New monitor dilemma

[Westwood]

Hi!

 

I recently bought a new mid-range PC (i5-9600KF, Radeon RX 5700 XT Pulse) and I have a 24" monitor from last year (HP 24fw 1920 × 1080 @ 75 Hz with FreeSync). I'm getting around 90-95 FPS in DCS. I'm satisfied, but I'd like a slightly bigger screen.

 

I'm thinking of getting a bigger monitor, maybe some 27" 2560 x 1440 @ 144 Hz with FreeSync, but I don't want to waste money if it's overkill for my PC. So I need your advice, please.

 

The main question is: will I feel a significant improvement with a new monitor?

 

If so, what should I pay attention to? Which is more important: refresh rate, resolution, FreeSync, or is it all a must-have? Should it be curved? (I have no experience with curved screens.) Is there anything else I should pay attention to?

 

I don't know if you need any more information, the next step will be to get some kind of head tracking solution.

 

Cheers! :pilotfly:

[shu77]

I recently went from a 27" 1080p screen to a 32" 1440p screen as my primary. The move from 1080p to 1440p cost me about 10FPS in most scenarios, so I would say 1440p is well worth it. So to answer your question yes you will, especially with a jump in resolution.

 

The screen size is not going to affect performance so go the largest you can afford. I have 24" screens at work and have been working at home on 27" and now the 32" during covid and I can say the 32" is fantastic and I will struggle to go back to work. 32" also starts to fill your peripheral vision nicely which helps greatly with the immersion. As a reference I went with a ViewSonic VX3276-2K 32inch although I would have got an AOC Q32V3/WS if I could have found one. The Viewsonic is great, its 4ms but I dont think you can pick that in DCS.

Edited June 21, 2020 by shu77

[eracer1111]

I am having the same 'dilemma.'

 

My 15" laptop only has a GTX 1060 Max-Q chip, and I'm going to buy a new monitor. A new dedicated gaming computer is at least a year away. I will build it to run at least one (maybe three) 1440P monitors. I say 'maybe' because I might switch to VR with the new computer.

 

Should I buy a 24" 1080P 144 Hz TN monitor ($370) or a 27" 1440P 144 Hz IPS monitor ($600)? Both feature true G-sync.

 

I'm leaning towards the bigger one, knowing that I can run it in 1080P mode if my laptop can't keep up a good framerate at 1440P. I'm currently getting around 40-50 fps on mostly medium settings (1080P), and it's just good enough.

 

One big question is whether 1080P will look good OK a 27" monitor. In my experience, sitting close to a bigger monitor running 1080P isn't as good as on a smaller one. I know a 27" 1440P monitor will look great.

 

Westwood As for your questions, I think Free Sync is very important. Refresh rate and resolution are also important, as they determine the raw ability of the computer to deliver higher frame rate. Resolution is directly related to DPI. A 1440P monitor has higher pixel density, which means you can sit closer to a bigger monitor before you begin to be able to resolve individual pixels. 4K (UHD) has even higher pixel density, but it's tough to refresh all those pixels and maintain a high frame rate.

 

Refresh rate also directly impacts the GPU performance. Redrawing millions of pixels 144 times a second is much harder than redrawing them 60 times a second. On the other hand, a higher refresh rate has obvious advantages.

 

Basic rule of thumb - Given a particular viewing distance, bigger screens need a higher resolution to look 'smooth.' So, start with the size monitor you want, and choose the resolution to match. You don't want a 50" screen running 1080P 24 inches from your face. But a 24" monitor at the same resolution and same distance should look good. I wouldn't get anything less than a 144 Hz refresh. With FreeSync, the monitor will conform to the frame rate the game is running at. But a 60 Hz refresh monitor won't be able to take advantage of the available smoother motion when the game is running at 90 fps.

Edited July 19, 2020 by eracer1111

[BeastyBaiter]

My recommendation is a 27" 144Hz 1440p monitor. It's what I run my desktop on. It's a good size for general gaming usage while still fitting on a normal desk. That said, I do not recommend a triple monitor setup for flight sims. It makes a lot of sense for doing work, but for gaming my vote goes to VR instead. VR is cheaper and more enjoyable than a triple monitor setup for flight sims. As a side note, I have 2x 1440p monitors on my desk, a 144Hz and an old 75Hz one. I do use both when doing work or web browsing, but for gaming I strictly use the 144hz screen. Depending on the game, sometimes I'll unplug the 2nd monitor since not all games play well with more than 1 screen plugged in.

[eracer1111]

Thanks. I see people posting pics of their three monitor setups, and they look so cool. I do agree that VR offers much better immersion, but even the top headsets still suffer from some issues with clarity, ghosting, etc.

 

Hopefully in a year they will get better, and render the debate moot.

[BitMaster]

IPS is usually not what you want for high FPS gaming. They are better looking but the downside is a slower response time. For gamers, TN is all it needs, 1ms and 144Hz @ 1440p. Imho this is still a sweetspot unless newer GPU's can push 4k into the same FPS regime. Maybe the 3080ti or Navi2 can do this. For now, I prefer fps over colour and viewing angle, TN over IPS.