Category: Gaming

  • Best Budget Gaming Controllers for PC and Android in India for 2021.

    Best Budget Gaming Controllers for PC and Android in India for 2021.

    Keyboard and mouse are the standard controllers for PC games. They have been designed specifically for gaming, which makes them great at it. However, they are not perfect. When you play a racing or sports game with a keyboard and mouse, it feels very awkward because your hands are too far apart. This is where a game controller comes in. A good controller is not just an alternative to your touchscreen or keyboard and mouse, sometimes it is the only way to completely experience what a game has to offer. 

    Whether you are a PC gamer or an Android gamer, the two things that matter most to both of you is performance and affordability. So if your controller’s budget is limited, it is very important to choose wisely. Luckily for us, there are plenty of great controllers out there that aren’t terribly expensive. There are so many different types of gamepads available in the market today that it can get really overwhelming trying to find the best controller for yourself. But look no further! We at techoids have scoured the market for popular budget gamepads to find out which ones are worth your money. Check our list of top picks below!

     

    Best controllers for PC gaming

     

    1. Logitech F310 Gamepad


    Connectivity: 6 feet USB cable

    Compatible with: PC

    Rumble feature: No

    Price: Rs.1895

    Reasons to buy:

    ✔️Programmable buttons

    ✔️Both DirectInput and XInput compatibility

    Reasons to avoid: 

    ❌No Rumble feature


    The Logitech F310 Gamepad is the perfect controller for PC gaming. It’s fully compatible with many of today’s top games, giving you precise control over your game play. The programmable D-pad allows you to switch between up to 4-way movement or 8-way directional movement on the fly, so you can always take advantage of your skills! Other than this there are 10 programmable buttons which can be tweaked by using the free logitech profiler software. The rubber coated analog sticks have a great grip and will provide no issue during long gaming sessions. 

    F310 is easy to set up, you just have to plug and play! No software installation needed. It even supports both XInput and DirectInput modes, you can easily switch input modes using the slider button at the bottom. The only feature that f310 lacks is Rumble feature which really sets it back from others on the list. But if Rumble feature isn’t on the top of your list then F310 is a great Pc controller for enjoying casual gaming sessions. 

     

    2. Ant Esports GP300


    Connectivity: Wireless 2.4GHz USB dongle

    Range: 8 meters

    Run time: 10 hours at a charge of 2 hours

    Compatible with: PC, Android

    Rumble feature: Dual Vibration Motors

    Price: Rs.1149

    Reasons to buy:

    ✔️Great Rumble feature

    ✔️Great grip on joysticks

    ✔️Both XInput and DirectInput support

    ✔️LED battery indicator

    Reasons to avoid:

    ❌Battery life is not that great


    Ant Esports GP300 is a high precision wireless game pad for PC and android. There are two modes for the controller: Xinput/DInput PC mode and Android mode. In Android mode, gamers can play games on their Android devices via OTG cable connection. You can just plug and play without installing any drivers. It has an ergonomic design with great grips on all buttons including the two joysticks. You can use the micro USB cable at the back to charge the controller, you can expect a run time of 10 hours with a charge of around 2 hours. 

    The Rumble feature is great because of the powerful vibration motors, note that Rumble feature is only available in games supporting XInput mode. On top of this you also get a turbo mode to slide through those button mashing game sequences. Overall the gamepad is a great affordable wireless option for PC gaming. 

     

    3. Cosmic Byte Callisto 


    Connectivity: Wired (Wireless version is also available)

    Compatible with: PC, Android

    Rumble feature: Dual Vibration Motors

    Price: Rs.999

    Reasons to buy:

    ✔️Great design for long gaming sessions

    ✔️Two programmable macros at the back

    ✔️back lit keys

    Reasons to avoid:

    ❌Toggle radius of analog sticks is super short


    Cosmic Byte Callisto is an ergonomically designed controller for PS4, PS3 and PC. It has a textured grip on the controller’s surface with a rubber finish to ensure your hand does not slip while playing. This allows you to have better control over your character without having to worry about the controller slipping out of your hands. Cosmic Byte have designed the Callisto considering optimisation for FPS games. The sensitive triggers and accurate analog sticks allow gamers to play comfortably, accurately and faster than ever before. The ergonomic design enables you to focus on the game at hand without losing control due to fatigue.

    The two macro keys on the back of the controller provide you with quick access to your favorite commands and macros. The vibration of the controller gives you a great tactile feel. On top of that all of the keys are LED backlit adding to the overall look of the device. This controller is perfect for all pc games including competitive titles. The controller also has a wireless version which is priced at Rs.1448.

     

    4. RPM Euro Games


    Connectivity: Wired (Wireless version is also available)

    Compatible with: PC, Android TV

    Rumble feature: Dual Vibration Motors

    Price: Rs.699

    Reasons to buy:

    ✔️Super affordable

    ✔️You get rumble feature at an inexpensive price

    ✔️Both Xinput and DirectInput support

    Reasons to avoid:

    ❌Not great for FPS titles

    ❌Doesn’t have great quality plastic

    ❌Analog sticks don’t have a great grip


    RPM euro games controller is a super affordable controller for PC. This controller is perfect if you want to enjoy casual games on your pc with a good Rumble feature. The controller has a standard button layout without any extra macro keys. It is fully compatible with both XInput and DirectInput games, you can easily switch the modes using the home button. Even though it has vibration motors its form factor and weight remains low, it is super lightweight to carry making it easier for your hands to hold. It has USB connectivity, the wire length is around 1.7 meters. While it is not recommended for competitive FPS titles you can still enjoy games like fifa or racing titles on it without any issue. The controller is also available in a wireless version which is priced at Rs.999.

     

    5. Quantum QHM7468 


    Connectivity: Wired 

    Compatible with: PC

    Rumble feature:Dual Vibration Motors

    Price: Rs.433

    Reasons to buy:

    ✔️Super cheap

    ✔️Rumble feature at an affordable price

    Reasons to avoid:

    ❌Triggers are not sequential, they are buttons(No acceleration or deceleration they just act as normal buttons) which will affect gameplay in racing games


    The QHM7468 is a controller for PC which has a similar design to that of a dualshock 2. It provides a total of 10 buttons and two analog function keys with four triggers, which covers all the functions you need in most games. The controller doesn’t offer any fancy features but gets the job done perfectly. You even get a Rumble feature which is a rarity at this price range. The controller is made up of good quality plastic, you can expect a good grip while playing games. Note that you will have to install the drivers of the controller before use, you get a CD with driver loaded but you can also download them from the product’s website. Overall it is a great budget controller for casual gaming experience on PC, it is not recommended for competitive FPS titles or racing games with high precision.

     

    Best controllers for android gaming

     

    1. CLAW Shoot Bluetooth 


    Connectivity: Bluetooth and 2.4GHz USB dongle 

    Range: 10 meters

    Run time: 10 hours

    Compatible with: PC, Android

    Rumble feature: Dual Vibration Motors

    Price: Rs.1949

    Reasons to buy:

    ✔️Great for smartphones due to the mobile bracket

    ✔️Great button mapping features

    ✔️Convenient button layout

    Reasons to avoid:

    ❌No Rumble feature for android games


    The CLAW Shoot is a Bluetooth game controller that uses the Playstation 4 DualShock style ergonomic design. The CLAW Shoot allows you to play games by attaching it directly to your mobile device, tablets or PC via bluetooth or the USB dongle. The included PC mode uses the 2.4Ghz wireless USB dongle which is included in the box together with a detachable smartphone bracket capable of holding mobiles between 4 -7 inches. The CLAW Shoot Controller uses pre-configured buttons or you can configure your own buttons using the ‘ShootingPlus V3’ app from Google Play. The app allows you to map the on screen controls to your gamepad buttons. The controller also features Rumble feature, but it is only compatible with PC games. It has a powerful 400mAH battery which gives you a good runtime of up to 10 hours with a full charge of 2 hours. Overall the controller performs really well when it comes to android phones thanks to its convenient mobile bracket and button mapping features. You can even use it for PC games if you want, the controller also has a wired version and a wireless version without the smartphone bracket which are priced slightly less than this one, you can opt for those if you want it for PC games.

     

    2. Live Tech GPW01 


    Connectivity: Bluetooth 

    Range: 10 meters

    Run time: 10 hours

    Compatible with: Android and IOS

    Rumble feature: No 

    Price: Rs.1349

    Reasons to Buy:

    ✔️A great smartphone bracket

    ✔️The controller has an anti slip texture

    Reasons to avoid:

    ❌No support for smartphones with mediatek processors


    Live Tech GPW01 is a wireless gamepad for mobile devices, which can be connected to Smartphones, Tablets and Android TV Boxes via Bluetooth. It supports most mobile games in the App Store/Google Play by default. The controller uses Bluetooth 4.0 technology to connect with your devices within 10 feet without any delay. The whole controller has an anti slip texture, so it won’t slip out of your hands while playing. It also has a smartphone bracket that you can use to mount your phone. Note that the controller doesn’t support smartphones with a mediatek processor.

     

    Best controllers for both

     

    1. Redgear pro 


    Connectivity: Bluetooth dongle

    Range: 10 meters

    Run time: 2 hours in a charge of 30 minutes

    Compatible with: PC and Android 

    Rumble feature: Dual Vibration Motors

    Price: Rs.1699

    Reasons to buy:

    ✔️Great build quality that will last for years

    ✔️Good battery life

    ✔️Backlit buttons

    Reasons to avoid:

    ❌The analog sticks don’t have a great grip


    Redgear Pro Wireless Gamepad is a gamepad that allows you to play games on your PC and android devices. It comes with 2.4 GHz wireless technology and supports up to 10 metres range. The gamepad also features an integrated dual intensity motor which allows for great Rumble, while the key illumination provides visibility even in low light conditions. The controller has an all plastic body that doesn’t feel hollow and even has a rubberized grip for a good hold. It has a micro USB port for charging, the powerful battery can give you a play time of over 2 hours with just a charge of 30 minutes. You won’t have to worry about game compatibility issues as the controller has both XInput and DirectInput modes. Overall it is a great wireless controller that provides a good experience in both PC and android games.

     

    2. Cosmic Byte C1070T 


    Connectivity: Bluetooth dongle

    Range: 10 meters

    Run time: 12 hours in a charge of 2 hours

    Compatible with: PC and Android 

    Rumble feature: Dual Vibration Motors

    Price: Rs.1699

    Reasons to buy:

    ✔️Great Rumble feature

    ✔️Backlit keys 

    ✔️Great rubberized grip

    ✔️Great compatibility options

    Reasons to avoid:

    ❌Noisy buttons 

    ❌The analog sticks do not have a great grip


    Cosmic Byte C1070T is a premium wireless controller with 2.4Ghz technology, offering long-range connectivity of up to 8 meters. It features an integrated 600mAh battery that allows you to play up to 12 hours on a single charge. With its high precision D-pad, this controller guarantees accurate control for all your favorite games. The C1070T has an integrated dual mode: X-input and Direct-input for greater games compatibility which means it can support Windows XP/ Vista / 7 / 8 / 10; Xbox 360; Xbox and android games too. The whole controller has a rubberized finish giving a good grip and hold. It even has dual vibration modes that ensure a great Rumble feature experience. The A,B,X,Y keys are backlit and ensure a comfortable experience even in dark. Overall its a great controller for both Pc and android gaming!

     

    Some premium controllers

     

    1. Logitech G F710


    Connectivity: 2.4GHz wireless USB dongle

    Range: 10 meters

    Run time: Couple of weeks on two AA batteries

    Compatible with: PC and Android TV

    Rumble feature: Dual Vibration Motors

    Price: Rs.2995

    Reasons to buy:

    ✔️Great build quality

    ✔️Premium feel to buttons

    Reasons to avoid:

    ❌Runs on two AA batteries


    Logitech G F710 is an upgraded version of the wired Logitech F310 with additional features like wireless support and dual vibration motors. The controller is unrivaled when it comes to design and build quality. It has a retro look with a silver finish that reminds of the original playstation controllers. You get a standard layout with a 8 directional d-pad, four action buttons, 4 triggers and 2 analog sticks. It even has a dedicated mode switch button at the back to switch between Xinput and DirectInput modes. The controller runs on two AA batteries and you can expect a run time of weeks before you need to switch the batteries. The triggers and the action buttons feel premium and the vibration feedback is perfect for all kinds of games. Overall it is a solid and robust controller that justifies its price.

