Please help advise me on best monitir for hi-res + immersion

[Adam Mitchell]

Hello

I desperately need advice as I've spent so many hours researching a monitor for my next PC which will hopefully contain a 3080 TI and everything else to support the latest and greatest in gaming right now.

I finally decided on the Acer Predator X34 GS. I fell in love with the level of immersion these ultra wide curved monitors would provide, especially in games like Red Dead 2 and Cyberpunk.
Acer Predator X34GSbmiipphuzx 34 Inch Ultra-Wide Quad HD Gaming Monitor (IPS Panel, G-SYNC Compatible, 180 Hz (OC), 1 ms, HDR 400, DP, HDMI, USB Hub, Black/Grey) - Acer (amazon.co.uk)

Then to my great sadness I realised that these wide curved monitors don't even support full 4k, they only go up to 1440 or 1600, not 2160!

Dilemma! Do I stick with a normal 16:9 ratio for the true 4K experience and just buy a bigger monitor than my current 27" 1080 BenQ (32" or more). Or do i settle for 1440/1600 resolution and enjoy the delights of curved, ultra wide and pure peripheral/panoramic immersion for gaming and cinema?

Specs i do require:

G-sync
At least 144hz
1ms
Good colour range

Am i right or can anyone tell me if my dream monitor does exist? (ultrawide curved with true 4K). If not, what do the experts recommend for immersive hi-res gaming? If there isn't much difference between 1440 and 2160 then i might consider the curved option but if true 4K is way better and you can actually get the specs i require on true 4K without paying silly amounts of money then i guess i better stick to a 16:9 4K monitor.

I appreciate any input here, so thanks again.

 

[CapitalOne]

FWIW i’ve tried 34” 1440 both flat and curved, IPS and TN 100 and 144hz gsync, 1440 27” IPS and TN 144hz gsync and 27” 4K IPS 60hz gsync. I run the LG 48” CX OLED 4K 120hz at a reasonable distance back and none of the former come close for immersion and hdr is noticeable at last! Note I run via a 3090 and HDMI 2.1.

I run the 34” TN 144hz on my second machine and it’s not bright enough and the colour looks washed out in comparison. And it’s too small

BF5, Cyberpunk etc all look great. Note I am no twitch shooter and i’m also in my forties so make of that what you will. I could not find another screen that even comes close. Hope this helps.

Edited to add no, your dream monitor does not exist!

 

[Adam Mitchell]

Thanks, much appreciated. Your current monitor might be a bit too big as i play at my desk and the viewing range for me is just slightly longer than arms reach. At most i would go 35" i think. Not sure what the abbreviations you mentioned mean, like IPS and TN etc but defo need a monitor that can cope with dark environments well and doesn't have washed out colours etc.

 

[CapitalOne]

No problem and yes size was an issue - my desk is 90x90cm and the screen is right at the back (and 110cm wide).

The abbreviations are the panel technologies (i.e. how they shine light from the back of the screen out at you). IPS is brighter and has better colours but generally isn’t as “fast” as TN in my opinion. Others no doubt will have a different opinion. I don’t think it gets any better than OLED though, it’s just not generally available as a monitor with all the gaming focussed features you are after.

Good luck though, a good monitor for you will transform your PC experience!