I've been threatening to change monitors for quite some time now. I'm currently running a 28" 1200p 60Hz screen with a smaller 4:3 side monitor for TS/Battlelog etc. I'm wanting to upgrade the screen and was pondering 120/144Hz and whether to to downsize to 24" or pay the extra £ and get a 27"... and if I do go 27", do I go 120/144Hz@1080p or do I ignore the 120Hz+ TN panels and buy a 60Hz@1440p and settle for the slower refresh rate with more pixels? I play mostly fast paced FPS games, but some MMO/RTS also. I appreciate the difference that more real estate would make and also the colour reproduction of an IPS panel; however, would I get the same kind of 'wow' factor going to 120/144Hz? What do you think and what can you recommend? I wouldn't like to risk a bad purchase on a foreign 'overclocked' IPS @ 1440p either despite the success stories.
I have to admit I've not used a 120hz monitor, but if I had to choose I'd personally go for the 60Hz 1440p panel. The colours of an IPS monitor just make games 'pop' like never before, and it really is a sight to behold. If you are happy with 60hz now, chances are you'll be happy with 60hz on your next monitor and the extra field of view you get with a 27/30" is awesome. Avoid the 27" 1080p monitors at all cost though. Yuck.
I'm aware of issues with larger TN panels. I have one now and know exactly what you mean. Noticeable contrast shifts is the biggest negative for me. There's so much hype about 120hz+ screens at the moment including some ultra slow mo side by side vids on YouTube where the 120hz is still perfectly smooth at 1/8th speed but the 60hz panel is visibly choppy in comparison. That must surely translate to a smoother game experience at full speed? I'm not unhappy with 60Hz nor TN panels but is the greater advantage to be gained from a faster one or an IPS one?
If it was me looking for a monitor. I would hold off a few months and see what this g-sync business turns out like. Then revisit my options.
Well we already have pricing on the first Asus gaming screen with the sync I believe there's about a $50 premium. I really don't see how much of an improvement it will grant over the current nvidia adaptive vsync... Not to mention I've never had any sort of the tearing, runt frames and artifacts that weren't sorted out by a driver update (though I only run a single good gpu at a time). As for the refresh/pixel density debate, pixel density all the way. Every single 1440p I've played with has been head and shoulders above every 1080p monitor I've owned/used/seen, so long as we're not talking about professional monitors.
Adaptive v-sync just turns off v-sync when the system is incapable. Giving you all the incomplete frames and tearing once your below the threshold. It does reduce the sudden drops of frame rate normally associated with v-sync on and frame rates below 60 hz though. G-sync will always deliver full frames regardless of frame rate. Which should give the appearance of smother motion and stop tearing even at sub 60hz frame rates. Tearing still very much exists in games.
All helpful posts and will bear them in mind, thanks guys. Any 120/144Hz monitor owners out there care to share their experiences?