     

    2. Xbox controller


    Connectivity: wired and bluetooth

    Range: 6 meters

    Run time: Couple of weeks on two AA batteries

    Compatible with: PC and Android

    Rumble feature: Dual Vibration Motors

    Price: Rs.5390

    Reasons to buy:

    ✔️Fully compatible with Pc and android games

    ✔️Wireless and wired configurations

    ✔️Textured buttons

    Reasons to avoid:

    ❌Needs AA batteries for wireless connection


    The Xbox controller is one of the best controllers out there when it comes to multi platform gaming, you can use it with your xbox, android and your PC too! The 8 way d-pad, analog sticks and the triggers are on point when it comes to design. Another great thing about the controller is that you can use it both wireless and in wired configuration. You can use the USB type C port at the back for wired configuration and the bluetooth functionality on wireless. The controller runs on two AA batteries that can last upto two weeks. The custom mapping allows you to play games with varied control schemes with ease. It even has a 3.5 mm audio jack which you won’t find in many of the other commercial controllers. Doesn’t matter if you are a pc gamer or an android gamer this controller will fit all your needs. 

     

    3. Dualshock 4 controller


    Connectivity: wireless adapter and bluetooth

    Range: 10 meters

    Run time: 8 Hours on a full charge of 2 hours

    Compatible with: PC, Android and PS4

    Rumble feature: Dual Vibration Motors

    Price: Rs.6999

    Reasons to buy:

    ✔️Great design and build quality

    ✔️Has motion sensing technology

    ✔️Supports all steam games

    Reasons to avoid:

    ❌Needs third party software for PC games out of steam


    Dualshock 4 is another great controller for PC, android and PS4 that falls on the expensive side. It has sensitive analog sticks, clicky buttons and a great grip. The controller also has motion sensing technology that is compatible with many games on PC, you can take full advantage of it in racing games to steer or in a FPS to aim. You also get a handy trackpad! you can use the micro usb port on the controller for charging and it will give up to 8 hours of playtime with a charge of 2 hours. The controller even has a 3.5mm audio jack to plug in headphones. It has inbuilt speakers but those are mostly used by PS4 games to increase the immersion by playing different sounds. The controller is supported by all of the steam library and has great android support too, so you won’t have to worry about compatibility. Overall it is a great controller for PC and android with great design and comfortable features.

     

    Things to consider before buying a controller:

     

    Connectivity

    While buying a controller you can choose between a wired or a wireless controller. Wired controllers will have a USB wire for connection and wireless controllers will rely on bluetooth or WiFi dongles for connectivity. The connection configuration is important because it determines the input lag. Wired controllers will have less input lag as compared to the wireless ones, so choose according to the kind of games you will be playing. Some controllers like the Xbox controller can be used both in wired as well as wired configurations.

     

    Rumble feature

    Most of the controllers have in-built vibration motors that help in giving vibration feedback. This vibration makes the gaming experience more immersive and engaging. Make sure to check if the controller has the rumble feature or not!  

     

    Size and Comfort

    You need to make sure the controller is comfortable for your hands. An ergonomic design will get you a better grip on the controller and would significantly improve the experience. Also make sure to check the weight of the controller, this will depend upon your preference whether to choose a heavy or a light controller. Weight can make a difference during long competitive sessions, the optimal weight for a controller sits around at 300-400 grams but in the end it’s about your preference.

     

    Build quality

    Most of the controllers are made up of plastic, make sure that the controller has a good build quality that will withstand any impacts. A loose grip or an accidental fall are pretty common accidents, a strongly built controller will be able to easily counter such mishaps.

     

    Compatibility

    You can find controllers for PC, android/IOS and consoles. Make sure that the controller is compatible with the device of your choice.

     

    Input type

    Controllers come in two different types of input formats namely XInput and DirectInput. The type of input depends upon the games, most of the older games used DirectInput library while the newer ones use the XInput. You won’t be able to play XInput games with a Directinput controller. Most of the latest controllers support both XInput and DirectInput, you can easily switch between them while playing the game.

     

    Special features

    Apart from all of these standard features some controllers come with additional features like haptic feedback, audio jacks(dualshock4 and Xbox controller have one), speakers(dualshock4 has built in speakers). Some controllers like dualshock4 also have motion sensing capabilities, so look out for those!

     

     

    Frequently asked questions

     

    1.How to use the USB adapter of the controller with a phone?

    You can use a OTG cable to attach a USB adapter to your phone. Just plug in the OTG cable and plug the adapter to its end.

     

    2. What is the difference between normal rumble and haptic feedback?

    The difference is the way vibrations are fed to the user. In rumble controllers the vibration is only on one level, doesn’t matter if you are driving a car or getting hit the vibration will always be at the same level. Haptic feedback is all about simulating the in game activities by subtly changing the levels of vibration. A controller with haptic feedback will give you a more immersive experience than a normal one.

     

    3. What are analog triggers and joysticks?

    There are two types of triggers and joysticks that you will find in controllers, analog and digital. Digital triggers or joysticks are just normal switches, that is they are either on or off. While they are useful they prove to be inefficient when it comes to racing games where you have to gradually accelerate or decelerate. This is not possible with digital buttons. Analog buttons record a varying input than just on or off. These buttons register how far you press them allowing for functions like throttling or braking in games. Most of the joysticks on the controllers are analog but not all of the triggers are analog so make sure to check that.

     

    4. Will a Xbox or a PS4 controller work with a PC?

    Most of the PC games are compatible with both of these controllers, you can just plug and play most of the titles. While the PS4’s dualshock 4 is compatible with all of the steam games you might have to use a third party software for games out of steam. 

     

    5. Will an android controller work with Android smart TV?

    Android controllers are made for devices that run the android operating system. As long as the TV is running on Android and has Wifi or bluetooth, the controller will work fine. Note that it will work just with the games downloaded from play store, any third party games on your android Tv might require separate button mapping. 

     

     

    Conclusion

     

    As you can see, there are many factors that go into choosing the best controller for PC and Android gaming. Thankfully, we’ve already done all the hard work for you! But if you are still not sure which controller to go for then here’s a quick rundown!

    For PC a Redgear pro is a great choice. It is a great budget pick that is compatible with a great range of titles on PC. The controller even has a slightly less expensive wired version, you can cut down your budget and go for that one too! It is even compatible with android so you get to enjoy titles on mobile.

    If you have a slightly higher budget you can go for the Xbox controller as it is the absolute best for pc gaming. You get wired and wireless connectivity in one and it also has great ergonomics and great grip on the buttons. It has become one of the most sought out controllers due to ist great compatibility and design.

    For android devices you can go with the claw controller. The smartphone bracket makes it a great choice for mobile devices!

    If you just want a casual device to enjoy pc games without any fancy features you can opt for Quantum QHM7468. It is a great inexpensive choice and it even comes with a rumble feature.

  • Best mechanical keyboards in india 2021

    Best mechanical keyboards in india 2021

    When a casual computer user hears the words mechanical keyboards all they can imagine is CLICK! CLAK! CLICK CLICK! But they are more than just those satisfying mechanical sounds! Mechanical keyboards are high performance keyboards which have switches under the keys, this allows for tactile and accurate audio feedback. The high quality of these keyboards also stems from their durability and construction. 

    If you spend most of your time coding, gaming or typing, a mechanical keyboard will be a heaven sent item for you. These keyboards offer a high level of personalization, customizable RGB lights, custom keymapping, you can even swap individual keys!

    Doesn’t matter if you are finding a partner for those tense gaming sessions or your ultimate coding buddy, this guide will surely be useful in your pursuit! So dive in!

     

    Membrane vs mechanical keyboards

     

    Membrane keyboards are the most common and affordable keyboards in the market. The reason behind their popularity is their cheap price range. These are mainly bundled with pc builds and cheap laptops.

    It has a 3 layer design. The first layer is called the top membrane layer; it has a conductive trace underneath it. Once the key is pressed it moves through the second layer which is made up of holes(holes layer) and makes contact with the bottom membrane layer which completes the circuit and a signal specifying the key pressed is sent out. 

     

     

    Pros:

    1. Quiet as compared to the mechanical keyboards
    2. Is portable
    3. Is affordable for most of the people

    Cons:

    1. There is no feedback
    2. Pressing the keys partially will not register the keys
    3. It has a shorter lifespan as compared to the mechanical keyboards
    4. It is difficult to clean

     

    Mechanical keyboards unlike membrane keyboards have actual switches underneath the keys. There are a plethora of different switches available for mechanical keyboards each of which has a different travel and response time. The most common of these switches are the Cherry MX.

    The keys on mechanical keyboards have a more of a tactile feel and provide audio feedback. The accompanying switches are made to last upto 50 million keystrokes whereas the membrane switches typically last up-to 5-10 million keystrokes.

     

    Pros:

    1. Highly customizable design
    2. durable
    3. gives tactile feedback
    4. Easy to clean

    Cons:

    1. More expensive than membrane keyboards.
    2. The audio feedback may annoy some people
    3. Heavy

     

    Under the hood it’s all about switches

     

    Mechanical keyboards have actual switches underneath every key which handle the activation of keystrokes. Each of these keys and switches are customizable and can be replaced with a personalized choice.

    Every key switch is made up of multiple components, let’s take a quick look at these components:

    1.Upper housing

    Upper housing or keycap is the top most component that you will be making contact with. It is not a part of the switch but it still helps in generating the audio feedback when the key is bottomed out.

    2.Switching stem

    The actuation and travel distance of the switch depends upon the type of stem. It is the component that determines the switch type and gives it the tactile, clicky or linear feel.

    3.Gold cross point contact

    Gold cross point is a metal contact that registers the actual keystroke. When the key is pressed the contact mechanism closes the circuit and registers a keystroke. It is sometimes made up of gold to provide better conductivity.

    4.Precision coil spring

    The coil spring determines the amount of force required to actuate the key. Depending upon the key the resistance provided by the spring will be different. It also pushes the key back to its original position after the key is pressed.

    5.Base housing

    This is where the switch is mounted. It is attached to the PCB.

     

    Due to copyright and patent issues Cherry was the only brand making switches for mechanical keyboards. Now that their patent has expired a number of manufacturers have popped up offering comparable switches.

    Key switches like Cherry MX are mostly labelled by color like ‘blue’, ‘brown’ or ‘red’. Each color signifies a different type of switch which are either linear, tactile or clicky.

     

    Brown switches: Light tactile switches

     

     

    Brown switches offer a tactile bump halfway through the keypress. It sort of turns into a linear action after the bump at the top. This little bump at the top is what earns the title ‘tactile’. Even though these switches have that tactile feel they often lack proper audio feedback. 

    They have a softer click and require less power to press down. These are mostly preferred by gamers and typists who like to have good tactical feedback.

    Eg. Cherry MX brown switches

     

    Blue switches: Clicky switches 

     

    The blue switches are similar to tactile brown switches but offer a loud sound after the initial bump. These are suitable for the people who need reassuring feedback from the key after the key is registered. They bump around with audio feedback which is pretty satisfying. The sound can be annoying to people around you though!

    Eg. Cherry MX blue switches

     

    Red switches: linear switches

     

    The linear switch has the simplest mechanism among all the others, the stem moves up and down registering every stroke without bumping anywhere. These switches allow for fast and unambiguous control over the strokes.

    Eg. Cherry MX Red switches

     

    Nowadays due to the popularity of mechanical keyboards the market has seen the genesis of a bunch of new switch manufacturers, but still Cherry MX switches guard their position on top being the most popular one.

