Hello everybody! So I'm in the market for a monitor upgrade since my ancient 27" 1080p TN monitor was around during the last ice age and it's really time to let it go. But monitors are an area that I am not really knowledgeable about. I can read the spec sheets and i know some of what I want or don't want but selecting the right one from the list is important, as this baby is probably going to last with me through at least 5 years if my current one is any indication. My requirements: Must have: 27-32" Must have: 1440p or 4K Ideally have: IPS (or any better than TN panel) Usage: Mainly media, occasional bouts of hardcore gaming. I like to have several windows open next to each other at once so screen space is a must. Budget: In the UK. £400 max, although closer to £300 would allow me to free up budget to maybe get that Mechanical keyboard ive been considering for 2 years. Things i'm not sure on yet: I can't decide if 4k is worth it (i wouldn't be gaming at that resolution because my GPU would struggle a bit to much, but in all other uses it would be very nice). I'd be happy with 1440p but since i plan on keeping this monitor for a good number of years i don't want to miss out for the sake of a few quid. Is it worth paying more, or sacrificing other specs to get a 4K monitor over a 1440p right now? Also, Freesync. It's still not on a lot of new monitors that are otherwise very good on paper, is this something i really need to be focusing on as only a part time gamer, or should i just treat it as a nice bonus if the monitor i choose happens to have it?
What GPU you got? 4k needs a decent GPU for acceptable FPS, personally I prefer 1440p with higher frames.
Im getting a 480x when the custom boards come out. I wont be gaming at 4k, but thats not my biggest usage so i dont mind scaling that down, im looking at futureproofing as much as i can do with my budget so that in a few years if i upgrade the GPU and keep the monitor i still get benefits. How good is 4K for non-gaming uses?
http://www.johnlewis.com/hp-envy-32-technicolour-certified-ips-quad-hd-gaming-monitor-32-/p2541121 I got one of those recently. 32" and it's Freesync and 70hz. I would avoid 4k personally. I came from a 28" 4k monitor and I don't regret dropping to 1440p at all. The sound on the monitor is pretty lame but I found that splitting my audio output with a splitter (around £2) and adding a subwoofer added what was missing to the sound. It's a large monitor, about the biggest you will get for the money and the quality is superb. I must have spent about a month looking at monitors and it really was the biggest/cheapest/most functional monitor for under £400. 4k for non gaming use would depend. On a 28" monitor the resolution gain was mostly lost because Windows scales so that you can read everything properly. One thing is for sure, don't be expecting to use programs natively at 4k on a monitor smaller than 40" without losing the ability to actually read the screen. I found on my 28" that using older versions of Photoshop was practically impossible because it did not scale and I just couldn't read the menus. I would suggest if you are going to go 4k to think about getting a 40" monitor. Otherwise? the HP is about the best you will get for the money. That comes from me spending a month of my life stressing over monitors and trying to get the best for sub £400.
I've had the 27" Acer XB271HU for about 3 months now. IPS, 2560x1440 at 165hz refresh, G-Sync. Quality, super-speed, color accuracy, contrast...best gaming monitor out there ATM, IMO... One word...AMAZING... Son and I have been PC gaming since 1993. We play a lot of the 'FPS' Battlefield 4... our scores are much better, ie, my K/D in Conquest has conservatively improved about 25%. And no, I do not work for Acer, nor am I paid for comments by anyone.
