Best Gaming Monitor Settings (8 Settings to Make!) (2023)

Games have evolved over the years: the latest video games have become more realistic, interactive and immersive. You almost feel like you're in the game.

But to enjoy this immersive touch experience, you need to properly set up your gaming monitor and calibrate certain settings. After all, monitors are not equipped with these optimal gaming settings by default.

The best gaming monitor setup requires minor adjustments to screen resolution, pixel density, aspect ratio, brightness, contrast, color temperature, gamma setting, and refresh rate. For the best gaming experience, you should adjust each of these settings to your liking. Every monitor is different, so play around with different combinations!

In this post, I'm going to teach you exactly how to set up each of these gaming monitor setups so you can have a great time behind your screen!

contents Demonstrate

Why do you need to calibrate your monitor for gaming?

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(Video) 7 Settings I Change on Every Monitor

Calibration adjusts the monitor settings to get the display you want. Various parameters such as brightness, gamma and contrast are changed.

By calibrating your monitor, you can get colors that more closely match the lighting conditions in your environment. The settings can also help protect your eyes from strain during hours of gaming.

However, you should be aware that gaming monitors have inhomogeneities, which means that the display has different brightness, contrast and color temperatures at each measuring point.

The differences are barely noticeable, so it shouldn't be a big problem for gamers.

Parameters for the best gaming monitor setup

Getting the best gaming monitor display doesn't have to be complicated. However, you should know what all the settings are before you start tweaking things.

Here is a detailed list of gaming monitor settings you should change:

1st resolution

screen resolutionrefers to the visual dimensions of your screen in pixels per inch. The screen resolution you choose determines the clarity of your images.

Higher resolution means clearer, higher quality displays,while lower resolution results in blurry images. With Full HD displays, the resolution is 1080p or 1920×1080 pixels.

The bestresolutionto play depends on your preferences. If you are looking for amazing graphics, go for 3840×2160 (aka "4K"), but 1920×1080 would be an ideal choice if you value gaming performance.

Best Gaming Monitor Settings (8 Settings to Make!) (1)

Ultimately really the best resolutiondepends on the size of your monitor and the distance you are viewing it from. More on that in a moment.

Here are the steps to adjust your monitor resolution:

  1. Go to "Control Panel" on your PC.
  2. Go to "Appearance and Personalization"
  3. Click on "Adjust screen resolution"
  4. Move the slider to the desired screen resolution

2. Optimum viewing distance

Optimal viewing distance may not be a "setting," but it has a major impact on your overall gaming experience.

This refers to the distance from the monitor to your seat that allows for the best view without straining your eyes.

Games can be exciting and addicting, which means you'll likely spend hours behind your screen doing what you love.

(Video) 🖥️ Make sure you have THESE MONITOR settings enabled for GAMING! (Reduce latency, better colors) ✅

However, sitting too close to the monitor can damage your eyes, so you should keep the recommended optimal viewing distance.

The ideal range depends on the size of the monitor and the resolution set.The general rule of thumb is to sit 1.5 times the height of the monitor away.

For example, if your monitor is 40 inches, you should sit 60 inches (about 5 feet) away.

Here's a great image showing the best screen resolution, taking into account both screen size and viewing distance!

Best Gaming Monitor Settings (8 Settings to Make!) (2)

3. Update frequency

Screen resolution and refresh rate are almost synonymous.

in simple words,The refresh rate determines the "quietness" of your screens.Indicates how often your monitor can update its frames per second.

Standard monitors have a refresh rate of 60Hz, while high-end gaming monitors offer up to 240Hz while a higherupdate frequencyensures smoother screens,Most games run best with a refresh rate of 120 Hz.

The reality is that as refresh rates get faster and faster, it gets harder and harder to tell the difference.The change from 30 Hz to 60 Hz is a very noticeable improvement. But going from 120Hz to 240Hz? Not very much.

Best Gaming Monitor Settings (8 Settings to Make!) (3)

Also note that you will need the hardware (video card, etc.) to back it up and support your monitor's refresh rate.

So don't spend extra money on a 120Hz monitor only to find that your graphics card only supports 60Hz.

