Help Finding a New Monitor for Gaming

Hello all. I'm shopping around for a 4K resolution monitor for gaming. Problem is, I'm not entirley sure what I'm looking for. I know small response times are good, but how small is ok for 4K? 1ms or 2ms or higher? I know that higher refresh rates are good, so what's good and what's adequate? 144hz? 120hz? I know I want at least 27". And my budget is below $500. Is that achievable? FreeSync or GSync or none?

Is a 4K monitor even worth the effort? I currently have a 1920x1080 (1080p), so would I be better off just getting a 2560x1440?

I have a computer with 1080 and an i7-6700k to drive it.

I was hoping all you fine folks could give me some recommendations on technology, brands, and models.

EDIT: Changed title because the suggestions have talked me out of a 4K monitor.

If you've got a 1080 I'd go with G-sync. If you're planning to rebuild AMD (and you might want to) in the next 5-10 years then maybe free-sync is the safer option. The Asus MG279Q isn't a bad free-sync option.

If you're just using it for gaming though I don't know if a 4K is really worth it yet. You might look at a 2K instead. Plenty of really solid 2K options out there.

I recently got a 1440p G-sync because I had a 1070tx but if I were to do it again, I would sell the Geforce and go AMD and Freesync due to cost.

There are no high refresh rate 4k screens that I know of. And Gsync is a big nope at $500 unless you stay at 1080P.

To me 2560x1440 is the sweet spot and there's a good variety of 120hz+ displays at that resolution. But any of those with Gsync will generally run $650+, give or take a few bucks.

Reaper81 wrote:

I recently got a 1440p G-sync because I had a 1070tx but if I were to do it again, I would sell the Geforce and go AMD and Freesync due to cost.

If I could take all my dollars back from Nvidia right now I'd do it. The stuff about their behind closed doors business practices that's sneaking out now is seriously sh*tty.

So, something like this one? Or are there better ones?

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...

Be aware anything cheap in terms of monitors that will be either G-Sync or FreeSync will likely be a TN panel. That is a deal breaker for me.. but others are ok with that.

Also a 4K monitor with a 1080 isnt really ideal.. you probably want a 1440P monitor instead if you want a bump up from your 1080P monitor.

maverickz wrote:

So, something like this one? Or are there better ones?

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...

That's basically the monitor I have but mine is one generation back and I absolutely love it. Mine also has built in crosshairs that you can turn on and off which is quite cool when you are playing some games such as Elder Scrolls and what not.

That red is so cool I may just buy that and build a red themed system around it!

TheGameguru wrote:

Be aware anything cheap in terms of monitors that will be either G-Sync or FreeSync will likely be a TN panel. That is a deal breaker for me.. but others are ok with that.

Also a 4K monitor with a 1080 isnt really ideal.. you probably want a 1440P monitor instead if you want a bump up from your 1080P monitor.

Yep. I'm running a GTX 1080 and 1440P is very comfortable. 4K usually means messing around with graphic settings and dialing a few things down.

Thank you all for the advice. It looks like there is a significant price difference between TN and IPS screens. Like, 300 versus 600. Is that worth the price differential?

maverickz wrote:

Thank you all for the advice. It looks like there is a significant price difference between TN and IPS screens. Like, 300 versus 600. Is that worth the price differential?

Depends.

This guide has some pictures that show the viewing angle thing on TN panels that bothers many folks, but also covers the tradeoffs made by other panel types.

If I were to take issue with the article I'd do it on their statement that IPS screens have better blacks than TN's, as this has not been my experience at all. My IPS display is not nearly as nice on dark scenes and games as my TN. "IPS glow" really murders its contrast.

But then you have the viewing angles, where if I slouch heavily in my seat my TN gets noticeably darker and colors shift and the IPS doesn't.

It's all tradeoffs. Read up, decide which set of positives and negatives works best/effects you the least, respectively, and whittle down your options from there.

I will say my experience with TN panels varies heavily from panel to panel.

My personal rule is that an IPS is always better than a TN but that some TNs are far better than others.

I was not impressed with that Dell G-sync TN but I have a very nice Acer at work that I wouldn’t mind at home.

Is flat mandatory? If you're ok with curved and free sync take a look at the 1440p 144hz VA panel-based monitors from MSI or Samsung. They will produce the best contrast and are under $500. Samsung makes the panels in both but if you buy from Samsung you also get quantum dots which extend the color gamut a little. VA panels can create a little more motion blur than TN or IPS, so it depends how sensitive you are to that.

I suppose flat isn't mandatory, but it's preferred. I'll certainly keep curved in the running. Right now I'm still looking at all the options in the resolution and price range.

Ok, three options now.

All at 1440p resolution and 144Hz.

Acer XG270HU
1ms TN $380

MSI Optix MAG27CQ
1ms VA $445

VIOTEK GN27D
5ms VA $370

maverickz wrote:

Ok, three options now.

All at 1440p resolution and 144Hz.

Acer XG270HU
1ms TN $380

MSI Optix MAG27CQ
1ms VA $445

VIOTEK GN27D
5ms VA $370

I believe the Viotek and MSI use the same Samsung panel. I think the MSI looks nicer though.

