State of 1440p / 144Hz gaming?

Soldato
Joined
13 Jun 2009
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6,872
My rig is from 2009, including my monitor (a 1920x1200 MVA panel), which is going to die at some point, having been dodgy for over a year. I was looking up what to buy as a replacement and I'd quite like a 1440p monitor. At the same time, I mainly use the system for gaming these days so I was thinking of getting a 144 Hz one with GSync/Freesync. However, my research of this class of monitor basically leads me to panels that either aren't on sale in the UK or are very expensive.

I'd kind of assumed that 2160p was still top-end and that 1440p was the sweet spot for mid-high end gaming now but I'd also assumed that over-60 Hz was the "norm" now. I guess I was wrong? Is the choice basically 1440p @ 60 Hz v 1080p @ 144 Hz? If so, would 60 Hz still be a good experience as long as GSycn/Freesync is in use?

Lastly, what kind of GPU would I need to drive a 1440p @ 144 Hz monitor? I'm guessing a GTX 1070 or higher, which is probably out of my price range. How about 1440p @ 60 Hz?
 
4k 60 fps is in no way higher end than 1440p 144hz. they are the same, one has higher detail, the other higher frame rates. both good for different people

of course 3440x1440 @ 100hz is the best, but im biased ;)
 
OK but 1440p @ 144 Hz is going to require shelling out around £1k on the monitor and GPU, right? I don't think I want to spend that much, especially considering I am likely to need a new motherboard, CPU and RAM also.

What 1440p monitors would you guys recommend? 60 Hz or higher, as long as it has GSync/Freesync.
 
At the moment I got a 27" swift TN Panel...lovely monitor though, in BF4 on ultra @2560x1440, with 100 resolution scale im getting about 160fps :)

and at 1080 i get 200 :)
 
cool, you may want to use fast sync if the fps goes over the refresh of your monitor. or use normal vsync also in the nvcpanel. as you know, gsync does nothing until the fps drops below the refresh rate of your display.

love gsync though, keeps 50-70 fps in the witcher 3 smooth :)
 
The Acer XG270HU seems to have good reviews and is under £300 but there are two different models and I can't find the difference between them (UM.HG0EE.A01 & UM.HG0EE.001). It might be that the A01 has the overdrive-over-DP firmware update, I'm not sure.

There's also the Asus MG279Q, which is an IPS panel for £400ish. Might compare more favourably to my current monitor.
 
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just for reference, i use normal vsync in the nvidia panel, off in game with gsync. this means the fps doesnt go over the refresh rate, saving heat and power, and when it drops below that, gsync keeps it smooth.

some people say that introduces some input lag, nothing ive ever noticed. but if you do, using fast sync will let the fps go above the refresh cap, and will drop frames so you dont get tearing. downside is increased heat and power use.

:)
 
Any thoughts on which is better out of the Acer XG270HU and the Asus MG279Q? They use the same panel. The Asus has a smaller FreeSync range but this can be changed using CRU. The Acer is a bit cheaper (£390 vs £430) but also currently out of stock.
 
Swear I'm out of the loop these days - Still using a Crossover Blacktune 1440p I got from Korea. Think it's 59Hz with 8ms refresh. Still absolutely slay in Overwatch and never had the reaction to dying "Wish I had a higher refresh rate monitor". Am I missing out?
 
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