To adjust the refresh rate:

  1. Right-click on your desktop
  2. Select display settings
  3. Click on "Advanced display settings".
  4. Choose your monitor from the drop down menu
  5. Click Display Adapter Properties
  6. In the dialog that appears, select the Monitor tab
  7. Select your desired refresh rate from the monitor settings drop-down menu

4. Aspect Ratio

Many people confuse aspect ratio and screen resolution due to their striking similarities. While resolution defines the number of pixels in an image,The aspect ratio describes the height and width of the image on the screen.

If you want to enjoy your games, you should adjust the aspect ratio of your monitor.The default aspect ratio for gaming is 16.9, but you can change it to 21.9 if you have a larger or 4K monitor.

(Video) Gaming Monitor Settings

Best Gaming Monitor Settings (8 Settings to Make!) (4)

Please note that you are having trouble adjusting aspect ratio settings on Windows 10. The aspect ratio can only be adjusted via the graphics card control panel. Here are the steps:

  1. Right-click on your desktop
  2. Select graphics settings
  3. Go to "Scale"
  4. Click Adjust Aspect Ratio
  5. Adjust the settings accordingly

5. Brightness and Contrast

Brightness and contrast settings for gaming are a matter of personal preference.Some gamers prefer to play on extremely bright monitors, while others prefer to balance brightness and contrast.

Whatever your preferences,Change the brightness of your monitorand contrast settings can drastically affect screen quality, either negatively or positively.

Too much brightness and insufficient contrast can cause headaches and eyestrain, while dark screens can make your gaming experience dull and boring.

The recommended brightness setting for gaming is 250-350 candelas per square meter (cd/m2), while the contrast ratio should be 70-80%.

Adjusting the brightness of your monitor is relatively easy and can be done from the monitor's menu or from your PC.

Here are the steps:

  1. Press the menu button on your monitor
  2. Choose the brightness and adjust the settings accordingly
  3. Choose the contrast and change the settings to your liking

Option 2

  1. Go to the Settings app on your PC
  2. Navigate to View Settings
  3. Adjust the slider to change the brightness and color levels

6. Color Temperature

The color temperature of a monitor.describes how a specific color appears when measured using the Kelvin scale.

When you heat different objects, they show light of different colors from red to blue. Lowering the color temperature to zero will make your monitor display red, while raising it will make your screen blue.

Color temperature plays a crucial role in determining image quality when gaming or using your PC.The default gaming color temperature is 6500K, but you can adjust it depending on the particular game you're playing.

This video explains a few different ways to get your monitor's color temperature just right:

  1. Press the menu button on your monitor
  2. Navigate down to Color Settings
  3. Select one of the preset colors or adjust individual colors accordingly

7. Gamma adjustment

Gamadescribes how quickly an image can go from black to white and back again on a digital display.This setting essentially adjusts the output of an image to suit your visual needs.

(Video) The Best Settings for Your Monitor

If you prefer darker screens, consider customizing themGamma settingtoo large. Low and medium gamma settings show brighter images.

The ideal gamma setting for gaming is between 2.2 and 2.4, and adjusting the values ​​is easy. Here are the steps:

  1. Navigate to the control panel
  2. Click View
  3. Click Advanced display settings
  4. Then click Display Adapter Properties
  5. Switch to the Color Management tab
  6. Under Color Management, click Calibrate Screen.
  7. Start the calibration process
  8. Adjust the slider to change the gamma setting

8. Sound Settings

Most modern monitors come with tiny and inconspicuous built-in speakers. You might not bother using these speakers, but you have to keep in mind that sound is an important part of gaming.

If you haven't bought standalone gaming surround speakers yet, you may have no choice but to use what you already have.

Here are the steps to enable your monitor's sound settings:

  1. Connect your monitor to your PC and turn it on
  2. Access the on-screen display settings by pressing the menu button on the monitor
  3. Go to the audio menu to make sure the speakers are not muted
  4. On your PC, right-click the speaker icon in the taskbar
  5. Select playback devices
  6. In the list below, right click on the monitor speakers and "set as default".

Other ways to calibrate the best gaming monitor setup

If you don't want to go through the hassle of adjusting individual monitor settings, there's an easier way out.You can calibrate your gaming monitor using the On Screen Display (OSD) settings.

Most modern monitors have a built-in menu that allows you to adjust basic functions.

