LCD vs LED Monitors: What Every Gamer Should Know

Remember when having a 32 inch HD TV was the peak of display luxury? Of course, that 32 inch TV probably needed a few people to carry and took up a quarter of the room.

Following the history of our screens, there are a few key trends that are pretty easy to spot: people want larger screens — but smaller TV monitors — and they want a sharper image.

With the advent of liquid crystal display (LCD) screens and subsequently LED, these qualities become much more accessible than ever before.

Today, technology has come leaps and bounds over where it was just a short decade ago. However, with greater technology, we also see a much wider array of options.

Today’s WTFast guide is all about the differences between LCD and LED monitors when it comes to your real-world gaming needs. 

We’re taking a quick look at the history of these displays and some technical qualities, focusing on which option is best for modern PC gaming. We’re also going to talk about why certain displays are better (or worse) considering the context of other technologies at the peak of PC gaming today.

Whether you’re debating an upgrade from your clunky old monitor or looking to make the most informed purchase for your new PC build, WTFast has got you covered. 

Without further ado, let’s get started!

What Are LCD and LED Displays?

Technically, LED monitors are a type of LCD monitor. However, LCD monitors and backlit TVs that use LED technology are always called LED and can safely be considered an entirely separate category of screens.

Pretty much any monitor you look at today is some kind of LCD TV or LED TV. Samsung, Sony, and other leading manufacturers all produce televisions equipped with high-quality full-array LED backlighting.

Let's break down the differences a bit more by looking at how each display technology actually works and which gets you better image quality.

LCD Displays

LCD displays feature liquid crystals between two layers of glass. Fluorescent lamps act as backlights, illuminating the crystals. This light is put through a red, green, or blue (RGB) filter (usually for each pixel), ultimately resulting in the colorful pixels you see on your screen. That’s the power of LCD technology in action.

There's a lot of complex tech you could dive into if you're really interested in how exactly these LCD televisions work. There are also different kinds of LCD displays — including some with energy-efficient cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) — but the overall pros and cons are pretty consistent for all LCD displays.

LED Displays

LED-backlit displays also use a liquid-crystal screen (hence why they are a type of LCD, technically), but they use light emitting diodes (LEDs) instead of fluorescent lamps as their primary backlighting technology.

Where these types of LEDs are placed behind the screen can vary. Some displays have their LEDs covering most of the screen, while others are edge-lit. There's also a difference between how the pixels are lit: OLED or QLED.

Basically, quantum light-emitting diode (QLED) tech uses quantum dots to increase brightness and color in an LED LCD display.

An organic light-emitting diode (OLED) gives each pixel its own light source, which is significantly different from how most LCDs work. Some would argue that this means OLED displays aren’t LCD displays at all, but that’s not necessarily an important distinction here.

Comparing LCD vs. LED Displays

It's not always the case that newer technology is objectively better than older tech — but in the case of these displays, it is. 

LCD displays are older and have a significantly longer list of cons and a shorter list of pros than LED screens.

That said, there are still some factors that can make LCD monitors a viable option for gaming. Let’s take a deeper look.

Evaluation Criteria

Most gamers are likely concerned with performance first and foremost. Is an LCD or LED monitor better suited to actually playing games?

Performance is something of a two-fold quality when it comes to evaluating gaming monitors. We’re concerned with refresh rate, lag, graphical quality, and resolution.

Depending on the type of games you play and why you play them, certain aspects of performance may be more important to you. 

Those playing competitive multiplayer games typically put refresh rate as their top priority, since better response time is necessary. Meanwhile, better picture quality and the potential for 4K gaming are more important to those playing immersive, single-player titles with huge graphical demand.

The type of GPU you use is also a factor. Without the potential to run a game in 4K at 60 fps or higher — like you can with the latest Nvidia or AMD graphics cards — there’s not as much benefit to owning a 4K monitor for gaming.

With the right monitor, a new graphics card can pump out beautiful ray tracing lighting and 4K graphics at superior frame rates thanks to AI upscaling like Nvidia’s DLSS 2.0 technology. Essentially, if you want to go big, there’s genuine potential for a luxurious graphics experience.

At the same time, budget and value for money are just as important as performance potential for most gamers (if not more important). The latest GPUs mentioned above are pretty pricey, as are some of the best monitors that can support 4K gaming and super high refresh rates.

You’re also going to have to make larger investments in other aspects of your PC to support higher graphics gaming or highly competitive gaming, so keeping the full context in mind is key.

Which Monitors Have Better Performance?

LEDs are usually the superior option for gaming performance.

Not only do LED monitors usually have much faster refresh rates and less lag, but they also use less power. This lets you get better use of the more powerful components inside your PC.

Resolution is also superior in LED monitors, with 4K exclusive to LED as opposed to LCD. LEDs are also well known for having a deeper black point and better contrast ratio, making their displays more appealing and practical than LCD.

If you’re looking to take full advantage of a new graphics card — or to play highly competitive multiplayer where refresh rate is of utmost importance — LED is the way to go. Investing in LED lights (which are fairly inexpensive on Amazon) is a worthwhile move for your home as well.

Which Monitors Offer Better Value?

While the winner in terms of performance is clear, there is potential for some mixing things up when it comes to value.

That’s because LCD displays are almost always cheaper and more widely available, thanks to their age.

If you’re on a budget, LCD displays still have the capability to run 1080p gaming at solid refresh rates, so you shouldn’t write them off completely by any means.

With the current GPU shortage, many gamers are opting for a “placeholder” build using less expensive GPUs from a generation back. 

With a budget-tier GPU, the ability to harness LED monitor capabilities is reduced. That means going with a less expensive LCD display might be the perfect way to hold you over until graphics cards get back to normal availability and prices.

Another factor to consider in terms of value is lifespan. If you aren’t making a temporary purchase as we mentioned above, LED monitors take to the cake again. LED monitors have a generally longer lifespan than LCD displays and less chance for damage (such as image burn-in, a common problem in LCD displays).

Value in terms of desk real estate is another thing to consider. LCDs are generally bigger, while LED monitors can be much slimmer. If you’re tight on desk space or want to fit a subwoofer or lamp behind your monitor, for example, an LED might be your best overall option.

The Final Verdict

Choosing between an LCD or LED monitor isn’t a shoo-in every time, but gamers today are generally better off going with an LED monitor if it can fit their budget.

Not only do LED monitors take less space, use less power, and have greater longevity, they also have less risk of image burn-in. Despite a higher initial cost, that gives them a slight value edge outside cases with the tightest budgets.

Considering the clear performance advantage to LED monitors vs LCD and the fact that gaming technology is only moving forward, LED monitors are easily the best bet for gaming today and through the foreseeable future.

Conclusion

Whichever monitor you opt for, you don’t necessarily need a big, fancy new monitor to elevate your gaming experience.

For online gamers, monitor refresh rate only means so much if you’re stuck with network lag. Take care of all your network issues for good with our WTFast GPN!

The Gamer’s Private Network is an innovative network solution that isolates your gameplay data and controls it through the fastest, most stable route to the server.

Think of it as a VPN fully optimized for gaming. Most VPNs aren’t made for speed or stability and can even trigger security issues with certain game servers that look for bots and hackers.

With our WTFast GPN, you can put lag behind you for good with no worries (or security issues). Lower ping and reduced lag spikes can improve your gaming experience even more than the highest quality LED or LCD display available today.

For all things computer gaming, keep coming back to WTFast’s blog!

Sources:

What's the Difference Between LCD and LED? | HowStuffWorks

What is an Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED)? | Techopedia 

A Chronological History of the Catastrophic GPU Shortage | Spider GL