Monitor or gcard?

Matt_Hirst

Matt_Hirst

Matt_Hirst

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S. Yorks
Currently have a evga 1080 gcard and a pair of 32 inch acer monitors ( I find these side by side are two big so run one landscape, one portrait).

I'm thinking about changing the monitor uses are work, from spreadsheet, ssrs reports to c# coding but I also do quite a bit of photography on a weekend so want to get good colour reproduction and finally occasional game playing PUBG, COD.

Was looking at the qd alienware or the 38inch alienware. Only thing is the qd a bit of a sideways step re resolution, whilst the 38 increases resolution but will the 1080 be able to drive it to provide playable pubg or cod?

Only other thought is to look at 4k but as I'll use it for work am not sure what is the best screensize for 4k and am pretty sure the 1080 will not be able to drive it in pubg or cod. Can't afford at the moment to do monitor and gcard at the same time, would you do monitor first or gcard?

Only thing to add is I am not one for changing kit out on a regular basis so whatever I go for will be with me a long time, budget wise around 1k.

Any help appreciated.

Matt
 
The problem you have is that there is no one size fits all monitor that is perfect in every scenario. The AW is a lower res than you ideally want and some people dislike office tasks on it due to the fringing effect, not everyones eyes are the same so for some it is ok for others it is not.
There is a new generation of panels and monitors due to be released in the new year and I suggest you wait and see what is available in Q1 Q2 2023. I am also waiting for these as well.
The 1080 was never a very good 4k card and fps would be severely limited in PUBG and COD at that res but you could always run at 1080p and let it upscale.

At some point in time you will want to upgrade the gpu for your PC so keep your eyes open for decent deals and even a second hand 3080 or the 6900xt would be a vast improvement and allow you to game at 4k easily. I went from a 1080 to a 6800 and it was a huge improvment. I would say upgrade gpu first and keep looking for the perfect monitor...if it ever becomes available.
 
I think the 1080 is still a decent gpu, upgrades just look like bad value because the prices are insane. Also consider if you're only doing occasional gaming, whether it's really worth spending much on, because you'll only game less as you get older.

Upgrading a monitor for higher and variable refresh rate (144hz+ gsync/freesync) would be nice, just have to find one with good colours for photography. However, putting a new monitor next to an old monitor usually leads to the old monitor going in the bin.

I think you're more likely to find good monitor deals this black friday than gpu deals, so that's what I'd recommend doing first. Sort out the gpu next year.
 
Given the usage you describe and that you're primarily work focused with only a bit of gaming, I'd go with the monitor. The monitor will improve your quality of life day-to-day, if you pick what's right for you, but the graphics card is just for fun. You can also do things to make the graphics card work (e.g. change settings, play in a window, or use upscaler), but you can't 'fix' a monitor into being a better monitor, or more suitable for your work.
 
I would go monitor. I use a 4K 32 inch for work and games. Struggled with a 1070 with it for years, just turned down game quality settings. 3080 has made a massive difference though.
 
Thanks for everyones thoughts I think the monitor will be first but its just deciding on what monitor

@Haz123 what is coming in the new year, I've kinda put up with what I have for this long so can wait a few more months.

I'd kinda got my head around the qd dell but the resolution felt a bit of a sideways step plus the hit and miss quality / damaged boxes / scratched screens put me off it, so that got me thinking of the 38 inch dell, slightly higher resolution but then I thought look at 4k then it made me think gcard won't cope, so ended up back at square one.

Matt
 
Samsung are updating their line up with Display port 2.1 and a new 8k ultrawide G9 (it is not true 8k because it is only half height). Philips are also bringing out a few OLED monitors based around the same panel as the AW34 and AW38 but they look very similar and expensive so not sure they will be worthwhile.

Not everything has been anounced yet so will have to hope better options are available and nothing has been heard from LG so they may have new OLED panels ready soon. I doubt there will be a 38-40" 5k2k OLED display available next year but I am optimistic about a Mini LED monitor in that region and thats what I am mainly waiting for.

The big problem I have is that I do not want to buy a new monitor and then the perfect monitor to be released the next week. I am sorely tempted by the AW34 but it does not tick all the boxes so I will hold out for a little longer.
 
There is also this crazy piece of bendyness.

www.corsair.com

XENEON FLEX 45WQHD240 OLED UltraWide Gaming Display

Immerse yourself with a bendable 45-inch OLED UltraWide gaming monitor, letting you adjust screen curve – from flat up to an 800R curved monitor.
www.corsair.com www.corsair.com

I really do not know what to say. I will wait for an independent review before I even consider this. Res is a bit low and I am shaking in my boots at what price Corsair will ask for it. The good news is that LG are making ultrawide high refresh OLED panels so other manufacturers will do their own version as long as the bendy OLED is technically up to the task.
 
