The Perfect Monitor for League of Legends: This is What He Should Do!

If you need a new monitor, then there are quite a few things you'll have to watch out for and half of it might not even sound like an actual language to you. So we've got your back to help you find the perfect monitor for all your League of Legends needs! You need to be able to see Yasuo coming, right?

The Best Size and Format for LoL

Normally, gaming monitors are either 24 or 27 inches. This is always measured diagonally, from the bottom left corner of the screen to the top right. Which size you prefer is a matter of taste, but also depends on how close you sit in front of your PC. If you sit about a meter away from the monitor, 27 inches are recommended, but if you sit closer, 24 inches are fine.

Are Ultrawide monitors worth it for League of Legends? Much more exciting than the size is the question of the format. Ultrawide monitors are becoming increasingly popular among gamers, and for good reason: The wider field of view allows you to see more of the action and dive deeper into the game. 

Since LoL supports ultrawide resolutions, you might want to consider one of these. Ultrawide describes two formats: 21:9 and 32:9. The second is much wider than "just" 21:9. The advantage of having more screen is that you can see more of the map, which gives you a better overview. Ganks, for example, are much easier to see with an Ultrawide monitor than with a normal 16:9 format. If you want a super wide monitor, Samsung's Odyssey series is for you.

But, there is one downside to this ultra-wide format. While the monitor might be insane and you'll spot ganks with ease, the mini map will disappear in the bottom right corner, which means you'll have trouble spotting pings and other signals from your team.

Honestly though, this all depends on your taste in monitors and gaming. I really enjoy these ultra-wide monitors since you feel more immersed in the game. 

Resolution: How to Make League of Legends Crisp and Sharp

The maximum resolution of the monitor determines how sharp the game looks in the end. A higher resolution is usually always better here, as it means a sharper image. However, a higher resolution also means that you need stronger hardware to run games on it.

Fortunately, LoL's system requirements are so low that you can virtually play it on a potato. So if you only or mainly play League, high resolutions are definitely in the cards.

Basically, you have the choice between the "standard resolution" Full HD, WQHD and finally Ultra HD or 4K. Ultra-HD and 4K describe the same resolution. For a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080, you should at least have this hardware for LoL:

• Processor: Intel Core i5-3300 oder AMD Ryzen 3 1200
• Grafic Card: Nvidia Geforce 560 oder AMD Radeon HD 8950
• RAM: 4GByte RAM
• Memory: 16 GByte SSD

Even if all of this is just gibberish for you, remember this. This is pretty low-end hardware, so as long as you don't have a computer from the 90s you should be able to run League of Legends on it without any problems. 

At the other end of the spectrum is the 4K resolution. There are no official system requirements for this, but that doesn't matter. According to benchmarks from the website GPU-Check, League of Legends runs at 4K with over 130 frames per second even with a mid-range graphics card like the GTX 1080 from 2016. That should easily be enough.

Unfortunately, we don't know what processor and how much RAM the website tested with, but they should be at least mid-range. The bottom line is that you don't need high-end hardware to play League at 4K resolution. However, if you want to play other games with the monitor that require more hardware power, a lower resolution is probably a good option.

The Hertz Number: How Much FPS Can You Get?

The hertz number indicates how many frames per second the monitor can display. If you have a screen with 120 hertz, it can display up to 120 FPS. And that is the minimum number of frames that should be displayed. Many older monitors still come with 60 hertz, but the picture looks much smoother with at least 120 hertz.

Of course, more frames per second also means that your hardware has to calculate them, so it costs more power. However, we have already established that the system requirements for League is not very high. That's why your monitor should have at least 120 hertz, 144 hertz is even better. Most modern PCs can manage that. One monitor we can suggest for 144 hertz is the Asus TUF Gaming VG249Q.

There are also monitors with up to 240 hertz, but the visible differences become smaller in high FPS regions, which is why more than 144 hertz is rarely worthwhile. Save your money and get some RP for sick skins instead! 

Which Panel is Best for LoL?

There are also some important differences in the panels of the monitors. For League of Legends and other competitive games, a TN panel is best. There are two reasons for this. One, you get the lowest response time of usually less than one millisecond, which can be crucial in LoL, and two, they are the cheapest of the panel types. Thus, you save your wallet.

The disadvantage of the TN panel is that it cannot display colors as well as the other panels. So if you want to do a lot of creative work with the monitor, for example with Photoshop, a TN panel is rather unsuitable.

If you don't like the TN panel, you can also use an IPS panel. This usually has acceptable response times of 1-2 milliseconds, but displays colors accurately. A VA panel would be the third option. However, this is not so well suited for League and other competitive games. This is due to the high response time of 4-5 milliseconds, but you get the best resolution of all panels.

Other things You Should Consider

These are the most important things you should consider when buying a League of Legends monitor. However, we aren't done yet and have a few more tips to give you along the way before you head to Euronics to pick up a new monitor. 

Ports: If you want to play at high FPS on high resolution, you need the right ports for it. For 120 FPS with Full HD, it should be at least an HDMI 2.0 or DisplayPort 1.2 port. For 240 FPS at Full HD, it should be a DisplayPort 1.2, and if you want to play at 240 FPS at WQHD or 4K, it should be at least a DisplayPort 1.3.

G-Sync and Freesync: Most monitors support either G-Sync or Freesync. Which one you choose depends on your graphics card. Graphics cards from Nvidia support G-Sync and AMD cards rely on Freesync. Both technologies ensure that no tearing occurs during gaming.

Additional outlets: Such ports are not absolutely necessary, but they can help. It can be convenient to have a USB or USB-C port directly on the monitor. A 3.5 mm jack for your headset is also convenient.

VESA-compatible: You can hang monitors that are VESA-compatible on the wall with an appropriate mount.

Conclusion: The Perfect Monitor for League of Legends

What your monitor should be able to do depends on your hardware and personal preference. My perfect monitor for LoL would look like this:

• Format: 21:9
• Resolution: WQHD
• Refresh rate: 144 hertz
• Panel: IPS

That would be a monitor like the LG UltraGear-Monitor. 

If you prefer to get your info in video format, my colleague Dansen from Euronics explains once again here what is important in a good gaming monitor: