Higher Refresh Rate vs. Lower Response Times

Hardware Other Hardware
1

Hi guys, so I've been noodling over NewEgg and Amazon for a monitor upgrade. I currently have a 32" 1080p 3DTV @60Hz and about an 8ms response time. It's pretty decent and the image quality is great. 

However, what I want is very fluid gameplay.

I do not want to compromise in size, so 24" is out of the question. What I need is a 27" monitor.

 

So here's what I'm asking, When it comes to fluidity, what is better, higher refresh rate, or lower response times?

I have seen many gaming 27" monitors that have  a low response time of 5ms, 2ms, and 1ms. However they are IPS panels, and although I know that IPS is great for color reproduction I hear that's it's generally slow for refresh rates/fluidity.

The ones with a higher refresh rate are generally more expensive and I was looking for a 120hz monitor but it seems they're being replaced by 144hz monitors as I can't find many anymore.

One last thing. I want to stay at 1080p

My budget is $200 - $300. MAYBE up to $350, but ABSOLUTELY no more than that, with tax and everything.

 

Here are some of the monitors I was considering:

http://www.amazon.com/MX279H-27-Inch-Screen-LED-Lit-Monitor/dp/B00B17C5KO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1415988252&sr=8-2&keywords=27+inch+monitor

http://www.amazon.com/AOC-e2752She-Response-Earphone-Resolution/dp/B00CMKOVPQ/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1415988252&sr=8-7&keywords=27+inch+monitor

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824014378

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001913

http://www.amazon.com/VS278Q-P-Ultrafast-27-Inch-LED-Lit-Monitor/dp/B009HNEBLK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415988938&sr=8-1&keywords=27+inch+monitor+120hz

2

1. Never look at response times presented by the manufacturer. Look for reviews that examine it in detail, show photos of ghosting / overdrive artifacts etc. Those 1ms, 2ms and such numbers don't mean anything.

2. There's no significant difference between response times that are less than one frame. With a 60 Hz monitor, you will likely not see any difference between 15 ms and 5 ms.

3. Higher refresh rates do provide more fluidity, low response times with 60 Hz refresh rate do not.

What you generally want is a 23" 1080p 144Hz TN panel for gaming and a 27"+ 1440p+ IPS panel for everything else.

However, if you can only afford one, get a 27" 1440p IPS panel. It's acceptable for gaming and makes everything else much more convenient.

3

Thanks for the reply, Dissentient. Honestly I don't want to go above 1080p. I like everything where it is, in terms of resolution. Plus, since I'm downsizing a few inches, the pixels are less noticeable.

Everything else though, definitely taking into account. So basically, I'll be looking for higher refresh rate 27" monitor. A lot of them seem to be IPS panels so it's likely I'll be getting one. I'll see what I find.

4

I would go with either of the Asus monitors you were looking at. But check some reviews and see what people say about them first.

5

This is what you want, but it is out of your price range.  You could maybe find one on ebay or something that is how I got my Samsung 23in 120hz for $170.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GWFNMJS/ref=psdc_1292115011_t3_B00FYKX0DA

6

I finally decided on the Asus 24" 144 VG248QE. I also bought a wall mount for the 32 inch TV I was using and decided to do a dual screen configuration. The results were awesome! I'm so glad I bought this monitor. Everything is sooooooooo smoooth!!!!!!

 

7

that is a good budget fast refresh rate monitor and response time is decent ... just need to sit a few inches closer to make up for the reduced size      lol

8

Honestly, I don't really have to. The smaller size screen allows me to take in more information without having to move my eyes like I did with the 32". I thought bigger was better but actually, it isn't. It's actually perfect.