    Some of the other fine switches include topre, razer and kailh, each one of them has a different feel and personality.

     

    Keycaps

     

    With mechanical keyboards you can customize every key on the keyboard including their keycaps! You can easily swap out one keyset with another and give your keyboard a whole different look. 

    While choosing a keyset you should check the keycap material, thickness, profile and the design and choose what best fits your needs.

     

    Keycap material

     

    Keycaps mainly come in two different types of materials, ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) and PBT (Polybutylene Terephthalate). Both of which are just fancy names for plastic! But both of them have a different feel, sound and look.

    ABS caps are the most common one as they are the cheaper ones between the two. They develop a greasy or glossy look after some time and are smooth to work with.

    Whereas the PBT caps are higher quality than ABS caps and have a long lasting textured feel to them. These are used in keyboards where audio feedback is the priority as they produce a better sound than ABS due to their thick nature.

    But in the end it comes down to priority, some people like the glossy look and feel while some prefer the textured one, choose away!

    Keep in mind that if you have a backlit keyboard you might need something called Doubleshot keycaps or pudding keycaps. The normal keycaps might block the light coming from the keyboard, for this special type of keycaps are used. 

    Doubleshot keycaps are formed by injection moulding using two separate plastics. This allows the light to shine through the markings on the keycaps. This makes the keycaps nicer and easier to read

    Pudding keycaps are similar to doubleshot keycaps but they also allow light to shine through the sides. This allows for a really cool looking setup.

     

    Keycap profile

     

    Once you are done with choosing the material next up is choosing the profile, which is a little complicated.

    The keycap profile is the overall shape and design of the keycap. Some are flat, some are rounded, there are many options to choose from.

    Every profile has a distinct design where different rows of keys are given a different height to provide maximum convenience. Having different heights and design also helps the keyboard to become more portable and compact.

    Here are some of the most common keycap profiles

    Finding the best keycap profile is just a matter of preference. The sculpted variants like Cherry and SA are easier to work with while typing because they are designed to be in perfect reach of your fingers. But at the end of the day typing with sculpted keycaps might feel weird and may hinder your typing speed. So use what you are already familiar with, what your muscle memory is comfortable with.

     

    The mechanical keyboard lingo!

     

    Clicky

    Clicky is the term used to refer to the sound that the mechanical keys make when they are pressed to the actuation point.

    Debounce

    Debounce is basically a technique used to ensure that a key doesn’t register an input twice when pressed. So if a switch is debounced it is registering multiple inputs with a single click.

    Housing

    Housing refers to the component that actually holds all of the other components of a switch inside a key.

    Actuation point

    Actuation point is the point in a switch till where a switch needs to be pressed in order to send out an input signal.

    Hysteresis

    Hysteresis refers to a situation where the release point of the key switch is higher than the actuation point. This makes it difficult to hit the same key in succession.

    Linear

    Linear refers to the switches that provide no tactile or audible feedback. Their stem moves between the actuation point and its original position without any obtrusion.

    Stem

    Stem is the component of the switch on which the keycap is mounted on.

    Switch

    Switch is the component in the mechanical keyboards lying underneath every keycap that handles the actuation of the keys.

    Tactile

    Tactile refers to the switches that provide bump or tactile feedback on the actuation of the key.

    Tenkeyless

    Tenkeyless refers to a full sized keyboard layout without a number pad. 

    Tenkey

    TenKey refers to a full sized keyboard layout with a number pad. 

    60% keys

    60% keys refer to a keyboard layout with 60-61 keys with no function row.

    65%/70% keys

    65%/70% keys refer to a miniature keyboard layout with arrow keys and a total of 66keys.

    75% keys

    75% keys refer to a miniature keyboard layout with function keys.

     

    Here’s the list of some of the best mechanical keyboards in India. jump in!

    1. Corsair k95

    Switch: Cherry MX speed, Cherry MX brown

    Size: full size

    Weight: 1.32 Kilograms

    Connectivity: Wired USB

    Backlights: 16.8 million color RGB

    Keycap: doubleshot ABS

    Wrist rest: Detachable magnetic

    Price: ₹ 17,099

    Corsair k95 is an amazing mechanical keyboard that performs well both as a general purpose keyboard and a gaming keyboard. It comes in two variants one with the Cherry MX speed switches which are linear switches and another one with Cherry MX brown switches which are the tactile variant. Depending upon your taste and feel you can go with either of them. 

    A great feature that Corsair k95 has are its macro keys. It has 6 programmable macro keys lined along the left side of the board. They are in easy reach of the left hand, they can be programmed by using the iCUE app. It also has media control keys on top right of the keyboard for quick access to start, pause, forward/backward and stop commands. Not only that it even has a volume control wheel!

    The build quality is great, having a top aluminium plate with a good plastic base. The only region that it lacks in are the keycaps. The keycaps are made with ABS that might feel a little cheap.

    The keyboards backlighting is amazing, each key is lit separately. You can control the brightness of the lights directly on the board.

    ✔️ dedicated macro keys and media keys

    ✔️ Great build quality

    ❌ Not a lot of switch options

     

    2. SteelSeries Apex 7 Tkl Compac

    Switch: SteelSeries Red, SteelSeries Brown, SteelSeries Blue

    Size: TenKeyLess

    Weight: 771.11 Grams

    Connectivity: Wired USB

    Backlights: 16.8 million color RGB

    Keycap: doubleshot ABS

    Wrist rest: Detachable magnetic

    Price: ₹ 21,939

    SteelSeries Apex 7 is a great TenKeyLess Keyboard with exceptional features and great companion software. It even has a small oled screen that can be used to tweak settings without closing the opened software. It comes in three variants having different switches, linear SteelSeries Red, tactile SteelSeries Brown, clicky SteelSeries Blue.

    Most of the keyboard is made up of plastic but has an aluminum top that gives it some rigidity. Being a TenKeyLess keyboard it is pretty compact, but can get pretty hefty when attached with a wrist rest. The keycaps are doubleshot made with abs.

    It has full RGB lighting that can be customised by using the SteelSeries’ engine software. They work great in dark rooms as the backlighting is really good.

    SteelSeries Apex 7 has dedicated media controls and are programmable through the SteelSeries’ engine software. The oled screen on the keyboard can be used to tweak settings while in-game and can also be used to display custom messages. The volume wheel can be used for navigation in the oled screen.

    ✔️ Great companion software

    ✔️ Great build quality

    ✔️ Handy oled screen

     

    3. Corsair k70 MK.2

    Switch: Cherry MX Brown, Cherry MX Red, Cherry MX Blue, Cherry MX Silent Red, Cherry MX Speed

    Size: full size

    Weight: 1.2 Kilograms

    Connectivity: Wired USB

    Backlights: 16.8 million color RGB

    Keycap: doubleshot ABS

    Wrist rest: Detachable wrist rest

    Price: ₹ 10,899

    Corsair k70 MK.2 is a versatile keyboard great for both gaming  and typing. The reason behind this versatility is the range of switches that it is available with. It is compatible with Cherry MX Brown, Cherry MX Red, Cherry MX Blue, Cherry MX Silent Red, Cherry MX Speed, this encompasses all the styles and feels.

    Corsair k70 MK.2 is a full sized keyboard with TenKey. The addition of the wrist rest makes it larger than normal full sized keyboard. It is mainly made out of plastic with an aluminum top plate. The keycaps are made out of ABS which feel pretty good while typing. Overall the build quality is pretty decent for the price range.

    The keyboard has full RGB backlighting with individually lit keys. You can customize every key by using the dedicated software.

    The device supports USB passthrough so you can attach a device like a mouse to the keyboard rather than attaching it directly to the PC. Every key on the keyboard is macro programmable which can be done by using the iCUE software. There are also dedicated media keys and  a volume wheel at the top as well. 

    ✔️All keys are macro programmable.

    ✔️ USB passthrough

     

    4. hyperx alloy origins

    Switch: HyperX Red(linear), HyperX Aqua(tactile), HyperX Blue(clicky)

    Size: full size

    Weight: 1.07 Kilograms

    Connectivity: Wired USB

    Backlights: 16.8 million color RGB

    Keycap: doubleshot ABS

    Wrist rest: no wrist rest

    Price: ₹ 9,990

    HyperX alloy origins is a well designed full sized keyboard that skips all the fuzz and gets down to business. It doesn’t have any fancy features but is very well equipped with the necessary stuff. It excels both in gaming and typing because of its large array of switches. These are hyperX switches which are not so different from standard Cherry MX switches.

    The keyboard has a full aluminum body with a soft finish. The keycaps are made of ABS and are doubleshot. The keyboard has full RGB backlight and each of the keys is individually lit.  The lighting can be customized by using HyperX’s  NGENUITY software.

    The keyboard has no dedicated media keys but every key is programmable. So you can map a function  to any key of your liking.

    ✔️ Every key is programmable.

    Customization software only available on Windows.

     

    5. logitech g512

    Switch: Romer-G Tactile, Romer-G Linear, and GX Blue Clicky, GX Red linear, GX Brown tactile

    Size: full size

    Weight: 0.8 kilograms

    Connectivity: Wired USB

    Backlights: 16.8 million color RGB

    Keycap: doubleshot ABS

    Wrist rest: no wrist rest

    Price: ₹ 8,920

    Logitech g512 is a full sized keyboard with a sleek aluminum design that too at a decent price point. 

    The aluminum top has a greyish finish to it which looks really great with the matte black keys at the top. The board feels sturdy and well made because of the aluminum top. Other than that the board is quite minimalist without any dedicated media control keys and no other fancy features.

    The board has full RGB lighting and each key is individually lit. The lighting can be controlled by using the G hub suite. You can also sync to other logitech devices by using their light sync software.

    The keycaps are doubleshot ABS. Even though they are made up of ABS they do not feel cheap. The keyboard is available in a variety of switches, namely Romer-G Tactile, Romer-G Linear, and GX Blue Clicky, GX Red linear, GX Brown tactile. These switches are similar to Cherry MX switches as they use the same stem.

    The keyboard supports USB passthrough and has a well braided giving it a sturdy feel.

    Overall the board is simple, sleek and stylish.

    ✔️ Well designed

    ✔️ Great build quality 

    ✔️ Great variety of switches

     

    6. cosmic byte cb gk 11

    Switch: JIXIAN Blue switch,  JIXIAN Brown switch

    Size: full size

    Weight: 1.12 Kilograms

    Connectivity: Wired USB

    Backlights: 16.8 million color RGB

    Keycap: doubleshot ABS

    Wrist rest: with wrist rest

    Price: ₹ 3,749

    Cosmic byte cb gk11 is an inexpensive outperformer! Cb gk11 is a full sized keyboard with full rgb lighting. It’s a budget mechanical keyboard which offers a pretty decent build quality and features.

    The top is made of aluminium which feels pretty decent. The top has a greyish finish with all black keys on top. The keys are doubleshot and are made with ABS. It also includes a decent detachable wrist rest.

    It comes in either  JIXIAN Blue clicky switches or JIXIAN Brown tactile switches which perform great despite the price point. The keyboard has full RGB lighting, it comes with 13 RGB Back-light Effects and 4 levels of brightness. You can change the lighting profiles right from the keyboard which gets stored on the keyboard memory.

    The keyboard also has dedicated multimedia keys which can be used to control volume, brightness etc.

    ✔️ Inexpensive

    ✔️ Decent build quality

    ❌ No customization software

     

    7. ASUS Rog Strix Scope

    Switch:  Cherry MX brown,Red, Blue, Silver Speed, and Silent Red

    Size: full size

    Weight: 1.63 Kilograms

    Connectivity: Wired USB

    Backlights: 16.8 million color RGB

    Keycap: doubleshot ABS

    Wrist rest: no wrist rest

    Price: ₹ 7,899

    Asus Rog strix scope is a solid mechanical keyboard that focuses on the essentials. It is reliable, responsive and great for gaming as well as typing.

    It is a full sized keyboard with ten keys and a lot of space between the keys, the ROG logo is as well spaciously placed. The keyboard lacks a wrist rest, but it can be purchased separately.