Matt_Hirst said:
Currently have a evga 1080 gcard and a pair of 32 inch acer monitors ( I find these side by side are two big so run one landscape, one portrait).

I'm thinking about changing the monitor uses are work, from spreadsheet, ssrs reports to c# coding but I also do quite a bit of photography on a weekend so want to get good colour reproduction and finally occasional game playing PUBG, COD.

Was looking at the qd alienware or the 38inch alienware. Only thing is the qd a bit of a sideways step re resolution, whilst the 38 increases resolution but will the 1080 be able to drive it to provide playable pubg or cod?

Only other thought is to look at 4k but as I'll use it for work am not sure what is the best screensize for 4k and am pretty sure the 1080 will not be able to drive it in pubg or cod. Can't afford at the moment to do monitor and gcard at the same time, would you do monitor first or gcard?

Only thing to add is I am not one for changing kit out on a regular basis so whatever I go for will be with me a long time, budget wise around 1k.

Any help appreciated.

Matt
Click to expand...
If you're looking for a good monitor for work, coding, and occasional gaming, I would recommend the Dell U3818DW 38" Curved UltraSharp Monitor. It has a 3840x1600 resolution, which is great for coding and work, and it also has a fast response time and low input lag, making it great for gaming. It also has excellent color accuracy and a wide viewing angle, making it great for photography. The only downside is that it may be a bit too large for some people.
As for the graphics card, I would recommend the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti. It is the most powerful consumer graphics card available, and it should be able to handle any game you throw at it, even at 4K resolution.
If you can't afford to buy both the monitor and graphics card at the same time, I would recommend getting the monitor first. The monitor is the most important part of the setup, and it will last you a long time. The graphics card can always be upgraded later.
 
Matt_Hirst said:
Currently have a evga 1080 gcard and a pair of 32 inch acer monitors ( I find these side by side are two big so run one landscape, one portrait).

I'm thinking about changing the monitor uses are work, from spreadsheet, ssrs reports to c# coding but I also do quite a bit of photography on a weekend so want to get good colour reproduction and finally occasional game playing PUBG, COD.

Was looking at the qd alienware or the 38inch alienware. Only thing is the qd a bit of a sideways step re resolution, whilst the 38 increases resolution but will the 1080 be able to drive it to provide playable pubg or cod?

Only other thought is to look at 4k but as I'll use it for work am not sure what is the best screensize for 4k and am pretty sure the 1080 will not be able to drive it in pubg or cod. Can't afford at the moment to do monitor and gcard at the same time, would you do monitor first or gcard?

Only thing to add is I am not one for changing kit out on a regular basis so whatever I go for will be with me a long time, budget wise around 1k.

Any help appreciated.

Matt
Click to expand...

I didn't read the other replies.

I have both of those monitors. The AW3821DW and the AW3423DWF.

I would describe the AW38 as an excellent business monitor that can do gaming. The AW34 as first rate gaming monitor that can do some business applications. The 38 is an excellent monitor but it has poor contrast and is useless for HDR games. The 34 has amazing contrast and is brilliant for games, but the colour fringing around small text is very noticeable. Both of them have really good colours, the AW34's are slightly better though. Overall I would recommend the 34 for photos.

I would not buy the AW38 for gaming if you have a 1080. It has 25% more pixels and believe me they are hard to drive in games. Especially since you have all those wonderful high refresh rates, it's such a shame not to be able to achieve them. I would not consider the increase in resolution as a good thing, rather it really is a bad thing unless you want to buy a new graphics card soon! In my humble opinion you need a 4080 to correctly drive the AW38 at strong refresh rates (depends on the game of course).

They are both excellent monitors. Both built like tanks and backed up with good warranties. To me it comes down to where your priority lies. Me? I would buy the AW3423DW(F). The colour fringing is a pain but the rest of the positive aspects more than make up for it.

By the way in the thread about the AW3423DW there is a voucher that gives you 10% off or some-such.
 
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Hi,

Thanks for the responses everyone.

I think I will wait until we see what is announced early 2023 and then decide at that point, will also make things clearer as to where I am with work etc as to where priorities lie and of course we will have a better view of the nvidia and amd gcard offerings.

Once again thanks for everyone's help.

Regards,


Matt
 
I got tired of waiting for the perfect monitor to come onto the market and when the AW34DWF became available I got one. For games it is great and I cannot see any text fringing....I have old eyes so that may be why. I also have 7900xtx sitting in box behind me and will fit into my WC loop in the new year so my days of searching are over.

This OLED panel will be in a few different monitors over the next year so there will be more options and prices should drop.
 
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