Widescreen Gaming Forum

I learned something new today about monitors that I had no idea about before. I first heard about input lag from this post on the Vanguard forums:

http://www.vanguardsoh.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1491363&postcount=14

I just "dug in" some of the details on all the pages and found this to be a potential candidate:

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1096025 - Acer AL2423W

It's a S-MVA which means it's the compromise between the TN (like most gamers have with the crappy 6bit color) and the IPS (great colors/display crappy response time). It has a 6ms gTg response time which probably equates to 14-16ms with overdrive like the Samsung. This is what really might have sold me though:

"-WHAT ABOUT INPUT LAG?: This was probably my #1 concern about this monitor. I was concerned that the 20MS input lag (NOT the same as pixel response time) rated on Here (dutch page translated to english) would cause bad enough mouse lag to use this monitor. And to my pleasent suprise It's barley noticable! My mouse doesn't feel quite as snappy as on my older 19" LCD, but it's barley noticable like I just said. This is one of the key points about this monitor, most 24" LCD's have 35-60ms input lag! This monitor only has 20!"

Apparently the input lag is what is killing the Samsung 244T monitor for gaming. This is the first time I even heard about it but after doing some more research on it I found input lag is absolutely critical. It's also about $140 cheaper then the Samsung which is pretty nice. All the reviews on it has been very positive so far. See what you think.

So... from what I gather reading this and following links is that input lag is not an issue with smaller monitors, but with 24" and higher it becomes a huge issue. If that's really the case, isn't this important enough to add it to the Master Monitor List? I would have looked at the Samsung 244T for gaming completely unaware of input lag were it not for this post.

It would be nice to know more about input lag, like at what point it becomes noticeable.

This sounds like great information. The only problem is getting it consistently. This is one of the major sites I use for info, and it doesn't list it. Did those forums indicate a decently easy way to get this.

And, many monitor manufacturers/sellers don't do a good job of putting info on their sites. Many don't even list the panel type.

The most major problem is that there is no excisting standard for measuring input lag and when its so bad that it affects gaming. :( We can't put random numbers in the monitor list without having proof to back it up.

Check this page: Input lag on different panels (gaming oriented)

I think adding an input lag section would be great idea. The reason being, is because it's typically a fact that's not easily found and a monitor like the 244t has a heafty amount of it -- and many users will notice it; some won't. If you are able to notice it, your computing experience can be ruined (Because no matter where you move your mouse it seems sluggish).

As far as consistancy goes, there isn't an ISO standard for measuring input lag (if that's what your thinking) but there is a method to the madness. You get a program, like Virtual Stopwatch that can measure in milliseconds and you put two monitors side-by-side in clone mode. Then you take a pic of the two (with a farly high-speed camera, or it will blur the numbers) to see the difference in where the numbers are. As a general baseline, under 30ms shouldn't really be noticable. Much over that, it will become easier to detect. On the Acer AL2423W i don't notice any lag whatsoever from my older 19" but my mouse doesn't feel as "snappy". that's about how 20ms feels to me.

Like I said, i think that info should be included if possible on monitor info. Oh, and thanks for reading my review on the Acer @ the Hardforum :D . That's why I put it there: to shed some light on the whole thing.

P.S. Wikipedia has some info on input lag: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Input_lag

Are you all aware of this article on BeHardware?

http://www.behardware.com/articles/632-1/lcds-images-delayed-compared-to-crts-yes.html

Seems to be the best explanation of the whole problem that I've seen anywhere yet. For example, I didn't know before reading this article that different keyboards, mice and graphics cards also add to the input lag, which apparently explains why some users don't feel input lag on a given monitor that other users do.

Are you all aware of this article on BeHardware?

http://www.behardware.com/articles/632-1/lcds-images-delayed-compared-to-crts-yes.html

Seems to be the best explanation of the whole problem that I've seen anywhere yet. For example, I didn't know before reading this article that different keyboards, mice and graphics cards also add to the input lag, which apparently explains why some users don't feel input lag on a given monitor that other users do.

Yes, that's actually one of the 1st places I read about it... thanks for putting that link up here :D.

It's certainly true that grahics cards, mice / keyboards all add to the input lag... but that's usually "small change" compared to what the monitor adds in. From my research, many users with wireless mice don't notice any extra lag becasue the mice lag themselves (Anyone who normally uses a wired mouse knows what I mean).

If you use a wired mouse, you are almost certain to notice input lag above 30ms. On my new 24", it has been tested at around a 20ms delay. Compared to a standard 19" monitor (near 0 lag) I notice my mouse isn't quite as snappy and smooth, but doesn't feel like it actually lags behind. That was one of my main desicions in whether i bought the Dell 2407 monitor...

Like I said, I belive input lag should be added to inform users on the issue. Just make sure to always search for that info before buying a large monitor (usually 20.1" or above)