4ms Vs 1ms: Which one is Better?

A laptop or monitor comes with a lot of specifications that can be extremely overwhelming at the beginning. Many aspects affect the buyer’s choices and how a particular monitor will perform. 

One of the key aspects that are important to consider while buying a monitor is the response time. Response time is never considered alone because it is directly affected by the display panel you are looking for. 

Different display panels have different response times; therefore, the two things are closely intertwined. There are various response times that you get on a monitor, but we will be focusing on 4ms Vs.1ms in this article.

 Generally, response time comes into play when you have to do major graphics-oriented work or play high-end games. If you are still confused about what we are talking about, then don’t worry; keep reading the article. 

Before we jump onto the comparison between 4ms and 1ms response rate, let’s understand what we mean by the response time. 

Meaning of Response Time/Rate

In technical terms, response, time, or rate primarily means how much time a pixel takes to change from black to white or from one shade of the great to another.

 Generally, the transition from black to white holds more importance in the response time. 

Now you can understand why response time is essential in graphics work or when you play games because the entire gaming experience and the working experience are based on pixels.

 If pixels do not give you a quick transition in color, then it can be highly disappointing. The response time varies from 1ms to 10ms. And when we say the fastest response time, we refer to the lowest number that is 1ms. 

The higher you go, the slower response time you get. We hope now you can make out which response time is faster in 4ms and 1ms.

 Now let’s start with the comparison between these two response times. 

4ms Vs 1ms: Comparison Guide

Even though 1ms response time is the fastest, various gaming laptops and high-end monitors come with a 4ms response time, and they also give a good gaming experience to the users. 

However, as it is a universal truth that every coin has two sides, each response rate also comes with its drawback. You will know more about it further in this article. 

Type of Display Panel

You must remember that we stated that response time is closely related to the type of display you are using. Now you might think that with the fastest response time, you will see the colors and the pixels of the fast-moving objects clearly, but this is not true in its complete form. 

Two central display panels are used by various brands: TN (Twisted Nematic) and IPS (In-plane Switching). Other than these two, there is also a third type of display, i.e., VA (Vertical Alignment). 

You will see the lowest response time is 1ms, in most of the TN panels, and IPS and VA panels go as far as 4ms response time and more than that as well. 

You cannot decide by just keeping the response time in your mind; TN displays offer you the lowest response time, so you will technically buy that. 

But, you will also have to keep the aspects and features of the display panel while making the decision. Let’s look at aspects of these panels.

TN Display Panels

Undoubtedly TN panels offer you the fastest response time, but the drawback in this panel is that you do not get wide viewing angles and clear colors. 

TN panels are popularly known for their poor color reproduction; however, these panel displays also have a good refresh rate. 

Therefore, several professional gamers and corporations use this display to have a smooth functioning and good gaming experience.

IPS and VA Display Panels

The best thing about IPS and VA display panels is that you get great viewing angles and outstanding color reproduction.

 The accurate and consistent color reproduction makes IPS panels a more popular choice for graphically oriented users, but again IPS and VA panels do not have a good response rate. 

 So you see, in the display panels, to get one thing, you have to sacrifice the other, and it all boils down to what you are ready to sacrifice. 

Image Related Issues

For example, in a lower response rate, 1ms, you don’t have to face significant image issues that keep happening, such as ghosting motion blur, which might be the case in a higher response rate that is 4ms. 

Because of the lack of motion blur in 1ms, you will get a good gaming experience or even when you have to watch a movie or a video. 

Price

In the last comparison aspect, we have a price of 1ms and 4ms response time. As we discussed, 1ms, which is the lower response time, is generally increased in TN panels which are considerably cheaper than the other display panels.

 So, you can have a 1ms response time at a more affordable rate than the 4ms response time that is generally available in IPS and VA panels that cost more.

 It is not like you cannot find 1ms response time in an IPS display panel, but the only thing is that those laptops and monitors will be costly compared to what you will be spending on a TN panel.

Read it also: 144hz Vs 240hz

Importance of Response Time in a Monitor or Laptop

Now when you know no response time between 1ms and 4ms goes well with which display panel, let’s look at the importance of response time in a monitor or display. 

Since the response time is the speed of pixels that can change from one color to another, the response time affects the accuracy and clarity of color and visuals of a moving object on the screen.

 Therefore, with a lower response time, you will see moving objects with more clarity than a higher response rate. So let’s take a look at the issues you might face if you have a 4ms response time display panel.

Ghosting

Ghosting refers to the issue that generally happens during fast camera movements. In a 4ms response time pixels usually do not have a proper time to change the colors; hence the moving object on the monitor will appear to be a little faded.

Motion Blur

Another issue that you might face with a higher response time like 4ms is the blurring of the visuals on the screen. 

Even though you are using a higher response rate on an IPS display known for producing accurate colors, the visuals can still be a little blurred, which can be highly disappointing during playing games or doing graphics-oriented work. 

Ultimate Decision

Somebody who has already used a monitor with a 1ms response time can quickly notice the drop when they use a 4ms response time monitor. With this information, the ultimate question that comes to everybody’s mind is to which response time is better, 4ms or 1ms. 

In this case, the ultimate decision depends on the display panel that you want to use. If you’re going to have a TN display, you will have a lower response rate, but since IPS and VA display panels are better for color reproduction, several people go for an IPS display. 

If you are involved in professional work, you should go for a TN display with the lowest response time. On the other hand, if you want a monitor for casual browsing and gaming, an IPS display with a higher response rate can do its job.

Conclusion

We come to an end to this article, and we hope that this article gives you a proper comparison between 4ms and 1ms response time. However, you must remember that the lowest response time is good, and it entirely depends on the situation in which you want to use your monitor.