    The keyboard comes with Cherry MX brown,Red, Blue, Silver Speed, and Silent Red switches, so there are a lot that you can choose from. Being the standard Cherry MX switches their quality is always going to be top notch.

    It has full RGB lighting which can be customized using the ROG armoury software. The lighting can also be synchronized with other compatible devices by using the Aura Sync software.  The keyboard lacks dedicated media keys but allows programmable macros which can be again customized in ROG armoury software.

    In the end it’s a no nonsense keyboard that is a great choice for both gaming and typing.

    ✔️ Great variety of switches

    ✔️ Great build quality

    ❌ No wrist rest

     

    8. Xpg summoner

    Switch: Cherry MX silver, red, blue

    Size: full size

    Weight: 951g

    Connectivity: Wired USB

    Backlights: 16.8 million color RGB

    Keycap: doubleshot ABS

    Wrist rest: detachable wrist rest

    Price: ₹ 9,749

    Adata’s XPG summoner is a full sized mechanical keyboard which offers a very comfortable wrist rest and a handy volume knob. 

    The top is made up of sandblasted aluminum that gives it a sturdy feel and a great look. It has a great metal volume wheel on the top right. Even with all that metal the keyboard feels light and easy to handle.

    The XPG summoner comes with Cherry MX silver, red, blue so there’s a lot to choose from. It’s great for gaming as well as for typing because you can just choose between the clicky or linear switches.

    One of the best features of XPG summoner is the faux-leather wrist rest. It looks and feels really great and can be attached or detached easily because of the magnets.

    The board features full RGB lighting and doubleshot keycaps. The lighting can be adjusted directly from the board as there is no companion software provided. The macros can be  set in this way as well. But setting them this way can be confusing to some.

    ✔️ Great variety of switches

    ✔️ comfortable wrist rest

    ❌ No companion software

     

    9. Corsair K68

    Switch:  Cherry MX red, Cherry MX blue

    Size: full size

    Weight: 1.41 Kilograms

    Connectivity: Wired USB

    Backlights: 16.8 million color RGB

    Keycap: doubleshot ABS

    Wrist rest: detachable wrist rest

    Price: ₹ 12,199

    Corsair k68 is a great mechanical keyboard that can work as both a gaming keyboard as well as a productivity tool. It is well built and comes with full RGB lighting and there’s also a more affordable red led variant. It is versatile as it comes in both Cherry MX blue and red switches, so you can have the clicky blue switches or the quieter red ones.

    The body is completely made out of plastic, which feels decent and robust as it doesn’t have any flex to it. The keycaps are made of ABS and are doubleshot. The keyboard is also rated IP32 for dust and water resistance.

    The board has full RGB lighting, the lighting can be customized in the iCUE software. If the RGB variant is too expensive you can always opt for the affordable red led variant.

    The keyboard offers dedicated media keys to play/pause, skip tracks or you can even control the volume. There’s a windows lock key which is a boon for gamers. All of the keys can be reconfigured by using the iCUE software.

    ✔️ Dedicated media keys

    ✔️ Great typing experience

     

    10. HP Omen Sequencer 2VN99AA

    Switch:  LK optical-mechanical blue switches

    Size: full size

    Weight: 830 Grams

    Connectivity: Wired USB

    Backlights: 16.8 million color RGB

    Keycap: doubleshot ABS

    Wrist rest: no wrist rest

    Price: ₹ 10,999

    Hp omen sequencer is a full sized mechanical keyboard that boasts its experimental optical switches. At first glance it makes a great impression with its metallic black design and a ton of features.

    It has an anodized aluminium frame giving it a sturdy and reliable feel. On top of this aluminium frame are the black keys and a large metal volume roller. It has a sort of asymmetric design with those angled edges.

    The omen sequencer has  LK optical blue switches which are similar to Cherry MX blue switches but have less travel distance because of their optical nature. While the cherry switches operate purely on mechanical means these opt for optical means for actuation. Omen sequencer claims that this method reduces the response time drastically.

    It has full RGB lighting which can be customized by using the HP Omen software. There are five programmable macro keys placed on the left. But you cannot assign macros to any of the other keys.

    ✔️responsive optical keys

    ✔️ cool volume controller

    ❌ simplistic companion software

     

    Frequently asked questions

     

    1. What are Keyboard sizes (40%, 60%, TKL etc.)?

    The keyboard size generally refers to the number of keys on the keyboard.A standard (or 100%) keyboard has 104 keys, a TenKeyLess removes the Number Pad Cluster and a 60% Removes the Nav Cluster and arrow keys. A 40% board also removes the number row. There are more sizes, such as 30% or 50%, although they’re less defined. 

    2. I want to build a keyboard but know absolutely nothing about the process, where do I start?

    Check out this reddit field, pretty good stuff to get started with.

    3. Are there other switches besides Cherry? 

    Yes. There are several types of mechanical switches but the Cherry brand is the most prevalent. Some other good switches include topre and kailh.

    4. How can I replace the keycaps?

    You can use a tool called keycap puller to pull out the keys. These keycap pullers are often bundled with the keyboards.

    5. What switches are the best for gaming?

    For gaming you would need something with tactical feedback, your best bet would be Cherry MX brown, Cherry MX blue or topre switches.

    6. What kind of keycaps do I need for backlit keyboards?

    For backlit keyboards doubleshot keycaps and pudding keycaps are recommended as they propagate light properly.

     

    So which mechanical keyboard should you opt for?

     

    Believe it or not mechanical keyboards are here to stay as they appeal to everyone, from hardcore gamers to grealty focused typists. And they are getting affordable every passing day! We are seeing some great feature packed boards at an affordable price.

    Before buying a mechanical keyboard decide for what purpose you will be using it. Go for tactile blue switch keyboards if you chose gaming as that tactile feedback from the keyboard could make a great difference in the experience. Go for linear red switch or speed silver switch keyboards if you will be using your keyboard for just typing or programming, these are fast, responsive and quiet  offering a great productive experience.

    And that’s it we’ve gone through some of the best mechanical keyboard fitting in all budgets, now time to flex those RGB lights!

     

     

  • The Best 32 inch Monitors (with guide)

    The Best 32 inch Monitors (with guide)

    Monitors these days come in a variety of sizes, from the 22 inch monitors all the way up to the gigantic 49 inch ones. Granted, there is a middle ground and that is the 27 inch monitor which is the most popular, and among ultrawide users the 34 inch monitor is more preferred. However, there is a size in between these that tries to provide the best of both worlds. 

    32 inch monitors used to be quite niche and elusive products, meant mainly for content creation and consumption. 32 inch monitors are awkwardly big with an aspect ratio of about 16:10 and feel like they might substitute for your television. Now however, the spotlight is on them and many companies are coming up with beautiful 32 inch displays meant for gaming and content creation as well.

    Here is a guide to 32 inch monitors and the best ones in the market currently (along with some new ones coming soon in the future).

    The Basics

    The most commonly used monitors are usually 24 or 27 inches. The most commonly used ultrawide monitors are 34 inches. So what’s the big deal about 32 inch monitors? Well, they can serve as the middle ground for the transition from 27 inch monitors to 34 inch monitors. They are usually taller and bigger than their 27 inch and 34 inch counterparts yet come in the aspect ratios that are most common, that is, either 16:9 or 16:10. 

    These monitors are so unintuitively big that many manufacturers also ship 32 inch televisions meant for the living room instead. They certainly have their pros, however. The extra real estate afforded by 32 inch monitors provide easier viewing and the monitors may be kept some distance apart in order to ease the burden on the eyes.

    As such, when thinking about purchasing a 32 inch monitor for your setup, you must consider how it will fit into your space, what the prices are and the features that you want.

    The Market for 32 inch Monitors

    32 inch monitors used to have a niche audience, but they are slowly but surely gaining widespread popularity among users, and gamers especially. Surprisingly, buyer interest around them is most focused in Australia, followed by the United States, United Kingdom and India which seems to be an outlier. 

    The recent lockdowns and quarantine in various countries around the world have particularly boosted sales in 2020 and 2021. The cheapest 32 inch monitors start around $150 and can go on all the way up to $4500 (yes, there are monitors at this range). They are made by all the popular brands such as Asus, Samsung, MSI, Dell, LG, Gigabyte, Lenovo and many others. You will surely be able to find the one you want with all the features you may need. 

    Features

    Speaking of features, there are some that you might want to consider before buying your monitor.

    Design

    32 inch monitors may be made of plastic or have brushed metallic pieces. Many gaming 32 inch monitors have gamer aesthetics but that is slowly changing towards a more minimalistic design, which is favored by many and used by those monitors that are more productivity focused.

    You should make sure that the design of your monitor will look good in your setup and will not hinder it aesthetically and physically. There are many VESA mounts available for 32 inch monitors which help to reduce the clutter and give a clean and solid look to your setup.

    A good design goes a far way and complements your setup.

    Ports and audio

    The vast majority of 32 inch monitors will use HDMI 2.0/2.1, DisplayPort 1.2/1.4 or USB Type-C as their main connectors. In some cases the monitors come with mini-HDMI and mini-DisplayPorts. You will need to check your graphics card, PC and laptop ports to see which ports you want to use.

    Various types of display ports.

    Display type

    32 inch monitors are available with LCD, LED, OLED and even QLED displays. 

    LCD displays

    Liquid Crystal Displays or LCDs feature a layer of liquid held between two pieces of polarized glass. The monitor does not produce its own light, instead it is lit by a fluorescent light  behind the screen which illuminates the crystals.

    1. These have a lifespan of about 30,000 hours or eight years of being used at 10 hours a day.
    2. These usually have a lower price point.
    3. There is no issue with backlight burn and are good for gamers, since HUD elements can lead to some backlight burn,
    4. These monitors are slightly thicker and heavier than LEDs.
    5. There aren’t many 4K LCDs.
    6. LCDs consume power and run hot.
    7. The image quality is poorer due to lower contrast and these are not as bright as LEDs.
    8. At the end of their lifespan, they cause pollution because mercury is included in them.
    9. These are not good on the eyes, however LCDs with higher refresh rates will not cause any blurriness.
    10.  Genuinely better for gaming as these are not prone to screen burn and can be very fast.

    LED displays

    Light Emitting Diode, or LED displays also feature a liquid crystal display but these lighting is provided by light emitting diodes rather than fluorescent lighting.

    1. Have a lifespan of about 50,000 hours or 15 years at about 10 hours of use every day.
    2. These monitors provide better contrast and image quality for a sharper, crisp image.
    3. In the long run, LED monitors run cheaper over time as they are more energy efficient.
    4. These take much less space as they are thinner in design.
    5. These come with 4K resolutions or fast response times and some monitors provide both.
    6. These will not cause pollution at the end of their lifespan as they do not include any mercury.
    7. These are more expensive than their LCD counterparts.
    8. There is a higher risk for screen burn and image retention.
    9. These are much better for the eyes when working long hours because these allow black levels and contrast ratios to be easily adjusted to satisfactory levels.

    OLED and QLED displays: In Organic LEDs or OLEDs, every pixel in the monitor is its own individual light emitting source. These aren’t backlit as each pixel produces its own light and color. Individual pixels can be turned off to produce deep blacks, thus offering stunning image contrast and quality. The response time for OLED monitors is incredibly fast – around 0.1 milliseconds – which is great for gaming as well.

    The Alienware 55 OLED monitor.

    QLED displays use nanoparticles (nanomachines, son!) called quantum dots that are used as colour and light filters. They offer full saturation even in the most brightly lit rooms. The downside is that they have to instead dim their backlights for dark colours, thus they are not capable of producing pure blacks seen in OLEDs. They also are most effectively viewed from dead center and thus are not suitable in setups requiring wide viewing angles.

    This is the LS03 32 inch QLED display from Samsung.

    Resolution

    The more pixels you get per inch, the better. PPI (pixel per inch) values are helpful in making the choice of the resolution you want. 32 inch monitors may be practically considered as mini-TVs and as such they come in a variety of resolutions. However, most of them come in 2K (2560 x 1440 or QHD) and 4K (3840 x 2160 or UHD).