The MSI with a 1ms Input Lag sure looks better than the 5ms VIOTEK.

Edwin wrote:

The MSI with a 1ms Input Lag sure looks better than the 5ms VIOTEK.

that's the pixel response time I believe. I would take MSI's number with a grain of salt. Only way they achieve that on a va panel is with overdrive turned to high, which creates image artifacts.

I have been thinking about a monitor upgrade for a year now and still haven't pulled the trigger. Interested to see what you go with and how happy you are with it.

The biggest issue with Monitors is that they are all a series of compromises. It's just figuring out which particular technology hits what's most important to the individual.

EvilDead wrote:

I have been thinking about a monitor upgrade for a year now and still haven't pulled the trigger. Interested to see what you go with and how happy you are with it.

I think I'm going to save up a little bit of cash and go for the MSI Optix MAG27CQ. I watched some side by side comparisons of TN vs VA monitors, and it's noticeable to the point that I'd prefer the VA. Also, the numeric specs are better, so that's probably my primary choice unless something comes up.

Anyone have Asus ROG SWIFT PG348Q?

Thoughts on it?

I ordered the MSI MAG27CQ. Based on screen type, response time, frequency, and resolution. There was a good deal on ebay for it from Monoprice.

maverickz wrote:

I ordered the MSI MAG27CQ. Based on screen type, response time, frequency, and resolution. There was a good deal on ebay for it from Monoprice.

Let us know what you think. I might have to put that on my wishlist.

I just got the Alienware 3418DW. Huge monitor. There’s a scratch on the body which is bothering me. I’m complaining to Dell especially the amount of money I spent on this thing.

I'm impressed with Dell's customer service so far. I just sent an email and they responded by sending me a replacement with next day air.

Well, I don't know what an IPS monitor looks like, but this monitor is AMAZING compared to my old 1080p TN 60Hz monitor. I've cranked up all my games to 2560x1440 and everything is so vibrant and beautiful. Witcher 3 is like, a painting, or playing with real toys. I'm quite happy with it.

VA panels are supposed to be kind of a hybrid, faster than IPS, but better-looking than TN. Sounds like they may have been improving them a fair bit; I haven't seen a recent one.

maverickz wrote:

Well, I don't know what an IPS monitor looks like, but this monitor is AMAZING compared to my old 1080p TN 60Hz monitor. I've cranked up all my games to 2560x1440 and everything is so vibrant and beautiful. Witcher 3 is like, a painting, or playing with real toys. I'm quite happy with it.

I did just get asked what I wanted for my birthday....

maverickz wrote:

Well, I don't know what an IPS monitor looks like, but this monitor is AMAZING compared to my old 1080p TN 60Hz monitor. I've cranked up all my games to 2560x1440 and everything is so vibrant and beautiful. Witcher 3 is like, a painting, or playing with real toys. I'm quite happy with it.

How do you find the curve when using for non gaming tasks? Did you need some time to get used to it?

Chairman_Mao wrote:
maverickz wrote:

Well, I don't know what an IPS monitor looks like, but this monitor is AMAZING compared to my old 1080p TN 60Hz monitor. I've cranked up all my games to 2560x1440 and everything is so vibrant and beautiful. Witcher 3 is like, a painting, or playing with real toys. I'm quite happy with it.

How do you find the curve when using for non gaming tasks? Did you need some time to get used to it?

I probably needed an hour or three to get used to it. Initially, going from a flat screen to the curved screen, the sides/corners of the screen appeared to be further out and up. That is, the edges looked bigger than the center of the screen, like someone squished at the top and bottom of the monitor in the center. But after about a couple of hours I got used to it and I don't notice it any more. It seems perfectly normal in both gaming and non gaming tasks, basically unnoticeable.

There is definitely less of a color issue with looking at the edges of the screen because it is closer to perpendicular to my vision. That coupled with the VA panel it is a better viewing experience than the flat TN.

I'm also in the market for a 27" monitor. I'm sporting two BenQ screens right now, one 24" gaming monitor and one 22" fairly standard monitor. I use the screens for my PS4 (most of the time), for home office, for my own desktop, I watch some HD TV and then there's the "varia" (SNES classic, Raspberry Pi, ...). Most devices are connected through an older Onkyo receiver that lacks 4K support.

What I want most is a screen that looks good. I never do online twitchy gaming, and 90% of my offline gaming is non-twitchy. So I'm looking at an IPS screen, more exactly this one.

I like that it has lots of inputs (even VGA, which is handy for home office purposes), that it supports HDMI 2.0, and that it just looks great according to reviews. But as my own PC is not powerful enough to support anything above 1080p gaming I gots to know: how does 1080p scale on a 4K screen? I get very conflicting reports online, from "looks like sh*te" to "scales perfectly cause it's just x4".

I'm also worried that going for 2K would pose issues in the long run when connecting the PS5 with 4K gaming to the monitor.

In other words: I'm flailing, please help me pick a resolution