DEVICE DEEP-DIVE
Monitor Input Lag Explained
Your display is the LAST link in the latency chain. A slow monitor ruins everything before it.
Input Lag ≠ Response Time
These are two different specs that get confused constantly:
Input Lag
Time from signal received to first pixel lighting up. You feel this as delay.
Response Time (GtG)
Time for a pixel to change from one color to another. You see this as motion blur.
Refresh Rate: Frame Time Impact
Higher refresh rate = lower "frame time" = you see newer frames more quickly. This directly reduces how "old" the information on screen is.
60Hz
Frame Time
16.67ms
144Hz
Frame Time
6.94ms
240Hz
Frame Time
4.17ms
360Hz
Frame Time
2.78ms
Typical Monitor Input Lag
Gaming Monitor (TN/IPS Fast)
240Hz+, low overdrive
1-4ms
Standard Gaming Monitor
144Hz IPS
4-10ms
TV (Game Mode ON)
4K 120Hz, ALLM enabled
10-20ms
TV (Game Mode OFF)
Full post-processing
40-100ms+
VRR Technologies (G-Sync, FreeSync)
Variable Refresh Rate
VRR syncs the monitor's refresh to your GPU's framerate, eliminating screen tearing without adding the latency of traditional V-Sync.
Modern G-Sync/FreeSync adds virtually 0ms latency.