The settings panel has a dedicated gaming menu where you can change the display mode and resolution.

You can also enable features like overdrive to eliminate ghosting, dim blue light to protect your eyes, and black equalizer to change the monitor's black levels.

To access the OSD settings, press the menu button on the side or front of the monitor and use the + or – buttons to make the desired adjustments.

Conclusion

Every gaming monitor is different.

Even if you buy a similar monitor from the same brand, they will surely have differences in color temperature, color accuracy, maximum brightness, and gamma settings.

This means that the best settings for gaming on one monitor aren't necessarily the best on another, similar monitor. The key is to make small adjustments to each of these settings and test them as you go.

Once you find the combination that best suits your needs, lock it up.

Have fun playing!

(Video) Best Settings for YOUR Monitor! Custom Settings Tutorial

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FAQs

How do I optimize my new gaming monitor? ›

Turn on G-Sync on your monitor and within Windows settings and this will prevent screen tearing and ensure a smooth gaming experience while you're playing. We'd recommend also adjusting your game's display settings to match your monitor's refresh rate and limiting the maximum FPS to the high end of your refresh rate.

What monitor setting is best for gaming? ›

Top Monitor Settings for Gaming
  • Increase the Brightness. You can tweak this setting in Fortnite and within the settings of your monitor. ...
  • Accurately Set your Refresh Rate. Gamers make the mistake of not using the monitor's maximum refresh rate. ...
  • Set the Blur Setting to Off. ...
  • Adjust Your Monitor's Color Settings. ...
  • F.A.Q.

What settings should my monitor be on? ›

If you're working with video on an LCD monitor, the recommended white point is 6500K or D65. This is also known as the native temperature of your monitor. If you're working with still images that you plan to print, the white point of 5000K (D50) is recommended, as it looks more like white on paper.

What is the best RGB settings for monitor? ›

RGB Color Balance

If your monitor has a color temperature setting, set it to 6500k (sometimes called "Warm" or "Low"). Make sure none of the gray bars have a tinge of red, green, or blue. You may need to fine tune brightness and contrast again after adjusting the color balance.

What color temperature is best for gaming? ›

Game players want to be immersed in the game's world and experience its mood while they play. The use of RGB colored light in lighting design applications is best for generating a cool ambiance. Cool colors like blue, green, and purple should be used when creating a cool vibe.

Is HDR good for gaming? ›

HDR is laughably bad for PC gaming in most cases, and we all know it's true. That might surprise you, though, if you were only considering how gaming monitors are advertised. After all, on paper, HDR is technically supported by your monitor, games, and graphics card.

What monitor mode is best for FPS? ›

Racing mode has the fastest response time. FPS mode: High contrast settings enhance the visibility even in dark scenes to clearly see your enemies. Racing mode: Reduces input lag for real-time racing and fast gaming experience.

Which resolution is best for games? ›

1920 x 1080 — FHD (Full HD) / 1080p

Perhaps the most common gaming resolutions, 1080p, is a classic game resolution. The visuals are clear, concise, and immerse the player in whatever game they are playing.

What is the best screen size for FPS? ›

24 and 25-inch monitors offer enough screen space for gaming, and it's easier to see everything in your field of vision, like maps, during competitive gaming. These monitors are great for fast-paced FPS games but not as good for more immersive ones like adventure or RPG games.

What brightness level is best for gaming? ›

The monitor brightness level for gaming needs to be 50 to 60% on average. The screen brightness needs to be enough for you to see even in dark scenes. However, the display brighness should not be too bright to the extent of causing eye strain.

Will RGB improve FPS? ›

No, RGB does not increase the computer's FPS. There are several factors that can increase or decrease the FPS during your games, but definitely saying that RGB causes more FPS is just a joke. This is because the colored LEDs have no influence on the computer's performance, and are for aesthetic purposes only.

Which display color is best? ›

When it comes to color combinations, your eyes prefer black text on a white or slightly yellow background. Other dark-on-light combinations work fine for most people. Avoid low contrast text/background color schemes. If you wear contacts, your eyes have to work harder when staring at a screen.

Does RGB give more FPS? ›

Yes RGB is an improvement over standard tv, it can produce more color quicker and has longer lifespan with better and faster framerates.

