[harrycmary]

Hi everyone,

I recently upgraded to a new laptop and have been exploring options for an external monitor to enhance my workflow. I use the laptop for a mix of tasks: light gaming, video editing, and some graphic design work. The system handles everything smoothly, but I want to make the most of its capabilities with the right display setup.

Here are a few key considerations I have:

Color Accuracy: Since I do graphic design, I need a monitor with good sRGB or AdobeRGB coverage. Any recommendations in the 24–27-inch range?
Refresh Rate: I game casually, so a higher refresh rate (120Hz or above) would be nice but not essential.
Compatibility: Are there specific monitor features I should prioritize to ensure seamless performance with my system, like FreeSync or specific resolution support?
I’m particularly curious about the practical differences between IPS and VA panels for someone like me who does a mix of creative and gaming tasks. I’ve paired my monitor with an AMD Ryzen laptop, and I’m wondering if certain panel types or features work better with its performance profile. Is the trade-off between IPS and VA noticeable for this kind of setup?

Would love to hear from others who’ve paired monitors with Ryzen laptops. If you’ve had a great experience with a particular model or setup, please share your thoughts!

Thanks in advance for your insights.

[PCM2]

Hi harrycmary,

As covered in our LCD panel types article, with a VA monitor you’re sacrificing colour consistency (and therefore accuracy at different points of the screen) as well as pixel responsiveness for stronger contrast. For your uses that doesn’t sound like a wise trade-off. You’d also have a more constrained choice of models (and find it extremely difficult to find one with impressive Adobe RGB coverage) if opting for a VA model. The market is much more IPS (and OLED) oriented now – and they’re generally the better all-round performers.

Having a higher refresh rate monitor won’t in itself help for gaming, you will also need a suitably high frame rate (ideally significantly higher than 60fps) to actually make use of the refresh rate. Your laptop isn’t a particular powerhouse for gaming so you’ll most likely want to stick to 2560 x 1440 (QHD) rather than going higher than that for performance reasons. It depends on the games you play and the settings you’re happy to use, though. Considering what sort of frame rates you get on the native Full HD screen of your laptop would be a good place to start. As for FreeSync (or Adaptive-Sync support) that’s ubiquitous on monitors now, especially >60Hz models so it’s a feature you’ll likely get to experience yourself and you won’t have to specifically look out for a model that supports it. Due to frequent VRR flicker on VA LCDs, that’s another area where IPS models tend to be stronger.

With that said some of the recommended gaming monitors are certainly capable when it comes to colour reproduction as well as gaming. The MSI MAG 274QRF QD E2 stands out as a key choice given its relatively strong Adobe RGB coverage and good overall performance. Depending on budget and how your activities are spread (i.e. how long you spend doing productivity tasks without a break or change or task) you might also want to consider the QD-OLED options recommended there or similar models.

[Author]

Posts