    A comparison of various resolutions.

    There are 1080p (HD) monitors available but at this size, but with about 70 pixels per inch, the pixels are very visible. Images will not be as sharp and it will certainly annoy you and cause some unnecessary eyestrain. It really isn’t ideal at this size. 

    As for 1440p, the PPI is much better at about 93 pixels per inch. If you really nitpick and look, then pixels will be still visible. This resolution is much better suited for 27 inch monitors. But if you keep this monitor at a healthy distance away the image comes out clear and you will not notice any more pixels.

     At the much coveted 4K (UHD) resolution, things change. The PPI is about 140 pixels per inch, adding much required breathing room. Images are sharp, crisp and vibrant and no pixel will be visible, even if you try to peep. 

    4K : PPI = 140 pixels per inch (excellent)

    1440p : PPI = 93 pixels per inch (good)

    1080p : PPI = 70 pixels per inch (terrible)

    (Values were taken for standard resolutions, with a diagonal length of 31.5 inches and then rounded off to their nearest whole number values.)

    (Most manufacturers make 31.5 inch monitors)

    Aspect ratio

    The most common aspect ratios for 32 inch monitors are 16:9 and 16:10. Many softwares today support 16:10 as well.

    Refresh rate

    The refresh rate of a display is the amount of times per second it is able to draw a new image. It makes a huge difference, for gaming especially. It is measured in Hertz (Hz). If a monitor has a refresh rate of 60Hz, then that means it is refreshing an image 60 times per second. 

    A comparison between different refresh rates in Overwatch. Note how smooth Tracer’s movement becomes with higher refresh rates. Lower refresh rates leads to more ghosting and the image becomes blurry.

    For competitive gamers, high refresh rates are very important. The difference between 60Hz and 144Hz is night and day. However the difference slowly reduces between 144Hz and 240Hz, although it does still give a competitive advantage. 

    However, higher refresh rates require beefier CPUs and GPUs to drive them, so make sure that you have a PC which can drive them.

    Response time

    Response time is the time it takes for a monitor to shift from one color to another.  Usually this is the duration between going from black to white to black again and is measured in milliseconds (ms).Typical LCDs have response times of about 10 ms although there are many displays with response times as low as 1 ms.

    Response time doesn’t usually matter when surfing the web, writing, emailing or even while viewing video. It does matter for gaming however, where every millisecond is the difference between victory and defeat. The lower the response time, the better since it also cuts down on image issues such as blurring or “ghosting”. Response times of about 1 ms to 5 ms are great for gaming.

    Response time is also measured in gray-to-gray performance or GtG, a unit of measurement of pixel speed. For gaming monitors especially, it measures how long it takes for one pixel to go from one gray level to the next. However, it is not a standard metric. It is useful in monitor tests.

    This is not to be confused with refresh rates. Higher refresh rates are usually better, whereas lower response times are preferred.

    Viewing angles

    Depending on your setup, you may want to check the viewing angles of the monitor that you are going to buy. Viewing angles are those angles at which the display can be viewed with acceptable visual performance. 

    The image may seem garbled and of poor quality when viewed outside viewing range. The greater the viewing angle, the better.

    Curvature of the display

    Curved monitors usually have better viewing angles.

    Curved monitors have become all the rage these days. Many companies offer curved monitors, especially in the 32 inch monitor market.

    Curved monitors are more immersive, feature less distortion, are comfortable on the eyes and offer a wider field of view as compared to flat monitors. Curvature is usually measured as 1000R or 1500R and so on, where R stands for “radius” and the number stands for the measurement in millimeters. Curved displays also suffer from wall mounting issues and glare.

    Color accuracy

    Color accuracy is very important to improve the quality of an image and make it more believable. This can be measured against a range of color gamuts, such as sRGB, Adobe-RGB, and also DCI-P3. The closer the monitor is to matching a 100% of those color gamuts, the more color accurate it is.

    A comparison of all the color gamuts in the same color space.
    A comparison between the 8-bit and 1–bit color depths.

    It can be influenced by the type of panel used and also the color depth. The color depth can be 6-bit (262,144 colors), 8-bit (16.70 million colors) and 10-bit (1 billion colors). Color depth indicates how many shades of a particular color a monitor can display.

    Avoid using 6-bit at all costs as it is really bad. 8-bit is perfect for most users. For professional artists, photo editors and color calibrators, 10-bit panels are the most suitable, although the pricing goes up as you increase the range. 

    A lot of monitors will say that they are 10-bit but they are actually 8-bit + A-FRC. They are actually 8-bit but also use a technology called FRC to artificially simulate extra color.

    Many 32 inch monitors can reach and even go beyond 100% of the sRGB color gamut.

    HDR

    HDR makes images more vibrant.

    HDR stands for High Dynamic Range and many monitors, especially the newer 32 inch ones, boast that they are HDR enabled. 

     The HDR enabled monitors have a greater contrast range between the brightest and darkest parts of an image and also a wider colour range. Games and programs that are optimized for HDR look absolutely gorgeous, but not all HDR is the same. 

    For HDR, an important thing to consider is the brightness of the monitor which is measured in nits. The greater the brightness, the better. 

    The DisplayHDR standard lists three substandards: the HDR 400 which gives 400 nits of brightness and is considered the baseline for HDR, then the HDR 600 and for the ultra premium there is the HDR 1000. However, some labels say HDR 10. This refers to the 10 bit colour depth if the monitor is capable of it. The brightness varies however, and many say that true HDR is only at about 1000 nits of brightness. 

    VA panels and quantum dot technologies feature the best HDR and HDR is generally suited to creators and artists. Games however, also benefit from this and can look much better.

    Panel Type (TN, VS, IPS Panels)

    32 inch monitors are available in TN, VS and IPS varieties in the LCD technologies also.

    TN panels

    TN stands for “twisted nematic” and is the oldest standard among panel technologies. These panels make use of the twisted nematic effect. It is basically used to change the alignment of the liquid crystals in the display when a net voltage is applied across it.

    When there is no voltage, the liquid crystal molecules are rotated by 90 degrees and the crystals are turned “off”. This in combination with the polarization layers allows light to pass through. When a voltage is applied, these crystals are untwisted and this alignment of the liquid crystal molecules blocks light and displays the image.

    How do they stack up in performance? TN panels are generally the fastest and have the highest refresh rates. However, they have the worst viewing angles, colour performance and low contrast ratios. These panels are used in budget class displays and super-fast gaming displays for both desktops and laptops. In recent times, these panels can even go up to 360Hz.

    VA panels

    VA stands for “vertical alignment”. This makes use of vertically aligned crystals which tilt when a voltage is applied and subsequently light passes through. This difference is key between IPS and VA panels: IPS panels have parallel alignment whereas VA panels have vertical alignment. There are several VA variants, for example AU optronics AMVA and Samsung’s SVA.

    VA panels are often the slowest of all the panel technologies. However, they have the best black levels and contrast ratios by far. The colour performance is middle of the ground compared to IPS but is certainly much better than TN.

    In recent years, high end gaming VA monitors have had 8ms to 10ms response times with some even reaching 1 ms response times so the technology is definitely improving.

    Televisions make extensive use of VA and the contrast ratios are higher. If you want deep blacks and high contrast ratios, VA is the choice for you.

    IPS panels

    IPS stands for in-plane switching and these panels are the most coveted among all three. The liquid crystals are parallel to the glass substrates and when a voltage is applied it changes their alignment as in the other two types. These crystals don’t twist to let light through; rather they “rotate” which enables them to have a whole slew of benefits.

    LG simply calls their variant of this technology IPS, whereas Samsung calls their variant PLS or plane-to switching and AU Optronics calls their variant AHVA or advanced hyper viewing angle, which can be easily confused with VA.

    IPS monitors are the best of the three in colour performance and viewing angles. Due to this high tier color output and almost universal 100% minimum color accuracy, these monitors are the best choices for creators and professionals.

    They used to boast mid-tier response times and refresh rates, along with mid-tier black levels and contrast ratios. But this has changed in recent times, with companies such as LG, Asus and Samsung offering IPS panels that have fast 1ms response times and 144 Hz and even 240Hz refresh rates.

    IPS monitors may suffer from a phenomenon called “IPS glow”. It is an apparent white glow when viewing dark images at angles. Most newer monitors however do not suffer from this.

    Most 32 inch monitors come in IPS and VA varieties, with gaming focused ones featuring ultra low response times and bigger refresh rates.  VA panels will fit most buyers’ needs and IPS panels will fit the needs of creators, but these lines are not so black and white and you can have ultra fast IPS panels with 1 ms response time and 144Hz/ 165Hz refresh rates or a VA panel with 8-10 ms and 144Hz or above.

    A comparison of color accuracy between the three panel types.

    G-Sync vs FreeSync

    Screen tearing.

    These two features are based on Adaptive Sync technology. Adaptive Sync synchronizes the monitor’s refresh cycle with the rate at which your PC’s connected graphic card renders each frame, even if that rate is variable. By fixing the refresh rate of a monitor, it’s possible for it to draw a new frame before the current one has finished rendering.

    This can be fixed if the monitor draws every frame completely before the video card sends the next one, thus preventing screen tearing and artifacts.

    Nvidia and AMD have come up with their own proprietary technologies based on Adaptive Sync called G-Sync and FreeSync respectively, with the former being the first to come out into the market.

    G-Sync monitors require proprietary hardware to function and thus they carry a slight price premium. FreeSync meanwhile uses the Adaptive Sync standard built into the DisplayPort 1.2 specification, thus making them more accessible.

    G-Sync monitors lock the frame rate to their upper limit when connected with a graphics card that outputs more frames than they can handle. However, FreeSync has no such limits. This introduces screen tearing but the input lag is reduced further in these monitors.

    Both G-Sync and FreeSync monitors are great for reducing input lag and both provide a better HDR experience and FreeSync monitors come in premium and pro versions. Best of all, FreeSync monitors support Nvidia graphics cards as well.

    Many 32 inch monitors support FreeSync and there are quite a few that also support G-Sync.

    Backlight strobing

    Backlight strobing lowers pixel resistance times to the eyes, that is, it changes how long a pixel is visible to the eye each frame. Lowering the time during which a frame is visible during a frame reduces motion blur. The shorter (faster) a pixel persistence time is, the less motion blur there is on the monitor. 

    This serves as a good test to see how fast your monitor is and how fast the response times are. This is a qualitative aspect and does not directly correlate to the response time stated by the monitor manufacturer.

    The UFO Test used to test responsiveness on some monitors.

    Now that we have seen all the features that are available to 32 inch monitors, it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty and see what the best monitors currently available on the market are, and some more that are coming on the horizon.

    The Best 32 inch Gaming Monitors

    1. ASUS ROG Swift PG329Q

    ASUS has given us a strong heavy-hitter which can go toe-t0-toe with the others when it comes to its beast of a 32 inch flat panel, the PG329Q. This display packs high end specifications for this class, featuring a 32 inch screen with a 2560 by 1440p resolution, a 175Hz maximum refresh rate, a fast IPS panel provided by AUOptronics with 1 ms response time and a huge color gamut that is listed at 160% sRGB all in a 16:9 aspect ratio.

    The fine folks at ASUS has included more fun stuff such as ELMB-Sync (a proprietary solution), Adaptive Sync that works with old GPUs even though it is a G-Sync monitor and a Display HDR-600 certification.

    Design wise it has gamer-y aesthetics lining the back with an RGB ASUS ROG Swift symbol lighting, but in the front the display is pretty clean and respectable. Some people like it, some don’t. It has a hook on the back for cable management.

    It has a good gray-to-gray performance for an IPS of this size and is even faster than most of the Nano IPS monitors made by LG. The response time sits right besides fast 2K 27 inch gaming monitors, but if you are a competitive gamer and frames are absolutely essential for you, then you can certainly look at other options. It is also one of the lowest input lag times in its class. 

