The more time it takes for the monitor to receive the source image, the more input lag there'll be. The acquisition of the image has to do with the source and not with the monitor. There's the acquisition of the image, the processing, and finally actually displaying it. There are three main reasons why there's input lag during computer use, and it isn't just the monitor that has input lag. The total input lag time is the addition of three parts You can use it to estimate how much input lag bothers you, but keep in mind this tool is relative and adds lag to the latency you already have. You can try this tool that adds lag to simulate the difference between high and low input lag. A good estimate of around 30 ms is when it starts to become noticeable, but even a delay of 20 ms can be problematic for reaction-based games. There's no definitive amount of input lag when people will start noticing it because everyone is different. Your peripherals, like keyboards and mice, add more latency than the monitor, so if you notice any delay, it's likely because of those and not your screen. There are some cases where the input lag increases so much to the point where it becomes noticeable, but that's very rare and may not necessarily only be caused by the monitor. When does the input lag become noticeable?Īny monitor adds at least a few milliseconds of input lag, but most of the time, it's small enough that you won't notice it at all. However, having a monitor with low input lag is one of the first steps in ensuring you get a responsive gaming experience. A monitor's input lag isn't the only factor in the total amount of input lag because there's also delay caused by your keyboard/ mouse, PC, and internet connection. If you have high input lag, you'll notice a delay from the time you type something on your keyboard or when you move your mouse to when it appears on the screen, and this can make the monitor almost unusable.įor gamers, low input lag is even more important because it can be the difference between winning and losing in games. When you're using a monitor, you want your actions to appear on the screen almost instantly, whether you're typing, clicking through websites, or gaming.

Input delay