Mixed-use monitor

jomala · Monday at 22:30

I'm about to build a new PC around a RX 9070 XT GPU and I need a new monitor. The monitor at least will be used about 50:50 for working-from-home and gaming. I'm going in circles about what to buy though. What's the opinion here?

The GPU probably isn't chunky enough for shooters at 4k, so 1440p seems right.
WFH requires reading text and risk of burn-in, which suggests OLEDs aren't the right option (which seems to match what I'm seeing on RTINGS.com, if that's reliable). Or at least not OLEDs over 27" or under 4k.
Discussion in the thread about my build here suggested that the sweet spot for gaming is 32" now, and VA would look poor next to fast-IPS, let alone OLED.
Specs.gg suggests pro-gamers are using 27" VA monitors still.
RTINGS.com thinks IPSs are the worst compromise between general gaming performance and text readability (though I've been happy with my Asus VC239 23" IPS for mixed use with my old PC).

Any opinions (other than upgrading to a monster GPU and a 4k OLED)? Is it just not sensible to expect to be able to optimise for both uses?

jomala · Tuesday at 12:41

@Gray2233 - Thanks for the advice. I'm in no way a pro - just trying to steal their approach to try to get ahead!

@henry hoov3r - Suspect you're right that any game with any decent monitor will look better than the current set-up, just because it's 1440p and higher FPS. Thanks for the reassurance!

jomala · Wednesday at 16:52

The story so far, after about 8 hours of research

* Model alphanumeric names are driving me insane - so many near identical names with very different specs, prices and availabilities
* IPS and 1440p still seem right
* Widescreen IPS gaming seems to have been largely abandoned by manufacturers about 3 years ago, which is really sad because that feels a good fit for me
* I'm tempted to go for widescreen VA or OLED, which are both things, but I'm resisting because of their respective issues with colour/blur and text clarity
* For a non-widescreen 1440p model, most people seem to just sit close to a 27" for gaming, rather than going bigger
* In general, monitors get a little be better each year, except Alienware, where the quality nosedived in 2025
* https://www.rtings.com/monitor/tools/table has an amazing amount of information but can't hope to cover all the models out there
* The best filter I found was partpicker but missing data means you can't filter on response times
* I'm now getting scared about quality control reputations and short warranties.

jomala · Wednesday at 19:18

Thanks, @Firegod , but not sure I can face rethinking completely!

Understand what you mean about 32" but the ultrawides at 34" and even 40" at 3440x1440 aren't as tall generally, so have a higher pixed density than the 32" at 2560x1440.

Might be getting this wrong, but it should at least look better than my 24" at 1080p!

jomala · Wednesday at 20:36

I'm pretty flexible and, though my desk at home isn't wide, it is deep.

Three strategies I'm considering having done far too much research.

Find a trusted supplier and pick one of their 3440x1440 IPS 1ms monitors.
Find one of the monitor my research indicates is most suitable second hand on eBay and try it out for cheap, expecting it to fail sooner rather than later.
Just pay more than I intended (i.e. ~£500) to Amazon for a 3440x1440 IPS 1ms monitor that looks modern, and stop faffing around trying to make the perfect choice.

Well

leads to just one supplier and monitor - Scan and the MSI MAG401QR 40" - which is not for a lot of people but I think might work well for me
feels a bit risky, though I've pinged a few sellers to see if any are low-mileage
turns up basically nothing - they're all £1000, £200 or 5-year-old models

Decision first-thing tomorrow probably, unless someone here can convince me otherwise, but I think it'll be Option 1.

jomala · Thursday at 12:35

Thanks, @melmac and @Quartz - suspect I may find I've got this wrong, in which case I'll be back to reread all the bits of advice I ignored this time around! Definitely two monitors might have made this easier, but for the moment though I wanted to try to find a single monitor that would work. And I'm hoping that a 40" 1440p 3ft from me (my preferred distance) has a similar resolution to a 27" 1440p at 2ft (which is how a lot of people work/play). I'll report back!