Is 5ms response time good? This is a common question we see on various forums and blogs on monitors. This is because most of the widely popular monitors come with a 5 ms response time. For that reason, we will be answering the question- whether a 5 ms response time is good or not in this post.
However, before we do that, we have to introduce you to the term ‘Response Time’ in a detailed manner. In the process, you will come to know if the 5m response rate is good enough. So, let’s jump straight in…
Is 5ms Response Time Good – What is Response Time on a Monitor?
Simply put, response time is the time that your monitor takes to change from one color to another. If we want to elaborate on it, we can actually go a little deeper. The response time is related to the pixels of your monitor.
Typically, modern monitors show an image accurately by changing the color of each of its pixels swiftly. To change from one color to another (usually, grey to grey) takes a specific amount of time. And, the time it takes to change the color of each pixel is known as response time.
For the record, this is not similar to input lag or refresh rate. All of these 3 terms are different from one another. Response time is measured in milliseconds or ms. For instance, you might have a monitor with a response time of 5 ms.
Response Time Needed For Gaming:
Now, if you want the best experience using your monitor, then you will obviously need a monitor that can react to change on the display as fast as possible. That means your monitor should come with faster response time if you are into fast-paced gaming.
As a result, in the case of response time, it is the lower the better. Thus, usually, it will be better to go with a monitor with 2 ms response time than a monitor with 5 ms response time. When it comes to gaming, the response time is actually a very important factor. Thus, for the best gaming experience, you should always purchase a monitor with the lowest response time possible.
Response Time Needed For Normal Use:
Let’s say you use your monitor for usual day to day use and gaming is not your topmost priority. So, do you need a monitor with a low response time? Yes, it is always advisable to go for a monitor with a low response time.
But is it compulsory for normal use? Then our answer would be ‘No’. If you use your monitor just for watching movies and browsing the internet, then even a 10 ms response rate will not be that of an issue.
Monitors With Different Response Time:
Most of the modern monitors come with very low response times. Back in the day, monitors would come with 10 to 16 milliseconds of response time. And, you know that it is not that good. But lucky for us, at the moment, even the most budget-friendly monitors nowadays come with at least 5 ms of response time. But the monitors with lower response time than 5 ms will have a high price tag.
Other Monitor Specs Matter:
When you are buying a monitor with fast response time, you will need to consider a few other things regarding the monitor as well. First of all, to attain a very fast response rate, monitor manufacturers use TN panels. Now, TN panels come with some drawbacks like bad viewing angle and poor color accuracy.
On the other hand, the IPS panels come with up to a 180-degree viewing angle with rich color accuracy. But they cannot be used for faster response time. Yet, there are some IPS panels with a 4 ms response time. However, there are a lot of TN panels with 2 ms or even 1 ms of response time.
Now, when it comes to the overall gaming experience, you should always consider all the important factors like refresh rate, response time, viewing angle, brightens, color accuracy, and so on. As a result, if you want a monitor with a low response time like 1 ms, you will have to sacrifice in the color accuracy and viewing angle department.
What are Cons of High Response Time?
Is it that bad to have a response rate higher than 5 ms? From our experience, we can tell that the slower the response time on your monitor, the worse the overall viewing experience would be. The number one issue with a slower response time is ‘ghosting’. If you feel like you see a ghost image on your monitor on the regular, then you will need a monitor with a higher response time.
Before We Go – So, Is 5ms Response Time Good?
In this post above, we have talked about monitor response time in a detailed manner. In doing so, we have tried to make you understand the importance of a faster response time i.e. lower number in ms (milliseconds). We also told you that the majority of the monitors with faster response time like 1 ms or 2 ms use TN panels that are not good enough.
But, most of the high-end IPS panels come with 5 ms response time. In our opinion, those are far better than getting a TN panel. So, to answer your question, if 5 ms response time is good or not. In fact, most regular computer users will not be able to tell the difference between 1 ms or 5 ms response time. So, we think 5ms response time is good enough. Even if you are a competitive gamer, 5 ms response time will be just perfect for you.
However, in that case, don’t get a monitor that has a higher response time than 5 ms. Many gamers reported that they can tell the difference when the response time increases from 5 ms. Thus, for competitive gaming, we would not suggest a monitor with a slow response time like 8 ms or 10 ms.
We hope this post answers your question about response time in monitors. If you are still confused, you can leave your questions in the comments below!