    The ASUS PG329Q includes ELMB-Sync which is ASUS’ proprietary technology which allows you to use backlight strobing and Adaptive Sync at the same time. The feature works really well up to some certain limits and is perfectly usable between 144Hz and 175Hz.

    The color performance is spectacular too. It has 95% DCIP-3 coverage, a 100% of Adobe RGB and a 160% of sRGB coverage, which is very good for color accurate work and creators will find this monitor to be very good. However, the contrast ratio is not so good as the 27 inch variant of this panel. This monitor features HDR-600 which sounds great on paper, but produces a minimal effect when used. It’s certainly noticeable, but it’s not that great. However this is almost nitpicking at this point 

    For all this power the monitor does draw nearly 40 watts of power but there are settings included to make it more power efficient. It is priced around $700-$800 depending on region, availability and sales. Overall, this monitor is a great option in the 32 inch market for gamers and content creators alike, although the serious ones might want to consider a 4K resolution instead of 2K. You will not go wrong with this monitor. 

     

    Get it here: 

    B&H Photo Video 

    Newegg

    2. The Samsung Odyssey G7

     

    Samsung has quite literally reinvented the wheel this time. The amount of mind-bogglingly crazy features this 2560 by 1440p 32 inch gaming monitor with a retail price of $800 offers is absolutely crazy. It is a VA panel with a 1 ms response time, a never before seen 240Hz refresh rate with a 1000R curve, the only one in its class. This monitor is all about taking things to the extremes, with Samsung having certified it capable of Display HDR-600 functionalities. 

    The monitor has some gamer aesthetics on the back like parallely arranged lines racing across a wide circle which is lit with RGB lights and on the front, in the bottom a bezel that tapers off at either ends. The display modes can be changed by using the navigation panel and the user interface is easy to use. 

    However, the monitor is bulky and weighs a bit more than the other ones. The stand is V-shaped and you can place objects in front of it, but the monitor has a much larger profile due to this. The stand is sturdy and has a headphone hook and the monitor can be VESA mounted too.

    This gem is crazy fast with the best gray-to-gray performance among all monitors currently available in the market, the lowest input lag among the other monitors and the only one capable of 240Hz refresh rates. This is absolutely great for competitive gamers. Best of all, it has G-Sync and FreeSync Premium Pro.

    The colour panel is truly 10-bit however the contrast ratio is about 2500:1. It covers about 91% of the DCP-I3 and 85.5% of Adobe RGB colour spaces, making it highly accurate when it comes to colours.

    It has a 1000R curve which to some folk on paper seems rather too jarring at this size but to many others seems perfectly fine and reportedly it reduces eye strain on the monitor as well. It really is up to personal preferences. 

    The Samsung Odyssey G7 has two DisplayPort 1.4 ports and one HDMI 2.0 port with a 3.5 mm headphone jack, oddly. There are no speakers in this monitor and this is the only problem that people have, but honestly, actual speakers are always much better than monitor speakers. The Odyssey G7 is also power heavy and it consumes about 50 watts, but at the premium price of $800, this is all you could ever want in a 32 inch monitor.

    Get it here: 

    Newegg

    B&H Photo Video

    3. The LG 32GK850-B

    LG were late to the 32 inch monitor game but they have some strong, modest showings with the LG 32GK850-B and the LG32GK650, it’s little sibling. But we are focusing on the big brother and it certainly does tick all the bells and whistles you’d expect it to have. It is a 32 inch QHD display and a VA panel which is flat and has a 5 ms response time and a 144Hz refresh rate. 

    The build quality of this monitor is decent. It is made of plastic but the entire construction feels sturdy and robust. However, there is a gap between the edge of the screen and where the active pixels are. This might annoy you in a multiple monitor setup. It can pivot and swivel too if you need the portrait alignment.

    The stand looks elegant and supports the monitor well but there’s a wobble to it. It  has a hook on it for cable management. The back has a circle that lights up even when the monitor is off and it accentuates a gamer aesthetic.

    The response time of 1 ms gray-gray performance on this monitor may fool you at first glance, but it is outstanding. The “fast” mode is perfect for both gaming and creativity and paired with 144Hz this monitor provides a smooth experience, although there might be some overshoot. It is G-Sync enabled and the input lag remains low even with it disabled.

    The contrast ratio of this monitor is good as expected from a VA panel. Black looks deep in a dark room. It has great SDR peak brightness of about 350 nits, and is bright enough to reduce glare in most rooms. It however does not support HDR. The colour accuracy before calibrating the monitor is absolutely mediocre and hence it is advised to calibrate it. Post-calibration colour accuracy is excellent, being about 76.6^ of the Adobe RGB gamut. This monitor however has some bad viewing angles and it is recommended to keep this directly in front of your eyes for good vision.

    It has one DisplayPort 1.2 and one HDMI 1.4 with no audio jacks or in-built speakers. The power supply is an external brick and it isn’t so power efficient, consuming about 55 watts when it’s on and 0.5 watts when it’s turned off. It retails for about $700-$800 and is overall a good and modest monitor in this price range.

    Get it here:

    Amazon 

    4. The Gigabyte G32QC

    The Gigabyte G32QC is a 32 inch monitor with a 1440p resolution, a 1500R curvature and it boasts a refresh rate of 165Hz and HDR support. At around $360, this monitor is a serious contender for those looking to maximize price-to-performance ratio and can easily compete with the other monitors. 

    It has a simple design that doesn’t stand out. The screen is curved and the bezels are very thin, except for the bottom one that is a bit thicker. The V-shaped is sturdy and supports the monitor well and there is very little wobble. 

    However, the monitor lacks swivel adjustments and can’t rotate to portrait mode. It’s back is made out of plastic and there is not much to it. The monitor takes a notable amount of space due to its curvature. Overall the build quality is solid.

    It has a great response time of 1 ms and the refresh rate of 165Hz makes the experience buttery smooth, provided you have the hardware to run games at those frames. It comes with FreeSync Premium Pro and is also G-Sync compatible.

    The G32QC is a VA panel and a contrast ratio of 3000:1 is advertised, but upon actual testing it is found to be 5000:1 which is excellent. The native color gamut is DCPI-3 and unlike the other monitors it also features an sRGB mode. It can get as bright around 450 nits and you can certainly enable the HDR mode but at this brightness it’s not that great.

    However, the black uniformity is bad which may result in bleeding on the screen and the panel also suffers from sub-par viewing angles.

    There is a single joystick located on the right-back side with which you can navigate the on-screen menu. It comes with one DisplayPort 1.2 port, two HDMI 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports and one 3.5 mm audio jack. It consumes about 30.5 watts of power at 200 nits of brightness. This monitor is excellent for its price. Another good alternative that is very similar to this one is the Asus TUF Gaming VG32VQ, however it is priced a bit more.

    Get the Gigabyte G32QC here:

    Amazon

    Newegg

    B&H Photo Video

    Get the ASUS TUF Gaming VG32VQ here:

    Amazon

    Newegg

    B&H Photo Video

    5. The MSI Optix MAG322CQR

    The MSI Optix MAG322CQR is a great choice if you want an immersive 16:9 screen at 1440p resolution without breaking the bank. It features an ultra-fast LED backlit VA panel that also has great colour accuracy.

    The design is minimal and the back is made of plastic. The stand is sturdy and supports the monitor well. However, it does not have pivot or swivel ergonomics and the tilt is minimal, ranging between -5 degrees to +20 degrees. The VESA mount will be of the 100x100mm standard. The stand does leave some space but the monitor is quite big and will take up some space on your desk.

    This monitor has a refresh rate of about 165Hz and 1 ms response time and it comes with FreeSync Premium. It also has a 1500R curvature which accentuates the experience rather well. However, it still has some backlight bleed and ghosting issues which can be sorted by calibrating in the on-screen menu but the menu itself is terrible and requires some gymnastics to get around. 

    The MAG322CQR is surprisingly color accurate, with the panel covering around 125% sRGB and 96% DCI-P3 color gamuts. The contrast ratio is also the standard 3000:1 considering it’s a VA panel. The viewing angles are mediocre and color shifting is barely visible. 

    The ports included on the back are one DisplayPort 1.4, two HDMI 2.0s, one USB Type-C, two USB 2.0 Type-As and one standard audio jack. At max brightness, it consumes about 46.8 watts of power. At the price of $400, this is a good monitor if you want to focus on its good points and ignore the weak points.

    Get it here:

    Amazon

    Newegg

    B&H Photo Video

    The Best 32 inch monitors for Content Creation/ Everyday Use

    1. The LG 32UD99-W

    The LG 32UD99-W is a good IPS monitor with an excellent 4K resolution, wide viewing angles and an excellent low input lag with great color accuracy that makes it good for creators.

    It has a sleek and clean design with an all white back which makes it suitable for office environments. The stand is large and prevents you from placing things directly in front of the monitor. It also wobbles significantly when pressure is applied on the desk. The ergonomics are decent, allowing you to adjust the height and tilt and pivot it to portrait mode and back. The build quality is also decent and feels good.

    The monitor has a 60Hz refresh rate and a response time of about 15 ms, so images appear smooth and there is no noticeable frame skipping. The monitor also features FreeSync Premium.

    The brightness of this monitor is excellent at about 350 nits but the HDR is mediocre. The color accuracy out of the box is okay-ish, but it can be calibrated to give excellent results, covering about 88% of the Adobe RGB color gamut. However, there is some backlight bleed along the edges of the monitor that according to some users can get noticeably larger over time. 

    For ports it has a DisplayPort 1.2, two HDMI 2.0s, two USB 3.0s and one standard audio jack. It consumes about 49 watts of power. Overall this monitor is perfect for content creation and also everyday and mixed usage such as media consumption and gaming. 

    Get it here:

    B&H Photo Video

    Newegg

    2. The BenQ EW3270U

    The BenQ EW3270U is a good VA monitor with decent color accuracy and good picture quality. It has a resolution of 4K and is good for those who want to use the monitor in a dark setting or room.

    It is a simple and professional looking monitor that fits well in any office setting. The stand has sharp angles and it doesn’t take up much space, giving it a modern and sleek look. Besides, it is also sturdy and supports the monitor well with only a little bit of wobble. The build quality from front to back is plastic and the ergonomics are pretty bad as it only features tilt adjustments and the range for tilt is also pretty narrow.

    This monitor has a refresh rate of 60Hz, a response time of about 15 ms and very low input lag times. It comes with FreeSync Premium and is also G-Sync compatible.

    The monitor has good color accuracy and excellent contrast ratios which produces deep blacks. Viewing angles are a bit narrower but they’re aren’t so bad such that they completely ruin the viewing experience. It has a good HDR color gamut which covers about 69.4% of the DCI-P3 color space and it has a max brightness of 270 nits. This monitor is perfect for usage in dark rooms and environments.

    For ports it has one DisplayPort 1.4, two HDMI 2.0s, one USB Type-C port and one standard audio jack. It uses 44 watts in standard mode and 24 watts in it’s eco mode, which makes it good for dark room and low power performance.

     

    Get it here:

    Amazon

    Newegg

    B&H Photo Video

    3. The Samsung LU32J592UQUXEN

    Although the name may be complex and confusing, this monitor is rather the opposite; it has a simple design and offers fantastic value for its price. This is a sub-$400 dollar 4K monitor that really should cost more.

    The build is simple and there is nothing unique about it, yet the quality of the monitor seems cheap. The stand is a bit wobbly but overall supports the monitor well, but it does not provide much space in front of it. But at this price you should be okay with it and the other features are simply too good. This is just one con among the many pros.

    This monitor has a refresh rate of 60Hz and has an excellent, imperceptible low lag input of 10 ms. However, the response time is not as good and this is certainly noticeable in games. But Samsung has also included AMD FreeSync, so screen tearing is not much of a problem.

