Spec me a new gaming monitor please (£800ish)

Footyslayer · 24 Jan 2019 at 13:41

Hi all,

Currently have a Dell2716DG which has been great mostly but has always had banding issues and looks a bit poor in darkened areas. I've had it nearly 2.5 years.

Budget I guess can go up to around £800 (ish) but if a monitor meets my needs for less then great!

What are the current best gaming monitors? Is 1440p still king or is 4k now becoming a worthwhile investment? Are the new Acer predators problem free or are there still issues?

My requirements are...

IPS
27"
1440p / 4K
Minimum 144hz framerate / FPS

My computer specs are - Zotac amp extreme 1080Ti and an i7 5820k. With 16gb ddr4 ram and an Asus X99-s motherboard.

Thanks all

Footyslayer · 25 Jan 2019 at 00:29

I am dropping the 4k idea due to pure computing power needed and things looking smaller in 4k on a 27" monitor.

Leaning towards the ASUS ROG Swift PG279Q. Any advice on this monitor or tips I might need to know?

Footyslayer · 25 Jan 2019 at 16:00

Hmmm, doing a bit more research it is suggested IPS backlight bleed can be an issue and the Asus quality control is very hit and miss and it is a lottery on if you get a good screen or not.

Would TN be a more solid choice with that said or are we in a position where IPS now in 2019 is very viable?

Also the Acer predator line looks promising but I am not sure over Acer or Asus.

PLease help, I am at your mercy with monitor understanding and decision making

Legend · 25 Jan 2019 at 16:17

TN is better than it used to be, but compared to IPS is going to be more washed out and far more prone to gamma/colour shift. VA might be a good middle ground, although ghosting/smearing can be an issue there. It depends what games you play though, and playing with the monitor settings can mitigate the effect somewhat. VA can still suffer from bleed though, but IPS panels do tend to be worse in this regard in my experience... but it's just luck at the end of the day. Bleed typically seems to be more of a manufacturing issue than an inherent panel fault (i.e the whole thing being assembled too tight). IPS glow on the other hand is inherent to the panel, and always varies.

IPS is great if you get a monitor without severe bleed/glow. It's a lottery really. If it's REALLY bad, then it totally ruins the experience... i.e if it's visible in daylight in a well lit room (you'll probably always see it if you game in the dark). Again though, it depends what games you play. Something dark and moody like Resident Evil or Metro, you will notice it far more so than in the likes of Forza Horizon or even PUBG.

Footyslayer · 25 Jan 2019 at 19:16

Thanks for the reply, I tend to play Battlefield 5, Forza Horizon and mstly bright games. The room is usually well lit. I am going to purchase it from a seller with easy returns system too.

So I guess it is either the ASUS ROG Swift PG279Q or the Acer Predator XB271HU and I just don't know which is the better purchase with how good the monitor is with good quality control?

Cooper · 25 Jan 2019 at 19:23

Quite a few people seem to think the Acer has better build quality but it's more tacky gamer 'look' with the red stand is why people tend to take the gamble on the Asus.

They're exactly the same panel under the cosmetic differences though...the only thing you can really do to mitigate the risks of a bad panel is to buy from somewhere that has a 'generous' returns policy.

Footyslayer · 25 Jan 2019 at 19:46

I am thinking of taking a risk on the Asus as I don't want the red stand that you get with the Acer. Pretty much for the reasons you have stated! Returns wise it is quite easy with my "Optimus" account at an online forest type seller.