Description: This article contains some of the most frequently asked questions about Monitors from Fall of 2019.

Q: My monitor won't display any picture - how do I fix it?
A: Double check connections to the monitor. Make sure there’s only one video cable going from the monitor to the computer. Make sure the power cable is connected securely to the back of the monitor and into the power outlet. If the monitor is getting power and no picture is showing, try a different video port or cable.

Q: What’s the difference between IPS or In-Plane Switching and TN or Twisted Nematic panels?
A: TN panels are an older type of panel that are typically cheaper but come with some drawbacks, such as high risk of backlight bleed, dead pixels, and less clear viewing angles. IPS panels are a clearer type that are much more reliable but with a slight cost increase included, helping to eliminate most of these issues.

Q: What does the refresh rate on a monitor mean?
A: The refresh rate is the speed at which your monitor updates the picture displayed. The higher the refresh rate, the smoother your picture will look, as you’ll be seeing more frames each second. Lower refresh rates will have less smooth and more clunky looking pictures.

Q: What are Freesync and G-Sync, and do I need them?
A: Freesync monitors are specifically used with AMD components whereas G-Sync monitors are used for Intel components. These features help the computer sync with the display so that you get a smoother picture.

Q: What does screen resolution mean?
A: The resolution on your monitor means how many pixels it uses for the display. For example, a 1920 x 1080 monitor has a maximum of 1920 pixels wide by 1080 pixels high. Higher resolution will produce a crisper picture with less visible pixels and blurring on the display.

Q: What does response time mean?
A: The response time on a monitor is the amount of time that the monitor takes to register a movement from your mouse or keyboard. For example, a 5ms response time monitor will take 5 milliseconds to register clicks, movements, or keystrokes.

Q: What’s the difference between LED and LCD monitors?
A: LCD monitors are known to use an array of single-color lights to create a picture on the screen, which reduces the color range. LED monitors instead use an array of multicolored lights that can display more vibrant and accurate pictures. Most LCD displays use the same technology as LED in recent models but still have their differences.

Q: Why isn’t sound coming from my monitor?
A: Some monitors come with built-in speakers, but most do not. You can find this out by reading the specifications page for the monitor. If it does not include speakers, you will typically need external speakers to produce sound. Usually if your monitor has speakers there might be an audio cable connecting to the computer for this purpose.

Q: How do I set up multiple monitors for my computer?
A: To get multiple monitors set up, each will need to be attached to the computer, each with their own display cables. You can also use a dock to plug into the computer and have the peripherals plugged into the dock. Docks usually have more inputs than a computer. You can then adjust the settings and priority of your display s from the display settings.