    Equipped with a VA panel, this monitor does offer a better contrast ratio in comparison to the other TN and IPS panels. Samsung also advertises this monitor as “QLED”, but this monitor covers only 99% of the sRGB colour space. Regardless, it provides an excellent quality for its price due to the 4K resolution, a decent 270 nit brightness and 10-bit color support. It also has excellent upscaling quality and boasts a viewing angle of about 178 degrees both vertically and horizontally.

    At the back of the monitor, there are one HDMI 1.4 (max 30Hz at 4K), one HDMI 2.0 (60Hz 4K, one DisplayPort 1.2 (60Hz 4K) and a standard headphone jack. It consumes about 47 watts of power and at a price of $400 is an absolute steal among other 32 inch monitors.

    Get it here:

    Amazon

    Newegg

    B&H Photo Video

    4. The Dell UltraSharp U3219Q

    Dell has created a professional monitor for creative designers, video editors and even photographers with the Dell UltraSharp UP3216Q, having a resolution of 4K with IPS technology. 

    This monitor is durable and long-lasting because it is made with premium, PVC- free materials. The stand is sturdy and supports the monitor well and also provides some much needed flexibility when adjusting your setup. The arsenic-free glass and mercury-free LED panel, coupled with a frame made from 25% recycled plastic makes the monitor eco-friendly as well.

    The UltraSharp has a 75Hz refresh rate with a 6 ms response time, with an image contrast ratio of 1000:1 so things flow smoothly on this monitor. It is also G-Sync enabled so there will be no screen tearing or ghosting.

    It has absolutely phenomenal color quality and image clarity, and boasts 99.5% Adobe RGB, 100% sRGB and 87% DCI-P3 coverage. The panel is also 10-bit and it is perfect for going into the most minute details in images. It can deliver decent HDR and it is suitable for extreme color accurate work.

    The ports offered are one DisplayPort 1.4, one HDMI 2.0, four USB 3.0s, one USB Type-C and the standard 3.5 mm audio jack. It uses about 43 watts of power while operating in the standard preset mode and there is no ECO mode like other monitors in its price range. This monitor is excellent for content creation and consumption alike.

    Get it here:

    Amazon

    Newegg

    B&H Photo Video

    5. The Dell S3221QS

    The Dell S3221QS is a good monitor that is suited to a variety of uses, from content creation and everyday work to media consumption and gaming. It is a curved 4K monitor and it gives you the ability to stack multiple windows side by side and also makes gaming more immersive.

    Design wise it is simple and fits in most office settings. It has three thin side and top bezels with the bottom bezel being slightly thicker. The stand supports the monitor well with there being almost no wobble. It doesn’t take up much desk space either. Unfortunately, this monitor has poor ergonomics as it lacks swizel and portrait adjustments and has a minimal tilt range.

    This monitor has a decent response time of 6 ms at its max refresh rate of 60Hz. However, there is visible motion smearing behind fast moving objects. To counteract this the monitor comes with AMD FreeSync so screen tearing and ghosting pose barely any problems. 

    The brightness on the monitor for both SDR and HDR is consistent with it reaching to about 400 nits of peak brightness with HDR enabled. It covers about 80.3% of the Adobe RGB color gamut, but the black uniformity and viewing angles are pretty mediocre compared to other monitors. Color performance and image quality are overall accurate and good enough for content creation and media consumption.

    For ports it has one DisplayPort 1.2, two HDMI 2.0s, two USB 3.0s and one 3.5 mm standard audio jack. It has a power consumption of about 38 watts which is pretty good considering the other 32 inch monitors in the market. Overall this monitor is a solid choice and fantastic in dark rooms and low light situations. 

    Get it here:

    Amazon

    6. The Apple Pro Display XDR

     

    For the Mac fans, we’ve got you covered. Apple’s answer to the 32 inch market is the Apple Pro Display XDR, which features a 6,016 by 3,384 resolution, casually also known as 6K. Being an Apple product, it starts at $4,999.

    The chassis of the monitor on the back has “cheese grater” type holes punched on it, both for aesthetic purposes and cooling all the internals of the monitor. The monitor is cooled passively, thus eliminating the presence of noisy fans. This is the first time any designer has thought to use the passive-cooling apparatus as the actual chassis for the monitor itself as well as for aesthetic purposes. The build quality is quite sturdy and you will never worry about damaging it. 

    It does come with an optional sturdy metal stand that does not take up much space on the desk and is wobble free. The articulating motion of the stand is like running your hands across smooth velvet. The stand also looks nice, clean and minimal. The only caveat is that it costs $999, an insane price for a stand, but that’s the Apple tax you would pay for this gorgeous monitor. 

    The MSRP including both the basic version and the stand is now $5,999.

    Forget about refresh rates and response times; this monitor is all about reaching the heights of creativity and productivity. The display backlight on the Pro Display XDR utilizes a feature known as “full-array local dimming”, or FALD for short. This varies from traditional LED backlit-displays in that the traditional ones brighten and dim a whole scene in a panel through “global dimming’, which means that the whole panel brightens or darkens according to the brightness of the scene.

    FALD allows each part of the scene to be brightened or dimmed independently, allowing for much greater contrast and visual quality. FALD displays are sort of a middle ground between OLED and microLED technologies.

    However, the physical screen on the Apple Pro Display XDR is reflective, which may be of great concern. Reflective glass bounces light in well-lit home and office environments back at you, thus obscuring your view and making it difficult to see. The monitor doesn’t even come with shrouds that keep out excess light.

    But, for an additional thousand dollars, Apple will provide you with what they call a nano-textured glass, which is basically a matte screen and removes all reflectivity. 

    The MSRP is now $6,999.

    Apple has stated that this monitor was made to compete for space with the big ones such as the Sony BVM-H3X10, a 31 inch monitor that retails for $43,000 because it is tailor made for use by major movie studios, big production houses and game developers. Certainly this feels much cheaper, and boy, does this monitor pack a punch.

    In terms of color coverage, this monitor does not fare well in the sRGB color space. Many monitors cover up to a 100 percent or close here, but the Pro Display XDR covers only 94% here. This is good enough for most users. It excels in the coverage of the Adobe RGB color space, covering around 96.7 percent but the Dell U3219Q still has a  greater coverage as shown earlier. For the DCP-I3 color gamut, it falls just shy of the advertised 99 percent coverage, with the real coverage being at 98.7 percent.

    This monitor has excellent brightness and contrast ratio. With Display HDR turned on, it has a full peak brightness of 1,560.9 nits, which again just falls shy of the 1,600 nit rating that Apple gave it out of the box. The black levels are insanely low for this monitor; at the lowest SDR brightness of 499 nits, the contrast ratio of the monitor is still a mind-boggling 12,460:1, which jumps all the way up to 39,037:1 when the brightness is at the maximum level of 1,560.9 nits.

    Apple has calibrated this monitor to be color accurate right out of the factory and most users will not need to calibrate it. However, there is actually no way to calibrate this monitor to your exact specifications which is a big no-no.

    A majority of media content nowadays can be stretched to 4K. The only way to view 4K content is through the Apple TV+ app and it is available in both HDR and Dolby Vision. But you are limited by the 4K resolution on this 6K monitor, and only the content that Apple produces. However, these shows and movies and content in general look stupendously good and there is really no match for this among other monitors.

    The 6K resolution is perfect for 4K content creators who like to have their palettes, toolbars and timelines available on the screen all at once along with full resolution content. This is of major benefit to production houses and game developers and removes the need to zoom in on their project to keep their tools at reach.

    The Apple Pro Display XDR seemlessly integrates with the Mac OS X Catalina’s software to provide the best experience. When you look through the grates on the back, the internals are intricately designed and overall the inner workings are very sophisticated. It is truly an engineering marvel to consider and certainly a conversation piece in the office or when among your peers.

    However, the price for the full package is something that is substantial. Leave the base price of $4,999 alone. The $999 stand is the butt of memes and jokes on the internet and there are certainly better stands that cost less. They also could have kept the matte panels by default’ it feels like they are making you pay extra just for something that could have come installed by default. The price for solo creators is absolutely not worth it.

    For ports, this monitor is equipped with two Thunderbolt 3 ports, one DisplayPort, three HDMI ports and a built-in USB hub. Overall, if you want it fully decked out with the stand and the matte panel, it will cost you $6,999. But this is worth it considering the other displays in its class that it is competing with; this monitor is tailor made for business purposes and corporate media production and you would be much better off considering the other options if you want a 32 inch monitor for home use. With stunning colors and a great design, this monitor is excellent for it’s price. 

    It is available on Apple’s website.

    New and Upcoming 32 inch monitors in 2021

    Until now we have seen that the current monitors on the market for gaming have 2K resolutions and higher refresh rates, and the ones for everyday use and creators have 4K screens with lower refresh rates but much better colour accuracy. What happens if you blend the best of both worlds?

    You get the next generation of 32 inch monitors, some of which are slated for release this year itself. Here are some upcoming 32 inch monitors to keep an eye out for:

    ASUS revealed its flagship 32 inch monitor, the ASUS ROG Swift PG32UQX at CES 2020 back in January. However, the current pandemic significantly delayed the monitor’s launch and it was slated for to be in the hands of consumers by January of this year. That has not happened, but the monitor may nonetheless be released in 2021.

    It is advertised as having a mini-LED 4K 144Hz 32 inch panel with HDR 1400 and it also comes installed with G-Sync ultimate. These specs seem quite mouthwatering and many can’t wait to get their hands on the PG32UQX. Pre-orders for this monitor start around $3000, but that makes sense given the features this monitor boasts.

    Gigabyte, on the other hand, has revealed their AORUS FI32U however they did not give a release date. It may be coming soon this year however, due to the increased competition from ASUS, LG, Dell and other monitor makers. It will feature a 4K, 144Hz ultra-fast IPS panel with less than 1 ms response time, a 10-bit color panel capable of covering around 87% of the DCP-I3 color gamut and come with HDMI 2.1.

    LG announced the LG 32EP950, which is a 32 inch 4K OLED monitor capable of covering over 99% of the DCP-I3 and Adobe RGB color gamuts, which is seriously impressive and a fit contender to be the first in its class. Preorders start at $4000 on various websites and the monitor is slated to be released on the 22nd of April, 2021.

    Summary

    The 32 inch monitor used to cover a niche segment of the market, but is finally starting to come into its own and becoming very competitive recently. 32 inch monitors are almost like small television screens, but they are also good for media consumption, content creation and gaming. 

    Some features that you may want to consider before buying are the display type, panel type, resolution, refresh rate and response times, HDR capability etc. Once you have decided, you can buy whichever one you like the best. 

    The future of 32 inch monitors is also exciting and manufacturers are going to be ramping up the heat and providing us with quality monitors soon to come. Make sure you do not miss out on them and any exclusive deals and offers.

  • Top Ways to boost your internet & reduce ping in games

    Top Ways to boost your internet & reduce ping in games

    As we all know in the world of today be it new or old or whichever generation gaming or computers and internet go hand to hand, it’s very essential to stay connected but it’s also helpful in many ways, although very easy to set up and flexible in terms of usage, there are still limitations that we come across be it during gaming or browsing the internet in general, these, however, are for the most part solvable and hence have a pretty good threshold of nothing but simple solutions for even the overcomplicated things, the main or you can say the most annoying issue people that play games or browse about is the problem of slow internet and to solve that thankfully we have multiple methods and all of them combined don’t contradict or affect each other and only improve your speed and ping drastically without affecting or too much modification of your isp router or any other crazy methods needed.

    Duly Note that all of these methods are completely safe and optional to do and can be disabled or enabled by the user at any time.

     

    ( D.N.S )

    To start off we can do what’s called is a DNS changing or DNS Server Changing, depending upon ISPS DNS affects heavily what sources of internet your router or your network gets its addresses from and in what manner, without going into too much detail for a humbo-jumbo explanation to quickly put it in words a DNS is a standard protocol that helps internet users to discover websites using addresses(www.sitename.com) aka the IP address for that website the more open your DNS is the more likely you’re going to load your sites faster and better, while every ISPS default DNS work okay enough on own as they have been setup for you some still lack the full potential to do so.