What's the best LED color for gaming? ›

Cool colors like green and blue bring calmness and quietness. You may try Yeelight LED Lightstrip pro to experience the best color temperature for gaming.

What's the best LED color? ›

In short, the answer is natural white LED light because it mimics the natural daylight as closely as possible.

What color should I make my gaming setup? ›

Your first choice should be neon green if you have a small gaming room themed after Xbox. If you prefer a more tranquil environment for a home office RGB gaming setup, go with dark greens, teals, turquoises, forest green, lime greens, hunter greens, etc.

What FPS is HDR? ›

To preserve compatibility with early Ultra HD Blu-ray players, many 4K TVs are factory-configured to use HDMI® 1.4 mode, limiting 4K Ultra HD (4K) with High Dynamic Range (HDR) playback to 30 frames per second (fps).

Should I turn HDR on or off? ›

Since HDR works to give you the best of light and dark, it's great to have the setting on when capturing landscape photos. If you want to capture something in motion, turn off HDR to prevent dark or washed-out areas.

Is HDR better than 4K? ›

Summing up the difference between 4K UHD vs. 4K HDR

Of the two, 4K HDR is a better option because it boasts a high pixel count and the ability to adjust the colors and contrast automatically, giving you a next-level viewing experience.

Does higher FPS look better? ›

Higher frames per second, also known as frame rates, make the image appear smoother and more realistic. Subjectively, there's a huge jump between 15fps and 30fps. There's less of a noticeable jump between 30 and 60, and even less between 60 and 120.

Is high quality or FPS better? ›

If you prefer higher resolution, such as 1080p and 1440p for your games or movies, try to pair with high FPS and refresh rates for a great viewing and gaming experience. Anything above 30 frames per second and a 60 Hz refresh rate will make images appear nicer on your display.

Is higher resolution better for FPS? ›

To answer your question succinctly, yes, lowering your resolution will increase your FPS. When you reduce the resolution of the game you're playing, the graphics processor has less information to process and can process more frame data simultaneously.

How much Hz is good for gaming? ›

Basic displays and televisions hit around 30 Hz, with some going up to 60 Hz. For gaming, 60 Hz is recommended as the bare minimum.

What contrast ratio is best for gaming? ›

When it comes to contrast ratios, higher numbers are better. A high contrast ratio, like 4,000:1, means bright highlights, inky blacks, and dark areas where details are still perceptible.

Is a bigger screen worse for gaming? ›

But is bigger really better? In a word no, the smaller size of a gaming monitor doesn't really matter. Most gamers using a monitor will be an arm's length away, whereas gamers rigged up to a TV normally sit 3-4ft away from the screen.

Should I set my monitor sharpness to 100? ›

You will almost always want your "sharpness" set to 0, depending on the monitor or TV (some will blur the signal at 0, so the real unfiltered setting might be somewhere in the middle), otherwise, it will apply an edge enhancement filter, which makes the darker side of an edge darker and the lighter side lighter.

How do I fix Display quality? ›

Change the screen resolution
  1. Stay in, or open, Display settings. Open your Display settings.
  2. Scroll to Scale and layout.
  3. Find Display resolution, and then choose an option. It's usually best to stick with the one that's marked (Recommended).

Is contrast good for gaming? ›

Higher contrast ratios typically mean deeper blacks, which makes a big difference in overall picture quality. It's of particular importance for dark scenes in movies and games, especially in a dark room.

Should I set contrast 100? ›

Contrast: 100%

In most cases, you want to set the contrast as high as possible. To find the right contrast setting, pause on a movie on a scene with bright areas, like clouds or snow. Then turn the contrast to 100% and decrease it until you start to see detail in the brightest areas.

What is the perfect brightness and contrast for monitor? ›

Most people are comfortable with the contrast set around 60 to 70 percent. Additionally, you can explore Phonetic Computer Eyewear, which offers solutions to help prevent the symptoms of digital eye strain. Once you have your contrast where you like it, you can move on to the brightness setting.

What brightness is best for eyes? ›

[Point 5] Review your display brightness setting

This can greatly reduce the strain on your eyes. For example, in an office with normal brightness of 300-500 lux, the display brightness should be adjusted to around 100-150 cd/m2.

