Sometimes the signal must pass through the scaler even if scaling is not required (i.e. It is not too uncommon for higher end screens in particular to use internal scalers to handle non-native resolutions, which can add significant input lag. Monitors will process the image in various ways before outputting it – some models do this more extensively than others. A lower input lag is advantageous because it leads to a snappier feeling when you interact with the display using your mouse or other controller. This is covered in this excellent article by AnandTech, but we shall be focusing on just the monitor here. There are of course other sources of latency beyond simply this signal delay and not all of it comes from the display itself. The basic component of input lag which affects the feel is referred to as the signal delay and is commonly measured in milliseconds. Input lag is all about the delay between the graphics card sending a frame to the monitor and the monitor displaying that frame. When considering the responsiveness of a monitor you must consider what the user feels when trying to interact with the monitor as well as what they see with their eyes. In this article we break through the confusion, taking a detailed look at the key factors affecting responsiveness. Unfortunately for the consumer, a true picture of ‘responsiveness’ is never painted by manufacturer specifications. As with other factors affecting the overall image quality, there are a lot of different aspects to consider here. Some users, particularly gamers, are also quite particular about the motion performance of a monitor and will be looking for something that is responsive. If you ask a user what they look for when buying a monitor they may respond by saying “a good resolution”, “good colours” or “good image quality”.

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