Are TN Panels Actually That Bad?

[bellabichon]

Hi all, 

 

I'm planning a new build with a new monitor. I think I've narrowed it down to two options. First is the Acer UM.HX1AA.A01, and second is the Acer UM.HX1AA.001. They're both 1440p and 144hz with G-SYNC, so the only difference is price, panel type, and response time. The cheaper one is $576.64, with a TN panel (1ms response time), and the more expensive one is $699.99, with an IPS panel (4ms response time). 

 

This leads me to my question: is it worth the extra ~$125.00 for the IPS panel, or will the TN panel be good enough? I'm going to use it almost exclusively for gaming and media consumption, with maybe some very light photo or video editing every once in a while.

 

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[jaslion]

1 minute ago, bellabichon said:

Hi all, 

 

I'm planning a new build with a new monitor. I think I've narrowed it down to two options. First is the Acer UM.HX1AA.A01, and second is the Acer UM.HX1AA.001. They're both 1440p and 144hz with G-SYNC, so the only difference is price, panel type, and response time. The cheaper one is $576.64, with a TN panel (1ms response time), and the more expensive one is $699.99, with an IPS panel (4ms response time). 

 

This leads me to my question: is it worth the extra ~$125.00 for the IPS panel, or will the TN panel be good enough? I'm going to use it almost exclusively for gaming and media consumption, with maybe some very light photo or video editing every once in a while.

 

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Tn basically requires you to sit in a certain spot and then it will be good however the moment you move away from the golden spot the colours start shifting and the issues with the panel technology start showing. I personally would for sure get the ips version.

[minibois]

1 minute ago, bellabichon said:

Hi all, 

 

I'm planning a new build with a new monitor. I think I've narrowed it down to two options. First is the Acer UM.HX1AA.A01, and second is the Acer UM.HX1AA.001. They're both 1440p and 144hz with G-SYNC, so the only difference is price, panel type, and response time. The cheaper one is $576.64, with a TN panel (1ms response time), and the more expensive one is $699.99, with an IPS panel (4ms response time). 

 

This leads me to my question: is it worth the extra ~$125.00 for the IPS panel, or will the TN panel be good enough? I'm going to use it almost exclusively for gaming and media consumption, with maybe some very light photo or video editing every once in a while.

 

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Personally I would always go for the IPS option, because most TN screens are quite bad looking to me (now that I know what IPS is).

That said, there is good and bad TN.. There is also a point where the extra you have to spend may not be worth it and I find it hard to put myself in your shoes to say if the extra 125 USD is worth it for IPS.

 

Before making the choice, I would definitely suggest taking a look at TN vs. IPS in real life and not just going by what other people are saying.

[Aimi]

The 1ms response time is really great for games, but if your viewing angle isn't good then any benefit is null. Make sure your setup allows you to move things around, that way you can find a solid angle to use.

[bellabichon]

1 minute ago, minibois said:

Before making the choice, I would definitely suggest taking a look at TN vs. IPS in real life and not just going by what other people are saying.

My current monitor is an IPS panel, so I'm somewhat used to that level of quality, but my laptop is a TN panel so I have a pretty good frame of reference. My question was mostly pertaining to whether or not it's worth $125 extra for the improved panel.

[minibois]

4 minutes ago, bellabichon said:

My current monitor is an IPS panel, so I'm somewhat used to that level of quality, but my laptop is a TN panel so I have a pretty good frame of reference. My question was mostly pertaining to whether or not it's worth $125 extra for the improved panel.

Not sure what kind of answer you're expecting from me then.

You have the frame of reference, you know your financials, you know what you would be happier with.

[Dedayog]

10 minutes ago, Aimi said:

The 1ms response time is really great for games, but if your viewing angle isn't good then any benefit is null. Make sure your setup allows you to move things around, that way you can find a solid angle to use.

I have always loved this answer.  

 

If your viewing angle (ie, straight on) isn't good... wft are you using that monitor for then?

 

TN's major issues are they don't always look as vibrant or realistic as IPS.  Viewing angles... is a non-issue.

 

I've used all 3 types and prefer VA for all things taken into consideration.

[Crunken]

right now i'm using a VG279Q for gaming and video editing, old one was a TN 1ms 144hz, i can tell the difference between 4ms and 1ms, if it's FPS games i suggest the 1ms monitor, plus you save some money

I decided to get the IPS one because i use photoshop and sony vegas as well and i'm really enjoying IPS, but for purely gaming TN is enough and the response time will make a difference imho

[JoostinOnline]

Go to a store and compare for yourself. TN can look pretty good. It can also look terrible. As far as color quality, think of it like a spectrum with some overlap. The best TN panels are better than the worst IPS panels.

[RasmusDC]

Well TN has gotten MUCH better, at direct angles today you can get TN with pretty good colors..

 

personally always bought IPS in the older days, i have change though, to VA, simply because both TN and IPS has REALLY poor blacks, that is also why many tv´s that are not OLED are based on VA panels with a wider viewing angle. 

 

YES VA is not IPS in color accuracy, and my 144hz would be better in a TN since the pixel response on a VA is not up to TN or even IPS standards...

 

but for me it is the  best "low light" screen, when OLED is not an alternative, and having seen OLED burnin on so many TV´s i would still never buy it as a pc screen.

[SolarNova]

1 hour ago, bellabichon said:

Hi all, 

 

I'm planning a new build with a new monitor. I think I've narrowed it down to two options. First is the Acer UM.HX1AA.A01, and second is the Acer UM.HX1AA.001. They're both 1440p and 144hz with G-SYNC, so the only difference is price, panel type, and response time. The cheaper one is $576.64, with a TN panel (1ms response time), and the more expensive one is $699.99, with an IPS panel (4ms response time). 

 

This leads me to my question: is it worth the extra ~$125.00 for the IPS panel, or will the TN panel be good enough? I'm going to use it almost exclusively for gaming and media consumption, with maybe some very light photo or video editing every once in a while.

 

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

mmmm .. in a word "yes" .... but ...

 

it really depends on what aspect ur referring to.

 

TN panels are cheap to make, so u find them in cheaper displays. They also have the worst picture quality.

 

However their strength comes in how fast their pixels can transition (response time), which makes them the choice for hardcore competitive gamers.

 

if however ur an 'average gamer/user' who wants both image quality and good enough speed for gaming, then generally speaking ull either want to pay out for one of the very few higher end TN panel displays that are good quality or more likely go for an IPS panel display.

 

VA is another option however for gaming ur restricted to only a couple options due to VA having a hard time with pixel transitions especially the dark ones. Here only a couple monitors that use VA panels are actually fast enough to be considered any good for gaming, BUT their image is superior to that of most IPS thanks to their deeper blacks and higher contrast.

 

To find out how good displays arei n all aspects you will want to find tested objective reviews, not overviews of specs or subjective reviews.

Some good sites are:

rtings.com

tftcentral.co.uk

pcmonitors.info

 

Here is a link to a list from rtings.

https://www.rtings.com/user/ratings/mQInJLi7qiX8GQ

[Totalimus]

Personally I despise TN monitors due their colors (had BenQ XL2430 in the past, doubt their colors have improved much) and think they should never be considered unless you play games very competitively.

You're already spending big bucks on a monitor, might as well spend a little bit more to not second guess your purchase in the future.