How do I optimize my 144Hz monitor? ›

1. Check Your Display Setting of the Output Source
  1. Launch the Start menu, search for Settings, and click on the Best match.
  2. From the sidebar, click on System and then navigate to Display > Advanced display.
  3. In the Choose a refresh rate dropdown box, select the advertised refresh rate.

Do you need to calibrate your monitor for gaming? ›

Many gamers never bother calibrating their monitor. Don't make this mistake! Though many high-end panels often come with some level of calibration applied by the manufacturer, this isn't always the case and even uber expensive displays can usually benefit from a tweak or two.

How many FPS can 144Hz run? ›

A 144Hz monitor can display up to 144 FPS, more than double that of a standard 60Hz panel, which is capped at displaying 60 FPS. To put it another way, a low refresh rate monitor bottlenecks the frame rate you see, but monitors with higher refresh rates enhance your gaming experience.

Does 144Hz increase FPS? ›

This is measured in Hertz (Hz). For example, if your display has a refresh rate of 144Hz, it is refreshing the image 144 times per second. When paired with the high frame rates produced by a GPU and CPU working together, this can result in a smoother experience and potentially higher FPS.

Is 160 Hz better than 144Hz? ›

The simple answer to that is no, not a big difference. Since 165fps is just 21 frames per second more than 144. That's just a 13% increase. Most people aren't likely to notice those extra frames, but the clincher is that if you're getting a new monitor for gaming, you should know that 165Hz is basically the new 144Hz.

What's better HDMI or DisplayPort? ›

HDMI is technically superior thanks to the release of HDMI 2.1, which surpasses the capabilities of DisplayPort 1.4, but monitors that support it are scarce. Expect that to change soon, though, as a number of manufacturers announced HDMI 2.1 monitors at CES 2021.

How do I know if my monitor is good? ›

The more pixels you can pack into each square-inch of a monitor, the more realistic and smooth the image. A higher resolution (QHD or better) is important if you want a monitor that's bigger than 27 inches. You can tell how many pixels a monitor has based on the name of its resolution.

What is FPS mode on a monitor? ›

FPS mode on a monitor is a display mode that eliminates distractions in a game and that allows you to look through the eyes of the player you are using in the game.

Which screen calibration is best? ›

The best monitor calibrators in 2022
  1. Datacolor SpyderX Pro. The best monitor calibration tool overall. ...
  2. Calibrite ColorChecker Studio. The best all-in-one monitor and printer calibration tool. ...
  3. Datacolor SpyderX Studio. ...
  4. Datacolor SpyderX Elite. ...
  5. Calibrite ColorChecker Display Pro. ...
  6. Calibrite ColorChecker Display Plus.
5 days ago

What is the best monitor calibration? ›

The best monitor calibrator tools available now
  • Datacolor SpyderX Pro. The best value monitor calibrator. ...
  • Datacolor SpyderX Studio. The best monitor calibrator complete package for professionals. ...
  • Calibrite ColorChecker Display. ...
  • Calibrite ColorChecker Display Plus. ...
  • Datacolor SpyderX Elite. ...
  • Datacolor SpyderX Capture Pro Kit.
17 Nov 2022

Should I use HDR on my monitor? ›

A 4K HDR monitor offers three major advantages. You benefit from a wide color gamut, high brightness, and a high resolution. That means – provided your video card supports it – you can watch colorful and razor-sharp movies on your screen.

Do you need to calibrate your monitor? ›

That means even an LCD should be calibrated at least once every six months, though once a month is a good habit. Calibrating your monitor is essential to produce a neutral white with no color shift. It's also important that other colors be as accurate as possible with the ambient light conditions you're working under.

Is sharpness good for gaming? ›

Monitor sharpness for gaming can help you have a satisfying playing session on the top-rated computer monitors. Gamers enjoy crisp and clear graphics when they play with a top gaming monitor at a high resolution and wide color gamut.

Do monitors improve aim? ›

If you have a 60 Hz monitor, our data indicates that upgrading to a 144 Hz monitor could improve your aiming significantly: 20% for stationary targets and 30% for moving targets! The jump from 144 Hz to 280 Hz produced a smaller, although still noticeable, improvement.

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