desktop. It is also about the display being used with the PC. A bad display will rob an image of its life, while a good one will make an image appear as if it is about to pop off the display. Gamers also have to worry about issues like input lag and ghosting which can make the gaming experience less impressive.
With these factors in mind, the three gaming monitors listed here are good bets. Note that while I have focused on 22"-24" models, many displays have various versions available in various sizes. Keep this in mind when buying a display do that you don't eliminate one for your list simply because the size desired isn't in this roundup.
Dell's Ultrasharp monitors have long been a critical darling, and for good reason. While most monitors used a TN panel, which is known to have poor viewing angles and less than perfect color reproduction, the Dell Ultrasharp uses a PVA panel. This means better viewing angles and sharper colors, which in turn results in a monitor that displays games are very high level of detail with colors that appear more realistic than on the most monitors. The difference in viewing angles is even more apparent. Viewing most TN panel displays results in some degree image degradation when viewing the display even slightly off center, but the 2408WFP doesn't have this issue. This makes it more pleasurable to play games when not sitting bolt-upright in front of the screen.
There is also a wealth of connections available. DVI, VGA, HDMI, Composite, and Component options are available. The 2408WFP is a 24 inch display, and its resolution is a predictable 1920x1200. If the 2408WFP was a pizza, it'd have to be a supreme. There isn't anything missing, and quite a bit more than you may want and/or need. Of course, the wealth of features does come at a price. Currently the Dell Ultrasharp 2408WFP runs $449 on Dell's website, which is at least $150 more than you could expect to pay for a TN panel monitor. The 2408WFP also has had complaints of input lag filed against it. These problems are said to be fixed in newer revisions, but I would still hesitate to recommend this monitor to someone who games on a competitive level.