Which monitor for my rig

Ch3nko · 8 Sep 2015 at 08:53

Firstly I'd like to day hello to all, this is my first post.

Down to the business

Just bought an i5 6600k @4.5ghz
And a evga gtx 980ti sc edition

Ive been sizing up monitors these last few days and the 2 big shouts are the Acer predator and the Asus rog. Both at 1440p. With the high refresh rate.

I am not a die hard gamer and will be playing a varied amount of games with no genre being a preference.

Witcher 3
Doom
Skyrim
Far cry
Fifa
Football manager
Racing games
League of legends
Gta5
World of warcraft

To name a few of the titles ill be playing. So as you can see fps is not a primary genre. And I do not plan to play these games at an elitist level.

So the question is do I go for 1 of the 2 said monitors above, or should I potentially venture out into the 4k market. Assuming my build is up to the task.

If you could give me for's and against's the monitors/4k options I have mentioned that would be a great insight. And also I'm asking the opinion of what you think would be best for my needs. I fully understand hardcore fps fans will be after high fps using 144hz monitors.

Ideally I want nothing bigger than 30" and the bezel size is not a massive problem for me. I don't plan to sli another 980ti as I prefer to play with a single gpu.

Also I do not use the pc for any other purpose other than gaming. Internet browsing and watching movies.

Thanks in advance

Joe! · 8 Sep 2015 at 09:02

I personally did not like 4k - I thought it required far too much GPU power for what it visually was. I get a much more immersive experience from a 34" ultrawide monitor which is the route I decided to take. Unfortunately, 34" Ultrawides have less bells and whistles than any other type of monitor at the moment.

I'd personally get the Acer 1440p, 144Hz, G-Sync & IPS monitor out of the two you have listed. The 144Hz would allow your 980Ti to stretch its legs, whilst only having 2560x1440 pixels to push allowing for a higher, more consistent frame rate to help with fluidity. G-Sync helps eliminate tearing if it appears, as well as creates a better experience if your frame rate does drop low for whatever reason... And IPS panel because, well, I'm a sucker for IPS.

Ch3nko · 8 Sep 2015 at 09:50

What make and model 34" do you use and what gaming experience do you get from it? Is the size over lack of gsync and 144hz worth it?

Joe! · 8 Sep 2015 at 09:56

I have a Dell U3415W, because it was the cheapest but uses the same panel as the LG 34UC97... Just didn't have the Thunderbolt ports which are of no use to me.

I have never used 144Hz, nor G-Sync, so I cannot comment on how it compares to those; sorry.

Squink · 8 Sep 2015 at 11:02

OP: you play a variety of games from slow paced old games to quicker paced new ones. As a consequence you're probably going to struggle to get a monitor that ticks all boxes, but rest assured there's no wrong answer as such.

I would personally not bother with the ROG Swift. I use TN monitors at work so didn't think colour shift would bother me, but on a 27" screen it got to me really quickly so I sent mine back.

IPS has less colour shift but it didn't strike me as night and day different. 144hz gave me a wow factor that neither IPS nor GSYNC did, but now that I'm back to 60hz I don't miss it as I don't play a lot of hardcore shooters.

I know you said you don't want to go above 30", but you should consider a curved 34" widescreen in my opinion. The problem lies in getting one with good quality control.

Ch3nko · 8 Sep 2015 at 11:13

I've just been looking at the dell 34" UltraSharp. ...with the system I have what is the real downside to 60hz limitations? Are the panels above this aimed at the pure gamer who really need instant response times or does it give you a much more noticeabley improved gaming experience. I've read a lot of reviews and the ips panels seem to suit me more than a tn panel. I'm starting to sway towards the dell, as I said I'm an average gamer I don't take it overly serious but I do want a good gaming experience. Lush colours and great detail. Could it be a case of using the 34" and applying vsync could be the way forward ?

Squink · 8 Sep 2015 at 11:25

144hz is smooth...and beautiful. However if you've never seen it you won't miss it and you're making a direct tradeoff between 144hz and 34" superwide. I think the latter will give you more pleasure and in three years when your hardware is a bit older you won't be fretting that your games won't hit 100fps.

To pick out one of your games: I play Skyrim at 4k on a 980ti. Unmodded but with all the settings on full. It stays nailed on 60fps and it looks great. A 34" superwide is going to give you a similar experience I reckon.