Pro gamers like Aleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev, Ian “Crimsix” Porter, and Michael “Shroud” Grzesiek are very particular about their gaming setup, particularly their monitors! Their monitors do a lot to boost their gaming performance, and they can do the same for you, too. So, what monitor do pro gamers use?
Pro CS:GO player Aleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev uses a BenQ ZOWIE XL2540 24.5-inch, 240Hz monitor and Pro COD and Halo player Ian “Crimsix” Porter uses the Acer Predator XB252Q 27-inch, 240Hz monitor. Pros prefer 24.5 – 27 inch monitors, 240Hz, TN panel, flicker-free, and low response time monitors.
Understanding why professionals like s1mple and Crimsix use specific monitors is often better than just accepting the facts; it gives you insight into their strategy, improving your gameplay and giving you an edge over your opposition.
What Monitor Do Pro Gamers Use?
Although pro gamers may not necessarily use the same monitors, specific attributes of a monitor are essential to all of them. The monitor’s refresh rate is significant because it determines how the maximum number of frames their game can run. Refresh rates are displayed as Hertz (Hz) and give FPS (Frames per second).
Pros prefer the 240 Hz monitors because their game can run at 240 FPS. When doing a flick shot as a sniper, you want to make sure that when you click to take the shot, the frame that your eye sees is there, and you’re not waiting for the next frame to load. Pros need fast refresh rates to load the current frame as fast as possible.
Pros prefer 24 – 27-inch monitors because they offer the perfect focal point for the human eye and allow you to see the whole surface area of the monitor without any eye or neck strain. Furthermore, it boosts performance because it enables faster reaction times by reacting quicker to what they see in their peripheral vision.
Resolution is similar to the concept of specific screen inch size, where certain resolutions allow pros to see more of the screen. For example, s1mple uses a screen resolution of 1280 x 960 (stretched) that makes things bigger on the screen and easier to shoot, and it allows him to see more on his than if he used 1920 x 1080.
Pro gamer monitor response times (measured in milliseconds) are typically 0.5 – 3 seconds; the lower, the better. It refers to the duration of a pixel on your screen to change from one color state to a different color state. When it takes too long to change, it creates an effect called “ghosting” that looks has a trailing vapor effect.
Monitors have a panel type in the form of either TN, VA, or IPS. In the past, TN has always been preferred for gaming because it has the fastest response rates, and so you get the best FPS. However, both VA and IPS have come a long way, and they are pretty evenly matched with TN. However, VA still has the best video quality.
What Monitor Does Ian “Crimsix” Porter Use?
Ian “Crimsix” Porter uses the Acer Predator XB252Q 27-inch, 240Hz monitor. It comes equipped with a resolution of 1920 x 1080, has an IPS panel display, and is also compatible with G-Sync. In addition, it also has four USB 3.0 ports, two HDMI 2.0 ports, a display port of 1.2, and a headphone jack and is flicker-free.
It comes equipped with three levels of overdrive: off, normal and extreme. It performs very well under its “normal” setting, but its other settings have a terrible case of ghosting. Its ASUS-exclusive “Extreme Low Motion Blur” (ELMB) and adaptive-Sinc (FreeSync) technologies offer smooth gameplay without tearing or stuttering.
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What Monitor Does Aleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev Use?
Aleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev uses a BenQ ZOWIE XL2540 24.5-inch, 240Hz monitor. This particular monitor is well-suited for FPS games with a high frame cap because they are flicker-free and have a TN panel for lightning-fast refresh rates and response times. The BenQ ZOWIE XL2540is also compatible with G-Sync.
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What Monitor Does Michael “Shroud” Grzesiek Use?
Shroud uses the Alienware AW2721D 27-inch, Full HD IPS, 240Hz, flicker-free Gaming Monitor, and it also happens to be the official gaming monitor used by Team Liquid at the global eSports Events. Its one millisecond response time means you won’t have any problems with blur or ghosting.
Furthermore, it uses G-Sync technology for smoother gameplay and tear-free edges that all render flawlessly in full HD.
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AMD FreeSync Vs. Nvidia G-Sync
With older, slower monitors, it was necessary to have a sort of “frame regulator” that helped regulate the monitor’s frame output. The graphics card could overwhelm the monitor with too many frames, and you would create screen tear (your textures has jagged edges). Thus, FreeSync and G-Sync were born.
Nowadays, they both use each other’s technologies to reduce screen tearing. You can find AMD FreeSync on cheaper monitors or Nivida G-Sync on expensive monitors.
These monitors have display ports on them, so connect the monitor to the graphics card via the display port because that’s where AMD cards will support Nvidia’s solution and where Nvidia cards will support AMD’s solution.
When It Comes To Monitors, What Is “Ghosting”?
“Ghosting” is directly related to the response time of a monitor, and it happens when the monitor takes too long to change the color of a pixel. It can be bad because it affects performance by putting strain on the eyes and ruining the overall gaming experience. The time it takes to change pixel color is measured in milliseconds (ms).
It is advised to use monitors that have between 1 – 3 milliseconds, although the lower, the better! Top-of-the-range gaming monitors like the ASUS VG278QR 27-inch, 165Hz monitor has response times as low as 0.5 seconds.
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Monitors’ response times were measured by GTG (Grey to Grey), where pixel changes from one shade of grey to another. However, advancements in technology introduced MPRT (Moving Picture Response Time) take the perceived amount of motion blur that the eye can see and reflect it as changing pixel color or response times.
Conclusion
Remember, the crucial reasons pro gamers use a specific monitor is for their smoother frame potential (Hz), quicker response times, resolution, and inch size for better viewing and reaction, and reduced tearing.