Frequently Asked Questions About IPS Monitors
IPS, which stands for in-plane switching, is a type of LCD screen. It is one of the most common monitor technologies on the market. eBay is your source for a wide array of different computer monitors.
How do you choose the right IPS monitor?When you are purchasing a new monitor, you will want to consider certain elements to ensure you select the one that best fits your user needs. Some of those elements include the following:
- Screen size: This is the size of the monitor measured diagonally.
- Resolution: Whereas screen size is self-explanatory, the resolution describes the number of pixels in the panel. The most common resolutions are 900p, 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Each resolution offers increasingly higher pixel count and therefore more detail.
- Refresh rate: Refresh rate and response time are commonly confused terms. The refresh rate is the number of times the monitor updates its image every second.
- Response time: The response time is the amount of time it takes for each individual pixel to change colours.
The specs may only affect your purchase if you are running highly demanding programs such as video games. Gaming monitors, for instance, typically offer a refresh rate beyond 60 hertz and a response time of less than 5 milliseconds. This results in a very smooth image with minimal stuttering and lagging. The addition of AMD FreeSync or Nvidia G-Sync technology can also reduce stuttering and visual artefacts, although you will need a compatible graphics card to use these technologies. Apart from the specs, you might also want to consider additional features such as the following:
- Built-in speakers
- Touchscreen controls
- Security lock slots
- Headphone jacks
- Adjustable stand
- Wall mountable
In technical terms, an IPS screen can essentially switch the orientation of the liquid crystals in the display to allow a certain amount of light to pass through. This gives it the following benefits:
- Viewing angles: IPS panels typically have a viewing angle of 178 degrees, equivalent to 89 degrees on each side. This allows you to view the screen from wide angles without a loss or degradation of quality.
- Colour reproduction: Colour reproduction simply means that it is accurately portraying the colours as they are supposed to appear.
- Colour gamut: Colour gamut refers to the range of colours on the screen. This is frequently measured by the sRGB range, which refers to the standard range of colours viewable on a computer.
- Contrast ratio: Contrast ratio is the difference between light and dark colours. IPS panels tend to have high contrast ratios.
Yes, but it depends on the quality of the graphics card in your computer. Some graphics cards can use up to four, five, or six monitors at the same time to split up workload or render a single image.