    Henceforth finding particular DNS’S for your isps or custom routers can be tricky and therefore we give you the best ones that most people be it in the gaming public or the usual use, here are the DNS’s you can try             ( specifically by changing the IPv4 properties in your control panel under networking) are as follows -:

    Cloudflare : 1.1.1.1 (Preferred) & 1.0.0.1 (Alternate)

    Google : 8.8.8.8 (Preferred)  & 8.8.4.4 (Alternate)

    Open DNS : 208.56.222.222 (Preferred) & 208.67.220.220 (Alternate)

     

     

    ( NAT TYPE )

    NAT types while don’t internet speed too much on various and most of the sites work just fine on any of the Nat types, however, in the case of gaming, the type of networking you have in this access plays a  huge role in gaming and also pings.

     

    For example, a Strict Type restricts your ping and access to other players due to its security roots and how its maintained for other connections to be not allowed in, an example of this can be GTA V or Tekken 7 or call of duty in instances where your ping is strict it won’t either allow you to connect players with a different isp than yours or having a different NAT type than open will result in no connectivity with the other player in a peer to peer environment, or rather will have very poor ping if you’re playing a server-based game. Moderate type is the same with some relaxations in the instance that it allows traffic from outside trusted sources however does not fully open its ports to the public which gives you a reasonably good experience in terms of gaming and playing around with most of the games. Be it peer to peer or server-based however this still has its restrictions and if you truly want the best connectivity possible with your ports and the server/other players, open NAT type is the best in terms of it the risk you take is basically your ports being open so you have to be more cautious about what you download and allow access through your firewall.

     

    So depending on your knowledge of how the internet works around and if you know how to avoid those shady websites or programs you should be good with open too, though that is of course up to you but changing your NAT type from strict to moderate is a must for gaming as it allows you to be flexible with region-based servers and have a better experience overall.

     

    ( USING A ETHERNET/LAN CABLE )

    Using an Ethernet/Network Cable can be very obvious seeming at first but it’s a ridiculously good thing to do at first before you perform any of the other steps in this list the reason this is helpful is for two simple reasons, when you’re connected to your WIFI while you can access the network and perform pretty much everything else needed to be done be it gaming or browsing however a consistent flow of internet without any packet loss is only possible on a Lan / Ethernet connection which allows much better browsing experience, download speed and of course which in turn results in random ping losses or fluctuations not being present in your daily to daily internet usage activities.

    So get an Ethernet/Lan cable as soon as you can and allow yourself to have consistent network flow without any packet loss to make sure you can get nothing less than a perfect flow of internet while using it in either way.

     

     

    ( USING PORT FORWARDING / VPN )

    In certain instances or situations while using the internet be it in terms of gaming or browsing the internet. There can be times when accessing content through your country or location you might be at is much harder than it should be this kind of problems occur due to either server far away or ports not being forwarded and for that premium VPN’s are a great choice to do so, while they may slow down your browsing speed a bit but for gaming, it’s a huge boost as it allows you to play with players from regions you wouldn’t be able to do so easily such as India to Singapore or India to Nepal or UAE. (This option actually exists in a few premium VPN’s such as PIA or Nord VPN.)

    Port Forwarding of course depends upon game to game so choose/use this option as you may prefer to do so if you come across connection delay or issues in certain games a good example of this can be games of live service such as Destiny or Star wars battlefront series.

    To put it in simple words using port forwarding is basically

    Without port forwarding: – You <-> Intermediary <->Other Player

                        With port forwarding: – You <-> Other Player

    Hence improving the ping and latency between both the players.

     

     

     

    (Extra options to help reduce ping or improve internet speed in general)

    While most of the technical options are as mentioned above ahead and there are many others that claim to work but don’t. Henceforth after the ones that do work, here are some key things you can do still other than the above options to improve your overall experience for browsing/gaming/downloading &, etc.

    1. Having a good Net plan (Fiber) – Having a decent internet plan with good enough speed goes a long way towards having speed and stability and increased download, it also helps a lot if it’s a fiber wire-based connection as they have a direct flow to it rather than signals and also provide constant speeds very consistently without much delay so preferably depending upon your heavy or light gaming choose the correct net plan for your system so it can manage the workload you give it while keeping a consistent enough speed.

    1. Blocking Trackers and clearing cache/cookies – Clearing out cookies and cache about every week is a great idea and incentive to keep your browser fresh and not have it stuck in the old patterns it is used to alongside this blocking trackers also helps you reduce clutter in your overall browsing experience as multiple trackers can actually delay your page loading times and also run in the background at times causing small bits of the internet being used where it could resource something else useful you’re doing.

     

     

    1. Using servers near you – Every internet server exists at their own offices and with multiple workstations managing the whole server setup, all of these exist at multiple locations. Whatever internet of whichever company you might have be it Jio/GTPl/Hathaway or Xtreme fiber try to make sure the ISP office is nearby you or at least in the same city because then it’s easier for data to transmit vastly rather than relying on a server 100’s of kilometers away, you can also configure and customize your approach to each of the providers so connectivity can be the top-notch as it should be.

    1. Choosing the right ISP for yourself – As mentioned before some routers and isps do not come along too well and routers that have locked frame do not give static IP hence not allowing your nat type to be customizable so without giving any specific names, make sure to check beforehand if your isp allows you to have a static IP to change those settings because without it problems and peer to peer connection isn’t possible at all.

     

     

    Either way, make sure because not just the above there are other benefits to having an isp that provides you direct or remote support as well when you need it so, so be sure to have the one right for yourself.

  • Best Processors To Buy In India For Gaming Under 15000 Rupees

    Best Processors To Buy In India For Gaming Under 15000 Rupees

    Introduction

    With so many shortages going on in the current market, buying a processor at a good price seems like a difficult ordeal (not more difficult than buying a graphics card obviously), but the truth is, there are a lot of options for you to consider. A lot of budget processors offer great performance which a lot of users want while remaining pocket-friendly. Processors being an important and central part of any computer, many people assume that there’s absolutely no way you could cut costs on a processor without sacrificing a lot of performance. But that is absolutely not the case with processors nowadays and you can easily game and multitask on budget processors without any difficulty.

    Keeping this in mind, I’m gonna focus on processors that offer great gaming performance for their price. They’re equally good for other tasks too and offer an overall great experience.

    How does a processor affect gaming performance?

    A CPU is equally important as a GPU for gaming performance. The CPU is literally the brain behind everything that happens in your computer. Everything that happens in your computer is first passed through the processor which will then process it. If the CPU is slow, all the other components like your GPU won’t be able to perform at their full potential making the CPU the weak link in your system(bottleneck).

    There’s also the fact that most modern games use a lot of complex stuff like AI and world generation which puts a heavy load on your CPU, affecting the overall FPS. Thus having a good processor is essential for gaming. But that doesn’t mean you should compulsorily go for high-end 8 core processors because chances are you won’t need them especially while playing at a higher resolution. A good 4 core or 6 core processor nowadays will run almost all games comfortably as long as it is paired with a good graphics card.

    Keeping this in mind here are the processors you should go for in the under 15000 Rupees range.

    Processors under 10000 Rupees

    1- Ryzen 3 3100

    The Ryzen 3 3100 is a 4 core 8 thread processor which currently costs just Rs 9700 (on MD Computers at the time of writing and even cheaper during sales)  is a really good option for its price. This processor, while being affordable, does not compromise on performance 

    Pros-

    • Great gaming performance at a low cost
    • Included AMD Wraith Stealth Cooler 
    • Works with any AM4 motherboard and has PCIe Gen 4 support

    Cons-

    • No integrated graphics (requires a graphics card)
    • Low stocks currently and therefore hard to find at a good price

    Here’s the gaming performance of the chip paired with an RTX 2080ti (Bottleneck? Absolutely not)

    Name Of The Game Performance at 1080p       Performance at 4K
    Far Cry 5 (Ultra) 92 Average FPS 75 Average FPS 
    CS: GO (High) 360 Average FPS 265 Average FPS
    Rise Of The Tomb Raider (Very High)         131 Average FPS 84 Average FPS
    Rainbow Six Siege (High) 245 Average FPS 185 Average FPS

    2- Ryzen 3 3200g 

     

    The Ryzen 3 3200g at just Rs 9500 (at the time of writing on MD Computers) is a great option for those who wanna hold out on buying a graphics card in the current market due to the inflated prices. It has Radeon Vega 8 Graphics and is a 4 core 8 thread processor.

    Pros-

    • Has integrated graphics
    • Included AMD Wraith Stealth Cooler
    • Works with any AM4 Motherboard and has PCIe Gen 4 Support

    Cons-

    • The integrated graphics should be used temporarily as they do not give playable frame rates at high resolutions in most of the newly released AAA games.

    Here’s the gaming performance of the chip on integrated graphics (It’s not that impressive but still playable while you wait for that 3060ti to come in stock)

    Name Of The Game Performance at 720p      Performance at 1080p
    CS: GO (medium) 112 Average FPS 70 Average FPS
    Rise Of The Tomb Raider (lowest)           44 Average FPS 31 Average FPS
    Rainbow Six Siege (Medium) 95 Average FPS 54 Average FPS

    Processors Under 150000 Rupees

    1- Intel i5-9400F

    The I5 9400f is one of the cheapest 6 core processors you can find at just Rs 10900 (at the time of writing on PrimeABGB). Although it does not have integrated graphics the performance of this processor and the 2 extra when compared to the rest of the processors at this price, make it a compelling buy.

    Pros-

    • Leading gaming performance at its price point
    • Bundled cooler (which is not that great, but it’s better than nothing)

    Cons-

    • No Integrated Graphics
    • No Hyperthreading

    Here’s the gaming performance when paired with an RTX 2080ti, and at just Rs 10500, this is really worth the price

    Name Of The Game Performance at 1080p
    CS: GO (High) 413 Average FPS
    Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (Very High)         93 Average FPS
    GTA: V (Very High) 118 Average FPS
    Rainbow Six Siege (Very High) 268 Average FPS

    2- i5-11400f

    The i5 11400f with 6 cores and 12 threads is the most expensive processor on the list at Rs 14,750 (at the time of writing on ezpz solutions.in) and also the latest one from Intel. This processor is an absolute beast for its price beating the Ryzen 5 3600 in games by almost 20% on average. It is surprising to say but Intel has now become the budget gaming processor king with the 11400f. This graphics card lacks an integrated GPU but is certainly the best choice when paired with a good graphics card provided you can find one in stock.

    Pros-

    • Unmatched gaming performance for its price.
    • Better price/performance for gaming than the 3600/3600x/5600x
    • 6 cores with hyperthreading

    Cons-

    • No overclocking potential as the processor is locked
    • No integrated graphics (so no display output until you source a graphics card)
    • Relatively less productivity performance than its Ryzen competitors

    Here’s the gaming performance of the 11400f paired with an RTX 3080. Also, have included a comparison with the Ryzen 5 3600 which is similarly priced and you can see why this processor is a beast for its price.

    Name Of The Game  i5-11400F

    Performance at 1080p           

        Ryzen 5 3600

    Performance at 1080p

     

    Red Dead Redemption 2 (High/Custom)            159 Average FPS  131 Average FPS
    Rainbow Six Siege (Very High) 414 Average FPS  382 Average FPS
    Cyberpunk 2077 (Medium) 140 Average FPS  117 Average FPS
    GTA V (Very High) 122 Average FPS  105 Average FPS

    Conclusion

    With the current silicon shortages, finding a good processor at a good price can be quite challenging but I highly recommend the above processors if you can find them in stock at a good price Here’s a short summary- The 3100 and 3200g are great processors under 10k and the choice should be made depending on whether you need integrated graphics or not. The i5 9400f is a good choice if you want 6 cores and provides great gaming performance for its 11k price tag. However, if you can stretch your budget up to 15k, the 11400f is an absolute beast for its price and I highly recommend it if you’re someone who is looking for a budget processor so that you can spend more money on the graphics card which are overpriced nowadays.